Thursday, June 1st, 1978, 0730

Sula was seated to my dad's left. She offered me a warm but inconspicuous wave as I approached.

Kiriel's mouth was tightened in displeasure. "Mare, you're late. That's completely unacceptable. Sula would never make such a basic error. Please be seated; we've already wasted enough time bandying about waiting for you to arrive. I've half a mind to make you apologize to our guests, but I'll let it slide this once." She gestured coldly to the empty chair.

I bowed slightly in deference and barely managed to suppress the wave of disappointment washing over me.

I can't believe I got my hopes up. I know better than that. Stupid, Mare, you know better than to expect anything from her.

I went smoothly to the remaining breakfast tray near my sister, rapidly trying to process the situation. It's not like anything was that different than usual; I just had no idea why my dad's colleague Mikhail was here. I recalled seeing him two, maybe three times in the last year at various governmental-related outings. He was a normal-looking guy, with reddish-brown hair and smiling eyes that always looked a few hours short of well-rested.

He worked at the Safari Zone with my dad on a project attempting to integrate a variety of rare species from Johto. I remembered hearing the project was going well, and they had already successfully merged several rare species into the local ecosystem. This was nearly a year ago, so I didn't know the project's present status.

To his left sat a young woman who looked close to my age, give or take a year. She was clearly Mikhail's daughter, as she shared the same smiling eyes, looking privately amused at some joke only she had heard. Her auburn hair was cut short, and it hung just below her ears in a bob cut. She caught my gaze as I subtly evaluated her and Mikhail, giving me a small wave before sweeping her eyes back to Kiriel, who looked poised to begin an announcement.

"Mare, I'm sure you remember Mikhail and Eleanor? Mikhail has been working for several years with Jamie on the Johto Transplant Project but only recently moved here to Fuchsia. They've made rapid progress in relocating and stabilizing several important pokémon populations, including Phanpy, Spinarak, and Remoraid, with plans to gradually move an additional thirty species. It's all very impressive," Kiriel said with a slight nod to Mikhail, who graciously inclined his head at the acknowledgment.

I felt my throat tighten. In just one statement, Mikhail had earned more praise from Kiriel than I had in the last fifteen years.

I cleared my throat, "Of course! I thought I recognized Mikhail from several of dad's work meetings! I'm happy to hear the project is going so well; it seems daunting. The Safari is a delicate ecosystem that clearly takes dedicated effort to balance the new species," I offered diligently, as I had been prepped to do by my tutors.

Mikhail chuckled, shaking his head wryly, "I forgot how well-spoken you were for your age; my Ellie here sure could stand to learn from you!"

His daughter gave him a not-so-subtle look of warning before reapplying her smiling mask.

Mikhail continued, "I appreciate the compliment, but I'm not sure it's going quite as well as you make it out to be." He grimaced. "We've been hitting some snafus that seem somewhat intractable. Really, that's part of the reason we're here this morning. We've concocted somewhat of an irregular solution to the problem we've been dealing with over the last few months."

Before I could ask for the details, my dad found his cue to interpose himself into the fray—as he always did. If a conversation was happening, he would find his way into it whether or not the participants actually wanted him. Both endearing and annoying, I supposed.

"Hold up!" my dad interjected in his mellow voice. "I'm not going to let all you serious folk derail a delicious breakfast before we dig in. Our staff prepared an excellent meal for today, and I assured them we would enjoy it. Please, take advantage of our hospitality before we get into the serious stuff."

Kiriel glanced at my dad gratefully, but the look was so minute and fleeting that I doubted our guests, and maybe not even my sister, caught it. I prided myself on my observational skills but sometimes thought it made life more challenging. Noticing every little detail did you no favors if those details only reinforced harsh realities.

My dad, Jamie, was everything Kiriel wasn't: relaxed, funny, friendly, and caring. He had short, sandy blonde hair that apparently didn't win out in the genetic lottery against Kiriel's raven locks. His classic good looks and down-to-earth, easy-going confidence earned him widespread popularity in Fuchsia, even more so than Kiriel.

Just his small comment lightened the mood in seconds. I had always been envious of my dad's natural affability, but it probably would have been wasted on me and I had long since come to terms that my serious nature could be off-putting to some.

