There are a number of spots in Oreburgh where students like to meet after school. The Gym is one of them, and the most popular. You can watch matches, discuss strategies, and it has a bunch of small arenas for casual trainers to battle. Oreburgh isn’t big enough to have a ton of battle facilities. Other than the Gym there’s only the place near the mine. Two more spots are the calm patch of Route 207 north of the city, and Oreburgh Gate. Once again, places to train or play with Pokémon. Other than that, students will spend time with their friends, occasionally at the museum or at one of the cafés near their school.
The city has three high schools for all the miners’ kids. Rock Slide High, Diggersby High, and Horsepower High. The last one is where I went to. Go to, I suppose. It’s on the west side of the city, not too far from the Gym. And on the way from HP High to the Gym is the one and only Vanilluxe’s Dream. The ice cream shop, as long as you ask any of the students. It’s affordable, serves big portions, and is super tasty.
I’m making my way there as slowly as I can. I’m already late but only by a minute. I know I’m dragging this out but… it just feels so weird. My primary reason for returning was that I missed my family. My friends…
I did a lot of self-analysis in the last 20 years. I’m convinced the real reason for my drive to go back through time rather than just wait it out was sunk-cost-fallacy. But I’m ignoring that. Which earns me a smack from Mesprit.
I reach up to rub her head and quicken my step to a normal pace. Much too quickly, my target comes into view. I catch myself before slipping back into prey-stalking behaviour. One of my primary ways of doing field research was to stay out of sight just like a predator of whatever Pokémon I was observing. Also helped with catching them for closer interactions.
I clear my head with a shake and look around. Cynthia is obvious with a bunch of students gathered around her as she is looking through the available ice cream. It takes a few seconds to make out my friends in the crowd. Of course they would join the star-struck students. I laugh as I realize Cynthia is too focused to even notice the people asking her for autographs. I lean against a lamppost and observe.
It takes almost two minutes for the champ to choose her ice cream. I don’t hear what it is over the noise but after she orders, she turns around and starts talking to the people. Somehow she manages to disperse them in the time it takes for her three scoops with cream and sprinkles to be prepared. I spot the table my friends are moving towards and push through the dispersing crowd towards them. Slowly, a grin creeps onto my face.
Min’s straight black hair is turned towards me. The way it curls a tiny bit just below her shoulder blades almost brings tears to my eyes. Melanie, or Mel for short, is walking to her right, long blonde locks swaying with every step. The only one turned towards me is Sara. She smiles softly at me but complies when I make a shushing motion.
I sneak up on quiet soles all the way up to my friends. Mel smiles as she spots me standing right behind Min. I sling my arms around her and push my head into the base of her neck. Min squeaks as the other two laugh. I realize I’m humming happily and give her a little space.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper into Min’s ear. Then I speak a little louder.
“Hey, guys! I’m back!”
Min grabs me and pulls me close again. She sniffles and I feel my own tears start to flow.
“Where…?” Min manages to say.
I squeeze her.
“It’s a long story. Let me get some ice, first.”
“So ice is more important than us?” Melanie teases.
I nod. Mesprit lets out a happy squeal at my shaking head.
“You’re not that sweet.”
Mel, the contest-competitor of our group, falls back in mock hurt.
“Oh, how could you? Do you care about my feelings so little?”
Sara bops the back of her head.
“Welcome back, Zoe.”
My smile widens.
“Thanks. I’ll be right with you guys, okay?”
Min squeezes my arms one more time before letting go. I see them all watching me, their eyes occasionally going up to Mesprit as I go to get some ice cream for myself. Cynthia still stands there, blissfully eating her own. I only glance at the selection before ordering my favourite melon-and-mango combo. Two scoops, no cream, sauce, or sprinkles. When the champ still hasn’t reacted after I got my ice, I poke her side. She yelps cutely and makes sure her ice cream is still safe before looking at me.
“Oh, hey. Didn’t see you there,” she says. Her head tilts as she spots the passenger on my scalp “Mesprit?”
