Cashe leaned forward and picked up the ID wallet. The leather was soft in his hand. He flipped it open. It was the same basic trainer ID he kept around his neck, with one small difference.
“This says Second Circuit on it,” Cashe said.
Lindon and Emilia swiftly picked up their own IDs at that, flipping them open.
“You think we’re good enough for the Second Circuit?” Lindon said, eyes shining.
Emilia had a different expression on her face, “That’s supposed to be for us to decide.”
Gym Leader Kev nodded, placing his hands, palms up, on the desk, “That is technically correct. If you want to go to Tapu Village it is a decision you will have to make before you leave this office.” He passed his eyes over the three of them.
“What does that mean?” Cashe said, pocketing the new trainer ID and leaning back in his chair.
“Cashe,” Emilia’s tone was warning as she watched him place the ID in his stylish pants, “We should decide together.”
“Sure. But I want the leather wallet, it's nice.”
Kev gave him a withering look and Emilia smirked, pocketing the ID as well.
“What that means, Cashe,” the gym leader said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his desk, “Is that you are too good for the Third Circuit. Both my daughter and Tara are on the cusp of promotion themselves. Defeating you and Emilia was the final test I had for them.”
“But we won,” Lindon said, understanding, “And that means we get to be Second Circuit trainers now.”
“It’s still supposed to be a decision the trainer makes.” Emilia said, frowning at the man, “I remember it was a really big deal when my sister defeated the Second Circuit trainer and wasn’t allowed to go back to the Third Circuit.”
“She wasn’t allowed to go back to the Third Circuit with Hippopotas,” Kev corrected, meeting Emilia’s disgruntled gaze, “And you three,” he gave Lindon a quick side glance, “will not be forced into the Second Circuit. But your pokemon are too strong for the Third Circuit at this point. Cashe, you didn't even use your strongest pokemon. Emilia, you did but the battle wasn't close. If you try and challenge any gyms on the Third Circuit with them you will find the gym leaders refusing to match you with an opponent.”
“I was under the impression that challenges couldn’t be refused. That’s different for gyms?” Cashe said.
“The rules of the League are clear. You can challenge up, but not down.” Kev said, “Gym leaders have a good amount of discretion when it comes to borderline cases, like your own. It’s why you don’t see some young kid, who got lucky by birth or by happenstance, tearing through the lower circuits with a powerful, evolved pokemon. And don’t forget that you are fighting in the strongest region in the world right now. Once the other gym leaders of the region see your battles, the decision will be obvious. Especially after I reach out to all of them.”
“So you're forcing all of us into the Second Circuit anyway,” Cashe said, “Even if we don’t decide to go to Tapu Village.”
“You can always get alternate pokemon,” Kev said with a shrug. He frowned and turned to Lindon, “Lindon?”
“Yeah?” Lindon looked up from his new trainer ID, still grinning.
“May I be frank with you?”
“I thought you were Kev, but you can be Frank if you want.”
Cashe and Kev snorted and Emilia groaned.
Kev smiled, “You sound like your father.”
Lindon grinned wider, “He says stuff like that all the time.”
“I’m aware,” Kev said, “But I mean to be blunt with you. As you are now, you will not win your battles on the Second Circuit.”
The smile on Lindon’s face fell, “I won’t?”
“You will not,” Kev said, “Your Trick Room strategy, while well executed, will not catch opponents off guard. Trainers on the Second Circuit have carefully selected and trained teams. You will not see the eclectic mix of pokemon you have seen on the Third Circuit. You need to evolve your pokemon, Slowpoke and Goomy especially, and you need to fill out your team roster, or else you will not be able to progress with your friends.”
“That’s why we are going to Tapu Village!” Lindon protested. He looked over at Cashe and Emilia, his eyes shining with worry, “Let’s go. We need to find Vulpix before those professionals do!”
“Relax Lindon,” Cashe said, “We aren’t going to leave you behind, even if you don’t find a Vulpix or you take a little while to defeat some gyms. Right Emilia?”
Emilia took a second to answer. Cashe glanced at her. She had a conflicted expression on her face.
“Emilia,” Cashe nudged her with his elbow, “Right?”
Emilia grunted and looked up at Lindon, “Right. Of course we won’t.”
“You should go anyway,” Kev said, “If you hurry, you should make it to Tapu Village before sun down.” Kev pulled out a final object from beneath his desk. It was a photo of the missing gym trainer. “Keep an eye out for Wynn.” Kev’s expression turned grim, “It’s a good thing you are searching for a Vulpix, because if Wynn was found by a powerful pokemon you’ll need to find his body.”
