Chapter 25 - To-Do
Celeste’s To-Do List
1: Figure out Fairy-Type moves.
2: Go to the police station with Lorelei
3: Enrol in the ice Pokémon tournament.
4: Call parents.
—*——*—
Celeste shifted in her seat in front of the video-phone, her eyes locked on Powder’s Premier Ball resting on the table. The small room in the Pokémon Centre was quiet, save for the ticking clock on the wall and the soft snores of the Slowpoke in her lap.
She glanced at the clock. 6:03 AM. That meant it was 10:03 PM in Galar. Not too late. She’d be happy with the call.
“Pat, I need you to be your absolute cutest,” Celeste whispered, careful not to wake her Slowpoke. Her Eevee, sitting beside her, nudged her leg, no doubt urging her to get it over with. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and pressed call, hoping for the best.
The phone rang once before a woman answered, her voice grumpy. “If you’re calling about the play…” she began, then stopped, her deep blue eyes narrowing and her long, crooked nose wrinkling as her face morphed into disbelief. “Celly?”
Celeste’s smile broadened as she took in the woman’s image on the screen. Her once-lavish blonde hair was now mostly grey, tucked into an old-fashioned nightcap that didn’t really match her persona. Good wines get better with age, she recalled aunty saying. That was, of course, code to never mention her age by penalty of death.
“Hey, Aunty Opal,” Celeste said casually, like she was just catching up with an old friend.
But Opal was more than a friend. She was family.
Around the time Tia got pregnant with Celeste, she also got a job at Ballonlea University. During this period, Opal frequently visited Tia’s department for historical research on a play she was producing. Their professional interactions soon blossomed into a genuine friendship. Over time, Opal became a crucial part of Tia’s and Otto’s support system. It turns out that navigating life as ambitious academics with a newborn in a new region was tough, but Opal was there for them every step of the way. Even after they moved to Hammerlocke when Celeste was two, Opal’s presence remained a constant in their lives.
Granny Opal was what young Celly affectionately called her, much to Opal’s chagrin. A Gym Leader like Opal handled the nickname with the grace of a Fairy-Type. Whenever Celeste called her “granny,” Opal would dress her up like a doll, always in pink and laces and some uncomfortable fabric. “That’s what grannies do, Celly. Pity I’m not a cool aunt. I don’t think nieces get dressed up like this,” she’d say, always with a wink.
It wasn’t long before “Granny Opal” became “Aunty Opal.” Also, to this day, Celeste never owned as much as a pink sock.
“Where—?” Opal started, then paused. “Celeste, your parents are worried sick about you.”
Celeste blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m… um… in the Sevii Islands.”
“Sevii? Weren’t you supposed to be in Kanto?” Opal’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why are you calling?”
Celeste pressed her lips together and smiled, lifting the Slowpoke into view. “Wanted to show you my new Pokémon. Look how pink he is!”
Opal let out a hearty, mocking laugh. “So you disappear for weeks, making everyone worry, and then call me from the middle of nowhere just to show off your Slowpoke?”
“His name is Patrick—Pat, for short. He doesn’t always listen, but he’s the sweetest.” Celeste flashed her biggest smile. She knew how to win Opal over. “Don’t you love him?”
“Of course, Cutiefly,” Opal’s tone softened, but Celeste caught a glint in her eyes. “I’d love to see him in person. Why don’t you come to the Gym? We could train your Slowpoke and finally evolve that Eevee of yours into the beautiful fairy she’s meant to be.”
Aria let out a scoff at Opal’s words, making sure the Gym Leader could hear her. Opal only chuckled. Celeste raised her eyebrows, knowing her aunt didn’t expect her to come running back so easily. Time to get to the point.
“Well, actually…” Celeste took a deep breath. “I have another fairy-to-be I might need help with…”
“Ah, you reveal thyself,” Opal declared dramatically, clutching her chest as if mortally wounded. “And here I thought you looked at your pink blob and actually missed your poor old aunt.”
