CHAPTER 19 — The Righteous Path

"Dad, you have two choices. Zuri or Teleport—"

"Zuri! Definitely Zuri," Dad quickly interrupted with a nervous expression.

It was the morning of my swearing in ceremony at the Indigo Plateau. Both dad and I had gone to sleep at about one or two in the morning after partaking in the city's festivities, but we'd managed to rest well enough.

We'd dressed up to the nines for the occasion. Dad was wearing a very nice set of dark green formal wear and had even brought out one of his favorite wristwatches. For me, I'd added a vest and suit jacket to my usual formal wear. I was also wearing some expensive cufflinks in the colors of a Sylveon's feelers. Valerie had pestered me into buying them in the past, and I had only worn them a few times before for galas and other parties in Kalos and Galar.

Now they were finally seeing some use again. And of course, I didn't forget to wear one of the ties Larry had given me either.

I'd just asked dad about what mode of transport he wanted to take. He hated Teleporting and didn't want to risk throwing up later, so we climbed onto Zuri's back.

"It'll be a quick ride, dad, just a couple minutes," I promised.

"A few minutes? What—" Dad tried to ask, but Zuri had already taken off.

Dad screamed as the world blurred past us. I snickered, patting myself on the back for startling dad yet again on a flight.

We arrived at the Indigo Plateau soon enough. There were more security checks than normal due to the special occasion, but it didn't take long for us to clear all of them. Dad was finally starting to look more composed as we were guided inside the building to the ceremony's venue.

Today's swearing-in ceremony was being held in the Hall of Strength, one of three different halls used for ceremonies in the League Headquarters' West Wing. Dozens of chairs had been set up in neat rows in front of a grand stage. Some of the rows were sectioned off for reporters, and others had name cards on them for important guests.

Up on the stage, there was a podium and six chairs placed on the far left. The symbol of the Indigo League, an intricate Pokeball crest, was emblazoned proudly on a huge flag that hung from the walls for all to see.

The instant dad and I entered the room, reporters noticed and began to snap pictures of us. They weren't allowed to leave the seating area since there were guards blocking it off, but camera flashes went off anyway as they took what they could get from a distance.

"I have to get backstage to prepare for the ceremony," I explained to dad in a quiet voice. He nodded in understanding.

"Got it. I'll see you after, Arin," he said with a small smile, and then he left with a guide to be shown to where his seat was. I made my way to the back of the room where two guards stood next to a door. They let me through, and I found myself in a large waiting room. Six individuals were already seated inside and waiting for me: Lance, the Indigo Elite Four, and the current President of the Indigo League, Koushin Aoma.

Compared to other regional Leagues, particularly those on the other side of the world, most of the power in Kanto-Johto rested with the Champion instead of a more equal balance with the League itself. The President of the League was more of a glorified manager who oversaw the League's overall structure and dealt with broader organizational tasks.

Our unbalanced political structure was part of the reason why some other countries, particularly Unova, were reluctant to deal with Kanto-Johto as they saw us as bordering on dictatorship. Luckily, we hadn't had any incidents with rampaging Champions so far in our history, and it would stay that way. Usually the Elite Four kept the Champion in check, or… other and more dangerous forces could intervene like they had during the War of Ashes. Beings who were like Gods and would destroy anything and everything in their paths.

Nobody wanted a repeat of that.

Our reigning Champion of the time and League were usually very careful not to abuse their powers and plunge all of Kanto-Johto into a crisis.

I tore myself out of my thoughts as Koushin Aoma got up from his seat and walked toward me with a polite smile. He was very old, probably over seventy if I had to guess, yet his grip was strong when we shook hands.

"It's very nice to finally meet you, Gym Leader Arin. Congratulations on your historic achievement yesterday," he said in a quiet but steady voice. He had been in power when I was a child as well. It was a bit unreal that I was meeting him like this.

"Thank you, Mr. President. It's an honor to meet you as well," I said sincerely. His eyes crinkled as he smiled again.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing what you accomplish as Gym Leader," he said, and then he gestured to the door. "I waited here so I could greet you, but I should get going now to make sure everything's going well outside. I'll come back when it's time for the ceremony to begin. Once again, it was nice meeting you."

I bowed my head in a show of respect as he waved goodbye and disappeared out the door. He'd been a lot nicer than I'd expected. I almost thought of him like a kindly old grandfather instead, though I quickly reined in that thought. He was still in a higher position of power than me even if he didn't actually hold too much power in the League.