***
The journey from Malie City was swift and Lindon was quiet through most of it, the boy troubled by the gym leader’s words to him. Cashe gave him his space. Lindon had never hesitated to speak up before, if he needed advice or support, he was confident he would ask.
They headed out as soon as they left Kev’s office, only stopping to pick up their things from their rooms. After flashing their new trainer IDs to a pair of Jennys that guarded the entrance to Route 10, they summoned their borrowed Mudsdale from their balls and marched down the road.
The Mudsdale were enormous and thankfully patient pokemon, given how much trouble Cashe had saddling his. Standing eight feet tall at the shoulder, the pokemon were larger than most vehicles Cashe had ever driven. The thick, bushy manes of the pokemon made it almost impossible for him to see the road, but luckily, that apparently did not matter. Cashe had no experience riding a horse, but the Mudsdale he rode on was well trained and well tempered, responding both to Cashe’s verbal commands and to his inexperienced jerking of the reins with gentle movement and measured complaints when Cashe pulled too hard.
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After a short period of struggle, Cashe had the idea to ask for help. Both Emilia and Lindon had at least a passing familiarity with the pokemon and did not struggle with them at all. The secret turned out to be nothing. Literally. The pokemon were trained enough to follow the roads without guidance, only needing instructions for forks in the road or to stop. The sturdy pokemon had enough endurance to ride for days on end if you let them, so any stops needed would be at the complete discretion of the riders.
After understanding the secret of doing nothing, the trip was much smoother. Route 10 was a well maintained route that branched both to Route 17 and to the Mount Hokulani Observatory, but the only trainers they saw were those swiftly returning to Malie city, no doubt informed of the travel restrictions and potential danger in the area. None stopped to challenge the trio either, understanding that the presence of swiftly moving Mudsdale indicated urgency in their task.
The route was a beautiful one, and Cashe made a mental note to revisit it if he had the chance. While the route was clear and the road packed with hard dirt, a large field of waist-high grass lined either side of it. Cashe could see it move and rustle as unknown pokemon darted through it. Bushes, thick with berries and trees filled with vibrant leaves formed large wooden sections between the fields. The shining metal of Skarmory glinted in the sunlight from where they perched in the trees. Occasionally, they would fly by, swooping like magpies and screeching as the Mudsdale passed too close to their nests. Emilia was forced to let Charmeleon out of his pokeball to ride on the back of Mudsdale with her and keep them at bay, so that they did not disturb the egg she carried too much.
At noon, they rested, having made it to the fork in the road which led to Hokulani Observatory. The road twisted up the steep mountain, and Cashe could see why it was one of the few places that he saw vehicles being used on the roads. The mountainous path was narrow and steep, with sheer cliffs and long drops. If a traveler did not have the proper pokemon, it would be a difficult journey. The bus to the observatory sat at the stop at the base of the mountain, the driver inside looking bored as he waited for passengers that would not come. Apparently even with potential danger on the road, a job was still a job.
After a quick lunch and some time to let their pokemon stretch, they mounted back up, continuing along the path to Route 17. The road descended as they made their way along it, cutting through a cliff face and opening up far above the route. From their height, they could see rugged hills, filled with sun dried grass and swirling dust to the north, an entire area covered in dry, rocky terrain. North of that still, the tall walls of Po Town stood in stark contrast the the nature around them, the fortified city once home to a Team of its own. Cashe didn’t know the history of the region well, only what he learned from Emilia in addition to the games, but he knew that Team Skull was long gone from the region, leaving the small city prosperous again.
To the south lay the more typical fields and trees of the Alola region. A few miles from them, a road, paved in flagstone, lay just beyond a field of thick, tall grass. A narrow passage ran between it and a thin copse of trees, allowing travelers to move between the two routes without being forced into the tall grass and faced with a potentially dangerous pokemon encounter.
They descended from the side of the mountain easily, the Mudsdale having no trouble with the incline. As the road leveled, Route 17 disappeared behind the field of grass in front of them, only to appear an hour later once they moved past it.
Once on the paved flagstone route, the Mudsdale picked up the pace, increasing speed on the even surface. Before long they came upon the Po Town Police station. The building was short and small, only large enough for a few police at most. It was an odd posting, sitting several miles outside of the city, acting as a checkpoint for those who wished to visit it. An officer stepped into the path of the Mudsdale to halt their progress as they approached, slowing them down to warn them of the potential dangers of the route and to escort them into Po Town. After a short exchange and a quick verification of their IDs the group was allowed to pass, and they continued on their way towards Tapu Village.