"Jamie is correct; let's not waste this opportunity. Please enjoy the food. I'm grateful to have you all together on this important day," Kiriel declared in an uncharacteristically warm tone.

I knew something was up. Kiriel was never this nice. There was clearly something at play here that I hadn't been made privy to.

Jamie was right, of course; the meal was excellent. Everyone began politely digging in. The staff always served some type of traditional fare, but they really outdid themselves today with a refreshing breakfast congee and several varieties of fresh fish. Likely Magikarp and Goldeen, considering their abundance in the waters south of Fuchsia.

My breakfast appreciation was disturbed as Sula spoke up excitedly. "So, you must be Eleanor! Your hair is soooo pretty! I've heard a lot about you from my dad. Mare and I tend to take after our mom, and I think he's jealous of the relaxed vibe you and your dad seem to have."

I stifled a sigh that threatened to emerge as she rudely outed the private thoughts I wasn't even aware of to the entire room.

Eleanor beamed at the comment. "Call me Ellie; I hate my full name! It makes me sound so old. Eleanor is such an old woman's name, don't you think!? Like a tiny, wrinkled granny that just talks about the good ol' days. Gross. Dad says I'll grow into it, but I plan to enjoy my youth as much as I can for now! Thank you for the compliment, though; I do love my hair!" Eleanor—Ellie, emphasized. Her voice was light and humorous; it was clear that she took things a bit less seriously than Sula and me. I couldn't help but feel a bit brighter at her presence.

I knew I was envious of the relaxed atmosphere my sister had mentioned. Sula was right, much as I'm loath to admit it. My dad was jealous of ordinary families. He married into the Seiichi clan right after the War of Unification, and I'm not sure he quite knew what he was getting into.

He was technically a pokémon trainer, but only in the same sense that an average Joe winning a local talent show with his impressive burping was an international star.

Jamie could do the thing, but certainly not to the exacting standards the Seiichi clan was known for. His real value lay elsewhere. He mainly focused on research and pokémon breeding and was considered a leader in the field. He specialized in breeding small mammalian types, such as the Eevee I received as my starter.

In the aftermath of the war, many clans scrambled to form ties with the opposing side to make the most of the post-war benevolent stupor all of Indigo fell into. The Seiichi were no exception and snapped Jamie up like a tasty morsel after seeing him featured on a popular TV show aired between both regions.

The clan had greedily observed Jamie's work breeding numerous rare populations in Johto—of which he is a native—and did everything they could to bring him into the family, eventually succeeding within a year after the war.

I don't know exactly what went down to get him on board, but it didn't matter now. I was grateful for my dad, as he served as a needed buffer to Kiriel's intensity for battle, among other things.

"Mare, what are you doing spacing off like that on the first day of your journey?" my dad chided gently as he noticed me staring off into my breakfast congee, trying to wake up.

"I apologize, I didn't sleep well. I'm still processing that the day has actually arrived, and I can't help but try to figure out what problem Mikhail is referring to and how it might possibly relate to us youth," I explained around a bite of fish. It had been pickled in vinegar and a spice I couldn't recognize. I enjoyed the tangy flavor immensely, even as it burnt a hole through the roof of my mouth.

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"Mare! You gotta stop talking like such a stiff old man; you're fifteen!" my dad groaned, cradling his face in his hands theatrically, garnering a chuckle from the others.

I frowned. I hated when my family made fun of me like this in public. It made me feel like I was standing outside a group of people who all knew something I didn't and were laughing at my ignorance.

I shrugged. "I can't help it. You can blame Kiriel; this was her doing! I don't know how to talk like a teenager. It sounds stupid when I try," I argued back.

My tirade was interrupted by an amused giggle from across the table. Ellie shot her hand up to cover her mouth and attempted to play off the laugh as a cough, much to the amusement of the rest of the table. Sula laughed out loud in response, nearly choking on a bite of fish.

"See?" my dad pointed out. "Ellie clearly has this kinda thing figured out; maybe she can teach you?" my dad joked, causing another round of quiet laughter to ripple across the table.

I felt my face growing red. Things like this always happened to me when around my family! I knew I could be too serious, but it's not like I meant to sound like an old man! I blamed the various tutors surrounding my upbringing at all turns.