Lance was the next to greet me as he called out across the room.

"Leader Arin, come have a seat with us. The ceremony won't begin for a bit," he said, and I quickly walked over to join him and the Elite Four. I ended up taking the empty chair between Lance and Lorelei.

As soon as I sat down, I felt stares on me from all sides. The Elite Four were looking at me with expressions ranging from everything from curiosity to indifference.

Lorelei greeted me first, perhaps because she was sitting directly next to me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Leader Arin," she said as she extended a slender hand. I shook it with a nod of my head.

"You as well, Elite Lorelei," I greeted in return. Even after we let go of each other's hands, I was still trying to come up with what to say when I suddenly felt a chill. The temperature had dropped almost instantly. I had an idea why even before I looked down.

There on the floor, a Gengar's face peeked up at me from an elongated shadow it was attached to. The Ghost's crimson eyes glowed brighter when it saw me looking back at it, and its lips stretched wide in a grotesque smile as darkness oozed around my feet. It let out a loud cackle before it disappeared.

I looked back up with a neutral expression. That had been one of Agatha's famed Gengar, obviously. Now what it had been doing, exactly, I could only hazard guesses. Perhaps it had been playing a prank of its own.

That, or it had been ordered to do something.

The Gengar's owner gave a cackle of her own as she leaned forward in her seat, staring at me with interest.

"Not many people would be able to look at a Gengar with hardly any reaction," Agatha mused out loud. "You have more of an iron will than I thought, boy."

I shrugged. "I mean no offense, Elite Agatha, but I have a lot of experience dealing with Ghosts. I'm used to the behavior they can exhibit by now," I said simply.

"Oh?" Agatha arched a brow. "Does that mean you have some Ghost and Fairy type Pokemon?"

"I do," I replied honestly. Agatha's grip on her cane tightened as her expression shifted. If she'd looked interested before, now it had doubled as she regarded me like some sort of exotic prey.

Before she could inquire further, Lorelei interrupted. "Since we are on the topic of Pokemon… might I ask if that Pokemon you used against my grandfather's Weavile was an Ice type? I assumed that was the case due to its capabilities in the snow, but I would be greatly interested in hearing the truth of the matter from you," the young woman asked politely. She was trying her best to hide it, but I could still hear the interest leaking through her neutral tone.

I nodded. "Yes, an Ice and Fairy type Pokemon."

The moment I confirmed it, Lorelei's composed expression cracked as her lips quirked into a smile. "How lovely," she murmured. "It was quite beautiful and powerful. You've done a wonderful job raising your Pokemon, Leader Arin."

I felt myself relaxing a bit as I leaned back in my seat. Getting to hear compliments about my Pokemon was always nice. "Thank you, Elite Lorelei. I'll be sure to pass your kind words on to her later."

Lorelei's smile actually widened a bit more at that. She was so different from Pryce that it was honestly kind of astounding to know they were related.

"I heard you said in a previous press conference that you had been outside the Kinjoh Area," Koga interjected at that moment. The famous head of the Kyou Clan of ninjas tapped a foot once against the floor. "Quite a remarkable feat for someone so young to make it that far."

"Oh yes, I wanted to inquire about that too, actually," Lance added, and he turned to me now. "Leader Arin, which places have you been to outside the Kinjoh Area? You mentioned Unova during the exam, but am I right in assuming you have been to others?"

"I have. Several other regions in fact."

Lance nodded thoughtfully in interest. "Was there a place called 'Alola' among them? The Indigo League has some very old records dating back several hundred years ago. A lot of it is undecipherable, but they did reference a faraway place called Alola several times."

My eyes widened ever so slightly. Huh, I wouldn't have expected our League to have that kind of information. It made me wonder what the connection was between Indigo and Alola and if anyone had ever made it there in the past. "That's right, a place called Alola exists. It's a region made up of five different islands."

"A region of islands? Intriguing," Lance muttered to himself before speaking in a louder voice. "Thank you for the confirmation, Leader Arin. It's always good to broaden the understanding the Indigo League has of the world as a whole. I would be interested in speaking more with you about your travels another time perhaps."

I nodded readily. I didn't mind talking about my travels as they were rather fond memories, and if it helped me get brownie points with the Champion, then all the better. "Sure."

I thought the conversation would end there, but Bruno actually spoke up. He'd simply been staring at me the whole time until now.

