Jonas and Adelaide emerged from the pokémon center, Flint trotting happily at their heels. As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Adelaide paused, turning to face Jonas, her dress flaring dramatically about her knees. Her eyes shone with enthusiasm as she spoke.

“Now that your growlithe is all taken care of, we can get started on business,” she declared, not wasting a moment.

Jonas blinked, taken aback slightly at her brisk manner. “Business?” Jonas asked, his brow furrowing.

“Well first of all, you’re a mess!” Adelaide eyed Jonas critically. She plucked at the worn fabric of his shirt and tutted. “When’s the last time you had a bath? You look like you’ve been traipsing about the wilderness for weeks!”

Jonas flushed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

“I’ve been busy! I haven’t exactly had the time for…”

“No need to explain,” Adelaide interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. She looped her arm through Jonas’s, practically dragging him down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. “But listen. A coordinator’s gotta look their best, and frankly, a trainer’s no different! First things first. We have to get you looking presentable! Right, Flint?” Flint barked enthusiastic agreement, much to Jonas’s annoyance.

Jonas tried to protest as they walked, but Adelaide either didn’t hear him or paid no attention, launching into an animated spiel. “The Sensational Sinclair Pokemon Extravaganza. That’s what I’m aiming for. A traveling pokémon circus of sorts. I just need the money from this race to get it up and running.”

“A pokémon circus? That sounds amazing!” Jonas’s mind was flooded with thoughts of performers at the county fairs of his childhood. He smiled slightly, fondly remembering the man from the Galar region who had performed a juggling act alongside his odd-looking mr. mime. “Do you perform?”

Adelaide’s pace slowed momentarily, and her cheeks flushed pink. “Well, of course,” she replied. Her voice quivered, betraying a small crack in her brash confidence. “I’ve been around the circus all my life, so I know all the ins and outs. But my act is…” She shrugged sheepishly. “It’s not that it isn’t any good, I’m just a little embarrassed to show it off. Anyway, that’s enough about me. What about you? Why do you want to enter the Pokéball Run?”

Jonas opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by Adelaide.

“Oh, look! We’re here!”

They had arrived at a small boarding house, its modest appearance a stark contrast to Adelaide’s grand ambitions. Jonas eyed her inquisitively.

“What? I’ve been staying here while I wait for the race to start. It’s not the Wailord Wonders or anything, but it’s not so bad. Now let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?”

Before Jonas could so much as get a word in, Adelaide whisked him through the front door, nodding at a mustached man sitting at a table. The man raised an eyebrow inquisitively but said nothing as they passed. She ushered him up a creaky set of stairs and down a narrow hallway, depositing him in a modest bathroom.

“Alright, make yourself at home,” Adelaide said, gesturing grandly to the clawfoot tub. “There’s fresh towels in the cabinet and soap on the sink. I’ll go see if I can find you some clothes to borrow.” She paused, eyeing him critically once more. “Really, you look like you’ve been rolling in the mud.”

Jonas yet again opened his mouth to protest, but Adelaide swept out of the room, closing the door firmly behind her. Jonas stared at the door for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. His head spun as he turned to look around the unfamiliar bathroom. What have I gotten myself into?

“Well, Flint. I don’t suppose there’s any use fighting it. We might as well get cleaned up,” he said, reaching down to give Flint a reassuring scratch behind the ears. Deciding it was best to not argue with Adelaide’s boundless energy, he turned to the tub, he began to fill it with water.

Moments later, Adelaide returned with a stack of neatly folded clothes.

“Here we are,” she announced, handing them to Jonas. “Somebody left these behind, so Sal says you can take ‘em. They might be a little big, but they’ll do the job.” She paused, eyeing the tub approvingly. “Oh, perfect timing! Alright, you scrub up good. When you’re finished, you can tell be all about why you’re entering the race, and we can get you registered. I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

Adelaide swept out of the room once more, leaving Jonas alone with the, now very eager, Flint. With a sheepish chuckle, Jonas began peeling away his grimy clothes, read to soak away the grime of the road.

***

“Well that makes my dream seem silly,” Adelaide said, leading Jonas along the crowded streets to the offices of Steele Innovations. “I almost feel bad for competing against you. Almost, but not quite,” she winked.

Jonas followed her closely, occasionally glancing down at Flint who looked much happier now that he was clean. Admittedly, Jonas felt the same. The bath was just what he had needed.

He had spent the last few minutes telling Adelaide about his family, his home, and the endless drought that had plagued Canis Creek for the entire year.

“It’s anything but silly,” Jonas assured her as they walked. “You’re working hard to achieve your dream. That’s admirable, regardless of what that dream is.”

“Sure, I guess,” Adelaide waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just…” she trailed off, biting her lip thoughtfully. “Well, after hearing what your family has been going through, it just makes my goal seem a little selfish.”

“Everybody deserves a chance to chase their dreams, Adelaide.”

She flashed him a grateful smile. “Maybe. But…” she shook her head, a distant look on her face. “Anyway, we’re here!”

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As they rounded a corner, Jonas saw an imposing looking gray brick building towering above them. A sign read “Steele Innovations,” and featured a wrought iron pokéball stylized with a gear in place of its button. He swallowed hard, wiping his palms on his slightly-too-big pants.

“These are just the offices,” Adelaide explained, ushering Jonas toward the glass doors. “The actual factories are on the other end of the city with all the others. I guess these office types can’t work with all that noise,” she shrugged. “Now, let’s get you registered!”