The Lake Guardian waves at her.
“No worries. We’re over there,” I say.
She nods and follows me to the table the others found. When I sit down with Cynthia right next to me, my friends gape.
“So, introductions,” I begin “This is Cynthia. I met her yesterday when I came back. Cynthia, these are my best human friends. Min, Sara, and Melanie.”
“Hello,” Cynthia waves. The girls shyly return the greeting. I simply enjoy my ice cream and wait for them to collect themselves. Sara is the one to break the silence.
“What the fuck?” she says.
“I agree. How? Why? What?” Mel says.
Min just glares at me.
“So, as I said, it’s a long story. Do you want me to explain why Cynthia is here or just start from the beginning?”
Min points at Cynthia.
“Right,” I say “She’s here because we planned a friendly match for later today. Which reminds me, where’s that going to happen?”
“One of the private arenas at the Gym. Roark wants to watch, though.”
“That’s fine,” I wave her off “I’ll just text Mum real quick. Do we have a time slot?”
“3pm.”
“You’re battling?” Sara asks. Her eyes are wide. I can’t tell if confusion or excitement are more prevalent “Like, why? Did you pay for lessons?”
I shake my head.
“As I said, we met yesterday and agreed to a little spar. I got a few Pokémon you haven’t met. They’re quite strong.”
“Like the one on your head?”
Mesprit waves.
“I was about to ask you,” Cynthia says “Where did you two meet?”
“Lake Verity,” I grin “You should know about that.”
“Yes, but…”
I roll my eyes.
“I told you everything yesterday. Though Mesprit here isn’t one of my Pokémon. She’s a friend and decided to hang out for today.”
Min frowned.
“You can do that?”
“Hang out with friends?” I gesture at the table.
“No, I mean… just be friends with Pokémon without… you know… catching them?”
Mesprit’s mind suddenly connects to me. I see the others flinch which means she’s talking to all of us.
“Zoe did catch me,” she says “But she released me later when I had things to do.”
“By Arceus!” Melanie says “You can talk? You’re a Psychic type, then?”
“Yup. I’m Mesprit. My friends call me Mes!”
I reach up to pat her head which she leans into.
“And a powerful one,” Sara adds “Or old.”
“I’m not old!” Mes complains.
“Old is relative,” I nod sagely “And relative to all of us, you are old.”
“Hmpf!”
Min giggles.
“You don’t need us then, Zoe, as you made such a great friend.”
“Ah, nono. I rushed back so I could see you guys again. And I wanted to say I’m sorry, Min. You know… about everything.”
She pulls me into a side hug for a moment.
“I’m sorry, too. I almost thought I’d never see you again.”
I take her hand and squeeze it.
“You know… I kind of want to start another gym circuit next season. Wanna come with me?”
Min glares at me.
“Yes! Good thing you asked because we all decided to try again. We wanted to get stronger so we could go look for you.”
I look at my friends one by one. Min has her vicious grin that I missed a lot. Sara looks cool but there’s a sparkle in her eyes. Melanie is smiling wryly.
“That’s a great idea!” Cynthia says “Though we should get moving if we want to make it in time.”
“Right.”
We get up and start for the gym. It’s not too far but we have a little more time to talk on the way.
“So, even you’re going for more badges, Mel?” I ask.
She sighs.
“Yes. Yes, I am. I was planning to even before you… disappeared. My Luna is beautiful but she needs some more power to let us progress into the next tier of contests.”
“Right. Lumineon are generally not the best fighters. They usually survive by fleeing or hiding. But they can pack a punch.”
“I know. I was thinking of applying for one of the lab starters to pad the team. Especially for Gardenia. But that’s unlikely to happen. Maybe I’ll just look for something on the road.”
“Luna has Water Veil, right? Maybe look for a Fire type?”
“Lumineon can learn some good coverage against Grass types,” Cynthia says “I don’t think that’s necessary for Gardenia.”
“I was thinking she could set up an environmental hazard with a Fire-type and then switch in Luna who’ll be able to ignore most of the heat.”