"Did you meet any Aura users on your journey?" he asked. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to hear him ask that. Bruno was well-known for his Aura capabilities and the fact that he loved seeking out challenges. It made sense he'd be interested in knowing if there were strong people abroad.

"Many actually, and quite a few of them were Gym Leaders," I said as I mentally ran through a list of people in my head. "There was a girl I met who uprooted an entire forest by herself before… the world's a big place."

"Hoh…" Bruno's eyes gleamed. Agatha, who sat next to him, clicked her tongue and whacked her cane against the ground.

"Don't be giving Bruno ideas now, boy," she said sharply. "Goodness knows he'll actually go and do that, and then we'll have to clean up the mess for him."

I had to refrain from one, chuckling, and two, frowning as she called me 'boy' yet again in a condescending manner. Agatha was famous for her very… particular personality, though, so I let it slide.

Lance took the lull in the conversation as a chance to finally give me a run-down of how the ceremony would proceed later. I committed everything to memory with a nod. I was admittedly a bit nervous for the ceremony, but I was more nervous about the speech I'd give afterwards. It would be my first official appearance as a Leader of a major gym, and I hoped I left a good impression on the public.

I spoke a bit more with the Elite Four after Lance finished his explanation, but it was mostly just trite pleasantries as we impatiently waited for the ceremony to begin. Finally, after another five minutes, my not too terrible conversation with Lance and the Elite Four drew to a close when the President came back inside and told us it was time.

The Elite Four left first to take their seats on stage, and President Aoma followed them to make introductory remarks at the podium. When he finished, Lance and I finally walked out.

Camera flashes went off the instant we left the backstage waiting room. We both wore smiles for the reporters as we took our positions on the stage. I stood to the right of Lance while he stood at the podium, adjusting the microphone to his liking. While he was doing that, I managed to spot where dad was sitting in the crowd. He smiled at me reassuringly.

Everyone began settling down when Lance tapped the microphone lightly. Satisfied, he turned his gaze to the crowd before him. The room of people went silent in an instant. Lance had an incredible ability to command attention and respect just from standing still.

"Citizens of Indigo, yesterday was a historic day as we welcomed the Cherrygrove Gym as the ninth major gym of Johto. Now today, we will officially welcome Gym Leader Arin Watanuki into the ranks of the Indigo League," Lance spoke powerfully. "He has shown that he possesses the strength to be a pillar and guiding force of our country. We will now begin the oath of office."

Done with his opening speech, Lance swept his cape back before reaching forward.

The hall had already been quiet when the ceremony first began, but a new hush — an almost reverent silence — fell over the attendees again as Lance brought something out from inside the podium. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the venue. All eyes were inexplicably drawn to the object in his hands, mine included.

Inside a small, ancient brazier, golden flames so brilliant they threatened to blind all who laid eyes upon them burst forth and danced in the air unbidden. Flashes of vibrant red and orange mixed with the golden hues in a mesmerizing symphony of color.

The flames were alive and spoke of power no mortal could comprehend. They were the Beginning and the End, and the Passion of everything that came in between. These were the flames of the Incarnation of Wrath and the Bringer of Early Spring itself.

The flames of the Legendary Moltres.

"Please place your hand on the Flames of Virtue," Lance instructed in a clear, loud voice as he held the brazier out to me.

I felt every single pair of eyes in the room barely manage to rip itself away from the hypnotizing flames and rest on me instead. I barely acknowledged them. I only had eyes for the flames.

The flames of Moltres — or the Flames of Virtue as they were commonly referred to — symbolized the spirit of the Indigo League. They represented the dreams and ambitions of aspiring individuals. In important ceremonies such as this one, they tested the quality of one's very soul.

The Flames of Virtue would judge you. If you passed, then you were considered worthy. If you were burned… supposedly you were a sinner beyond all redemption. No one had ever been burned by the Flames before in the history of Indigo, and I didn't plan on being the first either. They were more a formality than anything anyway.

My gaze was resolute as I raised my hand. Every person in the room leaned forward silently in their chairs with bated breath. Even Lance's eyes sharpened as they followed my movements. Without hesitation, I placed my hand directly onto the Flames of Virtue.

My skin remained unburned. Everyone in the audience relaxed, and even I unknowingly released the tension that had built up in my shoulders. Lance nodded ever so imperceptibly.

The Flames were surprisingly cool to the touch.

