CHAPTER 28 — Dear Indigo
We mourned and honored, and when the new day dawned…
We smiled with hopes for the future and slipped back into our ordinary lives.
Dad was a little quieter than usual, but he continued about his day like normal. Today he was outside pruning trees and the gardens around the house. Oak and Daisy had returned as well and thrown themselves back into research. Apparently, the Professors were almost done with their research paper. They needed to spend time finalizing and combing through it for typos or other errors, but they told me it would probably be ready for publication in a week or so. I was pretty excited for that as we planned to do a joint press conference for it.
As for me… I'd tucked Giovanni's business card safely away in a drawer. For the time being, I concentrated on the present.
Exam proctoring.
Just like I'd promised my gym trainers, there was a written test waiting for them the instant they showed up at my house for work. Included in the exam were fill in the blanks, multiple choice questions, and even a few short essay questions. It covered everything from identifying species of Fairy Pokemon to their type matchups to how to handle and care for so-and-so Pokemon.
They'd been at it for almost an hour now. Souta and Hazel had actually finished and handed in their tests at the same time almost twenty minutes ago. That was something both Hazel and I had given Souta impressed looks for. Hazel was a former student of the prestigious Celadon University after all, yet Souta had been able to keep up with him.
I'd already graded their tests while waiting. Two perfect scores stared back at me.
The other trainers were still chugging along. Nope, I had to amend my statement when I saw Murata and Haru flipping through their test packets and scanning them thoroughly. It looked like they were done and using the remainder of the time I'd allotted to double check their answers. Yurie… seemed to be on the last page and struggling a bit with the tougher questions I'd placed near the end, but I knew she had it in her to finish on time.
"Five minutes left," I called out as a warning. My lips quirked into a smile when I saw everyone move faster. Yurie in particular started writing answers down at the speed of light.
Heh, I felt like I was back at a classroom teaching kids in Paldea. I was just missing miserable groans from students.
The clock in the living room ticked by, but my eyes were peeled to the screen of the phone in my hands. Eventually, a loud ringing sound filled the air as my alarm went off.
"Annnnd stop," I said with a grin. "Turn in your tests. You're welcome to grab stuff from our fridge to eat while I grade them."
Yurie's expression was torn between pain and relief when she handed her test to me. As soon as the paper left her hands, she quickly scurried off to the kitchen to take me up on my offer. Murata and Haru followed her. Souta and Hazel were still in the kitchen finishing up their own lunches.
Grading the rest of the tests did not take long. My time at Naranja-Uva Academy had turned me into a test-hardened veteran who could mark hundreds of papers in a day or two if necessary. Much to my immense pleasure, the other three gym trainers passed with near flying colors.
I had a huge smile on my face when everybody returned from the kitchen.
"You all did great," I praised as I handed back graded papers. It was a leftover habit from my former teaching days, but I'd added little stickers and individual handwritten notes to each one. Murata actually barked out a laugh when he saw the goofy Wigglytuff sticker I'd slapped onto the front page of his test. The younger gym trainers didn't even bother hiding how happy they were when they went through the compliments I'd written for them.
It was shown all over their faces.
"Everybody passed. So…" I clapped my hands together loudly. Tests were immediately set down as multiple pairs of eyes focused on me. "You can help train the gym Pokemon from now on. Can everybody take out their phones for a second and navigate to their Zoogle Drive?"
While everybody did what I asked, I pulled my own phone out and tapped on the screen a couple times. "I've just shared with you a spreadsheet containing information about the gym Pokemon and what moves they currently know. You can also find personal notes I've written down regarding their growth, fighting styles, and current training plans. It may look overwhelming, but I'm not expecting you to memorize all these pages. Just use them as a guide from now on as you learn to work together with the gym Pokemon in mock battles. Everyone understand?"
As soon as I got a sea of nods in return, I picked up a remote from the table and turned the TV on. A presentation appeared on the screen with the words Gym Life 101 in bold. This got a few laughs out of my employees as they pulled out their notebooks and pens for what was obviously another lecture at hand.
I smiled, glad that I didn't have to tell them to get ready.
"As you might have already guessed from the title slide, today's lecture is going to be about the Cherrygrove Gym. I'm going to explain how it will operate during the League Circuit season as well as other things you'll need to know as a gym trainer going forward," I said as a preamble.
Everyone paid close attention as I clicked to the next slide. I kept talking as bullet points with information popped up one after another.
"I will be offering several challenge formats at my Gym, but I'll only be talking about two today," I began, and I paused meaningfully. "The standard challenge and the gauntlet."