“What?” Melanie asks “How would you even do that?”
“Just put something on fire. The ground or air are usually enough. If you get a Magmar or Arcanine it won’t be an issue. Or a Ninetales?”
“Ninetales are beautiful but where am I supposed to find one? Even Vulpix are extremely rare and then I need a Fire Stone on top of that.”
“There’s this spot in the Coastlands to the east. It’s a little out of the way up the cliffs but you can find both Growlithe and Vulpix there without a problem. Their territories are often in motion, though.”
“How do you know that?” Sara asks.
“I’ve done my research.”
“We’re here,” Cynthia says.
Indeed, we reached the Oreburgh Gym. The second biggest human-made structure in the city looms before us. If you count the underground levels, it’s still the second biggest. Because of the mine. The facade is sleek and a few screens show advertisements for show matches and Pokémon products. A large stylized Poké Ball is positioned right above the main entrance, a triple set of revolving doors. People are everywhere. I shudder a little at the noise.
We make our way inside as I pick up whispers and see fingers pointed at the champion. Cynthia ignores them but does answer the few brave ones that greet her from a distance.
“It wasn’t this bad on the streets…” I say.
“People don’t really bother me when I just walk around. But when I’m at a place like this…”
She smiles as a child comes up and asks for an autograph. That provokes an avalanche of admirers and she tells us to go to one of the receptionists and get everything ready.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
The entrance hall of the Gym is separated into three parts. To the left is a Pokémon Center to deal with injuries taken during battle or training. To the right is an extensive waiting area with couches and cuddly bags to sit on as well as a little snack bar. There are TVs all over so you can see at least one no matter where you sit. Trainers often watch matches here while waiting for their own to start. With the break in the Gym Circuit right now, most of those are reruns from the Conference or the last season’s Gym battle highlights.
The back wall holds a line of eight counters with a receptionist manning each one. Some of them have lines but again, it’s the season break so the crowd is manageable. Cynthia dragging a lot of them towards herself helps as well. We only have to wait for a few minutes before it’s our turn.
“Welcome to the Oreburgh Gym,” the receptionist greets “What can I do for you, today?”
“Two things,” I say “I’m here for a scheduled private arena reserved for Cynthia. She told us to go ahead and get everything sorted out.”
The man raises an eyebrow. When Mesprit gives him a wave, he sighs and starts tapping the keyboard in front of him.
“Alright, let’s see. Yeah, I have it. Cynthia and Zoe, private arena plus guests. Approved by Roark himself. You’re Zoe, I assume? May I see your Trainer License?”
“Yeah, that’s the second part. I was looking for it earlier and can’t find it. Since I’ll need a new one anyway, I was wondering if we can just get that done?”
“I’ll need a Trainer License for that. From your parents or another adult that’ll vouch for you.”
“Found!” Mesprit says and flickers away. I take a second to find her in the crowd and spot her in front of Mum pointing at us. Mum thanks her and then Mesprit Teleports both of them next to us.
The receptionist clears his throat.
“Could you please tell your Pokémon to refrain from using moves in the city outside of sanctioned battle areas?”
Mesprit giggles as she slowly spins upside down in the air.
“She’s not my Pokémon. Just a friend coming along.”
“That…”
“Um, Zoe?” Mum speaks up “What happened?”
“Mesprit Teleported you.”
“I… yes, I can see that. But it was so smooth. I didn’t even notice.”
“She’s really good at Teleporting. Did you find my license?”
“… No, I didn’t.”
“Then we can just get a new one issued. You have yours on you, right?”
She nods and digs in her handbag for a moment.
“Also, we’re planning to try the Gym Circuit again next season. Could you give us the stuff for that as well?”
He starts clicking on his keyboard and somewhere in the back a printer whirrs to life. Soon after, Cynthia finishes up with her admirers and joins us to the relief of the receptionist. We pick up the paperwork for myself and my three friends and start to make our way… to the main arena?
“Why are we going here?” I ask.