Inside, however, I felt warmth blooming in my chest from their radiance. The Flames were… comforting. As they brushed up against my fingers, I felt as if they were cleansing me of any hatred and despair. Like they were telling me everything would be alright. I would have even dared to say that they seemed like they were growing—

My eyes widened, and so did Lance's and everyone else's in the room as the Flames did grow.

They expanded before my very eyes not in a sudden explosive pillar of light, but in a gentle and silent ascent. The Flames enveloped my entire hand and rose up almost two feet, the top ends coalescing swiftly into a distinct shape.

I stared as a bird's head was formed near my eye level. Radiant specks of scarlet crackled in the air behind it as a fiery plumage, and the way the Flames shifted across its face gave it the impression of eyes. They looked into my own, and I almost forgot how to breathe. These were just Flames from Moltres, but I felt like I was looking at the Bird of Noble Fire itself.

The fiery visage leaned forward and regarded me for several long seconds. I stared back with a hammering heart and tried not to flinch, wondering if I was about to get burned to a crisp. After what seemed like an eternity, the bird's head dipped low in acknowledgement. The Flames spiraled back down to the brazier in a mere instant and went back to their normal height.

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It was like the entire thing hadn't happened at all, except it had. The whole room was still stunned silent by the events that had just unfolded.

I had to be the most shocked person of all. Whatever just happened to me had never occurred before in the history of the Indigo League. There had never been an instance when the Flames rose up like that. I didn't know what to think about it. Was the Bird of Noble Fire interested in me? Could it still see through the Flames it left behind generations prior?

All I knew for sure was that I hadn't been burned, and the head the Flames conjured had even acknowledged me. That meant I was worthy. Lance came to the same conclusion as I did, and we both recovered faster than the audience.

Without even clearing his throat or blinking abashedly, Lance opened his mouth to speak. His ability to carry on unfazed after such an event was admirable.

"The Flames of Virtue have deemed you worthy. Your soul is pure and your heart true," Lance recited carefully. His eyes bore into mine as he continued. "Do you, Arin Watanuki, solemnly swear that you will be faithful to your appointment as a Gym Leader of Kanto-Johto and serve Indigo for the greater good?"

There was not, and had never been, any room for hesitation. Everything I'd done so far had been building towards this moment, but I was looking to the future already now. I'd never been more sure of myself as I spoke just two words.

"I do."

"Then, with my position as Champion and the power vested in me by Indigo, I proclaim you are now part of the Indigo League's upper ranks."

Lance nodded ever so slightly at me. "Congratulations, Leader Arin."

It was only when Lance finished speaking that the room finally unfroze, and I slowly lowered my hand from the Flames of Virtue. The audience rose up from their seats and began clapping and cheering, filling me with pleasant feelings. Dad was cheering in an especially loud voice for me. In the reporter section, they were going crazy with how rapidly they were clicking their cameras and taking pictures. I felt as if I was going to go blind from how many camera flashes there were, practically a sea of light in itself.

Movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I looked over to see Lance smiling at me and gesturing to the podium. It was time for my short speech.

Everyone sat back down as Lance put the brazier away and walked off, taking his seat on stage alongside the Elites and the President. In the meantime, I took his place at the podium and set an outline of my speech in front of me. I'd spent hours yesterday trying to come up with what to say.

Full silence finally filled the hall again as I looked out towards the sea of faces before me. My previous nerves had disappeared. This was the culmination of all my efforts, and I was proud to stand before everyone.

I belonged here. I'd proved it.

The notes I'd brought with me were all but forgotten as I began my speech.

"I stand here now as the Gym Leader of the ninth major gym in Johto, and I am beyond honored to be able to serve Indigo. To my friends, family, Pokemon, and especially the people of Cherrygrove City, I only have deep appreciation for all the support you have shown me along the way," I began. My eyes swept across the audience as I continued, heart beating calmly in my chest.

"To be a Gym Leader is to be an unshakeable pillar. It is not only a position of strength, but one of wisdom and also courage. I swear that I will uphold my oath and work tirelessly to support the country as one of its guiding forces. My strength will be for our nation's protection, my wisdom for guiding aspiring trainers through their journeys, and my courage for walking a constant, righteous path."

I paused, allowing a small smile to overtake my serious features.

"I shall endeavor to help our nation's prosperity continue. Thank you, citizens of Indigo."

