Janine's purple hair fell beneath her shoulders as the tie came undone. As she held it in her hands and stared at it, a brief inclination to carelessly discard it to the side crossed over her, momentarily not registering that it would get lost in the grass. It only lasted for that one moment, however, before the now eight-year old promptly pocketed the object.

Scooting back on the smooth boulder she was seated at, she hurriedly brushed a few strands of hair behind her shoulders while basking in the springtime sunlight. Above her, a trio of Pidgey had claimed the branches of an overhead tree, cloaked by its leaves in a beautiful dark-green.

Fuchsia City, located near the far southeastern shores of Kanto, and just outside the unpredictable wilds of the Fuchsia province, was as big as one would expect from such a major city, but aesthetically couldn't be more subversive. While places like Saffron and Vermillion embraced the urban atmosphere that came with the modern day; almost completely separate from the surrounding wilderness as though acting as a glorified shelter, Fuchsia had merely evolved into a bigger, more expansive version of what it had always been. Nature was a part of the city. The city was a part of the surrounding nature. Buildings were big and many, but no skyscrapers to be found. Rocks, grass, and trees were every bit as present as all of the manmade structures that made the city what it was, giving it its famous, natural aesthetic. The urban mark of humanity, and the vegetation of the wilderness, sometimes even marking habitats for wild Pokemon. Elsewhere in Kanto, they were different worlds that made up the same place. Here, the two were one.

Janine had been infatuated with the world that she was born into since before her mind was developed enough to understand, but recreationally finding enjoyment in it was an everyday experience the girl was barred access to. She aimed to take in every last millisecond she spent outdoors, for the next day would see her inside, attention solely dedicated to the desk of her bedroom, and the myriad papers and books. By dinner her hand would likely be sore from all the time spent holding a pencil or pen, and her mind would be overrun with the walls of text consumed throughout the day. And when she was outside, it wouldn't be to watch the local wildlife scampering about the branches of the trees, or to explore whatever fun the city had to offer. She would be jogging, learning basic camping skills and outdoor cooking. If she was lucky, some time might be spent at the lake for a few fishing lessons, or at the Safari Zone, being taught how to correctly interact with wildlife, and all the tells that came along with each species.

It would all be fixed, however. Even the fun parts would be taking place within a controlled atmosphere. It was not the freedom of recreation.

It was a routine as synonymous with her as the trees and grass were with the buildings of her home city. She did not dread the homework and reading, or even the soreness in her hands that would come along with it as a package deal. She only mildly dreaded the inconvenience of the cramps that the running and exercise produced. It was who she was, and an everyday burden she was quick to learn was a fact of life. Just as all the paperwork and fieldwork her father endured on a day to day basis was synonymous with his own existence.

Right now, her daily life was one of preparation for the future that would one day define her. Times like these were a vacation from reality, when the educational routine that ran through her mind like cogs in a machine became numb and replaced with something far more simple. And with it, a more innocent, and indeed simple part of herself was made known to her.

"You ready, Janine?"

The girl beamed up at Aya as the green-haired woman approached her. Even when moving around in a casual manner, there was something… deft about her aunt's motions. Maybe it was simply an illusion, put in place by the child's knowledge of the fluidity that she was capable of as a ninja.

"Mhm." Janine hummed as she rose from her seat mid-nod. Trailing just behind Aya was a navy blue-haired girl, about thirteen years of age, who waved at the eight-year old lightly.

"Nice to see you again, Janine." the young teen commented. "Heard you set a new personal best on your last evaluation?"

"You too, Kris. And I did, although the judicial section nearly ruined that." a small frown briefly accompanied her features. "I'm not sure I'll get used to it."

She quickly felt her body easing as Aya's hand gripped her shoulder. "You'll have plenty of time to worry about that another day, as I'm sure you know." The casual tone in her aunt's voice was single handedly soothing. For now, let's go somewhere. Anywhere. You have something in mind?"

Janine's hand found its way to her chin as a pondering expression filled her eyes. "Hmm… the zoo, perhaps?" she mildly perked up at the thought. It wasn't as though she had never been there before, but much like the Safari Zone close by, when had she ever gone there, not for practice, but for a simple, carefree purpose?

Aya seemed perfectly satisfied with that, and Kris raised no objections herself. In fact, the Azumarill approaching the young teen from behind seemed rather upbeat at the idea.

"Cool." her aunt answered. "Shouldn't take too long to get there. Now curve those lips up, okay? This'll be fun."

The assurance itself was enough to produce the smile the woman wanted.

/

"We are here, Janine. Straighten yourself." The nine-year old's body was quick to grow firm at the sound of her father's voice, her spiky ponytail mildly responding to the gentle breeze as her hand lightly tugged on her uniform.

The outside of the church was majestic and opulent, the path leading up to the patio adorned with a clean sidewalk painted by the light from the high-rising sun, and spotlessly cut, bright green grass on either side of the pathway. The girl diverted her attention just long enough to take in the large fountain nearing the entrance, consisting of a beautiful statue of Dragonite, and a stream of water flowing freely from the mouth.

She had been here before. Mew worship was at its most dedicated in Fuchsia, the birthplace of the first ever Indigo Champion, whom the guardian of Kanto had crowned. And for much of Kanto, religion was the crux of the Church of Mew's prestigious presence. In Fuchsia, however, it was history, as present in the books as documented records of the League and other historical events surrounding the empire it helmed.

Her father never brought her here just for worship. It was for education. As part of her own preparation.

A man dressed in a clean white had just exited the large glass doors at the entrance as father and daughter neared the steps. Her father bowed to the newcomer as he spoke. "It's an honor to have you two here."

Honor to have her father here, that was. Father was known by all in Fuchsia for his cruelty, ruthlessness, terrifying aura, authoritativeness, intelligence, prowess on the battlefield, and how all of those qualities had kept his side of Kanto safe. She was simply the daughter of that man, a part of the family that served as an extension to him. And right now, she was the extension, not the person accompanying him to the church, but a glorified part of his body as all eyes focused on him, as he visited the Church.

"The honor is ours." Her father's voice was smooth and straightforward. "We won't be here too long, but I request a look at the Successor's Mural."

With a nod, the man led them through the building. Although they hadn't come during service hours, activity was still present in their surroundings. It bothered her not, however; she had always found the aura of this building to be rather comforting. Soothing, even. And everybody spoke in such a softening tone of voice, one that would always relax her mind and put her nerves at ease. It was a stark contrast from the tense atmosphere radiating around her father, but one that balanced it out as a result.

A large picture was engraved into the wall that they stopped in front of, in a separate room. Before Janine could take the visuals in, she felt the man's eyes on her.

"Enjoy your stay, child." he must have known that she had never seen this before. After he and her father exchanged a final nod with one another, the man walked out of the room, leaving the door open a crack.

Her father's hand rested on her shoulder. On instinct, her posture straightened from the contact.