Celeste rolled her eyes. “I miss you, Aunty! Really, I do. But a lot has happened…” She straightened up, her voice more serious. “See, I promised my Pokémon that I’d learn how to train them properly. There was this battle I lost… then I got overprotective, and this woman offered to help me train, but I blew it… and then Powder ran away. Then I found her in this cave. We battled a Sneasel, she glowed pink, and now there’s a tournament, and…”
“Calm down, child. Breathe.” Opal interrupted. “You’re not making any sense. Now, let’s start at the beginning. Who is Powder?”
Celeste nodded and slowly began her story. She explained how she got angry with her parents, stormed out, and ended up on Mount Lanakila, where she met her Vulpix, Powder, and some poachers—though she was pretty sure Opal knew that from her parents already. What Opal didn’t know, and Celeste made sure to tell in detail, were her feelings. Powerlessness, fear, resolve. She told Opal how she decided then and there she wanted to become stronger. To become an actual trainer. She then recounted how, since she first stepped foot out on that pier in Vermilion, she just stumbled from one place to another without direction. They talked for an hour, Celeste sharing everything from her battles to the new people she’d met.
“Moonblast,” Opal finally said after Celeste finished recounting her bout with the Sneasel. “Some Pokémon are born with the genetic potential for moves they wouldn’t normally know.” Opal sighed, resting her head in her hand. “I could hardly believe it when Tia told me you captured an Alolan Vulpix. I tried to buy one from a breeder on the Isle of Armour once, but had no luck. And here you are, with one that seems exceptionally well bred.”
At Opal’s request, Celeste had Powder in her lap instead of Pat. As she scratched her Vulpix’s ear, Opal rambled about her failure to obtain that particular fairy-type. It was… taking a while.
“So, can you help me figure this out?” Celeste finally asked, unable to wait any longer.
“Are you asking if Galar’s greatest fairy specialist can help you out?” Opal scoffed, then added in her overly dramatic tone, “I’m hurt you didn’t call sooner.” She placed a hand on her chest and smiled. “I’ll come up with a training plan for you tomorrow, Cutiefly, but you have to follow it to the letter. That means no slacking, no distractions, no skipping steps because they’re boring. I know you too well.”
Celeste nodded, but Opal wasn’t done.
“Still, long-distance training isn’t the same, and perfecting Moonblast takes a lot of work. Months for her to perform a proper one. You can’t over-rely on it because it’s shiny and strong. So you’re going to talk to this Olga person and apologise. Really apologise. It’s okay to disagree with your mentors, but you can’t disrespect them,” she said sternly. “You want to get strong with your Pokémon? Then learn from everyone around you. Everyone has something to teach.”
The Vulpix wagged her tail excitedly and barked loudly, agreeing with every word Opal said. Celeste knew Powder wouldn’t let her slack.
“I’m glad she’s excited, but don’t forget your other team members. Even if you’re focusing on your Vulpix now, the others shouldn’t be left out. Figure out some training routines they can do without your supervision. And Celeste…” Opal’s gaze hardened. “Call your parents.”
—*——*—
Celeste’s **NEW** To-Do List
1: Figure out Fairy-Type moves.
2: Go to the police station with Lorelei
3: Apologise to Olga
4: Convince her to train again
5: Enrol in the Ice Pokémon tournament.
6: Create a training routine for Pat and Aria
7: Call parents.
—*——*—
Celeste sat in the Pokémon Centre reception, tapping her fingers nervously and staring at the post-it note with her new to-do list. Aria perched on her shoulder, watched it with mild curiosity. Celeste wasn’t sure when Delia walked in, but her friend looked more put together than usual, though a bit flustered.
“Are you meeting Olga today?” Celeste asked.
Delia nodded, fidgeting with the PokéNav she still had. “Yeah, she asked me to come by her house to go over some last-minute details for the festival.”
Celeste pressed her lips together. “Right… You think she’ll kick me out if I… uh… swing by later?”
“You want to go to Olga’s house?” Delia frowned.