The crowd went wild after I finished. Reporters frantically took pictures and typed a verbatim account of my speech on their laptops. Around them, people clapped and cheered even more loudly than they had when Lance finished talking. I had to hold back a smile of amusement when I saw dad clapping so furiously it looked like his watch was gonna fly right off his wrist.

My speech was over, and with it, the swearing-in ceremony. The afterparty was next on the agenda.

I followed Lance and the others into a luxurious ballroom adjoined to the venue. There were countless banquet tables and chairs spread throughout the room for people to sit at. More importantly, there were tables set up along the sides of the room with foods and drinks already. I saw everything from colorful plates of hand-held appetizers to expensive main dishes like spiny lobster and grilled sea bream with steam still rising from them.

Before any lingering reporters could intercept me, Dad walked up to me first.

"Arin, it was a wonderful speech. You also looked great up there. I'm really proud of you, son," Dad said in a voice thick with emotion, patting me on the shoulder twice. I was happy that dad was happy, but something still nagged at me. I eyed our surroundings before leaning in.

"Thanks, dad," I murmured. "The Flames moving though… I didn't expect that to happen during the ceremony."

"Ah, yes…" Dad blinked the moistness away from his eyes as he lowered his own voice. "It's quite unheard of, Arin. Not even Samuel Oak experienced something like that when he touched the Flames before."

I tapped one foot against the ground anxiously. Yeah… it was unusual alright. Probably not bad, or at least I hoped so, but definitely unusual. "Legendaries… This is probably going to become a hot topic for a long time."

I wanted to discuss further with dad, but Lance chose that moment to step toward me.

"Could I speak with you briefly?" he asked. Dad offered a polite greeting to the Champion before ambling away to give us privacy. I barely noted that he was heading for the buffet tables, most notably the section that held fried squid and roasted duck, before I turned my attention back to Lance.

He wore a serious expression as he folded his hands behind him.

"Please allow me to cut to the chase. Did you hear anything when the… Flames rose?" Lance asked with furrowed brows. Ah, so he'd wanted to talk about the incident too.

I shook my head. "No," I said almost regretfully. Perhaps hearing a voice would have been better if only so it could have given answers. "I didn't hear anything. It just looked at me and bowed its head."

"I see…" Lance trailed off with an almost disappointed expression before he schooled his face back into one of composure. "Thank you for answering honestly, Leader Arin. As this is not something that has happened before in Indigo's history, I was curious to know if you had received a vision or message, anything of that sort. Anyway, congratulations again. Enjoy the afterparty, and do meet with some of the other League officials if only to make connections."

"I will, thank you." The instant I finished, Lance offered one last polite smile before wandering off to another corner of the room.

The hyenas — hungry, excited reporters — finally came flooding in now that I was alone.

They maintained a certain distance but still shoved cameras and mics toward me with glittering eyes. Since they spoke eagerly all over each other, it was difficult to make out what they were saying. I had a feeling what the number one question on their minds was, though, so I just decided to speak freely.

"I do not know why the Flames rose as such, so I cannot answer any questions regarding that. All I know for sure is that I was not burned and thus deemed worthy," I said immediately. "The Flames have spoken, and I will respond in kind to serve Indigo to the best of my ability. Thank you."

I made it clear I was done answering questions and quickly walked further into the room, leaving the reporters far behind me. I wasn't feeling very hungry, so like Lance had suggested, I wanted to try talking to people in the room. They were all either Indigo officials or important people worth getting to know and making connections with.

Five minutes into my socializing, I came to a realization. Everyone I talked to had either one of two reactions. There was no in-between.

They either loved me or hated me.

The latter was much more common. At least eighty percent of the people I talked to rudely dismissed me in a careful, roundabout sort of way or looked at me with barely hidden wariness and dislike. Dad's previous warnings echoed in my head. I might have been winning some support from the people so far, but the League was a whole other matter. Most of these people were conservatives who greatly valued tradition in Kanto-Johto and the current political structure.

They didn't like that I was stirring up the Beedrill's nest with my Fairy Gym so to speak.

Only a small minority of people I talked to actually reacted positively to me. These were mostly younger representatives, and they were a lot more open-minded and forward-thinking compared to their older counterparts. They expressed great interest in my ambitions for the future and asked plenty of questions about the Fairy type. I was more than happy to oblige, glad that there were at least some people in the League's ranks that didn't outright oppose me. A few of them even excitedly remarked about the Flames part of the ceremony, saying Moltres must have sensed something special in me.