The room was filled with quiet scribbling as I started holding up fingers with my free hand.
"The standard challenge is fairly simple. A challenger only has to fight me, the Gym Leader. The gauntlet is different. The challenger has to face and win consecutive matches against gym trainers before they can face me. In either format, the challenger needs to defeat me at the end to receive the badge," I explained.
Excitement coursed through my veins from the last word I spoke. Earlier this morning, I'd placed an order with the League for TMs and gym badges.
I couldn't wait to see them when they were finally finished and shipped out.
Giddy with thoughts of the future, I continued on. "The standard challenge is the norm across the whole Kinjoh Area nowadays. That being said, while the gauntlet has fallen out of popularity, there are still quite a few trainers in Kanto-Johto who choose this format for their gym challenges. The gauntlet has a lot more history in our country compared to others. So, what does this mean for you guys?" I smiled, pointing at my audience. "You won't be bored during the next Circuit, that's for sure. There'll be plenty of chances for each of you to battle."
Everyone's faces lit up. Souta and Haru looked especially motivated, and I chuckled a bit.
"It's exciting, I know, but there's going to be a lot you need to learn to get to that point. Depending on what badge a trainer is aiming for, you'll need to field Pokemon of the appropriate strength. You can't go too easy or too hard on them either. We're here to test people, so we need to make sure we give them an appropriate challenge. You'll be allowed to use your own Pokemon for any gym matches so long as they are a Fairy and abide by the battle's difficulty level. It'll be great experience for them."
Murata, Souta, and Haru were all pleased by this since they qualified. Yurie and Hazel were both out of luck since they didn't own any Fairy types, but I saw them don thoughtful expressions.
Perhaps that would change in the near future.
I clicked my remote again and moved to the next slide. Two pictures showed up on screen with different groups of Pokemon.
"I haven't introduced them to you guys yet, but you've probably noticed these Pokemon hanging out in the backyard by now. Chansey and Comfey are our gym's medical team. My own Elite, Audi, will sometimes help if she has time," I said as I circled the first picture with a laser pointer. I then gestured to the second image. "These are Pokemon loaned to us by the League. If you've ever participated in or watched a gym battle before, you've seen how there's always a barrier up around the field, right? That's to contain attacks from harming spectators or the surrounding areas. We have Kadabra and one Hypno on standby for that. We also have Geodude, Graveler, and Dugtrio to aid with resetting the field in between matches."
I paused in my explanation to point out three small Pokemon in the corner of the photo. They had pink spikes protruding from their backs and had been traded from Mina in return for some Snubbull on my end. "These are called Pyukumuku. They're not from the League but Pokemon under my own possession. We'll be using them to purify the field of any poison, which I am expecting quite a bit of since Poison type species are common in Kanto-Johto. In fact…"
The next slide appeared, this time showing images of native Poison type Pokemon. There were so many that they filled the whole screen from top to bottom. Everybody's eyes widened.
I nodded sagely. "Yes, quite common in our country. We've got everything from Zubat to Nidoran to Bellsprout and more. Expect these Pokemon to show up frequently in gym matches. Many trainers will probably own or may try to add at least one of these Pokemon to their teams for the type advantage against Fairies."
Type advantages and disadvantages became less important in higher-level matches where skilled trainers knew how to fight around them. For low-level challenges, though, they held more significance and were something we tested younger trainers on.
Coughing quietly, I waved my remote a bit. "But going back to our medical and cleanup crews of Pokemon: they'll be around to assist with the gym, so get to know them. One of your other duties as gym trainers will be refereeing challenges. Has anyone here ever done so before?"
Only one hand was raised, and it belonged to Yurie.
I nodded to myself. Such a result had been expected. "I'll be teaching you how to do so, then," I assured the crowd.
The lecture went on a little longer as I talked about various aspects of gym trainer life. At one point, Hazel actually inquired about a dress code. As far as uniforms went, I wasn't enforcing a strict dress code for the League Circuit season. Gym trainers would be required to wear either a shirt or jacket with the symbols of the gym badge and Indigo League printed on them, which would be handed out later. They could wear whatever else they wanted as long as they had those logos clearly displayed.
Right as people were starting to lose focus forty minutes in, I transitioned to something more exciting. Everybody stared with renewed and rapt attention as a slide full of move names appeared on the screen.
"Before I end today's lecture, I'm going to go over some Fairy type moves that you should know going forward," I explained. "The Fairy type has been officially verified and known for about a year now in the Kinjoh Area, but Fairy type energy itself is still being heavily researched. Before, people mistook it for Psychic or Normal type energy. There are only a few moves that people know as being Fairy type… like Disarming Voice and Sweet Kiss for example."