"Indigo's first Champion was born in a time where unity did not exist in any known lands." her father did not lay an eye on her as he spoke, his vision focused solely on the picture in front of them. "Territories that are considered parts of a greater whole in the modern era, were all their own separate entities. Greed and desire were near everyday facts of life, from attempted conquests between neighboring territories, to mutinies and infighting from within the territories themselves. Power went to those who were the most clever. Who were strong enough to tame the mightiest of beasts and creatures that prowled the outside wilds. There was no harmony. No higher power to keep the lands in check. No unity or order. Just a world of chaos amidst a myriad of parties."

Janine suppressed an instinctive gulp. She knew this part of the story. It had been told to her multiple times, and she had read it multiple times. This was a test, to see if her attention span was everlasting. To make sure she wouldn't tune out the bits that she already knew, only to miss out on the new details that he was about to give her once he was done.

"Indigo's first Champion was the man who ended that era, and paved the way for the empire that would bring balance to Kanto, and later extend its reach to Johto, the Orange Islands, and Sevii Islands in their respective hours of need. He was born right here, in Fuchsia, and fled across Kanto to Pewter when the city was usurped. He conquered multiple territories on his journey to take back his home, and held most of the Region in the palm of his hand by the war's end. The Region was almost completely unified, for the first time in history, and upon his victory, the Guardian Mew descended upon the land and granted him the title of Champion. This sanctioned his newfound rule over Kanto, granting him a divine right. Mew did this because this war, and its subsequent outcome, was an opportunity to put an end to the era of chaos that had previously been viewed as endless. As the Guardian of the Region, it was his duty to protect it and its people, and to ensure an overarching authority for everyone to answer to and prevent future power struggles was the perfect strategy for order and peace. The Champion was both his pawn and his chosen one. The League exists as a proxy to maintain peace and order throughout Indigo, in the name of our Guardian's decision."

Janine nodded along with her father. That put an end to the stuff that she knew. Now it was time for the new stuff. The new context that this mural was intended to provide her with.

"Your career is six months away." he spoke once again. "You, like thousands of others, will soon set out to unlock the potential inside of you that books, lectures, and exams could not tap into. There are those of us who do not understand what we are capable of until after the academic phase is complete. Although you found great success yourself, the message remains that you have not become what you were meant to be just yet. No matter how many quizzes you ace, no matter how many excerpts you memorize, you will always be a miniscule part of the world that you step foot in when you first leave this city. It's your job to continue that growth in order to ensure that you do not stay miniscule. Five to six years worth of education is nothing compared to the rest of your life."

Janine didn't move, nor speak. She simply attempted to allow her ears to soak up her father's words, while her eyes soaked up the mural.

"This mural is officially referred to as the Successor's Mural, but it has another element of importance to it. Its connection to the Indigo Plateau. When Mew first descended upon mankind, his call led the first Champion, and his closest companions, across the Region. From Fuchsia, all the way back to Pewter where his journey had first started, and beyond, to the Plateau. It was there that the Champion was crowned. The priestess who had been mortally wounded protecting him, was called upon as well, to bear witness. Under Mew's protection, she survived the entire journey, not dying until after the crowning was complete, where she passed on peacefully. Ever since then, Indigo plateau has been the throne, where every Champion is crowned, and where all of Indigo is governed from. The first Champion took immediate recognition of the divinity of this particular area, for it is where he crowned his chosen successor. That was when the tradition was born. Indigo Plateau was the symbol, and, once the Gym system was established, it became the end goal. It was the successor who first established this system, hosting the first ever Conference to decide his own successor. This is what paved the way for how the hierarchy operates today, four centuries after Champion Albert Seiza and Elite Four Asawn Nobli had all but unified our land."

He spoke no more after that, a sign that he simply wanted his daughter to observe.

And so she did. She took ine very detail on the wall. The recreation of the Indigo plateau, with the mountains in the mass of faceless humans at the bottom, the giant castle towering over them, and the figures atop it.

A robed man in a humble kneeling position. A man standing firm and tall, placing a crown upon the kneeling man's head. A picture resembling a Dragonite at their side, and one resembling an Alakazam and Arcanine at the other. At the Dragonite's side, a robed figure kneeling in a praying position.

Three giant birds hovering just above them. Above the birds, a protective ball of energy high in the sky, as though cloaking and hiding the appearance of another creature. A guardian angel, who lovingly, yet sternly, watched over the land's every breath. Every word. Every move.

/

"Alright, let's get going, Eevee."

The evolution Pokemon hopped off the desk as her trainer shut off the video phone, Delia's face disappearing as the background of Ash's house gave way to a blank, black screen. Looking up at her trainer expectantly, the quadruped lightly barked as he rose from his seat.

"Janine says the Game Corner is in the southeastern section of the city. We'll head that way and follow the signs. Meeting time is in about an hour, so it shouldn't be too much of a rush." The quadruped kept pace with him as they made their way to the large front doors in the lobby, stepping out into the city and welcoming the sun's rays.

The Game Corner was one of many attractions that a city of Celadon's class and spectacle had to offer. The massive casino was robust and overflowing with activity for what seemed to be twenty four hours a day, although children Ash's age were barred from a good deal of the building. The League had a strict policy in place regarding gambling, and underage trainers who took part in the Game Corner's such activities were at risk of suspension of their licenses, which came with multiple repercussions, such as a temporary ban from Gyms and local tournaments. Some considered such a law hypocritcal, given that the League sanctioned Pokemon battles between trainers who wagered money were effectively gambling in their own right, but Ash knew better. The portion of money that a losing trainer was deprived of was fixed, specifically to avoid tanking of their current finances. Gambling at this casino gave them free reign, and could very easily produce dire losses.

Although the League did not own the casino, the Game Corner itself could easily be met with trouble if they were ever caught failing to abide by the Region's laws. Such an incident had taken place before, where a sizable group of teenaged trainers and coordinators (some of which were fairly well known within the competitive, professional community) had infiltrated the closed off sections of the building and had their way with the slot machines, a good few of them sadly not coming out of the experience financially comfortable. Although Ash wasn't fully aware of the details, he knew that a few of the teens were from upper class families, and had bribed the casino staff into looking the other way and/or making excuses for them. It hadn't been hard for the League to catch wind, however, and the lawsuit had made the Game Corner itself far more strict about the policies than even the League itself was. It's reputation regarding the prestigious city's image had been called into question, and with Erika now breathing down their necks, the Corner was doing everything in their power to avoid the risk taking that could get them shut down for good.

Thankfully, Ash had no intention to get involved with such activity. Outside of the adult sections of the Corner were areas that anybody could gain access too. A selection of opulent restaurants and shops (none of which the boy could remotely afford), along with an expansive arcade-style section open for all ages, where people wagered tokens in place of real money.