After another hour or two they passed through the flowery fields of Ula Ula Meadow. The strong scent of pollen was pleasant and the fields of dark violet flowers were beautiful, but they did not have time to stop. It was another location that Cashe made a note of so that he could visit later, once they had more time. He imagined the meadows would be filled with people if there was not an emergency alert in the area. The boardwalk that ran over the flowers was rustic and there were plenty of places for a picnic in the shade. The Mudsdale were unimpressed; however, trotting through the fields at speed, bringing them along the route.
They passed a remote Pokemon Center, but didn’t bother to stop, heading straight for the ferry that would bring them to the outskirts of Tapu Village. Cashe didn’t know if word was sent ahead or if the ferry simply operated on a first come, first serve basis, but the small passenger vessel took off as soon as they arrived, the few sailors on board only offering a quick greeting before setting sail.
The trip was short, only lasting about twenty minutes, the vessel moving much faster than the ferry that took them to Ula Ula in the first place. As they ferry dropped them off on the beach outside of Tapu Village, Cashe marveled at the speed they traveled. Kev said the trip would take two days on foot, but Cashe thought it was likely closer to three or four, unless they marched at full speed for twelve hours each day. Support pokemon were really something else.
The air was chilled as the sun set and they found themselves at the edge of the island. The water cooled the air as the ocean sprayed up, crashing against the rocks of the beach. Unable to make it to the village before dark, they made camp on the side of the road, setting up tents to keep dry from the spray of the ocean. Lindon, having learned from their adventures on Melemele Island, had purchased his own tent. Cashe took advantage of this, moving quietly over to Emilia’s tent tapping on the outside to announce his presence before ducking through the small opening.
“Cashe?” Emilia looked up from where she sat. The tent was small, only having enough room for two or three at most. She was propped up against her backpack, sitting on top of her sleeping bag while pouring over an entry in her pokedex. She was in her sleeping clothes already - a tee-shirt and little else - but showed no embarrassment as Cashe entered. “What are you doing here?”
Cashe ducked under the door and sat in a corner of the tent across from Emilia, speaking in a low voice. “You hesitated for a long time when I told Lindon we would wait for him.”
Emilia frowned and put down her pokedex, “You don’t think he noticed, do you?”
“I don’t know. That kid is the strangest mix of oblivious and observant.” Cashe shook his head, “I’m more concerned that you hesitated.”
“I didn’t hesitate,” Emilia said. She crossed her arms, raising her long tee-shirt in the process, revealing a pain of white underwear underneath. Emilia noticed and frowned again, adjusting herself and tucking her legs into her sleeping bag.
“I didn’t hesitate,” She said again, grabbing back Cashe’s attention, “I was thinking about how to help with his training so he won’t lose to Second Circuit Trainers and so we don’t have to wait for weeks until he can.”
“And what if we can’t get him trained?” Cashe said.
Emilia sighed and slumped against her backpack, causing her hair to fall over her face. She blew it away with a puff of breath, “Our plan wasn’t to fail to make the conference at the end of the year,” she said.
“That was before we were traveling with a preteen. I don’t want to abandon a child in the middle of a foreign region. Or any region. I don’t want to abandon a child.”
“Neither do I.” Emilia scowled at him, “That’s why I told him we wouldn’t. If he can’t beat a gym in a try or two we’ll take him with us to the next one.”
“I think he interpreted it as we would wait for him to succeed, not force him into failure.” Cashe said.
“We’re not going to force him into failure. We’re going to move on so we don’t fall behind schedule,” Emilia said, “Slowbro will have access to Teleport eventually. He’ll be able to go back to gyms that he didn’t defeat whenever he wants. We can even go with him.”
“And if he runs out of time before the conference and he can’t finish all the gyms?”
“He won’t.”
“Are you sure about that?” Cashe said, “Dragons are notoriously hard to evolve. We don’t even know if we will find a Vulpix. Then he has to train a Teddiursa, too. These things take time.”
“I have a dragon type pokemon too, you know.” Emilia said. She frowned, “Actually, you are the only one who doesn’t. We need to get you a dragon. Can’t have you left out.”
“Emilia.”
“It would be great for your persona too.” Emilia scratched her chin, “Maybe a Deino. Nice and dark. But that Damian jerk had one too. Hmm.”
“Emilia, I’m being serious.”
“I am too. People would look down at you if you became a top trainer without a good dragon.” Cashe crossed his arms and Emilia rolled her eyes, “Fine. If he can’t make the conference he can’t make it. But there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to either. Worst comes to worst, he has to wait a year. He’s twelve. He has time.”
“And if he doesn’t agree with that plan?”
Emilia scowled, “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”
*****