All of this was true. When I'd looked on Zoogle to see what trainers in the Kinjoh Area currently knew about the Fairy type, the results had appalled me. People knew information regarding Fairies like type matchups and the most basic moves like Charm or Disarming Voice, but beyond that?
It was all unknown territory for them. They didn't know any higher-level abilities or moves because there had never been any trainers or their Pokemon who actively explored such techniques before or understood the type energy they were working with.
Not until me at least. I was now the one and only leading Fairy Specialist of the Kinjoh Area, and by Arceus, I needed to spread word about Fairies. The soon-to-be published research study would help immensely with that and broaden the technical knowledge trainers had.
Notes were frantically jotted down as I began speaking once more. "Disarming Voice and Fairy Wind are the two most basic Fairy attacks out there, and most of the gym Pokemon know at least one if not both of these moves," I said. "Another move a lot of them know but that you probably have never seen before is Baby-Doll Eyes. This move has a similar effect to Charm, but it can be activated a lot faster…"
I focused on the most basic Fairy type moves and what they looked like, but I did explain moves up the ladder like Draining Kiss or Dazzling Gleam. I also spent quite a bit of time talking about Misty Terrain, as this was one of the best support moves a Fairy could learn, and briefly touched on Moonblast, what was essentially the most iconic Fairy type move and the hardest to master.
None of my gym trainers would be worrying about such a powerful attack for a while, though.
"That's the end of today's lecture. You can head home for now and come back in the evening to partake in your first training session with the gym Pokemon," I said. "I also finally have some free time right now, so if anyone wants advice from me regarding their Pokemon, I can—"
I broke off as everybody's hands immediately shot up high into the air. Eager faces stared back at me. One of the best benefits of being a gym trainer was the opportunity to receive private instruction, and everyone was intent on taking advantage of today's chance.
I smiled, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "Then let's head out back."
We stood together in a loose circle in the backyard. There was only one of me and five new gym trainers wanting to be taught, so I went one-by-one. My gaze fell upon Yurie first.
"Like I've mentioned multiple times before, I'd love any help you can give regarding my starter Pokemon," Yurie said excitedly, and she gestured to the Altaria she had already released. Nimbus chirped a greeting to me and bowed his head respectfully. "His singing needs… improvement."
With one whistle from me, Arya came flying over and landed next to my figure.
"This is Arya," I introduced, but Yurie and Nimbus were only half-listening. They stared at the bird with admiring looks. After I explained the dilemma at hand to Arya, she tilted her head curiously and studied the other Altaria.
I took this moment to prompt Yurie and her Pokemon.
"Let's hear his singing first before anything else," I suggested.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Hazel visibly wince and adopt a fearful expression. If I recalled correctly, he'd mentioned at the staff party that he'd heard Nimbus sing in the past.
He… wasn't that bad, was he?
A few seconds later, when Nimbus opened his beak and began to sing, I had an answer to that dreaded inquiry.
Awful, terrible sounds filled the air that made me want to clamp my hands over my ears immediately. This was not singing but shrieking. Whatever Nimbus was trying to produce sounded vaguely like some sort of ballad, but in all honesty, it was hard to tell. It resembled the wailing of a Ghost if anything.
I barely managed to make myself listen to more than a few notes before I threw a hand forward.
"You can stop there!" I said almost frantically. Nimbus immediately snapped his beak shut, and peace returned to the world once more. Everybody around us breathed a sigh of relief. Hazel in particular looked like he was about to cry tears of joy.
As for Nimbus and Yurie, they both stared at me with sheepish expressions. They were obviously used to such reactions.
"So…" Yurie trailed off. "Thoughts?"
I didn't say anything and shot a passing side glance at Arya first. My Altaria looked remarkably composed, but I saw the slight twitching of her eye and…
Yeah, there was a long road to be walked, or in this case, flown and sang.
"Nimbus has a powerful voice," I complimented first and foremost. "But… yes, his singing does need a lot of work." Yurie's Altaria drooped his head a bit at this. "Fairy type energy can help enhance his singing and make it sound more beautiful, but he needs the foundation to build off of. He needs to learn actual singing techniques first. I can't help with that last bit, but Arya here can. She's a professional."
She really was. If I was to say so myself, my Altaria was the best damn Altaria in the world. I couldn't think of another Pokemon who could sing more beautifully than her or had produced as many original songs as she had. If anyone could help Yurie and her Altaria out, it was her.
Arya was up for the challenge if the glint in her eye was anything to go by. When she saw Nimbus's sad expression, Arya hopped forward and let out a string of encouraging chirps. Whatever she said caused the other bird to brighten up considerably.