The previous evening, Janine had invited Ash and his team to meet up with her at the Corner, as a means of taking a day off before both trainers left the coyote and set their sights on the rest of the Gyms. Ash had accepted, although he wasn't expecting himself to win any big prizes at the Corner. Unless one landed the jackpot on one of the may games that the arcade section had to offer, the chances of earning enough credits to obtain one of the large-scale prizes in one day was rather slim. Truth be told, Ash was mostly just looking at the place as a means to unwind, rather than chase any sort of specific prize. He may have had three badges fairly early into the Season, but gathering more was still his top focus for the time being.

He and Janine had mutually agreed on 10:00 AM to be the meeting period, and so far he and his friends were making fairly good time. Ash suspected that they'd likely arrive a bit early, which was probably for the best.

As he and Eevee headed down the sidewalk, Ash found his mind wandering back to the events of the previous day. What he had expected to just be a simple visit to Elacia's friend (admittedly, a very famous friend), had put a lot of thoughts into his head. He had never thought that Valiant had been from this city, but with Suzie's story regarding what had happened to her Ralts, and Celadon neighboring that of Viridian Forest, the details had added up. He'd owe Elacia a lot of "thank you"s the next time that they met. Certainly the closure behind the reunion had put both Valiant and Suzie's respective minds at ease.

Speaking of thanks, the thought of the red-haired breeder always led to Ash addressing the Donphan in the room: his debt to her. Seven thousand in currency was certainly a steep price for him, but he hoped it'd become easier to fulfill that as his journey continued to further itself. It'd give him more time to rack up prize money and savings. Perhaps they could enter a tournament in hopes of putting some winnings aside…

Furthermore, his battle with Janine had been replaying in his mind the previous night after returning to his hotel room.

He and his team had hardly done poorly in the match, but the takeaway wasn't any less clear. Their opponent had them outplayed. Pikachu had failed to get over Ivysaur, Valiant could only manage a draw against Beedrill, and Nebula's trump card had only scored her a near victory against Golbat.

What his mind had really kept coming back to, however, was Janine's words prior to the match. About what her plan for the future of her career was. This was a girl who had mapped out her game plan from the very start, while he had just improvised within the moment. She was already on the road back when he was struggling to get out the door.

Part of him told himself that it wasn't wrong to do the approach that he did. While Gary was writing a candid essay about which starter he was planning to choose for his journey, he had been working tirelessly to ensure that he even had a journey in the first place. His priority was based around catching up, with no room to jump the gun.

Another part of him told himself that that was simply an excuse, however. An attempt at covering up an oversight, and not even the only oversight that he had found himself to be guilty of over the course of the past two months. Would it have really been that hard to put aside some time to figure out his game plan? So that he wouldn't have been left relatively without one after passing the Exam? He was a trainer; people in his field juggled a multitude of things all the time.

It mattered not, however. He wasn't Celebi; and he couldn't waste time thinking about what he could have done better. They were only two months into the Season, there was plenty of time to right early wrongs going into the Conference, and they would have to start now.

He wasn't behind anymore. He had the three badges. He had the six Pokemon. He had the license. Whether or not he had made the right call only focusing on the here and now prior to becoming the trainer, or whether or not it was a shortsighted method that had only set him up for more difficulty and speed bumps later down the road, he no longer had that excuse. He had caught up, and he firmly believed such a thing. He wasn't the bottom of the barrel anymore, and he couldn't think like somebody who was, either.

If Paul had made it his mission to sidestep the pitfalls that beginners always fell into, and Janine had made hers to map out her structure from day one, then Ash wouldn't be thinking like a rookie either. That would just lead him into the same speed bumps that they had successfully evaded.

Not to mention, Sabrina wouldn't show the same leniency as the previous three Gym Leaders had, and the rest would be showing even less. If he wanted to be certain that he was ready for a rematch with LT. Surge, or to confront Koga, then he needed to prove that he could beat her first. Any previous, easily avoidable oversights that had served as setbacks in the past would doom him and his teammates from here on out.

"Your field is constantly evolving, and probably won't stop as long as it continues to exist. If you want to evolve with it, then you should push that progress by going ahead of your peers, rather than following after." Suzie had certainly voiced her approval towards Janine's decision. He wasn't Janine, or Paul, but that just meant he wouldn't mimic them. They still had the right idea. He'd find his own version of that.

Speaking of which… "Hey Eevee." as the quadruped evolution Pokemon perked up and offered him her attention, the young trainer tugged on a Poke Ball resting on his belt. "What do you think of Tempest?"

He wasn't surprised when the furry Pokemon's expression fell. Averting eye contact with her trainer, Eevee found herself looking ahead with a somewhat blank mood, almost as though she was trying to keep her mind off of something.

"I thought so…" Perhaps this was another mistake that he had made. Allowing the situation with Tempest to run its natural course. He didn't want to force anything, but not doing anything at all had proved irresponsible. The river crab barely even qualified as part of the group. His participation consisted of fighting battles and little else. Any few and far between interactions he had with the others outside of matches was made up of restrained hostility. The team wanted little to do with Tempest after his first impression, and the Krabby in question had little intention of making up for such a thing. Neither side would budge, but if we could just push them lightly…

If they were going to be defining what type of team that they were, then his family needed to be a team. Not five Pokemon and a Krabby.

He'd drop that for now, however, and did not press Eevee any further. It seemed he had multiple things that he needed to get started on once tomorrow rolled around…

/

The exterior of the Game Corner was primarily purple, decked out with neon lights that Ash and Eevee were equally certain would light the building up like a beacon come nightfall, along with a beautiful blue coating on the roof. The casino stood several stories high, and already had a flux of people entering.

"Stay close to me." Ash informed Eevee as the two made their way towards the entrance. A part of him felt it best to return her to her ball to avoid getting split apart by the crowd, but Eevee had already expressed her choice to remain outside. "Better yet, on my shoulder for a moment." stopping just long enough for the quadruped to scale his back, he looked to the entrance ahead of him before continuing forward after feeling his partner's weight on him, responding to a friendly bark with a quick scratch on Eevee's chin (eliciting a pur).

Passing through the front gates, the duo made their way to the large, automatic doors leading into the building, greeted by the sight of the massive lobby inside. The opulence of the casino quickly hit them as they observed the surroundings. Although Ash was no expert in decorating, the floor was carpeted with a material that screamed expensive, a giant fountain consisting of a Dragonair and Kingra statue towered in the middle of the lobby, and just about everything present, even the large desk at the end of the room, seemed to be deliberately presented as being as fancy as possible.

Most people, as expected, were making their way to the counter upon entering the building, but Ash and Eevee held off for a moment. "She said she'd be waiting in the lobby…" the boy looked around before spotting a set of seats off to the far side of the room. With Eevee still clinging to his shoulder, he made his way across, perking up as he caught sight of two familiar figures nearby.

Janine was seated in a cushioned chair with a hardcover book in hand, calmly absorbed in the text as Ivysaur was perched beside her seat. The grass/poison type noticed Ash and Eevee approaching first, and a quick prod from his vine caught her attention. Eyes quickly finding their way to the newcomers, her face lit up as she waved Ash over, opening her backpack to stash away her book.