That… could not be verified, so I just smiled politely at them and shrugged.

I took a break at one point to lean against the wall and rest. I'd talked to so many different people yet only made a few worthwhile connections, and a quiet sigh slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Politics was tiring. At least dad was enjoying the food from the buffet. I'd seen him eating at a table earlier and talking to some acquaintances.

"Ah, here you are. It was a lot of trouble finding you amidst the crowd," a male voice suddenly remarked in good humor. I looked up to find two figures stopping in front of me, and I rose to a proper standing position immediately.

I was staring at the Gym Leaders of Ecruteak and Olivine, Morty Matsuba and Jasmine Mikan.

Morty was twenty-six years old and had led the Ecruteak Gym for about nine years now. He was widely known as 'The Mystic Seer of the Future' due to the powers of clairvoyance he held.

More importantly, he was also an Ability Holder who could communicate with Ghost types. I recalled reading an article before about that. A big fuss broke out in Johto when Morty revealed his Ability to the nation a few years into his tenure as Gym Leader. At that point in time, the stigma surrounding Ability Holders was still rather strong, so people opposed him at first.

But Morty had also built up a dedicated base of supporters in his local community by the time of his reveal, and they defended him with everything they had. The fuss eventually died down. Morty was even seen as one of the country's greatest assets today. Any Ability Holders, psychics, or Aura users were useful for national security and hurriedly employed by the League.

Standing next to him was Jasmine, known as 'The Steel-Clad Defense Girl.' If I recalled correctly, she was one year older than me and had taken up her position about four years ago. She was a soft-spoken individual known for her kind personality and wildly popular in her own City. Locals also liked to call her 'The Iron Thorn' because of how she became more aggressive during Pokemon battles.

I smiled at both of them, pleasantly surprised to finally be meeting more of my fellow Gym Leaders.

"Greetings to you both. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said as I extended a hand first to Jasmine, and then to Morty. Both of them echoed similar greetings as we shook hands.

"It's nice to finally meet the person we'll be working with from now on," Morty said cheerfully. "Would it be alright if we went by first names with each other? I'm usually all for formalities, but between us Gym Leaders, I like to keep things casual and friendly."

I already liked Morty a lot. He seemed like a chill guy and was a vast improvement over the grump that had been Pryce. "By all means, yes. I'd like to treat each other as friends anyway," I said eagerly. Both Morty and Jasmine looked pleased by this, especially the latter.

"Wonderful! Lovely speech by the way, Arin. I was quite inspired."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, and I dared to grin a bit. "To be honest, I was looking forward to meeting my fellow Gym Leaders as well, you especially."

Morty cocked a brow in interest. "Oh? Do pray tell."

"I thought it would be nice to become friends with a fellow Ability Holder."

Morty and Jasmine actually froze a bit as they stared at me with wide eyes.

"You're… an Ability Holder?" Jasmine finally asked in a quiet, surprised voice.

I nodded. "I am."

"Oh wow…" Jasmine's expression turned into one of envy as she fiddled with her hands. "You and Morty are so lucky! I wish I was one, too. There are so many useful Abilities out there."

I think I was about ready to burst from the seams with joy at this point from Jasmine's short statements alone. If only people had reacted this way ten years ago in Kanto-Johto.

"Really?!" Morty's calm expression actually slipped a bit as he grinned excitedly. "How marvelous! There aren't many of us in Kanto-Johto, only two others in fact who work for the League or the Rangers. May I ask what your Ability is?"

I shared in his excitement as I leaned forward. "Communicating and bonding more easily with Fairy type Pokemon," I rattled off, and Morty positively beamed at that.

"Ah, so our Abilities are quite similar then. You can communicate with Fairies, and I with Ghosts. How simply splendid, I can't help but think what a fortuitous meeting this is. Perhaps we could talk more about our Abilities another time and bond over similar experiences?" Morty asked hopefully, and I nodded vigorously.

"Definitely. I'll be looking forward to that," I agreed. I didn't want Jasmine to feel left out, so I turned to her now and smiled. "Maybe we could all get together to hang out sometime and learn more about each other?"

Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Yes please," she said in a soft but eager voice. "I'd love that."