“It’s the biggest place,” Cynthia says “We can let loose a little in there.”
“Yes but… private?”
“The main arena isn’t used during the off-season unless with explicit permission of the Gym Leader. And since Roark is going to watch…”
“The Gym Leader is gonna be there, too?” Min asks.
“Well, yeah. He seemed enthusiastic when I told him I found a potential rival.”
My friends stare at me and I sigh.
“It’s not gonna be an even match since I only have two Pokémon that can keep up with Cynthia’s. Unless Mes wants to fight?”
She shakes her head.
“You go!”
“I can’t keep up yet. I think just a 2v2 would be best.”
Mesprit pouts.
“We can think about other stuff later. That okay with you, Cynthia?”
She nods.
“That’s what I expected,” she says.
“Traditional battling isn’t really my thing,” I say “I’m more about being out and about.”
“Then we should do both. I’m already at an advantage since I know which Pokémon you’re using.”
“I’m not following…” Sara says “What?”
I roll my eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll start with the battle, then.”
“Already fired up, I see?” a smiling man interrupts us. He’s missing the usual miner’s hat on top of his red hair but wears the familiar grey outfit with yellow warning lines on the rims of the shirt. Sturdy boots and white gloves close it off. He raises his hand in a wave.
“Hey there. I’m Roark but you probably know that.”
I nod.
“Your Badge is the only one I have, so… yeah. I’m Zoe.”
We shake hands.
“Cynthia,” he says turning to her. She returns an equally short greeting.
“Serena Crones,” Mum is next “Nice to meet you.”
Min, Melanie, and Sara also introduce themselves before we finally move on.
“So, Zoe is the one you were talking about?” Roark asks.
“Yes,” Cynthia says “Can we get started right away?”
“Sure. Let me just get the barriers set up.”
Mesprit rises from my head.
“I will help!” she says and shoots off.
My eyes scan the arena as Roark shakes off his confusion and follows her. There are stands for spectators on the long sides raised five metres from the main battleground. The back has a few doors I know are used by Roark and his assistants during the season. The wall we are coming from has two entrances leading to the stands besides the one we came from. The battleground itself is nothing special. Just a slightly uneven rocky surface with a few spots of sand and bare dirt here and there.
Mum drags my friends over to one side but not before everyone wishes me well. I grin at Cynthia.
“So, who’s the challenger, today?”
She smiles back.
“I am. I asked you for a battle, after all.”
“Then do your worst,” I say and we shake hands.
I start to make my way over to the other side of the arena stopping just below where my friends sat down. Min looks at Cynthia and then back to me.
“She’s the challenger?”
“She asked for the battle,” I say “But it doesn’t matter much. It’s just a friendly match.”
I reach for my pouch and pull out Gligar’s Poké Ball. I release him and he looks around with worried curiosity.
“Hey,” I say and he looks up “I’m gonna have a match with Cynthia over there. You can stay with my friends here if you want to watch.”
He looks up at them, then back to me. Mesprit takes that moment to land on Mum’s head. I laugh as she flinches.
“See, Mes is also here. That’s my Mum she’s with, by the way.”
Gligar takes another moment before pushing away his nerves. He nods at me and starts climbing the wall with his claws. I wave at the others before making my way over to the spot normally used by the Gym Leader. Roark is standing at the side of the arena with an Alakazam by his side. The League trains Pokémon specifically for creating barriers in official matches and each Gym has a few staying there at any time.
He looks between us. I notice Cynthia’s gaze has turned to steel. There is pure focus there, nothing but the battle on her mind. A Hyper Ball is already in her hand. She could lead with Ryu. Not like that changes my plan. I reach into my bag and pull out a Super Ball. I roll it in my hand and give Roark a nod.
“We’re here for a friendly match between Champion Cynthia and Zoe. It’s going to be a two versus two. Both sides get one switch. The trainer with the last Pokémon standing wins. On ‘Go’, send out your Pokémon.
“Three,
“Two,
“One,
“Go!”
