CHAPTER 10
"AHHHHH—"
The sound of dad's screaming filled the air as Peri went full speed. I watched on with endless amusement.
Let me explain what happened.
We could have Teleported to the Indigo Plateau with dad's Exeggutor since he had been there before, but dad avoided this method as much as possible due to the intense nausea he usually got as a result. So, before we left the house, I asked dad which of my fliers he wanted to ride on for the journey as he had none of his own (Zuri was not an option since she needed to rest after the international flight). Dad ended up choosing Peri.
Peri was big enough that two people could ride on him at once, but since we had enough time, I chose to ride separately on Arya so she could enjoy a nice flight, too.
The first five minutes into our trip went just fine. Dad loved how fluffy Peri's fur was and patted him numerous times just to enjoy the softness. Peri did a few fancy flight tricks like swoops and turns to show his appreciation which dad enjoyed.
Then dad innocently asked him how fast he could go, and Peri's flip switched.
Peri loved showing off his speed.
That led us to the current situation where I watched dad become a mere speck in the distance ahead of me and Arya. The Altaria and I shared an amused glance.
Half a minute later, Peri zoomed back to our side with a very pale-faced dad.
"Peri is… very fast," Dad finally got out after he took a few deep breaths, and I laughed loudly.
"He manipulates the air around him with Flying type energy and combines that with Extreme Speed," I explained. My eyes gained a mischievous spark with my next words. "Zuri is even faster, you know. Dragonite can move at the speed of sound. You should try flying with her sometime."
The frightened look dad made caused me to burst out laughing again.
It was nice getting all the tension out of us on our way to the Indigo Plateau. Arya and Peri flew steadily towards the northeast. Eventually, the Silver Range came into view.
A dense forest of trees stretched out for hundreds of miles below us. To our left, rugged mountains rose up towards the sky. Even though it was spring, those further north still had snowcaps. My eyes were drawn to the one mountain that clearly stood taller than the rest: Mount Silver. It was so tall, in fact, that its peak couldn't be seen at all and was obscured by clouds. Up on that mountain, raging winds and howling blizzards reigned year long.
Mt. Silver and the Range it was a part of were considered to be the most dangerous places within Kanto-Johto. These were untamed wilds full of powerful and dangerous wild Pokemon. For that reason, the League restricted access to the area to League-affiliated individuals only or those with at least eight gym badges and had made it past preliminaries at a Conference before.
They wanted to ensure that only skilled trainers who knew what they were doing went inside. Even then, I had heard many tragic stories of people who returned with grave injuries or those who just didn't come back at all.
Arya and Peri stayed high above and far away from the mountains, but I half-expected some of the local birds to spot and chase us. Thankfully, no such thing happened, and we were free to continue on our flight uninterrupted.
Forty minutes later, we finally reached the Indigo Plateau.
Below us, a long dirt trail flowed out of Victory Road and was eventually replaced by a road of shining white bricks connected to flights of stairs. They rose up over different elevations in the ground with ancient statues of Pokemon and Pokeballs, grand archways plated with gold, and manicured hedges alternating between the sides.
And at the end of the path, in a huge clearing surrounded by a forest and stone walls, was the League HQ itself, the Indigo Plateau.
Red and honey-colored bricks made up the exterior of the massive building. Across its front, arched windows with fortified glass stretched out in neat rows and glinted in the sunlight. Small watchtowers jutted out from the roof above. Even from such a distance, I could feel just how old the entire structure was from the imposing atmosphere it presented.
Before Peri and Arya could think about diving down, three figures riding Pidgeot or Fearow rose up into the air to greet us. Each wore a dark uniform that had the word LEAGUE emblazoned in white on them.
"Halt. State your identities please," the man at the forefront asked warily.
"Adriel and Arin Watanuki," Dad answered for the both of us. The man held up a hand and murmured words inaudibly, presumably speaking to an earpiece. A few seconds passed before he jerked his head back up and nodded curtly.
"Thank you. Please follow us down for a security check," he said promptly, and he and his men swooped down towards the Plateau's entrance. We followed right on their heels.
As soon as we landed and I recalled my Pokemon, two guards standing by the doors came up with an Alakazam and Hypno. We had to go through a quick psychic check to determine that we had not lied about our identities or possessed hostile intentions before we were finally allowed inside.