Approaching the glass front doors of the office building, Jonas was surprised by his own reflection looking back at him. He was unaccustomed to the clothing from the boarding house; the plaid pants were heavy, itchy, and made him look like someone else entirely. The pressed white shirt was stiff, and reminded him of the boy with the houndour. He had lost weight since leaving home, and these too-big clothes made him look all the more slim. However he took comfort in the fact that he still wore his own hat and suspenders; at least some part of home was there while his dirty clothes were left at the boarding house for washing.

The lobby was full as they entered the building, people and pokémon pressing close on all sides. Among the crowd, Jonas recognized the trainer he had seen battling against the hitmonchan, his unfamiliar pokémon nowhere to be seen. Long lines had formed approaching a row of low desks, and Jonas joined one of these lines, waiting patiently behind a woman and her lilligant.

“When you get to the desk, you’ll have some paperwork to fill out. But don’t worry, it’s all straightforward,” Adelaide told Jonas, looking around the room at other competitors. Noticing his face she continued, offering a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. While you’re at it, I’m going to see if I can find out who that guy with the houndour was.”

Progress was slow, the line crawling through the lobby at a magcargo’s pace for what seemed like hours until eventually, Jonas stood before a smiling elderly woman.

“Hi! I’m here to register for the Pokéball Run.”

“You’re just in time too! The race starts Saturday! Once you’ve got this form filled out,” she said, handing him a small packet of paper, “and submitted your registration fee, we’ll get you on the list.”

Jonas stopped breathing for a moment. “Registration fee?”

“Sure! There’s a ¥500 registration fee. It covers your entry, your pokéballs, and your pokémon index.”

Jonas opened his mouth to ask further questions, but closed it again, not wanting to seem unprepared. Pokémon index? That’s another new thing today. It seemed to Jonas that the world had been turned on its head the moment he arrived in Nova City.

The paperwork was a short affair, asking for his name, age, and address, which Jonas filled out quickly, pausing only for a moment when he reached the waiver absolving Steele Innovations of responsibility in the event of injury. Attached were pages of information about the race itself, as well as Steele Innovations. Jonas put the packet in his rucksack, retrieving enough bills to pay the registration fee.

“Welcome to the Pokéball Run, Jonas,” the woman said, taking his money and paperwork with a smile before handing him a thick book and 5 pokéballs. The balls were cold to the touch, and too smooth. They were red and white instead of the red and brown he was used to, and Jonas was convinced there wasn’t a bit of wood or apricorn in them. Fanning through the book, he noted that each page featured pictures of pokémon, and lists of moves. Before he could take a good look, he was interrupted by Adelaide.

“You’ll never guess what I learned,” she said, grabbing Jonas’s hand and excitedly dragging him toward the exit.

***

“Victor Sterling. Seventeen years old. From right here in Nova City,” Adelaide said, reading her notes from a small notebook. Jonas glanced away from his own reading, noting that she had very precise handwriting, elegant loops and swirls flowing across the page.

“Victor Sterling, huh? Well, at least we know who we’re up against, Flint,” Jonas replied, distracted. He turned his attention back to the open book resting on his lap. At the top of the page was a drawing of a growlithe, text beneath the picture describing it as “the puppy pokémon.” Jonas stared thoughtfully at the entry, eyes narrowed in concentration. The index seemed to be an encyclopedia on pokémon: it contained information on typings, evolution, moves, and even abilities.

“Well, we know you don’t have flash fire,” Jonas said, thinking about the houndour’s fire spin. “But you’re not particularly intimidating either.” Flint grunted in response to this, flopping to the grass beside the park bench where they rested.

“Jonas, pay attention. I haven’t made it to the good part yet!” Adelaide turned to face him, her eyes fierce.

“Sorry,” Jonas grimaced, closing the book, his mind still filled with thoughts of Flint’s ability.

“It’s fine. Victor Sterling,” Adelaide continued, her smile growing more intense, “is Ferris Sterling’s brother! You just battled the Nova City gym leader’s brother!”

“Gym… leader?” Jonas asked, feeling his heart sink, though he didn’t quite understand why. He felt foolish asking so many questions in such a short time, realizing yet again just how unfamiliar he was with this new world he had entered.

“Yes! Gym leader!” Adelaide scoffed. “You really don’t know gym leaders?” She paused cringing at the harshness in her voice. “Sorry, it’s just… Well, I’m from Cosmo City. Everybody knows the league there.”

There it is again. Victor mentioned a league.

“What’s that? The league, I mean.”

Adelaide sighed, then smiled, “It’s the pokémon league, Jonas. They regulate pokémon battles between trainers and gyms. They’re honestly the whole reason people don’t go around attacking other trainers with their pokémon,” she paused again, a hint of sadness on her face. “Well, they’re not supposed to. They have rules about only carrying six pokémon with you. Or how both trainers have to use the same amount of pokémon in a battle. And every year they have a big… conference, I guess. Anybody with at least eight gym badges can go compete in Cosmo City. It’s a really big deal.”

“And these gym badges…”

“Come from gym leaders like Ferris. You have to beat them in a battle and they give you a badge and usually some sort of prize. Lot’s of them give out TMs. Training manuals,” she explained, seeing the look on Jonas’s face. “You can use those to teach your pokémon new moves. But here’s the kicker. When you beat a gym leader, you also get prize money! I’m not sure what that’s about, but all the gym leaders seem very well off, so they’re probably on the league payroll.”

“Seriously?!” Jonas’s eyes lit up with excitement, thoughts turning to the ¥900 in his pack. “I can make money if I beat these gym leaders?” He jumped to his feet, Flint rising with him.

“Well sure, but… Where are you going?” Adelaide stood from the bench, chasing after Jonas who was already walking down the sidewalk.

“Back to the boarding house! I need to get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I’m getting my first gym badge!”