"Glad you came." she spoke evenly with a grin as he reached them. Eevee left Ash's shoulder, but didn't stray far from his feet as she and Ivysaur quickly exchanged neutral glances. The girl's starter seemed to be in a fairly calm mood, although Ash knew better than to write the creature off as serene, after yesterday's match. "How is the morning treating you?"

"Pretty routine so far." Ash returned her smile. A thought occurred to him. "Have you been waiting a while?" he knew he was early, but she seemed fairly settled in, and had likely been here for a bit. If he had known that, he might've tried getting up sooner.

The girl seemed relatively unfazed. "I always wake pretty early, and I didn't have anything else to do. Besides, most of the Game Corner doesn't open officially until 9:30 anyway. Just the small stores and cafes in the lobby." Strapping her backpack to her shoulders, she added, "Did you want to stop there before we go to the arcade?"

He shook his head. "We've already eaten." One of these days he would try treating himself more often, but for now, the food at the Pokemon Center was free, and easily the most affordable approach when he was short on money from shopping, and still trying to raise enough to pay off an expensive egg. With the Center food being far from low quality, he wasn't all that bothered by it, but still coveted the prospect of eating out.

She nodded before motioning them to follow her. "Alright, I can cover for us. Trainers get a pretty good discount here." she had offered to do so last night, which Ash was grateful for.

/

The arcade section of the casino wasn't all that crowded for the moment, and Ash noted that much of the people he remembered seeing at the entrance seemed to be adults. He imagined a lot of the teenagers and other younger trainers he had noticed were likely getting breakfast at one of the restaurants (Ash envied them to a degree), or browsing the souvenir could still spot a fair amount of kids as he and Janine made their way in, a few seemingly in small groups, but given the size of the section, it was hardly crowded. After receiving their initial batch of tokens (any additional ones would require extra payment), the two trainers had made their way to the machines.

Ash had been to Pallet Town's own arcade a fair amount of times, but as he already expected, the Game Corner's selection of games was far more vast. Even Janine seemed to be fairly impressed by it, given the look on her face.

From what he could see so far, there were the standard types of games that you would almost always expect just about any kind of arcade to have. Race car simulators (which he often spent most of his time at in the past), fighting games, battle simulators, and on-rail shooters were all present and accounted for, and seemingly in various different forms. He could tell that there were a bunch of other games, however, and beyond video games, there was a large row of ski ball and basketball sets at the far end.

"Fuschia has a few of these, although I haven't been to one in a while." Janine spoke up as Eevee and Ivysaur's attention was briefly brought to a teenaged boy seemingly on a roll in a fast-paced fighter jet game. She turned her head to Ash. "Anything you're good at?"

"Racing," he replied. "Although I might be a bit rusty."

She nodded. "I'm going to be browsing a little bit if you need me." They exchanged a quick goodbye before she and Ivysaur disappeared into the labyrinth of machines.

/

The arcade grew a bit more noticeably active after the two split up, although Ash and Eevee weren't overwhelmed. Ash had used a few tokens to play some matches on one of the racing simulators, but Eevee hadn't seemed very interested in the game (despite shaking her head when asked if she was bored), so he left to find something else before long.

He noticed that a good few of the other people in the arcade had Pokemon with them as well, a few of the Pokemon even fiddling around with the machines and trying to play themselves.

He and Eevee didn't stay in any one particular spot, seemingly bouncing from game to game with no real rhyme or reason. There was nothing he found addicting enough to hold him for too long (most of the time he didn't use any more than two tokens per game), but that was hardly a problem with such a massive selection of games to pick from.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Eevee watched as the spinner inside the machine began rotating rapidly. Whatever the stick landed on would determine the amount of tickets they would get as a prize (there were also two additional spaces that offered a free retry). Ash had never had much luck with these types of games, so he didn't keep his hopes too high as he pressed the button.

"Two tickets…" he commented with some annoyance as the spinner finally came to a stop, not even sounding all that surprised. "I should've known." he allowed himself a light chuckle as he removed the two tickets that had emerged from the slot. He wasn't overly concerned with the amount of winnings that he walked away with, given he wasn't planning on cashing anything in, but the moment still brought back humorlessly frustrating memories of all the times he'd been duped by the spinner.

Shrugging it off, he made his way away from the machine as Eevee hopped onto his shoulder. After what could have only been two or three more minutes of searching, the curious duo happened upon a set of machines labeled "Battle Simulator".

The boy blinked. A game for simulating Pokemon battles? It sounded pretty obvious in hindsight, but Pallet's arcade didn't have anything like this…

"I've seen these before, although I've never used one." He turned to see Janine at his side, Ivysaur approaching her from behind. "Has it been fun so far?" At his nod, she turned to the machine in question. "This game emulates battles in a few ways. One mode has a turn based format that plays out like a Role-Playing Game, and another makes a prediction regarding which Pokemon is most likely to win." she chuckled. "It's… not entirely accurate. Nothing can replace an actual, real life battle. But it's considered a fun thing to check out as long as you don't take it too seriously." After a couple moments, she pulled out her Pokedex. "Trainers can get a specific simulation themselves by inserting their own Pokedex into that slot."

Ash quickly caught on. "You mean it goes by their own registered teammates?"

"Mhm. The Pokedex records any registered Pokemon's current moveset and ability. The machine reads all of that and then predicts how the matchup would go based on the information." her expression grew amused. "It… obviously doesn't have any way to account for customized moves, or how the Pokemon's physical capabilities compare to one another on average, so everything's very generalized. It's definitely not meant to be used in place of a hands-on evaluation."

"Huh…" Ash's eyes wandered to the machines. It sounded pretty pointless, when she put it that way, but… not everything had to have a point to it to be enjoyable. Curiously, he made his way over to one of them, with Janine and Ivysaur occupying the one next to his choice. On his shoulder, Eevee leaned forward and viewed the large screen as Ash inserted his Pokedex into the slot. In line with Janine's explanation, a disclaimer quickly popped up detailing that the simulation was not meant to be taken as a credible way to evaluate real-life matchups. Images of his team showed up on the screen, and upon clicking on Eevee's picture, he was greeted by a list of her moves, and her ability.

"Shadow Ball, Iron Tail… Adaptability… looks like everything's accounted for." he turned to the small quadruped. "So… wanna see what would happen if you and Valiant fought?" an amused nod from his friend elicited a quick tickle under her chin. "Alright, then I'll just pull him up real quick…"

After bringing up Valiant's information (which was equally accurate), Ash quickly went through the menus before a loading screen brought them to the simulation. Pictures of an Eevee and a Kirlia highlighted the screen, with large health bars above each of them. The two images smacked against each other repeatedly as the health bars proceeded to fluctuate. After a few moments, the Kirlia's image sank downwards, while the Eevee picture moved to the center of the screen, declared the winner while the health bar remained with a fraction of HP left. Just above the health bar was a reading of "53%"... was that the likelihood of Eevee winning?

A prideful grin adorned his young friend's features, although the evolution Pokemon looked more amused than anything else.