I smiled, gesturing to a corner of our backyard. "You can go practice over there and, uh… bring one of the Kadabra with you to make a sound barrier. I'll drop by later to check in on how you're doing," I said.
In my head, I apologized in advance to whichever unfortunate League Kadabra was chosen. Their eardrums would not have a fun time.
Yurie happily walked away with both Altaria following her. I turned to the next individual.
"Oh, no Pokemon advice for me today. I actually wanted to discuss more about type energies with you," Hazel timidly admitted. He couldn't hide a dorky smile as he adjusted his round glasses. "The lecture from last time was really fascinating. I felt like I was listening to an esteemed professor at Celadon University again!"
I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. I didn't think my lecture was that great, but if Hazel had enjoyed it to that extent… then I was happy. We would chat after I helped the others first.
Murata, of course, wanted help with his Wigglytuff.
"Wiggly has been excited for another meeting," he said with a grin. The Wigglytuff next to him puffed up his chest. I quickly noted the healthy sheen of fur and powerful-looking legs.
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"You've definitely raised him well," was the first thing I said, and Murata wore a very pleased expression.
Taffy was beyond elated to see the other Wigglytuff again and shook hands with him energetically. He still remembered fighting him during the interview.
"So what exactly do you want help with?" I asked curiously.
"Wiggly is interested in how your Pokemon is able to inflate so quickly," Murata explained. His Wigglytuff nodded vigorously in the background. "We've focused on his kicking abilities ever since I first caught him, but I think if we could mix in the ability to inflate and bounce, we could rise to a new level of close combat."
"Taffy?" I turned to my Pokemon. He just grinned back at me and held up a thumbs-up. Not a problem, he said. I had a smile of my own as I turned back to Murata. "There you have it, Taffy's more than willing to help Wiggly with that."
While Taffy began telling the other Wigglytuff about lung strengthening exercises, I focused my attention on the last two gym trainers.
Souta and Haru both looked at me with nervous but excited expressions.
"I'm guessing you want to help your Snubbull and Azurill grow stronger respectively?" I asked with a knowing smile, and both boys nodded.
"I took your advice from last time. Snubbull's been running more lately," Souta began. "But we're having some trouble with learning a long-range move… I can't afford a TM right now either."
"Mud-Slap," I said immediately, and Souta looked at me with renewed interest. "It's a move I've been teaching some of the gym Snubbull lately, and it's not too hard to learn. Your Snubbull can probably get it down in less than a week."
Souta was on board with that idea, so I turned now to Haru.
"I'd like to teach my Azurill more moves in general," he explained. "Right now, Mimi only knows Water Gun, Tail Whip, and Charm."
Another fast response came from me. I had a lot of experience with training the Azurill line. "I'll show you some tail-strengthening exercises your Azurill can practice so you can get Splash as another option for movement. Then, Mimi can try learning Bubble so she can transition more easily to Bubble Beam later."
"Y-Yes please!" Haru beamed. He looked absolutely thrilled with the suggestions I'd offered.
Hazel waited patiently off to the side while I got the teenagers started. I introduced Souta to one of the senior gym Snubbull and Haru and his Azurill to Zuzu.
Zuzu and I both had smiles on our faces when we saw Mimi staring up with undisguised awe. I was pretty sure she and I were remembering how she used to be that small, too.
"Zuzu," I introduced with an extra dramatic flair of my hand. Mimi let out excited little squeaks and introduced herself to the older Pokemon. My Azumarill took one look at the young Azurill bouncing up and down happily and looked back at me.
With a very serious expression and yet unrestrained smile, she pointed at the other Pokemon and told me she was taking Mimi on as her disciple.
I snorted with laughter. It was hard not to fall for an Azurill's cuteness. Meanwhile, Haru looked back and forth between us with confusion.
"Er… What happened?"
"My Azumarill said she'll personally teach Mimi from now on," I explained with a voice full of mirth.
Haru's eyes widened. "Really?" he all but exclaimed. He offered a hasty bow to the other Pokemon. "Er… thank you so much, Zuzu."
The Azumarill merely laughed as she waddled up to Mimi. While the Pokemon chatted, I turned to Haru.
"She's explaining how to channel energy into the tail for Splash," I explained. "It shouldn't be too hard for Mimi to learn. An Azurill's tail is naturally bouncy which will help a lot in the process."
"Thank you so much," Haru said with a quick bow of his head. When he raised it, I saw confusion in his eyes. "But, um, how do you know what Zuzu's saying? It feels like you actually understand her."