Our Pokémon materialize almost simultaneously. On Cynthia’s side, it stays floating a good metre above ground. Two white wings reaching almost two metres to each side hold up an oval white body with red and blue triangles on its chest. Three large feathers come up above… his(?) head. It’s always tough to tell the gender of a Togekiss but I’m pretty sure that’s a guy. Most of them are guys.
On my side, Lulu stands large and imposing. Her head is higher than the Togekiss’s even though her feet meet the ground. Cynthia’s mouth curves downward the tiniest bit as my Luxray roars and everyone but me flinches. Even the champ’s finger twitches.
“I’m switching,” she calls. True, it’s a bad match-up but now I can force it to happen. What is she thinking?
As my hand goes to Lulu’s ball, she looks back and growls. I roll my eyes.
“Alright, then. It’s your funeral.”
Togekiss is pulled back and Ryu appears in a flash of light. I smile and wave at her but she ignores me at the sight of the arena. And the huge lioness standing in front of her.
Lulu lowers her head and growls again. The Garchomp answers by taking up a fighting stance. I see her ready to stomp the ground for an Earthquake at the same time as she’s planning to dodge whatever we throw her way.
“Resume!” Roark calls out.
“Up!” I shout. My voice is almost a growl and Lulu reacts perfectly, jumping as the ground shakes and splinters right where she stood moments before. I see Ryu’s eyes widen at the Luxray’s Scary Face and call my next order.
“Go!”
Lulu does what she knows best and shoots a quick blast of Electric Type Energy to her back feet. A Volt Switch pushes her forwards as her fangs glisten with Ice TE.
“Catch!” Cynthia says coolly.
I spot a glimmer of light blue in Ryu’s teeth. A berry?
Before I can figure out what she’s doing, Ryu chomps down and Dragon TE fills both of her claws. As Lulu lands on her with an Ice Fang, the Garchomp is barely pushed back and rams her claws into Lulu’s head.
“Full Force!” Cynthia says before I can realize Lulu is trapped.
Luckily, I don’t need to. She knows how to handle herself.
Ryu lifts one of her claws in what I know is an Outrage but Lulu is already grappling the dragon’s torso in her maw. Before the first hit can land, Lulu pushes off the ground and slams her victim head-first into the rock. I hear my friends gasp but ignore them.
“Stay close!” I call out.
Lulu charges up her special move she learned just to deal with Gary in their spars. Fairy TE goes to her front paws and teeth.
“Protect!” Cynthia calls out.
Ryu shakes off the confusion from the violent disruption and just barely stops the first few hits of Lulu’s Play Rough. But Lulu doesn’t stop. Her claws lash out across the shining barrier and her teeth try to find purchase somewhere. More and more sparks spray off the barrier.
“Now!” Cynthia shouts over the noise.
This time, we are both too late. Ryu rams her whole body on the ground and a shockwave blasts dust away in a clean circle. Lulu cries as her back feet get hit and she falls over. High Horsepower?
With a roar, Ryu jumps at my injured friend and a Dragon Claw sweeps her off her feet.
“Move!” I call out, my voice almost cracking “And light her up!”
Another Volt Switch pushes Lulu away from the raging dragon just far enough for her to gather the Fire TE for a Sunny Day. Cynthia merely smirks as another Earthquake breaks Lulu’s fall. I clench my teeth when I realize her stamina is spent.
“Luxray is unable to battle,” Roark calls “Zoe is on her last Pokémon.”
I call back Lulu and take a deep breath.
“You did well,” I whisper at her Super Ball.
My eyes scan the battleground. Two spots are completely shattered from Earthquake and the High Horsepower did a number on the rest. The destruction cleanly cuts off where the barrier ends. Ryu is standing on the right, slightly towards my side.
My hand moves and Lili’s Poké Ball flies in a perfect arc to deliver her into Cynthia’s left corner. As far away from Ryu as possible.
Lili chirps and twirls her legs and arms in a dance. I can barely even spot the Fighting TE running through her in a Victory Dance.