If I thought the outside of the building was grand, the interior was just as impressive. Marbled flooring made way for giant staircases draped with expensive carpets. The ceiling loomed high, high above our heads, and I took a second to admire the faded but beautiful mural of various Pokemon and their trainers engraved at the top.
Then I looked ahead, took a breath, and stepped forward to the reception. Dad was right by my side.
"Welcome to the Indigo Plateau. What brings you here today?" the lady at the counter asked brightly.
Dad smiled politely at her. "Good afternoon. Adriel and Arin Watanuki. We have an appointment for 1:30 PM."
The receptionist smiled back and nodded, eyes already drifting down to the computer screen in front of her as she clacked away on the keyboard. "Allow me to check the system… yes, I do see both of you listed here for said appointment," she confirmed. "Please take the elevator to the third floor. They're expecting you in Room 304."
We thanked her for the help and moved towards the central elevator that she pointed out to us. Dad pushed the button for the third floor. The elevator rose up quickly. We didn't have to wait long before there was a loud ding, and then the doors opened again.
There was another reception counter set up in front of the elevator. The woman there greeted us and pointed to our destination, which was just a few doors down the hall. We went inside Room 304 without further delay.
It was a pretty standard setup. Yet another reception desk awaited us, but this time there were rows of chairs and even a few couches and tables spread out in the room in a waiting area. Further back in the room was a door that presumably led to smaller offices.
Dad and I walked up to the counter and stated our identities. After the receptionist confirmed our appointment, she asked us what exactly she could help us with. Dad glanced at me.
"We're here to update information on the Cherrygrove Gym," I calmly told her, and I pulled out a folder with our gym's documents from my bag. I extracted the papers inside and handed them to the receptionist. "First, we'd like to report a change in ownership. Second, we'd like to report a change in the Gym's type specialization. And lastly, we'd like to apply for the promotion test to become a major gym."
The receptionist nodded at my words, already beginning to look through the papers as she typed away on her keyboard.
"Let's see…" she murmured before raising her voice. "Please confirm the following information for me. Ownership of the Cherrygrove Gym has been transferred from Adriel Watanuki to Arin Watanuki, is this correct?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"Next question. You are changing the Gym's type from Grass to…" the receptionist trailed off in shock as she finally noticed what I'd written down on one of the forms. She quickly caught herself, clearing her throat as she continued professionally. "…to Fairy type, yes?"
"Yes."
The receptionist couldn't completely hide her shock as she nodded, typing down said information. She looked at the last document.
"Next, do you wish to apply for the promotion test to turn the Cherrygrove Gym from a minor to a major gym?"
"Yes."
More typing sounds followed. "On what day would you like to schedule the test? We have open spots for all days up to and including April the first."
I'd made my decision before arriving at the Plateau. "March 30th," I stated clearly, and the receptionist nodded. She stopped typing at one point to make copies of the gym papers before handing them back to me.
She waited until I had safely stowed the papers away before speaking again.
"I've updated the information you've requested regarding the Cherrygrove Gym. As for the promotion test, it will be held on March 30th at 10 AM here at the Indigo Plateau. Please report to the front desk upon arrival that day so that you can be escorted to the testing grounds. As a reminder, you must bring your Elite team and a selection of gym Pokemon for the first badge, second badge, and fifth badge challenges. You may not bring anyone with you to spectate the test. Not following any of these instructions will result in your immediate disqualification." The receptionist finished rattling off the steady stream of information, pausing to look at me. "Do you have any questions?"
I shook my head. "No. Thank you for the help."
She smiled politely at me, bowing her head slightly. "It was my pleasure. Thank you for visiting the Indigo Plateau, and good luck with the promotion test, Gym Leader Arin."
Dad and I left the office right away. It was only when we were in the elevator again that I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.
"I'm an official Gym Leader now," I said out loud in wonder. "Legendaries."
Dad smiled at me as the elevator dinged, signaling that we were back on the first floor. "Gym Leader Arin," he said softly. "It suits you."
I wore a huge smile as we stepped out of the elevator.
Now I just had to pass the promotion test.