"Actually, I probably should, if only so Mare doesn't embarrass us on our travels!" Ellie proposed.

The table swiftly fell silent. "Did I say something wrong? I thought this was supposed to be our sendoff? Did I miss something?" Ellie queried in confusion, her finely shaped eyebrows arched in surprise.

The awkward silence loomed for a long moment until I finally made the first move.

"Uh, this is the first I've heard of us traveling together? I barely remembered your name until today," I offered, my voice colder than I would've liked.

I turned towards my parents. "Would either of you care to elaborate? I'm clearly the only one who wasn't briefed about whatever she's referring to?"

My dad avoided my gaze, and even Kiriel had the good grace to look abashed at their lack of communication.

Mikhail sighed. "Well. This is uncomfortable. Jamie, I was led to believe Mare had been informed of the plan and his role in it. I thought this was a sure thing?" he asked imploringly with a skeptical look he didn't look used to wearing.

"It is, I promise," Jamie declared with a winning smile that displayed his perfect teeth. "We got this in the bag, no problem. We'll get the JTP passed for sure this time."

Kiriel interjected. "Mare will do what we tell him to do. He somehow always manages to accomplish the bare minimum we require. He knows his role, and I thought it would be more of a challenge if we left him in the dark until the day of. It was my decision to leave off informing him until now."

She sighed and gave Jamie a pointed look. "I did imagine we would have done it with a bit more tact than what just occurred."

Turning back to me, she continued, "Mare, your assignment is to travel with Ellie during your pokémon journey. The 'snafu,' to use his words, that Mikhail mentioned earlier, is that many native Kantonians are strongly resisting the migration of Johtan pokémon into their region due to some odd nationalistic pride, and it has put your father's—as well as Mikhail's—positions in jeopardy. I am assigning a Johtan pokémon to you in the hopes your success with such a pokémon can generate enough popular support to continue the JTP. Eleanor here has a well known Johtan native pokémon as well."

Jamie took over with a grateful nod to Kiriel, who pretended she didn't see it. "It is our hope that by fostering a close relationship with you, the son of a well-respected gym leader and fantastically skilled breeder like me, Kanto natives will come around as they see you working together. Considering that all gym battles, as well as the eventual matches at the Indigo Conference, are televised, it will be instrumental in propagating renewed support for the project. It is essentially a PR operation with your pokémon at its center. You guys are gonna be great!"

"What pokémon is it?" I asked. I had a myriad of questions about this bizarre plan, but that one took precedence over all others.

Somehow, Kiriel's face became even more severe. "We managed to arrange something of a trade with Mikhail. In exchange for one of your father's Safari-bred pokémon eggs, we secured a Larvitar for your personal use. They are one of the most powerful Johtan pokémon and can serve as a foundation for winning the Kantonians over. We are told that there is a high likelihood of the specimen being much larger than average, which I expect you to capitalize on. Ellie will be receiving a Dratini egg."

Kiriel hesitated but continued, "It's a steep price, as I was hoping that egg might go to you, but this is what needs to happen for your father's career. I have had my turn, and now it's time for your father to make a difference in the world," she explained calmly as if that justified everything.

At her admission, everything seemed to stop, and I felt a surge of hot anger sweep over me as I realized the ramifications of her statement.

"But… I was supposed to get that egg! You promised me! That's the only way I can catch up to Sula! I've been training my ass off day in and day out so I could manage it!" I shouted hoarsely, momentarily uncaring for the wide eyes cast my way.

I could feel hot tears dripping down my face. My dad and sister were looking away, and Mikhail looked horribly uncomfortable. For whatever reason, Ellie just stared my way with curiosity clear in her eyes.

"Mare. Pull. It. Together. Do not shame me like this. This behavior is unacceptable," Kiriel hissed. "If you don't get it together this instant, I'll call your entire journey off without a second thought. Sula can manage on her own, regardless. This is something like a fallback plan."

Taking a breath, I wiped my eyes with my fist and relented with a curt nod, swallowing the many complaints I might have voiced in a different family. "Of course, my apologies. I'll do my best, ma'am."

I settled back into my seat at the clear dismissal of any objections I might have had with the plan.