The outcome made sense on paper. Eevee knew both Shadow Ball and Iron Tail, and Kirlia weren't known for being able to take direct hits. Her QUick Attack gave her great momentum which the Iron Tail could also be carried by. Of course, it wasn't a definitive prediction. It didn't account for the way Valiant used his own moves, his quick thinking, or whatever environmental aspects might be in play. But Ash kept that to himself, as he already knew that Eevee was thinking the same thing.

Besides, Eevee had worked very hard to catch up with everybody else after her one-sided encounter with Nebula back at Mt. Moon. She deserved this.

Janine caught his attention a few feet away. "Do you want to play a quick round?"

"Sure." Navigating another menu, Ash selected the "VS" option, where his team once again found themselves pictured. Moving between each of them, he allowed himself a moment to think.

Janine was a poison type specialist, so obviously, whatever Pokemon that she selected would naturally have that typing. That made Valiant the ideal choice, but there wouldn't be as much fun in that.

"Let's see…" he hummed to himself as Eevee looked on. Pikachu had already lost to Ivysaur yesterday, and although that had been a real battle, he wouldn't be too surprised if the machine agreed with the end result. Alongside the grass type, she also said she had a Toxtricity, apparently part electric type, making both Nebula and Tempest risky options… but she had also said that he had fallen behind due to a lack of information… Which could mean that he did not have as many electrical moves as expected?

Of course, all of this was just a series of assumptions regarding who she would pick, which Ash had no way of knowing. He didn't even know her entire team, so there wasn't much use in overthinking it.

After a few moments, he clicked on Nebula. An image of a Tentacruel showed up soon after, and following the same process from Eevee's match, the Staravia picture was declared the winner accompanied by a 56% likelihood.

/

The two trainers remained at the arcade for about another hour or so before departing. Both had come out of the trip with a decent amount of tickets upon depleting all of their tokens, but as expected, it wasn't nearly enough to claim a true prize (anything overly noteworthy, at any rate). Both had simply deposited their winnings into individual accounts, to save up and accumulate later. Ash didn't know when or if he'd ever be coming back, but it'd be something to keep in the back of his mind if he ever wound up back in Celadon and found himself in need of a fun distraction.

At the moment, he and Janine were exiting the building with Eevee and Ivysaur in tow. Ash adjusted his cap for a moment before turning to look at her.

"That was fun." he stated genuinely. "Thanks for inviting us."

"Don't mention it. I figured I'd offer." A comfortable silence hung over the group as they headed down the sidewalk, the sounds of passing automobiles being all that occupied their ears for a few moments.

"So…" Ash spoke up after a few moments. "Is there anything else you wanted to do?" As he turned his head to her, he felt a tad bit awkward asking. He wouldn't have minded hanging out with her longer, especially after realizing it'd been a decent bit since he'd spent the day with another human. They hadn't made any plans beyond this point, however.

To his mild surprise, Janine simply looked towards him. "Is there anything specific you wanted? I already chose the Game Corner, so it's only fair to let you choose something."

Ash's mind went a bit blank as Eevee turned to him expectantly. Truth be told, he hadn't had anything in mind himself when he'd asked the question. On one hand, it shouldn't be hard, given the myriad of options a city like Celadon naturally had. On the other hand, perhaps that was the intimidating part.

"I'm… not sure." he admitted with some embarrassment. "Sorry."

Janine touched her chin thoughtfully. "It's fine. Let's see…" something lit up in her eyes. "Do you like art? The museum in this city has some of the most detailed exhibits, from what I've heard. It's not the goldmine of artifacts the Pewter museum is, but there's a lot of sculptures, paintings, and other works detailing key historical points. I've never been there myself…"

Ash perked up at that. He remembered the time he had visited Pewter's museum with his team. He was no history buff, but it wasn't something he'd mind knowing more about. Plus, it'd be a relaxing way to pass the time. He turned to Eevee, who had climbed onto his shoulder. "You okay with that?" After a moment or two, the quadruped performed what looked like a bit of a shrug, and he turned back to the purple-haired girl. "Sure."

She nodded with a smile. "Alright. First timers can visit free for an hour, although it's a bit of a walk from here." she stopped for a moment, prompting Ash and Ivysaur to do the same as she removed her backpack to open it and reach in. After a few seconds, she pulled out a map and unrolled it. "Let's see… a bit to the northwest. Follow me."

/

The Celadon Museum of Arts and History almost immediately struck Ash with a different vibe than the Pewter Museum had. Although it was still a very professionally presented place, it felt more… colorful. Not just because of the immediate difference in exhibits (true to Janine's word, this place got its name more from history-themed works of art than fossils and the like), but something about the museum's overall aesthetic, while far from childish, just seemed less serious than that of Pewter's. He imagined that a place like this would hold Trucy's attention longer.

It seemed to be even more spacious than Pewter's museum as well (not that that building had been anywhere near claustrophobic). Perhaps that contributed to the easygoing feel.

Janine and Ash were allowed in without any need for payment, as the girl had stated before, but to their pleasant surprise, she had actually been mistaken regarding the terms: first-time trainers entering the building were actually allowed a two hour long free period, rather than just one. The comforting vibe of the place was something Ash would make sure to enjoy while it lasted.

After ascending the steps leading from the main lobby to the museum proper, the group was greeted with a wide hall connecting multiple sections of the museum to one another. With no clear goal in mind, they picked a random direction and went with it. Something caught the corner of Ash's eye, prompting him to get Janine's attention. Perking up, she and Ivysaur followed him into an open room.

Upon entering, Ash immediately (with mixed feelings) realized what had drawn him to this section of the museum: it was dedicated to Mt. Moon. The realization stung, and he briefly squeezed his eyes to block out the mental image of plummeting rocks. Thankfully, Janine didn't seem to notice.

Mt. Moon was probably his least favorite part of the world right now, but he tried to keep that out of his mind. Not everything about the place had to do with what he and Misty had gone through while there.

The majority of the wall at the opposite end of the room was occupied by a giant, rectangular painting that stretched across. The picture depicted a massive rock, seemingly glowing a bright sapphire, towering over a large group of Clefairy, who could be seen all throughout the picture, along with numerous Cleffa and a few Clefable. Their eyes were closed, kneeling down in praying positions while surrounding the rock.

Ash and Janine gravitated towards the massive picture while Eevee hopped off of her trainer's shoulder and wandered elsewhere in the room, sniffing at a few exhibits while Ivysaur relaxed into a sitting position to focus on a decently sized apple tree sculpture.

"That's… the Moon Stone, isn't it?" Ash said, eyes wandering around the painting to take in the full view. Beside him, Janine leaned downward to read the plaque.