“Resume!” Roark calls out. I barely notice him giving me a strange glance.
“Don’t hold back,” I say calmly.
Lili chirps and dances again.
“Quick burn!” Cynthia calls out and Ryu lets loose a Flamethrower of epic proportions. Boosted by the sunlight it fills almost a quarter of the arena going straight for Lulu. Then it abruptly cuts off. Everyone gasps as Ryu slams into the ground. Lulu’s Acrobatics smashing into the dragon’s head.
The move is immediately followed up by a Low Sweep pushing up Ryu’s backside. Then, Lili starts to twirl. Before Ryu even lands on the ground, a twirling spiral of icy death impacts the dragon and drags her along until they hit the barrier.
Lili jumps out of the cloud of dust and lands in another twirling Victory Dance. Silence descends as the dust settles. Ryu is lying unmoving, her eyes closed. I grimace as I see the trail of blood colouring the sand red.
“Garchomp is unable to battle,” Roark says “Cynthia is on her last Pokémon.”
“That was a bit too hard,” I say “Sorry.”
Cynthia blinks and gives me a smile.
“No worries. She’ll be fine.”
Her face goes back into battle mode as soon as she throws out her Togekiss again.
Lili sways a little as they stare at each other. And this time I see the Fairy TE in his eyes. Baby-Doll Eyes. Did he also use that against Lulu right at the beginning? No wonder she did so little damage to Ryu.
“Resume!”
Instantly, Electric TE crackles on Togekiss’s wings. Then he’s right in front of Lili and a huge orb of static energy fills the area around him. Thunder Wave. And an Extreme Speed to get close? Lili glows as the lightning glides off her. A Poison Jab slaps Togekiss to the ground.
“Don’t let up,” I say.
“Blast her!” Cynthia shouts.
And a point-blank Fire Blast smashes Lili into the barrier right in front of me. Togekiss doesn’t come out unscathed and trawls backwards through the air, smoke rising from his feathers.
“Lili!” I shout.
She chirps quietly and gets up.
“Hurricane!”
I meet Cynthia’s eyes as we both shout the same move.
Both Pokémon start weaving the air. Within moments, two storms rage against each other meeting slightly closer to Lili. And she gets pushed back. That’s obvious if I think about it. She’s far better using her body instead of pure Type Energy. The opposite of pretty much all Togekiss I ever observed. So I have her add something.
“Make it cold and Blast!”
I can’t see Roark, let alone Cynthia over the chaos. Lili starts spinning and ice weaves into her storm. The fake Blizzard starts to push back Togekiss’s Hurricane by a few metres until the other side suddenly fills with fire. Once again, Lili is being pushed back. But my girl isn’t done yet. She stops spinning, relying on the last bit of energy keeping up the storm and gathers Grass TE between her arm-leaves. The receding sunlight is rapidly absorbed by the growing ball of glowing power.
With an earth-shattering BOOM Lili lets her Solar Beam rip through the Hurricanes. It falters for a moment when it meets the Fire TE from whatever move Togekiss is adding to his side before punching the bird straight into the barrier. As the winds disperse, Lili sinks to one knee, shaking from exertion. On the other side of the battlefield, Togekiss is just barely keeping himself in the air. There is a glint in his eyes and before I can call out, he is ramming Lili into the barrier right in front of me.
Extreme Speed again.
Lili cries out and slides down the barrier. Togekiss is too exhausted to move and lands in her lap. She tries to lift a leaf to strike at him but falls on her side instead. Silence descends over the arena. For all of five seconds, everyone stares at the two Pokémon lying on the ground. Then Togekiss pushes his wings. Once. Twice. With the third attempt, he lifts off. He is exhausted with his feathers bent and burned. But he’s still standing. Or, well, flying.
“… Lili is unable to battle,” Roark calls “Cynthia wins the match.”
Togekiss calls out happily and does a little twirl. Cynthia blinks, then smiles.
“Yes!” she pumps a fist.
As the barrier drops, she runs over to Togekiss and hugs him. I kneel down to Lili and pat her head.