I continued chatting with Morty and Jasmine for a good while. Both of them were actually quite nice, and I grasped a basic understanding of their personalities halfway into our conversation. Morty was a calm and level-headed individual with a natural, old-fashioned way of speaking, and he revealed that he had a great interest in myths and legends. He made that very clear to me when he managed to talk for fifteen minutes straight about Ho-Oh and Moltres with an excited expression, even remarking about me and the Flames in the process.

"Morty often gets like this when talking about Legendary Pokemon… you'll have to excuse him," Jasmine whispered to me as he rambled on. I chuckled quietly and filed that tidbit of info away in my mental archives.

Jasmine herself was a bit quiet but very friendly. I got the impression that perhaps she did not have a lot of friends outside of the Gym Leaders, and even then she told me she wasn't very close with any of them aside from Morty. She was great at listening to others and offering thoughtful comments, but she wasn't afraid to add to the conversation either, especially when given the chance. I found her easy to talk to if I was being honest. She had a comforting aura with her smiles and overall kind demeanor.

At one point, the three of us exchanged phone numbers to keep in contact. Morty even went one step further and added me to a group chat with all the Johto Gym Leaders.

"Ah yes, Arin, I almost forgot to mention this… We decided a short while ago to have one of our bi-annual meetings a little earlier this year, mostly because of the massive shift in the gym structure," Morty said with a snap of his fingers. I listened with interest as he continued.

"It'll be in two weeks. It's my turn to host the meeting, so it'll be at my Gym in Ecruteak. I'll send you an invite reminder via text so you can mark it down on your calendar. We'll just be talking about how this League Circuit went and what to expect for next year as well as some other things. It'll be a good chance for you to meet the others. Most of them couldn't come to the ceremony because of prior obligations at their Gyms due to the ongoing Circuit, so please don't take offense to their absences today."

"Got it. Thanks for letting me know, Morty."

He smiled at me. "It's no problem at all," he said with a smile, but then he shared an awkward look with Jasmine that made me clench a fist.

"There's something we should probably warn you about in advance," Jasmine said after a moment's hesitation. I stared at her with no small amount of anxiety.

"Er, is something wrong?" I asked. Jasmine hesitated again as her brows furrowed.

"Not… exactly," she said. She peered up at Morty, and he took that as his cue to take over.

"I'll be blunt, Arin. Some of the other Gym Leaders have some… reservations about you and your Gym," Morty explained.

Ah… of course they wouldn't all be happy with the changes. I'd already met one example.

"I'm not surprised. I know Pryce is among them," I said with a sigh. Morty visibly winced.

"I'm assuming he probably said something to you after the exam, then," he muttered. "Unfortunately, yes, Pryce is one of them. There are two others, but I don't know if I should be outing them by name. You'll see at the meeting I suppose."

I gave a terse nod. I was both looking forward to and dreading the upcoming Gym Leader meeting already. Thoughts swirled around in my head about the 'two others' Morty had mentioned. One of them I assumed to be Clair even though I hadn't met her yet, and the other's identity I couldn't even begin to guess.

We talked about happier topics for a bit before Morty and Jasmine had to go back to their Gyms. Despite the warnings they'd given me about the other Gym Leaders, I felt pretty happy overall. I at least had two Gym Leaders that were friendly towards me so far, and now I finally had some friends of my own in Johto.

I hummed to myself as I craned my neck, searching for dad's whereabouts. I figured I'd go ask if he was ready to head back home. No more socializing for me.

I had just spotted him and taken a step forward when someone moved in front of me again. This time, it was a very recognizable young woman with long turquoise hair tied up into a high ponytail.

I went still.

Clair Ibuki.

I had finally come face-to-face with the Blackthorn City Gym Leader.

She carried herself with even more confidence than she had shown in videos or articles. She was also taller than the average for women in Kanto-Johto, coming up to about five foot seven. Clair regarded me with a neutral expression, so I did the same. Her eyes stared into my own and narrowed. They searched for something I did not know.

For several long seconds, we did not say anything to each other.

I'd never met her before, but I was already wary of Clair.

"Greetings, Leader Arin. I apologize for not coming to greet you sooner. It was a wonderful ceremony," Clair finally said in a clear, dignified voice. Her lips stretched into a smile.

Well, that was normal enough.

I smiled back politely but did not hold out a hand. "Greetings to you as well, Leader Clair, and thank you."

I left it at that. Suspicions about Clair and overall bad feelings about the Blackthorns stopped me from making conversation. I was still studying Clair and trying to figure out what I thought about her when she helpfully remedied that problem for me.