"The Moon Stone's origin is endlessly debated amongst archeologists and historians alike. Theories ranging from extraterrestrial origin, being created and blessed by the Guardian Mew's divine aura, to coming from the core of the planet have all been pitched by those fortunate enough to study this mystical boulder firsthand. Whatever the origin point, the giant stone's fragments are capable of evolutionary powers, and are now known as the evolutionary stone of the same name. Buried deep within Mt. Moon, the original, widely talked about Moon Stone rests at the bottom of the mountain's underground labyrinth, and has been recorded to be worshiped by the Clefairy evolution line, who act as its guardians. The almost religious respect that the species has for the stone has led to further questioning regarding where it might have come from. Clefairy themselves are often studied by those interested in the stone as a result of this. In the past, conflicts were fought over the desire to harness the stone."

As she finished reading, Janine straightened herself and viewed the painting. As she did, Ash eyed another plaque not too far from the one she had just read from. "It says this was painted over a hundred-fifty years ago. The second-ranked Elite Four Member of the time ventured to the bottom of the mountain with his Alakazam to find the stone. After getting back, he hired an artist to paint a picture of what they had seen. He had his Alakazam project the mental memory into the artist's mind while he was working, so that the painting would be completely accurate."

Janine's lips curved up at the story. "High-level psychics are pretty otherworldly with their mental mastery." still grinning, she turned her head to face him. Her voice, while in a good mood, was even and proper, yet her eyes conveyed a slightly teasing glint. "Can you imagine Valiant doing something like that for you?"

Ash briefly felt a tinge in his cheeks at the question, but shook it off. "Right now he and I can't even hold a full conversation without him falling asleep. It'll be a while before I have to think about that."

Now that she mentioned it, Ash wasn't even sure what he'd ever need such a thing for. Obviously, the origin of this painting had shown that the possibilities could come from a myriad of unexpected places, but there was nothing that he could think of from the top of his head.

It'd be a long time before Valiant could speak to him extensively. It'd be even longer before he could do… something like what that Alakazam had done, assuming he ever even reached such a level. But just how many doors would be openmed if he did…?

Returning his attention to the painting for now, Ash's eyes traveled across the massive picture, suddenly realizing just how… detailed it was. The artist credited for the painting had worked a miracle; there were no imperfections that he could see (although he wasn't sure how good he'd be at noticing any, compared to those dedicated to artistic presentation), and although everything was made of paint, it almost looked real. Like the Moon Stone was actually shining. Like the Clefairy line praying to it weren't just made up of paint…

The combination of the painter's capabilities with a brush, and the perfect mental image provided by the Alakazam's memories had truly come together.

His mind briefly wandered back to what Janine had read on the plaque, however. "So… people have tried to fight over this in the past?" he tried to suppress his frown.

She nodded at him. "It's always been coveted for its ability to evolve Pokemon of certain species, but… the legends about its… Other mystical qualities have tempted too many parties to count. Some genuinely believe that it is imbued with Mew's powers, and that they'd hold divine magic at their disposal if they could claim it and find out how to use it." her expression turned solemn. "A holy weapon, basically."

He crossed his arms uneasily. "I'm sure you already know this, but… Team Rocket tried to make a grab for the stone themselves. About a month ago."

She sighed. "How could I not? It was all over the news. I barely dodged that bullet, I had just passed through the mountain the day before." As if suddenly realizing something, she eyed him with concern. "Wait… you weren't there when it happened, were you…?"

"No." Ash was somewhat scared of how easily the lie had left his lips. "I was about to go through, but League trainers stopped me, and said that it wasn't safe. They teleported me to the other side after the incident was over."

She seemed to believe him, given her smile. "Well that's a relief. That assault of theirs was a lot more… real, then what happened at Viridian."

The Viridian incident had been pretty real to him, but Ash knew what she meant. The only reason they had survived the Pokemon Center attack was because of how incompetent those two Rockets had been. The Mt. Moon raid was… nothing like that. Just thinking about what would have happened to him and his friends if Karen hadn't shown up, reminded him of where his newfound disdain from the location had been born. And that Marauder man… was on a completely different level of terror from the two jokers who had attacked him and Janine.

But he turned his thoughts away from the masked menace. "So, you haven't run into them since?" he asked hopefully. Obviously, she was in one piece, so any other encounters hadn't ended badly for her, but he still found himself feeling nervous nonetheless.

Thankfully, she shook her head. "No, it's been smooth for us, thank you." She pointed a thumb elsewhere in the room. "Anyway, we don't have to focus on any of that right now. Team Rocket already gave us a terrible night back then, let's not let them ruin anything else."

It was a bit late for that, but Ash found himself nodding nonetheless, sending his new friend a grateful smile.

She was still right. Even if Team Rocket had ruined plenty more for him since… dwelling on all of that would take away from the current moment. He hated how much effort it took to poush it all into the back of his mind sometimes, but succeeding in that regard was still well worth the effort.

Those two grunts who had tried to raid the Center, the Marauder, those… child soldiers… they weren't here right now. He didn't have to think about them during times he could be enjoying. They had already done more than enough.

He wasn't sure how many more times he would have to remind himself of that, but luckily for him, in this moment, he just needed the one.

"You're right, thanks."

While walking past him to view what else the room had to offer, Janine seemed to take note of what Ivysaur had been looking at. "Hey Ash, look at this." he followed her to the corner of the room where her starter had settled down. Over on the other end, Eevee took note and decided to join them, quickly making her way across the room and giving her trainer a friendly bark upon reaching his feet. Ash acknowledged her with a quick pat on the head.

Ivysaur was still fixated on the apple tree sculpture, and had just been about to get up when he noticed the rest of the group approaching. Just as Ash was about to read the plaque, Janine cut in front of him, placing a hand over it while shooting him a curious grin.

"No peeking! Can you tell me what this is?" she nodded over to the tree sculpture. She seemed a little… excited.

"I'm… not sure…" his face turned a shade of red. The fact that Janine seemed so… enthusiastic about a simple tree sculpture made him think that he probably should know. It just looked like any other apple tree, but it obviously wasn't, given its place in a history museum, so he wouldn't dare make the mistake of assuming such.

Not moving her hand, Janine's smile evened out to be a little less playful and teasing. "You won't believe me, but this tree is actually what led to the entire League forming. In the long-term, anyway."

Ash raised a brow. "Wasn't the League formed after Mew gave the first Champion his blessing?"

She nodded. "Mhm. After he led Pewter's forces to victory in the war. But the first Champion was from Fuchsia, not Pewter. He fled across Kanto and to Pewter during the uprising in his home." she nodded towards the sculpture again. "Do you know how an outsider gained Pewter's favor?"

It suddenly occurred to Ash how obvious it should be that Janine knew something that he did not. After all, she herself was from Fuchsia City. The very place where the original Champion had once called home. Who knows how much history rested where she grew up…

"He… planted a tree?" Ash awkwardly stumbled on his words whilst scratching the back of his neck. It was the only thing he could think of, so why did it sound so weird?