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The Head of the Department of Gym Management, Orson Reilly, sat in his office filling out paperwork. He loved this time of year when the current Circuit drew to a close. That meant less work for him. With luck, he'd be able to go home early today—
He sighed when he heard a knock at the door. Or maybe not.
"Come in," Orson called out tiredly. He signed off on another paper before replacing it with a new one. One of his employees, Hans, walked in with a nervous expression. Orson wondered what was wrong this time. Did one of the new hires screw up or something?
"What is it?" he asked brusquely.
Hans visibly gulped. "Er… Lindy handed me this file she just updated… I think you should see it right away, sir."
"It can't wait until later?" Orson gruffed. Hans shook his head, and Orson set his pen down with a sigh. "Fine. Give it here. What is so important about this file?"
Hans cautiously set the paper down on the desk as Orson picked up his half-empty cup of coffee, drinking it. He should have finished it all sooner, it wasn't hot anymore—
"Um… the Cherrygrove Gym is Fairy type now, sir."
Orson spat out his entire drink.
"WHAT?" he yelled. Lukewarm coffee dribbled down his chin and onto his expensive shirt, completely ruining it, but he could have cared less. He snatched the report off the table and held it up to his face, reading the short block of text written there.
CHERRYGROVE GYM FILE
Latest information update: 03/16/2023
Change in ownership: Adriel Watanuki (father) Arin Watanuki (son)
Change in gym specialization: Grass (old) Fairy (new)
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Application for promotion test: Approved
Orson's face grew as pale as ash when he got to the last two lines. He couldn't take his eyes off the blasted Fairy word in particular.
"By the Ho-Oh," he whispered to himself. The higher-ups were not going to be happy about this. Orson forcefully tore his gaze away from the dreaded paper in his hands and stared at Hans.
"Call for a Committee meeting. Now."
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Not even five minutes later, every single member of the Committee had gathered in what was known as the Iridescent Hall, the largest and grandest meeting room in the Indigo Plateau. Each person sat around the long circular table in the center and stared at the copy of a certain report in his or her hands.
The room exploded into chaos as people began yelling left and right, arguing heatedly with each other.
"Preposterous—"
"A Fairy type Gym in Johto? Unacceptable—"
"They're daring to become a major gym!"
The Committee members continued talking over each other in loud voices, most voicing discontent about the Cherrygrove Gym's change in direction. These were the conservatives who valued tradition in Kanto-Johto. A few members — the younger and more open-minded ones — tried to argue in the Gym's favor, but they mostly went ignored.
Only a single person in the room remained silent as they looked at the paper in their hand. It was the person sitting at the head of the table and the current Champion of the Indigo League himself, Lance Wataru.
It had been half a year since he had defeated Pryce and ascended to the position of Champion. Not a lot of time, but it had been enough for him to grow into his role as the new leader of Kanto-Johto. He had already made several proposals to better improve relations between both regions and life within. Most of the public adored him.
Lance was confident. He always had been. He had never-ending ambitions and visions for the future.
But as he stared now at the report in his hand, he suddenly felt very conflicted.
First and foremost, Lance was the Champion of Kanto-Johto. He was someone who looked out for the interests of both Kanto and Johto.
Yet he was also a Blackthorn. A master of Dragon types, and someone who believed in their superiority.
When rumors about the Fairy type had first started circulating around the Kinjoh Area, the Elders of the Blackthorn Clan had dismissed it as mere rubbish. So had he. Their Clan had lived with and devoted themselves to Dragon types for hundreds of years. None of them had or could have believed in the idea of Pokemon who were completely immune to the sheer might of dragons.
That had been a year ago.
Over time, the rumors had slowly gained traction. Research was done, and investigations were made. Now, the Fairy type was no longer a speculation, but the truth. It had been verified by multiple regional Professors and each League had put out an official statement about the new type.
Lance could still remember how the Elders had flown into a rage over the Indigo League's own announcement. They had screamed at him to retract the news about the Fairy type — that blasphemous, incorrigible abomination — as they put it, but what could he do? It was the truth, and it could not be hidden.
The word Fairy had since become a taboo around the household.
The Blackthorn Clan had ruled their city for generation upon generation. The far-reaching power they enjoyed today had been built upon the strength of their mighty dragons and their contributions in wars throughout Johto's storied history. They were the oldest and most powerful clan.