"That's because I can," I said casually with a shrug of my shoulders. "I'm an Ability Holder who can understand Fairies or related species."
"HUH?"
The following exclamation from Haru was loud enough that everyone else heard it and looked over.
I scratched my cheek.
"I guess I forgot to mention that after I hired you guys. Oops?"
Needless to say, when the other gym trainers found out, they all collectively looked at me like I was an exotic new creature.
Just another ordinary day around the Watanuki household.
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Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
With the gym trainers now being able to participate in training sessions, things got quite lively around the house. I had my staff members work with the lower-tier gym Pokemon for the time being while dad, Neil, and I trained the other Pokemon on more advanced techniques.
Haru truly impressed me during this time.
Out of all my new gym trainers, and despite never having gone on a journey of his own, he was the best at handling the gym Pokemon. He had the natural kind disposition for it and an excellent ability to read body language. No matter what any of the Pokemon did, Haru just took it in stride and smiled at them.
He even stayed calm when Impidimp jumped all over him and playfully — or painfully — tugged on his hair.
Most of the gym Pokemon were pretty happy with how attentive he was to their needs and more motivated to follow his orders during training sessions. Souta and Murata were the best at handling Pokemon after Haru, and they were followed by Yurie and Hazel. I was proud of all of them. They were respectful of the Pokemon and faithfully completed whatever tasks I gave them (though Yurie often complained about how many reports she had to write regarding what she did every day).
I was very pleased overall with how things were progressing. My gym trainers were eager to learn, the Pokemon were happy… If things continued like so, I'd even look into hiring a few more gym trainers over the summer.
When the evening training session for the day eventually wrapped up, my mood was at an alltime high.
"Great job everyone!" I called out. My tired gym trainers smiled back at me. "I doubt anyone here has forgotten, but tomorrow is Indigo National Day. No work tomorrow."
People nodded in understanding. I was about to dismiss everyone when dad cleared his throat, and we all turned to him questioningly.
"Neil and I were talking…" Dad began.
"…And we thought a barbeque party would be fun! We can all celebrate Indigo National Day together!" Neil finished brightly. He held up two hands in a double thumbs-up motion. "Adriel said we could host it here at your family's house. Just imagine it: sizzling beef, corn, sweet potatoes…"
He rambled on, but he'd already had me at sizzling. Who could say no to grilled food?
I tried not to drool as I looked back at my gym trainers. I only had one question for them.
"So, who's up for barbeque?"
Enthusiastic cheers were my answers. Dad and I extended invitations to Oak and the rest of the researchers, and they all happily accepted. Neil and Murata were both going to bring their wives, and in Murata's case, his twin daughters as well. Hazel messaged his sister, but apparently she was dead tired from working multiple shifts at the hospital and going to sleep the whole day. I didn't forget to invite Kari and Yulian either. They both instantly texted back affirmatives.
As it stood, this party was going to be a pleasantly crowded one. I had something to look forward to now after I came back tomorrow.
All the Indigo Gym Leaders were expected to be at the Plateau tomorrow. Lance had kindly sent out reminders to everyone just a few hours ago. In his message were instructions on where to go and a rundown of how the festivities at the Plateau would proceed.
I was honestly really excited. I'd watched the national celebrations live on television so many times as a kid, and I'd never gotten sick of the amazing displays. Now I was going to be able to see everything in person once the morning arrived.
That night, I went to sleep dreaming of stunning fireworks and marching bands.
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Rustle.
Something soft plopped on my head and stirred me from my slumber.
Groaning, I opened my eyes and saw nothing but white.
"What the…?" I muttered sleepily. It took me a few seconds to realize the thing on my face was Arya's wing. She had claimed a spot on the bed to cuddle with me and Vel. Must have snuck into my room from the balcony outside, I mused to myself.
I gently pulled the sleeping Altaria's wing off my head and ignored how incredibly fluffy it felt. A yawn escaped my mouth as I checked my phone on the bedside table. It was still 6:36 AM, so I could sleep a little longer.
Then I remembered what today was, and my drowsiness disappeared in an instant. Excitement took its place.
It was the morning of Indigo National Day, our country's biggest holiday.
I found myself faintly humming the national anthem as I got out of bed. Somehow, this was enough to awaken the sound asleep Arya. Her eyes flew wide open as she began harmonizing with the melody I was humming, and I stopped abruptly to chuckle.
"How do you even know that tune?" I wondered out loud. I was pretty sure she'd never heard the Indigo anthem before in her life.
The Altaria chirped proudly, which I assumed to be something along the likes of 'I am a genius so I just guessed.'