Celeste tried to smile innocently. “I did some… soul-searching. I want to apologise.” Today’s plan was simple: talk to Opal, apologise to Olga, and then call home. Because she was such an awesome person, she would deal with all the difficult things in her life in one fell swoop, and she would nail it.
Delia ran a hand through her braid, considering. “I think Olga secretly likes you, so do swing by.” As Celeste nodded, Delia added, “But… just remember it’s Rey’s house too. So maybe avoid calling him a psychopath or starting another big argument, okay?”
“Great,” Celeste muttered. Then, from behind her, she heard a quiet laugh.
“I can take you there after we go to the police station.” Lorelei approached them. “Olga is my neighbour.”
Celeste’s eyes widened. “Olga’s your what?”
Lorelei shrugged and examined the PokéNav that Delia was struggling with. “No need for that. Just take the main road to the festival plaza, then turn towards the hills on Swine Street. It’s where the festival floats are being set up. From there, it’s easy to find the address.”
Delia straightened and thanked Lorelei with a small bow. “I guess I’ll get going then. I want to check if Luan or Mia are in their boat to give this back.” She waved the PokéNav. “I couldn’t find them anywhere yesterday.”
Celeste grinned mischievously. “I bet Luan will loooove the surprise visit,” she said, but Delia only tilted her head, shrugged, and left. As she made her way out, she crossed paths with Nurse Joy, who was rolling a cart with a small Smoochum blowing kisses to everyone in the centre.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Your Pokémon is remarkably well, both physically and mentally,” the nurse said, stopping by the trainers. She petted the small Pokémon before finishing. “Quite remarkable, given how you found her.”
Lorelei adjusted her glasses and lowered herself toward the cart. “Hear that, Crystal?”
“Crystal?” Celeste asked.
“The name fits well with my team,” Lorelei answered without turning away from her new Pokémon. “Tell me, Crystal, what would you say about participating in a tournament with me?”
The Smoochum threw her head back and winked at her new trainer, blowing a kiss in the air. Celeste wasn’t entirely sure if the Pokémon knew what a tournament was, but Lorelei picked her up gently, seemingly accepting her gestures as a yes.
“You’ll do great,” she whispered, before turning to Celeste. “Maybe we’ll even get to battle a Vulpix.”
Celeste felt her face redden, and Aria, still on her shoulder, smirked and bumped heads with her. Way stronger than she needed. As Celeste rubbed her head, trying to think of something cool to say, Lorelei was already walking out with Nurse Joy, asking more questions about her new partner.
“Hey wait up, we still need to go to the police station!”
—*——*—
“You want to submit a vision a herd of Lapras showed you as evidence?”
“… And you’re not even telling us where those Lapras are…? Just two names and vague descriptions?”
“… I’m sorry, but there’s nothing we can do.”
Celeste slumped onto the plush sofa, trying to forget their disappointing visit to the police station. She stared at the collection of PokéDolls in front of her, arranged neatly in a large mahogany bookcase protected by a glass door. Lorelei seemed quite proud of her collection, having spent half an hour recounting her latest acquisitions from Celadon. Celeste had asked about the city, and Lorelei had briefly mentioned something about her father and earning a gym badge there before quickly shifting the conversation back to her dolls.
Honestly?
Celeste thought they were creepy as hell, but it felt rude to say.
Before she could delve deeper into yet another source of nightmares, Lorelei emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with a black iron pot, two delicate cups, and a plate of chunky chocolate chip biscuits shaped like Ice-type Pokémon. The aroma of freshly brewed tea and the inviting sight of those treats seemed exactly what she needed. But before she could reach for one, Aria and Crystal pounced on the tray, not even giving her a chance to get close.
“It was a long shot with the police…” Lorelei said, probably trying to sound comforting. She glanced at Celeste and then quickly focused on pouring the tea. “Galarians take it with milk, right?”