She giggled a bit at his fumble, exacerbating his embarrassment, but her reaction thankfully didn't last long. "Don't worry, I'll explain." she said while raising a reassuring hand. After he nodded to show that he was ready, she began, taking her other hand off the plaque in the process. "Given the surrounding terrain, agriculture was almost foreign to Pewter at the time. This was before Viridian Forest was as expansive as it is now. There was still some vegetation, but in general, the fertility of the area's ground just wasn't reliable enough for proper farming, and there weren't that many plants in general, at least compared to the rest of Kanto. Hunting was almost exclusively the way people got their food at the time, often by taming wild Pokemon to assist them. It was a bit mutually beneficial, since the people of Pewter would obviously grant the wild Pokemon their own share in exchange for further help, and they would cook the food not only for them, but for the Pokemon themselves, in order to improve the taste. With the wild Pokemon becoming accustomed to the cooking's taste, they helped out with little question, just for the reward." She paused for a moment, allowing it to sink in.

Ash processed her words for a moment. Eevee seemed to be listening in too. "So… the original Champion earned favor with them by improving their agriculture?"

"In short, yes. Fuchsia itself is a mountainous place, but it's not dominated by the rocky landscape that defines Pewter. Vegetation is plentiful there, and agriculture is thus more common. The original Champion is recorded to have an affinity for it, and demonstrated a technique to help bypass the troubling environment that got in the way. With help from his Ivysaur, according to documents. Pewter never became lush, but watching him work was like witnessing a whole new world for them. With the way they were living in isolation from the rest of Kanto, mostly because of Mt. Moon, that was how he gained their trust." she gestured towards the plaque. "It's all here if you need confirmation."

Ash believed her, but was curious to see nonetheless. Eevee made her way back to his shoulder as he walked past Janine and leaned forward to read what was written on the plaque. Sure enough, everything she had said was verified in the text. "And he and the first Elite Four Member were the ones leading Pewter's forces in the war… so it really did all start with an apple tree."

"Of course, it would take a few years for the tree itself to start producing fruit, but the people were there to see the planting process and the tree's growth with their own eyes." Janine eyed the tree sculpture with some level of fondness. "He had initially just fled to the other side of Kanto for refuge after the territory that he lived in was usurped during the uprising, but the people he had sought it from had started looking to him for some form of guidance. Education about the outside world. Even before Mew blessed him, he was always some manner of leader."

Straightening his posture after reading the plaque, Ash turned to her. "I guess the story must be really well-known where you're from."

She nodded. "Fuchsia definitely treasures its role in Kanto's history, and especially the League's origin. It and Pewter have always been labeled as where it all started, so history and tradition are valued in high esteem." looking away from the sculpture, she added. "He planted the tree at a spot on the road to Mt. Moon, which is why the sculpture is here. You've seen that there is a surprising amount of vegetation in that area nowadays, right? That's because of this."

He remembered. Around the Pokemon Center at Mt. Moon's foot.

"Yeah, I actually caught Eevee there." he commented while reaching over to pat the quadruped on his shoulder. His eyes wandered back to the sculpture. If the Champion hadn't earned the favor of Pewter's people, he never would have helped lead them to victory in the war. Fuchsia's usurping forces might not have ever been stopped, and if they had been, the Region still likely wouldn't have been unified. And what would that even lead to? Would the League never get established? Would Indigo's entire structure just simply… not exist? He would even still be a trainer?

To think just one apple tree could make such a difference.

/

Damian gave his uniform a light tug as he traversed the underground tunnels. Somewhat claustrophobically, he was surrounded by other Rockets on every side. As they made their way through, he hadn't been lined up anywhere near the other child soldiers (were they all rather spread out right about now?), so the Rocket boy was feeling rather sandwiched by the adult soldiers walking in front of, behind, and beside him.

Pretty soon, however, the space would grow more open. But that was when the fighting would start. The utilization of Celadon's underground network was a genius strategy on this group's part. It had allowed them to take up position, with their hideout being located directly beneath the Game Corner itself. And now it allowed them to freely travel to their two respective targets unspotted. The group set to infiltrate target number two had already split off from his own. Once they had reached where they needed to go, they would attack by emerging from below. The League was not aware that they were using the underground network in order to map out their route; it was a blindspot, and one that they would exploit with the shot that they had.

His legs carried him forward with what felt like involuntary movement. He couldn't really see the path ahead of him, just the far taller soldiers in front. But they were all simply moving forward, and with the occasional turn. It was automatic.

A large gulp nearly bulged his throat as his mind continued to wander. Any minute now, they would be there. And then…

Instinctively, his hand found its way to his belt. He couldn't release any Pokemon, as much as he was currently tempted to, with how crowded that it currently was, but he could wrap his palm and fingers around Charmeleon's Poke Ball. And so he did.

He knew he was ready for this. He knew he had been prepared for this. He knew he wouldn't make a mockery out of it. But the sweat felt as though it was threatening to drown him.

Deep breaths. They were hard to take with so many people around him. Concentrating… focusing…

Finally, at the sound of the red haired teenager's voice, they stopped.

"Halt." The lanterns being raised overhead by a spread out portion of the large squadron illuminated the walls, floor, and ceiling surrounding the group, not that Damian could still see much of anything in front of or beside him anyway. "At ease."

As they stopped walking, Damian was finding it just a little bit harder to breathe as planned. There would be no more preparations. Soon, they would be above ground again, in combat. Wide-scale combat, where anything could happen from any direction. And this time, he wouldn't be in the bunkers waiting everything out.

He would be part of what he used to be sheltered from.

The red-haired teenager adjusted the mask on his face while turning to address the large squadron that he stood in front of. "We are directly beneath them now. In just a few moments, we will be rising up and commencing our attack. We'll be going up through the basement, of course. Make sure you overrun the building. Spread out, so that they'll have to as well. Once they have fully responded, the squadron seat to attack target two will be notified as such. Any questions?"

Damian wanted to speak, but didn't. Neither did anyone else. It was just a brief summarization. After all, they had just gone through their final briefing just before setting off.

"Very well." the masked leader nodded towards the tall ladder pressed against the wall. It stretched through an opening in the ceiling, although Damian could not see that for himself at the moment. "We climb."

As everybody moved to position themselves, Damian glanced down at Charmeleon's Poke Ball, still on his belt and wrapped up by his hand.

"You and I are going to start blasting the moment we get up there." he whispered in an attempt to keep his voice steady.

/

Time could often blast by with little realization when you enjoyed something, whether it be something exciting, or relaxation. Of course, boredom was known for lasting an eternity. An hour turned into a day. A day turned into a week. Even just waiting sixty seconds for something to happen could feel like you were waiting an hour.

Ash was not bored. He was not excited. He was relaxed. But for once, time wasn't slipping away from him. The atmosphere of the museum had engulfed him, a soothing sensation accompanying his mind for over an hour and a half.

He and Janine had spent the time browsing through the exhibits and displays that the building had to offer. After they were finished with the apple tree sculpture, they had wandered off to another room, detailing sculptured recreations of the Indigo Plateau stadiums from back when they were first built. Readings documented the first ever Indigo Conference to take place. In the same room, the story of Moltres' flame had been told, and how the Champion of the time had collected the flame in the Legendary Bird's wake. Ever since then, a ceremony would be performed at the beginning of every Indigo Conference, where a series of torch runners would light the flame at the top of Indigo Stadium.