I felt a sense of deja vu similar to my meeting with Pryce as Clair's eyes darted left and right. When she finished, she stepped closer and leaned in.

"Alright, enough of the pretenses. I despise you, Arin Watanuki," Clair hissed.

I was not surprised. I'd had suspicions that had been somewhat tempered by dad's thoughts and my own second guessing, but they'd never fully gone away.

"Might I ask why?" I said calmly in response.

Clair bristled at my reaction but held herself together. "You dare change the ways of Johto that we've long lived by," she ground out. "There have only ever been eight gyms and eight families. You dare sully the long history of our region by introducing a Gym of some new and random type that appeared and believing you could be equal to the Sacred Eight. I will tell you now: there is no place for you or your Fairies in Johto."

My eyes narrowed.

Arceus. Clair Ibuki… she was just like Pryce and the rest of her Clan. Narrow-minded and unable to accept change.

It was infuriating. Maddeningly so.

"Who are you to tell me that I have no place here?" I retorted in a low voice. "I passed the test fair and square. I've already been officially inducted into the ranks of the major gyms, and the Flames of Virtue even deemed me worthy. It's all set in stone, Leader Clair."

Everything I said was factual, and Clair knew it. She actually gritted her teeth now as she glared at me.

"That may be so," she began, "but I'll never accept you as an equal. You think you've proven yourself by beating Pryce Yanagi? He's old and past his prime. You merely defeated a former shell of a man. The original proctor of that test was supposed to be me."

Clair practically snarled out that last word before she continued. "Johto is a place for the strong and not the weak. Your Fairies are an affront to everything the Blackthorn Clan stands for. They are blasphemous beings that should not exist under the old teachings, and I assure you, had I been the one you faced for the test, you would have failed. Dragons have always reigned superior in Johto."

I stared at her in utter disbelief. I think I was finally starting to realize the sheer magnitude of the issue I was facing.

This was something that went beyond Clair. Clair was the obstacle right in front of me, yes, but if I thought about it more deeply, the real problem traced all the way back to the Blackthorn Clan themselves and other traditionalists. They were an obstacle to the nation's future itself. With their backwards thinking and misguided beliefs, they were spreading terrible teachings to the generations that came after them.

Clair wasn't going to be swayed by words. This was a person who had shown she was obsessed with strength and tradition. Perhaps she truly believed in what she said, or she had just been badly influenced by her Clan. It didn't matter either way.

Then and there, I knew I had to put Clair in her place. Was it going to permanently and negatively impact my relationship with the Blackthorns going ahead? Oh, most definitely, but this had to be done not just for me, but for the good of all of Kanto-Johto. I needed to make a statement to the Clan who stood behind Clair.

The country could not live stuck in the past. The country did not need to be poisoned by the beliefs of those stagnating at the top.

This was a new age, and the Blackthorns needed to know the world was changing with or without them.

"How foolish," I said coldly. "To think the noble Blackthorn Clan couldn't see the reality right in front of their eyes."

Clair moved to retort, but I cut her off. "You think you could have prevented me from passing the test?" I scoffed. "That's quite funny. I would have beaten you with a wider gap than Pryce. Just one or two Pokemon, three if I'm being extremely generous."

"You dare…!" Clair trailed off, needing to take a sharp breath. "You dare think you could stand up to Dragons?"

"Yes," I said instantly. "You and your Dragons don't scare me."

All of these provocations were intentional. She would dig her own grave, and I would revel in it while having justification.

Clair's eyes flashed with anger. "You are as low as your Fairies," she hissed. "Very well. This aligns with my original purpose for coming here today."

I had a very good feeling what she meant by that and what she was going to do as she leaned back. In fact, I had been hoping for it.

The young woman drew herself to her full height and looked at me with an imperious gaze.

"Leader Arin of the Cherrygrove Gym," Clair began in an especially loud and confident voice.

Multiple heads turned our way as the people closest to us stopped talking and realized two Gym Leaders were having an interaction. That in turn caused everyone else around them to swivel their heads and try to see what was going on. Clair continued on without pause.

"I, Leader Clair of the Blackthorn Gym, challenge you to a Pokemon battle."

Silence descended on the ballroom.

As for me… My oath resonated in my heart.

My courage is for walking a constant, righteous path.

The ghost of a vicious smile played on my lips, one as vindictive as that of a centuries old Fairy.

"I accept."

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.