“Plain is good, thanks,” Celeste replied, accepting the cup. “I know it was a long shot… But… I don’t know… Shouldn’t those poachers be on the Interpol wanted list or something?” She sank deeper into her seat, almost spilling the tea. “We were giving them valuable information… weren’t we?”
Lorelei took a sip of her tea and waited a moment before responding. “They should…” she said with a hint of frustration. “But it’s out of our hands now.” She leaned back, looking out the window where the first signs of autumn showed, and a few fallen leaves drifted among the beds of flowers in the garden.
Aria looked up at her trainer, her ears twitching in concern. ‘Out of our hands’ was one phrase Celeste really hated to hear. For a while, she just stirred her tea, trying to come up with a plan. Wasn’t she supposed to be ‘awesome with plans’ or something? She just needed that missing spark of inspiration to fix everything.
“There’s no use dwelling on that… ah… Cee,” Lorelei tried the comforting tone again. “We can’t do anything about the poachers now, and that’s a fact. The only way forward is to focus on what we can do.”
Celeste looked up, half annoyed. “And what would that be?” she asked, locking her gaze on Lorelei’s dark, almost crimson-coloured eyes.
Lorelei pondered for a moment. “Well, for me, my long-term goal is to become a champion and use my position to help protect the Lapras. But for now, I’m focusing on slaying my figurative Cetitan.”
“Slaying your… Cetitan?” Celeste tilted her head.
“To overcome a major roadblock I’ve been facing on my journey. Everyone has one or two of those,” Lorelei explained calmly. “In my case, it’s getting the Volcano Badge from Gym Leader Blaine. I’ve already lost to him twice, and I feel like the difficulty only increases every time I challenge him again.”
Celeste’s eyes wandered around the doll case, stopping at a small Charmander doll. “Volcano Badge, huh? Sounds like a Fire-Type Gym.” Lorelei followed her gaze to the Charmander doll. “How come it’s hard? You have a Lapras. That’s a Water-type,” Celeste added.
“Pokémon battles are more than just memorising type charts, especially at higher levels.” Lorelei turned to face Celeste again. “Besides, like almost everyone on this island, I’m an Ice-Type specialist.”
Celeste took a slow sip of her tea. The warm, floral taste was almost soothing. “Battles are more than type matchups, huh?” she muttered.
“Yes, but fire is still a bitch,” Lorelei grimaced. “Anyway, what I can do now is train as hard as I can. So what about you?”
Aria, holding an oversized biscuit in her mouth, managed to bark and smirk at Celeste. Celeste smiled at the Eevee and thought about it for a minute.
“I’ve got a to-do list, actually,” she said, fishing the post-it note from her pocket and handing it to Lorelei. “But none of it will help the Pokémon those poachers caught.”
Lorelei adjusted her glasses and read the list quietly. “Half of this is about training. So, what’s your goal?”
“I… I want to become strong to… to help out?”
“That’s too vague,” Lorelei said, handing the post-it note back and leaning back in her chair. “What does being strong even mean? Is becoming champion your goal?”
Celeste looked at Aria, pondering what her Pokémon might want to achieve. As for herself… she just wanted to figure things out. “Does it even matter?”
Lorelei smiled. “I grew up around someone who always taught me to have a clear goal to follow. It’s like a North Star. If you have a heading, you’ll never be lost.”
“But how can you decide? What if you change your mind?”
“Then you pick another star and follow it instead,” Lorelei replied. “Although, this mentor of mine would advocate for following through with what you start.”
Celeste looked out the window, watching the sunlight dance over the golden leaves in the garden. She was Celeste, so of course, she felt like she should follow the whole cosmos… But maybe one thing at a time wasn’t too bad? Pick a star and follow it until it’s time to move to the next one. She kept talking about gyms, strength, and travelling… But she needed something concrete—not a life goal, but something to accomplish now, like the upcoming tournament. Her goal wouldn’t just be taking part, but actually playing to win this time. “Your mentor sounds wise.”
“So why not cross another item off your list and apologise to her?” Lorelei said, placing her empty cup on the table and standing up.
Celeste’s eyes widened. “Olga…?”