Our short music making session and conversation ended up waking Vel. The Sylveon grumpily asked us why we were being so loud in the morning as he stumbled off the bed.
I just smiled.
"Because it's Indigo National Day," I said simply.
Vel just stared at me blankly. I'd already explained the significance of today's holiday to all my Pokemon, but they still didn't quite understand it.
It didn't matter. This was a day of celebration and good cheer.
Vel ended up hopping onto Arya's back and going out through the balcony to talk to the other Pokemon while I got ready. We weren't expected to dress up today, but I threw on my usual formal wear anyway. When I was done, I took the stairs down two at a time with a huge smile on my face. There were delicious scents wafting my way from the kitchen — fruity and savory alike — and I eagerly popped in. Dad was seated at the table already with plates of waffles.
I just knew breakfast was going to be something good.
"Happy National Day," I greeted cheerfully, and I slid into my seat. "These look fantastic."
Dad chuckled into his mug of coffee. "Happy National Day, son," he replied warmly. "Thought you could use something energizing for the day ahead."
I thanked him for the food before proceeding to stuff my face in record time. I didn't have to be at the Plateau so early, but I was too excited to sit around at home and wait. I helped clean up the plates and drag grills out back for the barbeque party later.
While Dad went back inside to start rooting through the kitchen, I collected all my Pokemon. Silque then Teleported me north.
For the second time in the same week, the Indigo Plateau was crowded. Today, it was for joyous reasons.
Hordes of people had already gathered this early in the morning, and all of them were heading for the Pokemon League Village. The main event was going to be held at Indigo Stadium, the same one they used for the Indigo Conference that would be held in two weeks. The Kanto League Circuit was staggered so that it began and ended after Johto's. That way, revenues for each region's Conference would see maximum profits as people actually had the option to pick and choose which one they wanted to see. A lot of people typically bought tickets for both.
I did not follow the moving sea of citizens. Instead, after recalling Silque, I was Teleported by a League Kadabra right to the Indigo Stadium itself.
It was truly massive. The Indigo Stadium was tied with the Silver Stadium in Johto for being the largest ones in our country, both with a maximum seating capacity of 120,000 people. I'd been Teleported right into the luxury box seating area.
I thought I was early, but quite a few other Gym Leaders had arrived before me.
Erika and Janine from Kanto were there. Among the Johto Gym Leaders, I saw Falkner, Bugsy, and Clair. And of course, the Champion and Elite Four were present as well. Lance even strode up to greet me with a large smile.
"Arin, good to see you again," he said sincerely.
I smiled back. We'd kept in touch since his last visit, but we hadn't talked too much. "You as well, Lance. Happy National Day."
Across the room, Clair whipped her head back to look between the two of us with no small amount of confusion. She seemed like she didn't know what to make of our interaction, but I just ignored her.
I talked a little more with Lance before drifting away. My gaze was locked on the two Leaders from Kanto.
They saw my approaching figure and spoke to me first.
"Happy National Day, Leader Arin," Erika greeted in a soft voice. With perfect posture, the young woman clasped her hands in front of her and smiled at me. "It's a pleasure meeting you. If you could please tell this to your father in person… I would like to thank him again for the Grass type Pokemon. They have been a big help to me this Circuit season, and I make sure they receive only the utmost respect and care from me."
I wasn't surprised. Dad had mentioned as much to me back when I first returned to Johto, that he had given Erika some of his gym Pokemon after closing down the place. Apparently Erika even messaged dad occasionally asking for advice on Grass types. Though she was a Grass Specialist in her own right, she looked up to an experienced veteran like him.
"You as well. Happy National Day," I echoed with a polite smile of my own. The Celadon Gym Leader seemed kind. "I'm glad the Pokemon are doing well under your care. My dad will be pleased to hear it."
Erika dipped her head ever so slightly in a gesture of thanks. Next to her, Janine took advantage of the lull in conversation to speak up.
"Greetings, Leader Arin of the Cherrygrove Gym," the young girl spoke in a formal tone. "May the light of Radiant Ho-Oh watch over you always… as it is said in Johto, yes?"
Her voice took on a hesitant lilt at the end, and I barely refrained from chuckling.
"That's right," I confirmed. Looking at her up close, she truly resembled her father, Koga. Janine's lips twitched into an almost imperceptible smile before they fell flat once more. After taking a second to clear her throat, she inclined her head in acknowledgement.
"I saw that Leader Whitney added you to our group chat," she remarked. "It is interesting to see yet another person join our ranks. We have had many new Gym Leaders take up office within the last year."