But their hold on power was gradually slipping.
Occasionally, people had gossiped about the Fairy type and what it meant for the Blackthorn Clan and its dragons. They wondered if they were no longer powerful. Up until now, the Elders had managed to quash any and all such ill-made remarks and kept up a display of unified strength and indifference in the face of the new Fairy type.
Lance knew that with this change in the Cherrygrove Gym, they would not be able to do so as easily anymore.
The rumor mill was going to run and keep running. People would cast their gazes once again on the Blackthorns. Worse, people were going to look at him and his position. There had never been a prominent enough Fairy type user or institution in Kanto-Johto or even in all of the Kinjoh Area before for them to make any comparison, and now they finally had one.
The Champion Lance wanted to let things run their course. He was usually an advocate for change and progress, anything to make Kanto-Johto better.
But this? He wasn't sure this would make things better.
The Blackthorn Lance wanted to intervene. He wanted to preserve the long-held tradition of Johto's major gyms and keep the current system in place. He also couldn't deny the part of him that refused to acknowledge Fairies as a Dragon's greatest weakness. Dragons were absolute. He had believed that his entire life.
Now, he had to make a decision.
"Stop."
Lance did not shout, but the single word he spoke carried powerfully through the room. All the Committee members immediately stopped what they were doing and sat back down, turning to look at him. Lance forced himself to wear a calm, indifferent expression as he looked up from the paper and set it down.
"There's no point in arguing over the validity of the Cherrygrove Gym. They are well within their rights to change type specialization, and the Fairy type has been verified across the continent," Lance said coolly. He glanced sharply around the room when people started to protest. They shut their mouths. Nodding, he continued. "Let us make more productive use of our time and discuss the promotion test instead. They will need to pass it to become a major gym after all."
This made more than a few of the conservative members become more lively and confident as they realized that yes, everything would be a little less terrible if the gym's rank stayed as a minor one. It wouldn't hold as nearly as much influence.
Then they remembered who they usually appointed as the final testing officer, and they wilted at the newfound problem. Someone was brave enough to clear their throat.
"Champion Lance…" the man began hesitantly. "For this promotion test, I do believe it might be in our best interests to change the final portion of the test… If we leave it as it currently is, it wouldn't really allow us to test the capabilities of the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader given the, er, type disparity." He cringed a bit as he finished, watching Lance out of the corner of his eye for his reaction.
Lance inwardly bristled, but he kept his face schooled in a composed expression. "You make a valid point," he readily agreed. He paused to think. This was as good of an opportunity as any for him and the Blackthorns. Clair wasn't going to like it, but Lance had a chance to be both fair to the League's testing process and feed less into the rumors that were surely coming the Clan's way.
"How about this? Instead of assigning Clair Ibuki for the final portion of the test like we so often do, we can call in Pryce Yanagi. He is just as strong as the Blackthorn Gym Leader and a former Champion, and with his Ice types, there will be no type immunity problem. That way we can observe the Cherrygrove Gym Leader properly," Lance suggested. More than a few people gaped at his words. He didn't blame them.
Not many people would openly recommend the former Champion they'd beaten out of office for a job they needed done. It was no secret that Lance and Pryce detested each other either.
Lance hated having to do this, but it was better than letting the League see an open matchup between Fairies and Dragons. He didn't want them to get even the faintest idea of weakness about him or his Clan. Plus, if Pryce managed to do his job right, then the Cherrygrove Gym Leader would fail and none of this would be as big of a problem.
Lance might have felt a bit bad for the Cherrygrove Gym Leader for throwing him under the bus that was a former Champion, but he convinced himself that he had made the most logical decision regarding the promotion test. It was all for the sake of fairly testing capabilities without an inherent type advantage on either side.
Apparently, the Committee members thought the same thing as him because they all nodded with pleased expressions. The Head of the Committee stood up.
"All in favor?" he asked. He was met with a unified wave of responses.
"All in favor."
The Committee meeting ended there.
As people slowly shuffled out of the room, Lance grimaced to himself. He might have been able to change the course of the promotion test a bit, but that didn't change the fact that the Cherrygrove Gym was still a Fairy type.