“That was great,” I say “Thank you.”
She chirps quietly as I reach for a revive from my satchel. I put the crystallized stamina on top of her chest and watch as it slowly drains into her body.
Steps announce Cynthia’s arrival by my side. I look up.
“That was a good match,” she says “But why didn’t you switch Lulu out immediately.”
I smile wryly.
“She wanted to show off. After all, Ryu isn’t as strong as Gary, right?”
“Mmm.”
“But I didn’t realize Togekiss had already used Baby-Doll Eyes that first time. That and whatever that berry did swung the match in your favour.”
She grinned.
“Yache berries reduce super effective Ice Type damage. It would’ve let Ryu stand up to Lili’s Ice Spinner. Or so I thought. Now, I’m not so sure.”
“Is that allowed? To just have the Pokémon hold a berry to eat whenever?”
“Yes,” Roark says as he joins us “Any item a Pokémon can use on their own is allowed in League-verified matches. But only one item per Pokémon and never more than one of each per team.”
“Huh. Could’ve helped me… What did Togekiss have?”
“The leftovers of a Munchlax,” Cynthia says “They restore a little bit of stamina while he chews on them over time.”
I chuckle.
“So that’s how you won.”
Roark nods.
“The fact that you almost beat her without items kind of freaks me out if I’m honest. What kind of Pokémon is Lili anyways? She looks a little like a Liligant but…”
“She is. I don’t know when it changed but 200 years ago that’s what every Liligant looked like.”
He blinks.
“200…?”
Min slams into my side, almost bowling me over.
“That was awesome!” she shouts.
Melanie is right behind with Mum and Sara forming the back. Gligar is clinging to Mum and Mesprit is levitating upside down at her side.
I laugh and hug Min back.
“Thanks. I got surprised by a few things. Otherwise I might have won.”
“Really?” Mel asks.
Roark nods.
“You saw how close it was. If Zoe had given her Pokémon items, even just a simple berry for healing, she would have won.”
“Wow,” Mel stares at me “Why didn’t you use items?”
“Honestly, I didn’t think it was allowed.”
“Haven’t you watched any competitive matches recent… ly… oh.”
“Yeah. No, I didn’t watch anything competitive in over twenty years.”
Sara narrows her eyes at that.
“You’re not twenty.”
“Correct. I’m thirty-five. You can blame Arceus.”
Min pulls out of the hug and runs her hand down my face. She glances over my body, staring at my modest chest for a little too long, then meets my eyes again.
“Nope. You look the same as before you disappeared.”
I grin.
“I know, right? The time travel stopped me from ageing. Like, completely. Apparently it’s fixed now, though I’ll still age slower.”
“Okay, that’s just unfair,” Melanie pouts “You get super strong Pokémon and eternal youth? Arceus, leave something for others!”
I wince.
“You forgot about the part where I didn’t see my family or friends for two decades.”
“Time travel?” Sara asks.
I meet her eyes.
“Yes. I was speaking literally when I said you can blame Arceus.”
Min stands back.
“You met him?”
“Them,” I say “Arceus doesn’t have a sex.”
“Huh?”
Melanie shakes her head.
“So you disappeared because you travelled through time? How did that happen?”
“As to the specifics, once again, blame Arceus. I don’t actually know how that stuff works. As for the reason… They needed someone to save the world 200 years ago. And I was apparently a good fit.”
“Okay, that’s kinda insane,” Min says “Did you just wait it out with your eternal youth?”
“I would’ve gone crazy if I did that. No, I worked hard to have them send me back. Apparently, time travel isn’t really healthy so I had to train my body and soul quite a bit. That’s why it took 20 years instead of two.”
My friends look at each other. I can’t tell what they’re thinking about but seconds later I’m swallowed by a hug-pile. Behind them, I can hear Cynthia and Roark talk quietly and Mum seems to be playing with Gligar.
Yes, I’m glad to be back. I’m glad I went through all of that effort. I barely notice my tears flowing as I cuddle my friends.