Another room had an aquatic theme to it, conveyed beautifully by the walls, which blended in with the sculptures and paintings by portraying the dark ocean waves and depths, accompanied with varying marine Pokemon. Lots of Magikarp, but also Lanturn, Seel, Dewgong, and a Gyarados or two.

This room had documentation of Indigo's first known voyages through the sea, which had initially led to Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands, but would later culminate in Johto, the Orange Islands, and the Sevii islands as well. Although Kanto remained the origins of Indigo's birth, the League's authority now encompassed multiple Regions, including Johto, another major Region whose younger League had been assimilated into indigo's own. Politically speaking, all of these expansions had been certified conquests, albeit not through the same war torn process that had eventually led to Kanto's own unification. The Orange and Sevii Islands had both been remote from the rest of the world, Johto's Silver League a struggling government due to the Region not being fully and definitively unified at the time. Although the latter had not been resolved without any fighting, Indigo's conquest and the neighboring Regions' ultimate annexation had been historically documented as mutually beneficial.

Another room had touched further upon this, detailing the final, documented treaty signings that had led to the Silver League becoming a part of the Indigo League. The Silver Champion of the time had been granted an immediate Elite Four position, and for the first couple of generations, would oversee Johto in the transitioning period to ensure that nothing had disturbed the much crucial process. Said room was overall dedicated to the Silver League's upbringing, leading up to its eventual annexation at Indigo's hands.

Though she wasn't well-versed in everything, Janine had maintained a relatively educational presence throughout each section of the museum that they had visited. Whatever school she had gone to must have had a magnificent history program; even the sections where she wasn't very knowledgeable usually saw her with an easier grasp/understanding than himself. And more often than not, whatever nugget of insight she had verbally provided him with would organically segway into an often unpredictable topic of conversation, albeit only briefly.

The manner that she carried herself with offered a fairly different vibe from what he had been used to seeing from people his age. She was far from stoic, but rarely ventured from the air of professionalism that the purple-haired girl carried around with herself. Her posture and expressiveness more often than not conveyed some amount of etiquette that he wasn't accustomed to interacting with, but her occasional slip ups and consistent enthusiasm was a consistent reminder of their shared age group. She was certainly more "proper" in her mannerisms than somebody like Misty or Maria, not in a casually laid back manner like Laura, or with the seriousness of Paul, but something that felt rooted. Practiced, even. But it was simply a part of her, not her personality. It didn't define her.

It added a unique layer to the girl, but it wasn't dominant enough to make him feel uncomfortable or out of place. It wasn't something she deliberately emphasized, at least for the current moment.

Ash had long since lost track of time after getting sucked into everything. He had mostly been looking forward to this as a manner of winding down, but found himself increasingly more fascinated by the things he saw. The chats he and Janine had in between examining exhibits likely elevated the experience.

Yet when a brief checking of the clock had revealed that they were in the last stretch of their free time, it hadn't felt like everything had blazed by without him realizing. It was a weird feeling that he could not claim to be used to.

With somewhere around fifteen minutes left, the two young trainers stood in front of another decently sized painting, this one being of Mew's crest. The symbol of the guardian took the form of a glowing, spiraling tail, and was an image Ash wasn't fully unfamiliar with. Given its significance, just about anybody in Indigo could at least identify it. The image of the crest was surrounded by a clean, black background.

"The Guardian Mew has kept watch over Kanto's landscape since the Region's formation." Janine read from the plaque. "Genetically linked to every species of Pokemon on the planet, and a being of true divinity, the Guardian is the origin of much humanity aims to understand about the world. As the one who crowned the first Champion, the Indigo League recognizes itself as the proxy that governs these lands on its Guardian's wishes and behalf."

The image of the crest was encapsulating. Something that threatened to suck Ash in if he stared at it for too long. Maybe it was simply his knowledge of what the tail represented. Maybe it was just how beautifully it was painted. So many works of art in this museum had been crafted in seemingly impossible ways. Ways that maintained a lifelike aura to truly emulate what they were attempting to convey. But amongst the painting of the Moon Stone and its guardians, the sculpture of a seemingly simple back actually incredibly important apple tree, and paintings depicting treaty signings and negotiations, this crest seemed to be the one that popped out at him the most. As though it were shining for real.

"The origin of much humanity aims to understand about the world." Janine repeated. Her head angled its way over to Ash. "That brings me back to what was stated about the Moon Stone. About how nobody can agree on its origin? And how some believe that Mew is the one who…" she trailed off, not needing to say anything else.

"What do you believe, Janine?" Ash's curiosity got the best of him, and the question slipped from his lips before he could consider it.

She didn't seem offended by the abruptness of the question. "Hmm… honestly, I've always wondered about it myself. When I was studying the Moon Stone for schooling, I'd read whatever theory I could out of curiosity." scratching her cheek. "I… can't say I've ever been conclusive about it." She looked back to the painting. "Still… It's the reason that interpretation is so popular. The thought of the Moon Stone carrying Mew's essence isn't so far-fetched when Kanto itself is so deeply rooted to him." she rubbed her arm. "Fuchsia culture… greatly values Mew and what he represents. To them, the stone's existence being credited to the Guardian is a theory held in very high regards. It wouldn't even be the most magnificent thing about him, when he's the perceived ancestor of Pokemon kind."

It sounded like she might've leaned towards the theory herself. Perhaps her studious nature prevented her from saying anything definitive?

"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to answer fully." she admitted. "I can only pick my favorites." her expression turned somewhat sheepish. 'I'm… sorry if that wasn't the answer you had in mind."

Ash held his hands up awkwardly. "No… I only asked because I have no idea myself."

With a light giggle, Janine glanced at the clock. "Hmmm… it looks like we're running out of time. We should probably wrap things up." Slowly, she looked back at Ash. "You… wanna go back to the Pokemon Center for now? Maybe we can grab some lunch."

Now that she mentioned it, it had been a bit since he'd last eaten. He imagined it had been even longer for her. At her invitation, he nodded. "Sure, I'd love to. That okay with you, Eevee?" he glanced down at his partner, who was perched on the floor gazing up at the crest painting. At his question, she looked back and nodded with a bark. He gave Janine a thumbs up. "Alright, then I guess it's settled-"

He nearly jumped out of his skin as a flash of red light filled his eyes, just as a deafening alarm assaulted his ears. Janine turned rigid as Eevee and Ivysaur sprang from their sitting positions, the latter almost firing off an attack at nothing in particular.

"Wh-What's that?!" Ash nearly spat out as his hands shot up to his ears, feeling as though he might choke. The alarm continued, a horrific, blaring noise that stretched across the building, its deep roar inescapable to all present.

"I t-think it's a-an… emergency alarm!" Janine's hands were on her ears as well, eyes moving frantically. "What's going on?!"