He already knew the Elders were not going like this fact at all.
He also knew his cousin was going to be very displeased with his decision.
Case in point, when Lance returned to his office after the meeting, Clair barged in not even a minute later. She had most likely flown over on Dragonite right after being told the news, Lance mused to himself.
His cousin's face was one of sheer fury.
"Lance! How could you remove me as the final officer for the promotion test?" Clair seethed. She was breathing hard as she stormed up to his desk. "This duty has always been entrusted to the reigning Blackthorn Gym Leader. Do you think I'm not strong enough or something?!"
Lance rubbed his temples as he sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"The Committee and I did not come to this decision lightly, Clair. No part of it had anything to do with you being 'weak.' We simply needed someone who could fight on more equal terms with the Cherrygrove Gym Leader so that we can see their capabilities, and thus keep the testing process fair," Lance replied tiredly.
His cousin did not like that. "So you're calling in Pryce Yanagi?" Clair scoffed. The disdain in her voice was so palpable it could have been cut with a knife. "That old fool who thought and still thinks he can stand up to dragons with his mere Ice types? I cannot believe you thought him to be capable enough for this task. This is a serious issue, Lance. There cannot be a Fairy type Gym in Johto. It's blasphemy of the highest degree. It mustn't be allowed to exist—"
"Calm yourself, Clair. I don't exactly like it either, but it's not the end of the world. There are more pressing matters to think about like Team Rocket—"
"LANCE!" Clair interrupted, staring at him with outrage. "We're talking about the proud history of the Johto region here. For centuries, there have only ever been eight major gyms. Eight major families." She swept her arm forward with blazing eyes. "More importantly, this is an affront against the entire Blackthorn Clan and what we stand for! We are a proud clan of Dragon Tamers. Our dragons have always reigned supreme."
"Clair," Lance warned, but she just spoke right over him.
"We must put right the natural order."
"Clair—"
"I won't lose to some newly minted Fairies, I can show the superiority of Dragons if you'll just let me—"
"Do not speak another word, Clair Ibuki," Lance finally snapped. His tone left no room for argument, but Clair still glared at him. "This ranting of yours is highly unprofessional. Accept what has been done and go back to the Gym. The season is still ongoing."
When Clair didn't move, his eyes narrowed into thin slits. "This is my final warning as the Champion of the Indigo League. Go back to your post right now, Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, or I will have to consider removing you from your position due to insubordination."
Lance's cousin stared at him for a few moments longer. The hatred hadn't faded from her eyes. It had only grown stronger. With a click of her tongue, Clair eventually whipped around and walked away. She slammed the door behind her.
Now that his whirlwind of a cousin had finally left, Lance could simmer in his own thoughts. He sighed for what felt like the nth time that day as he slumped in his chair.
Clair honestly worried him. As stubborn as she was, that anger of hers was likely to hold for a long time. Lance only hoped she would stay out of trouble. He shared her views on Dragons and Fairies; he just wasn't nearly as intense or vocal about it because he tried to be a level headed person due to his job.
Then there were the Elders. They'd likely already heard the news as well and would be waiting for him tonight in the Dragon's Den. He wasn't looking forward to another screaming match between the oldest of them as they ranted about the blasphemous type that had wormed its way into the world.
And the public? He didn't even want to think yet about all the reporters he'd have to deal with later.
Lance sighed, again, as he closed his eyes.
Only half a year into his reign as Champion, and suddenly a slew of troubles was on the horizon.
He couldn't help but wonder if the Cherrygrove Gym Leader had any idea of the chaos he had just unleashed in all of Kanto-Johto.
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Over in Goldenrod City, Wilfred Kemp stared at his computer.
His eyes were focused on the picture he'd blown up on the screen. It showed a Dragonite flying off into the sky with a male trainer on its back. Pictures of the 'mysterious trainer with a Dragonite' had begun circulating on Chatter a few days ago.
It hadn't gotten much attention at first. People thought it was just Lance or Clair or another trainer from the Blackthorn Clan, but then they realized it wasn't as some more keen-eyed individuals sent in comments that all of them had been spotted at work or in Blackthorn City at the time. That was when the pictures went viral as people realized there was an unknown Dragonite user in Johto.