Right, Whitney had added me to that chat at the meeting in Ecruteak. Both of these ladies were in it as well if I remembered correctly.
I nodded slowly. "It's certainly interesting…"
Erika and Janine were both polite. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with them, I made my way to where the Johto Gym Leaders were sitting nearby. I raised my hand in a silent greeting.
Clair gave me some sort of inscrutable look before glancing away, and Falkner didn't even react. Only Bugsy gave me a small, shy wave in return.
"Happy National Day, Arin!" Bugsy smiled nervously at me as I took the seat next to him. I quickly noticed how tense his shoulders were. "Um… have you been well since the meeting?"
"Couldn't be better. I've been busy showing my gym trainers the ropes. How about you?"
"S-Same," Bugsy admitted. "Busy, I mean. Lots of challengers have been dropping by to get one more badge before the Circuit ends. I'm so glad we get a day off today… I, uh, wanted to see the fireworks so I came super early."
He ducked his head in embarrassment. I was left to smile at him with much amusement. Now more than ever, he resembled an ordinary teenager rather than one of the eight pillars of Johto.
"Me too," I whispered in a conspiratorial way. Bugsy raised his head and stared at me in shock. He blinked about ten times in rapid succession, but I merely grinned at him. "I was so excited for today that I had some trouble falling asleep last night."
I heard the faintest sound of someone scoffing behind me — a decidedly male voice, and there was only one person it could have belonged to — but I paid no attention to it. Bugsy was actually wearing the biggest smile I'd seen from him yet. His previously tense shoulders dropped.
"Really?" Bugsy beamed at me. "The fireworks are really cool every year! They always pick different Pokemon shapes…"
Neither Clair nor Falkner made an attempt to join the conversation, and I did not extend an invitation to them either. I ended up talking to Bugsy on my own. He proved to be surprisingly talkative once his initial nerves wore off, and more so when I randomly inquired about his Bug types.
He practically lit up like the sun and started spouting information left and right. It was obvious he was very passionate about his chosen specialty.
About ten minutes into our chat, other Gym Leaders started popping into the room one after another. Blaine, the Waterflower sisters (they actually interrupted our conversation to come and say hi to me excitedly, each with a compliment about my Milotic), Sabrina (who Teleported into the room on her own), and Morty and Jasmine, much to my delight.
Both of them joined me and Bugsy in our conversation, and our group only got larger as the rest of the Johto Gym Leaders slowly arrived. Whitney made a beeline towards us and was more than happy to talk about anything and everything. Chuck sat down with us after revealing he made his wife angry again by training too late the night before.
Pryce did not join. Instead, he sat off to the side by himself with a cold yet dignified appearance.
Our side of the room may have shown fractures, but the Kanto Gym Leader side was split up, too. Erika, Brock, Janine, the Waterflower sisters, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni, who offered me a greeting when he arrived, formed one giant group. The others, Sabrina and Blaine, sat by themselves.
Not the best display of unity on a day like Indigo National Day.
I don't know how much time passed, but Lance finally clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. It was time for the opening speech. We formed two neat columns and walked behind Lance as he and the Elite Four led us to the outside balcony.
The crowd's cheers were deafening as we emerged into the sunlight.
I hadn't paid too much attention inside the luxury box, but the stadium was fully packed by now. No matter where I looked, people were energetically waving hands and mini flags around. Exuberant yells rang out and clamored over one another until they became an indistinguishable symphony. Just for this day, everybody came together to celebrate, and it was heartening.
While the Elite Four took up positions on either side of Lance, I fell into line with the other Gym Leaders behind them. Lance walked up to the edge of the balcony where the microphone was.
As if by magic, the whole stadium fell silent within seconds.
I couldn't see Lance's expression from my position, but a quick glance at one of the huge stadium screens revealed it to me. He wore a large and genuine smile.
"Welcome, citizens of Indigo," Lance began in a powerful voice. The crowd fell even more silent if that was possible. "Today is a special day for our nation. We celebrate the union of Kanto and Johto as one country under the proud flag of Indigo. We celebrate our harmony, our cooperation, and the prosperity we have achieved thus far and will continue to have."
Hundreds of camera flashes went off in the audience, but Lance went on without pause. "Fifty years ago, we were not Indigo but two separate regions. Look at how far we have come since then. Today, Indigo is one of the greatest nations of the Kinjoh Area…"
Our Champion went on about Indigo's history. The crowd ate everything up, their attention hyperfocused on the charismatic man known as Lance Wataru.
Eventually, the opening speech began to draw to a close. Lance broke into a wide smile as he held his arms out.