Kiriel ignored me, turning to the rest of the table. "Onto the logistics. We have both eggs secured in the highest quality of incubators money can buy. Since their inception, they have been housed at the safari zone and should hatch within several days. Our existing data indicates that a stronger bond forms when pokémon have the opportunity to imprint with their trainer at birth. This bond translates to greater power and faster growth, and several researchers have posited that it also helps create a favorable personality for the pokémon. I have prepared a selection of gear for both you and Ellie."

Kiriel swept her gaze around the table, her eyes eventually settling on me as if I were the issue.

"For this plan to work, you will need to prioritize the growth of your pokémon above all else. I will provide funds for you to procure high-quality feed and a tailored blend of vitamins for your Pokémon's needs. You will each have the newest Silph expanded-space backpack and an assortment of basic goods. I will also allocate funds as needed to purchase any technical machines you deem necessary. I'm confident you'll find yourself wanting for little. Do either of you have any questions or concerns? I'll assume you don't."

Kiriel snapped her fingers, and two compound assistants came forward, expertly clearing food from the table and replacing it with the newly mentioned equipment, gleaming in the morning light.

Ellie and I stared at each other across the table in shock at Kiriel's explanation, one more akin to a military briefing than a conversation over breakfast. Sula cackled beside me in evident amusement; I assume she had been in on this from the start.

I shot her a glare, and she quieted, suddenly finding something interesting to stare at conveniently away from me. Her genuine concern for me this morning made sense in light of the new context.

She had known, I realized. She had known and had never told me a damn thing, even though we had been basically inseparable all Summer.

I felt a flutter of abandonment make itself known at the betrayal, but I quickly quashed the unproductive emotion. No matter how friendly she might be to me, Sula was always on the inside. I would always be looking in from somewhere far away, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never reach them. I thought it would finally change when I left on my journey, and I was suddenly confronted with how wrong I was.

I was alone, and I would stay alone.

I turned to Mikhail and Ellie, finding it difficult to maintain the intentionally neutral tone of voice I maintained at all times. "Eleanor, did you know about all this?"

She quickly denied my question with a panicked wave of her hands. "Ha! No way. All that dad told me was that he had made some arrangements with the Seiichi Clan through your dad."

She met my eyes, and I quickly broke contact as she continued, "You guys have such a reputation that I really didn't have reason to protest! This shit is crazy, though, like, how much money do you guys have?"

"Plenty," chimed in Jamie with a rakish grin, earning himself an eyeroll from Kiriel at his antics.

Ellie shook her head in awe, looking with wide eyes at the display. "This is, like, hundreds of thousands of league credits just being tossed around for a couple of teenagers! You could buy a house for less! Or three! All I knew for sure was that I was expected to travel with you and that it was important for dad's project."

"Eleanor! Watch your language. I've told you not to talk so casually at formal events, of which this definitely qualifies," Mikhail admonished.

He turned to my parents with a deep bow. "Thank you for funding most of this project. I knew it was a bit of a reach, but this might work. I assure you that contrary to how she just spoke, Ellie is a bright and dedicated young woman. You won't be disappointed," he reported, looking queasy at the spread of valuable goods Kiriel had casually dispersed.

"All of you need to relax; this much tension at the start of the day is bad for my heart!" Jamie teased. "I knew it would work out; I think this will go a long way to developing Kantonian and Johtan relations. The project is great, but I think the two regions need to foster a closer and more trusting relationship in general. This could be a really great thing for both countries. There's been more talk of rabble-rousers in the news lately, with a few protests even leading to minor injuries. There are plenty of people in both countries who are strongly resistant to the idea of a melding of both cultures. You kids are doing an awesome thing," he confessed.

Jamie turned towards me with sincerity in his eyes. "Mare, I know this whole thing just got sprung on you, but I'm proud of you for accepting responsibility and adapting to the changing situation as quickly as you did. You're a good boy, and you work hard. She might not show it, but your mom is too," he admitted.

Kiriel slammed her hands together in an ear-ringing staccato of noise, startling the entire table. "Seeing as neither of you asked me any questions, I'll take that silence as a concession. It's nearly nine in the morning, and you all need to get going. Say your goodbyes and prepare yourselves."