But this time, instead of complaining, she follow suit, and placed her own cup on the table before standing up to follow her new friend.
—*——*—
Celeste’s **NEW** To-Do List
1: Figure out fairy-type moves.
2: Go to the police station with Lorelei
3: Apologise to Olga
4: Convince her to train again
5: Enrol in the Ice Pokémon tournament.
6: Create a training routine for Pat and Aria
7: Call parents.
—*——*—
Lorelei’s family home radiated charm despite the creepy dolls scattered about. Tucked at the end of a brick-lined street, it lay near a small beach that gradually transitioned into woods with tall, beautiful trees. The waves breaking against the pebbled shore mixed with the constant chirping of nearby bugs, making the place incredibly peaceful.
The real magic of the house, though, was its warm, inviting atmosphere. Whether it was the cosy fireplace in the living room, the vibrant flowers on the window sills, or the pumpkins and candles adorning the entryway, Lorelei’s home was simply nice to be in. Among all these details, Celeste was especially drawn to the garden beds where the most beautiful white lilies bloomed.
And guess what had no details whatsoever?
Olga’s house.
The neighbouring home was plain and uninviting. Olga’s door was a bleak grey, and her doormat was a boring brown with blue edges. There were no flowers, and the garden was made of grass trimmed short. Everything there was utilitarian, with little charm, which really was no surprise to anyone.
“Come on, this way,” Lorelei said, gesturing to the passage that led to Olga’s backyard, where they could hear some voices.
As they approached, Celeste heard Delia speaking. “D-do we really need to do this?” she asked. When Celeste came into view, she saw Delia standing behind her Shellder, facing Rey and his Larvesta, which shot a small ember at his opponent.
Delia yelled something, and Shelly quickly withdrew into her shell, avoiding any damage. Rey shook his head and crossed his arms. “You need to stop being so defensive.”
“I’m not really a battler…” Delia said, somewhat relieved to see her Shellder emerge from her shell and stick out her tongue. “I… I told you… I have issues with this sort of thing.”
“The best way to deal with your issues is to face them head on,” Olga said, crossing her arms and looking sternly at Delia. Celeste was ready to intervene, but Lorelei placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.
Rey flashed his charming smile and walked towards Delia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, it’s a tournament for young Pokémon. Nothing too experienced or evolved is allowed in. If you just try a little, you can win.”
Delia shook her head once more. “We haven’t done that in years! I’m really not…”
“Think about it this way,” Rey interrupted, pulling Delia closer. “Mother is taking you under her wing, isn’t she? I’ve never seen her do that for any employee… It almost seems like she considers you more…” He looked at his mother, who simply crossed her arms. “… Her apprentice, perhaps?” He shook his head. “No… I think you’re like family.”
“F-family?” Delia asked.
Rey’s grin widened. “And you know what they say about family, right?” He drew her even closer. “We look out for each other. And right now, our family business is the only one not sponsoring a promising, up-and-coming trainer at the Snowflake Cup. Do you really want us to be left behind?”
Delia turned to Olga, who raised an eyebrow. Failing to get any comment from her boss, she turned back to the Larvesta and pressed her lips together. “I think Cee will come around… There’s no need.”
“Pe-lease,” Rey said, rolling his eyes and tightening his grip on Delia. “That girl wouldn’t know a good battle strategy if it hit her in the face,” he scoffed. “I bet your Shelly alone can beat her entire team of plush toys without even trying.”
“That girl is right here!” Celeste shook Lori’s hand off. Unable to resist the urge to confront him, she marched over to Rey and pulled Delia away from him.
He smirked again. “Did you really think I didn’t see you lurking in the corner?”
She huffed at him, but instead of escalating, she sneered. “I don’t get it.” She crossed her arms and glanced at the Larvesta. “If it’s sooo important for someone to represent your mom’s family business, why don’t you battle?”
Rey threw his head back dismissively. “I don’t have any Ice-Type.”