"We are Indigo," he said proudly. "There is nothing we cannot achieve if we work together. So today, let us celebrate National Day. May our deities watch over us, and may the celebrations begin."
As soon as he finished, the crowd roared their approval. Sound filled the stadium from furious clapping and the stomping of feet against ground. All the Gym Leaders next to me were smiling, even the normally ice-cold Pryce. I looked on with a smile on my own face as Indigo — our dear, glorious Indigo — cheered their hearts out.
And the festivities truly began.
We went back and sat inside the luxury box seating. The first part of the event, the military procession, had already started as I looked out the window. Police officers, Rangers, and League soldiers alike marched through the stadium and displayed their unity. Dozens of Growlithe led by a few Arcanine ran dizzying circles and blasted out flames in the pattern of the Indigo League's symbol. Rangers from various squads rode Flying mounts and zipped through the air in impressive aerial maneuvers. These even elicited large oohs from the crowd when the birds dipped low to the ground and pulled up right before crashing. I was pretty sure I saw Falkner dip his head ever so slightly in approval.
It didn't end there. After the military procession came various Pokemon demonstrations. There were Rapidash and Ponyta who jumped as high as the stadium itself, Politoed and Starmie who worked together to create mesmerizing geysers and rainbows in the sky, a Rhydon that created a staggeringly large and detailed replica of the League Headquarters's exterior from the earth, and more.
All of it was incredible. I kind of wished my own Pokemon with artistic tendencies could go down and show off, too.
Halfway into the event, Indigo's best choir took the stage and sang the national anthem, something I knew Arya enjoyed by how her Pokeball shook on my belt. More Pokemon demonstrations followed the choir's act along with a parade.
The parade floats were all amazing.
"Aww…" Jasmine cooed softly at one point. "Look at the Pikachu family!"
She pointed at a group of balloons made up of two Pikachu and two Pichu lovingly hugging each other. It was definitely adorable.
They'd even included floats of each Gym Leader's starter Pokemon. Much to my immense surprise and joy, Vel was included in the bunch. Somehow they'd managed to get the details down perfectly for a new Pokemon they'd only recently seen on television. The look that Lance sneaked me made me wonder if he'd personally put in the suggestion to the event planning council. I knew it couldn't have been easy to make considering the League usually prepared months in advance for today's proceedings.
It was a lot of fun. Whether it was watching the entertaining displays or sharing excited comments with Morty and Jasmine in between, I enjoyed myself and the event very much.
Unfortunately, the festivities couldn't go on forever. The last performers took their leave, and that was our cue to head back outside for the closing ceremony. Fireworks were launched into the sky, each with a dazzling, unique color and the shape of a different Pokemon. I stood there with my neck craned towards the heavens and a smile on my face. I felt like a kid again watching the national celebrations on TV, except this time, I was grown up and here to witness it all in person.
I still had the barbeque at home to look forward to as well.
When the fireworks faded, Lance stepped up to the microphone once more.
"Those of us at the Indigo League wish to thank everyone who showed up at the Plateau today and everyone who watched the proceedings from home. We are always grateful for your support, and we hope to bring you another wonderful National Day celebration next year," Lance said. With a practiced flick of his cape, he held up a hand. "We will now raise the flag of Indigo. Please stand and join me in honoring everything we have achieved so far."
The people in the stadium rose to their feet as one. All of us — me, the Gym Leaders and Elites, and the spectators both here and far away — began clapping and cheering as League officials hoisted a massive flag high into the air. The symbol of our nation fluttered proudly in the breeze.
Indigo had truly come a long way since its beginnings, and so had I.
I thought about the new friends I had made and my family and staff members waiting at home, and a huge smile overtook my features. So much had happened since returning to Johto. It hadn't all been smooth sailing, and it never would be, but my determination did not waver. I had only just begun to etch my name in Indigo's history. The future awaited me.
And the flag burst into flames.
Cheers and claps alike halted abruptly as screams rang out instead. The flag of Indigo was gone.
Only ashes were yielded in their place, and they were quickly lost in the wind.
I stared with shock. Lance had a similar look torn between utter surprise and confusion as he turned his earpiece on, presumably to ask subordinates what the hell was going on.
But he froze. We all did. Despairing, heavy silence blanketed the whole arena and smothered us until we could not speak.
In the air above the stadium, words made of dark, unknown energy had bloomed into existence.
Remember Our Cause, Kill Every Traitor.
My blood ran cold. So very, very cold.
That was a motto that hadn't been seen in fifteen years, one that had even been banned from some history books—
The words didn't end there. Another phrase appeared.
We rise again.
A single, massive letter manifested just below those two phrases.
R.
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