The Blackthorn Clan had a huge monopoly on Dragon types within Kanto-Johto as most of them dwelled within their family grounds and were only given to members of their own. There were a scant few Dratini who lived in the Safari Zone that people tried every year to get, but those were protected by strict laws. They were both hard to find and could not be captured forcefully. They had to be willing to go with a trainer, and that basically never happened.
Thus, that resulted in the craze that swept through Chatter and news companies alike as they desperately tried to find out who this mystery trainer was. It was clearly someone very skilled to have trained a Dragonite, one of the most powerful Pokemon known to man.
Blurry as the images online were, Wilfred could make out some features such as the person being male, around five foot eleven, and having pale hair. What color, he couldn't tell for sure in the half-darkness of the setting, but it was definitely a light shade.
He had been trying for days now to figure this out. He wanted his news company to be the first to release an article so they could sweep up all the public interest. Wilfred had already eliminated a lot of people from a list of suspects. It had to be a powerful trainer, but none of the Gym Leaders or Elite Four matched. Perhaps a Top Ranger? It was a bit of a long shot, but—
"SIR!"
Wilfred jumped as the door to his office slammed open. Mark came running in with a crazed expression.
"What in the blazes of Entei?!" Wilfred shouted, irked at the interruption. There went his concentration. He made a sound of indignation as Mark suddenly ran over and grabbed his arm, dragging him outside. "MARK! WHAT are you doing?"
"Forgive me, Mr. Kemp, but this is big news!" Mark told him in a rush of excitement, and that immediately got Wilfred's attention. His employee pulled him towards Margaret's cubicle. Basically the entire office had gathered around her and were looking at whatever was on the screen of her computer with shock.
"Move, move! Mr. Kemp and I are coming through!" Mark yelled as he roughly pushed through the crowd. The sea of people parted more easily for them once they realized their boss was with Mark. Soon enough, Wilfred and Mark were standing on either side of Margaret and her computer. The woman beamed when she saw her boss.
"Mr. Kemp! I was just refreshing the League homepage like I usually do when I saw they changed it. It's seriously crazy, I mean…" Margaret blabbered on, but Wilfred wasn't paying attention.
He only had eyes for what Margaret had discovered.
There on her computer was the Indigo League's homepage. A list of all gyms in Kanto-Johto, both minor and major, was listed for everyone to see. Margaret's cursor rested above the Cherrygrove Gym's name in the Johto section.
Wilfred normally would have cared less about that gym. It was rare in that it was the only minor one in Johto, but other than that, there was nothing special about it. He did admit, however, that Gym Leader Adriel was a very nice man. He'd interviewed him before in the past, and he was a far cry from some of the other, more standoffish Gym Leaders. He was the prime example of a Gym Leader who cared for his community and guided young trainers.
Except… Adriel wasn't the Gym Leader anymore. Wilfred stared at the Cherrygrove Gym's updated information.
CHERRYGROVE GYM
LOCATION: Cherrygrove City, Johto
GYM LEADER: Arin Watanuki
TYPE SPECIALIZATION: Fairy
RANK: Pending
Adriel was no longer the Gym Leader. Someone who sounded like a son or other relative had taken over. More importantly, the Gym had changed to a Fairy type of all things.
And the pending status? That meant they had qualified and applied for the promotion test. Most minor gyms had trouble even qualifying. What if they actually succeeded?
Wilfred could practically see their viewership and paper subscriptions skyrocketing already. He snapped his head up with glittering eyes.
"Has anyone else seen this yet? Any articles or news clips floating around?" he asked in rapid fire succession. The employees closest to him immediately shook their heads. Wilfred wanted to scream with joy.
"GO, GO, GO!" he suddenly roared, furiously clapping his hands once for each word. The trainer with the Dragonite was all but forgotten. His employees scrambled to their stations. "WE NEED TO BE THE FIRST TO PUBLICIZE THIS! Get Carson ready for a live report and publish an article the instant he's done. And get someone over to the Gym— no, forget it, I'LL go."
Wilfred hummed to himself as he dashed back to his office to get ready for his trip.
Johto's largest news company, Goldenrod Post, was about to come out with the most shocking news Kanto-Johto had heard in a very long time.