“Isn’t ice this entire island’s deal?” Celeste muttered under her breath, then perked up with a wide grin. “Don’t tell me you think you’re too hot for—”
Delia kicked her leg, cutting her off. “You were not going to make things worse, remember?”
Celeste opened and closed her mouth, unsure how to respond. Rey, of course, laughed. “Yeah, don’t make things worse, Cee,” he said, bumping on her shoulder. “After all, now you have to apologise to both me and Mother. If you keep acting like this…” He lifted his head and looked down at her. “I don’t know if there’ll ever be enough you could do to win me over.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Olga finally intervened, stepping between the girls and her son. “What do you want here, Celeste?”
Celeste looked at her feet, then back at Lorelei, who gave her a small nod of support. “I… actually wanted to apologise,” she said, feeling her face burn as she gathered the courage to meet Olga’s gaze. “To you, not to him.”
The owner of the Ice Boutique raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“I was… disrespectful yesterday,” Celeste continued, her face growing hotter. “I was out of line… You helped Powder learn a new move, and I think you can help us more if…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “If you’d still be willing to take us.”
The silence was deafening, and Celeste nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Just when Rey opened his mouth to say something obnoxious, his mother interrupted him with a curt, “Yes.” Celeste could hardly believe it, but she noticed a hint of a blush on Olga’s cheeks, and her perpetual frown softened for a moment. Maybe Olga wasn’t that bad of a person after all.
“Are you really agreeing to this, Mother?” Rey snapped, but he was wonderfully ignored by everyone around.
“I’ll train you for the tournament,” Olga said, stepping forward. “But you’ll work for me in the meantime, and you’ll do what I say. No complaining.”
Celeste wondered if she would regret this. “If I disag—if I don’t understand something, can we talk about it?” she asked, recalling her earlier conversation with Opal.
Olga narrowed her eyes and glanced at Delia. “If it’s within reason, we can talk. But I have another condition.”
Celeste took a deep breath and nodded, bracing herself.
“I want Delia to also take part in the tournament,” Olga said with a shrug, turning to Lorelei, who was still standing in the corner. “What about you? Have you become too strong to battle with the other snowflakes?”
Lorelei smiled. “I actually have a new Pokémon that’s perfect for it. But I’ve got other sponsors, sorry.”
“I know, I know.” Olga waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve always said you were going places. But good to know you’re not forgetting us.”
Delia looked meekly at her boss, resigned to her fate. “So now what, Miss Olga?”
The shop-owner arched her eyebrows. “Now we train.”
—*——*—
Celeste's **NEW** To-Do List
1: Figure out fairy-type moves.
2: Go to the police station with Lorelei
3: Apologise to Olga
4: Convince her to train again
5: Enrol in the Ice Pokémon tournament.
6: Create a training routine for Pat and Aria
7: Call parents. (maybe tomorrow?)
—*——*—
Celeste stood before the printer, tucked away in the corner of the same computer room where she had started her day. It was now 11:48 PM, and exhaustion weighed heavily on her. In her hands were two post-it notes with the training routines for Pat and Aria, the ink slightly smudged and the letters squeezed together to fit. I really need to buy a notebook, she thought to herself.
The printer whirred, spitting out a piece of paper with some exercises Opal had prepared for Powder. They would need to alternate those exercises with Olga’s training, but she wasn’t too worried. Powder had been so eager to train and improve, she would actually enjoy the extra work.
Celeste carefully placed the post-its and the paper with Opal’s instructions inside a book titled “Breaking the Ice: Understanding Ice-Type Moves” that she had borrowed from the centre’s library.
“Let’s go, Aria.” She headed towards the door. The Eevee, sitting in front of one of the computers, barked in response. Celeste knew why. “Come on, I’m way too tired to deal with them now. I can call Mum and Dad tomorrow.”
Aria shook her head and let out a long “Veee,” but when Celeste turned off the lights, she stopped complaining, simply yawning and following her out of the room. Before leaving, Celeste glanced at the phones one last time.
“Tomorrow, for sure.”