CHAPTER 35

Some confused League officials were called in to take pictures of everyone standing together. This momentous occasion would be recorded down in history and printed the following day in the news. The reason for this was that Lance wanted to space out the good news Indigo was getting and create a bigger impact. While the officials scurried off to get started on article drafts, Lance turned to our guests.

"How long will you be staying for?" he politely inquired.

The foreign dignitaries from the Galovea Continent shared a look with each other. Once they'd finished communicating silently, Alder stepped forward.

"Not for very long," the middle-aged man admitted for the group. "It makes us uneasy to leave our regions for too long even with our Elites around. We also need to hold meetings with our governments and Interpol HQ about today's proceedings."

"We'll probably leave in a few hours after we've rested a bit," Kukui followed up smoothly.

Lance turned silently to Steven and Cynthia. The other Champions of the Kinjoh Area nodded.

"So will we," Steven said. His eyes flickered briefly to me as he adjusted his tie. "Cynthia and I are escorting our Professors back home via airplane later."

I'd known Professors Birch and Rowan would be leaving today now that the research study had been published, but I hadn't expected their regional Champions to personally escort them. It made sense, however, given the uncertain times Indigo currently lived in. Best not to leave anything to chance and risk the safety of important people.

It was honestly going to be odd not seeing the Professors around the house in the future. After a month, I'd gotten used to their antics and the long, yet often lively, Pokemon-related conversations they would pull me into. Oak, and especially Elm, would still be dropping by occasionally since they were located nearby (something that filled Birch and Rowan with much envy).

Their aides had to forcefully lead the tearful Professors away from our backyard the other day. Birch and Rowan both wanted to stay longer, but they'd already been away from their labs for an extended period of time. They had a massive backlog of work waiting for them at home.

Lance's face instantly morphed into a more thoughtful expression. "Then… would you all like to stay here for lunch perhaps?" he suggested, and he clasped his hands behind his back. "The dining facility here at the Indigo League's HQ can accommodate any requests you might have. We can dine there, or I can have food brought here for privacy's sake if you'd prefer."

"Hmm…" Diantha's eyes gleamed. I knew what she was going to say even before she continued. "Thank you for your kind offer, Champion Lance. I would like to take you up on it."

I wasn't surprised. Diantha was as much of a food enthusiast as I remembered, and she'd been the one to influence my own hobbies. The rest of the Champions echoed similar sentiments. One by one, they placed their orders with one of Lance's subordinates through a phone call. Most of the guests simply requested to be surprised with Kanto-Johto cuisine barring specific allergies they had. I supposed they were curious about our culture. I ordered some chicken cutlet curry for myself.

Some comfort food was desperately needed after the surprises that had been dumped on me one after the other this morning.

By the time the last person gave their order, the atmosphere had lightened considerably. All the formal matters were out of the way. Now we just waited for lunch to be brought up to our room.

A few people quietly stretched while we were still out of our seats, but there was no chance for silence to reign. The sound of heavy footsteps filled the room as Alder crossed the distance between me and him in just a few strides. I barely had any time to focus on his scruffy beard — evidently he still forgot to regularly shave — before Alder slapped me on the back. I stumbled a bit from the sheer enthusiasm and force behind it.

"Long time no see!" Alder guffawed. "About five or six years now, right? Look at you! You're as tall as me now. How come you never came back to visit Unova?"

I offered the man a genuine smile once I'd righted myself. "It's good to see you, Alder," I said. My smile took on a sheepish tinge as I fought the urge to rub my neck. "About that… I did think about visiting a couple times, but I was worried how the public was going to react…"

"Ah."

Now it was Alder's turn to look embarrassed.

Years ago, after I'd… undergone an interesting experience where I was detained at a Unova League holding facility for a few days, I was granted a year-long permit to tour the country.

Unova had a very particular history when it came to Ability Holders. There were countless instances of Ability Holders being the roots of several major conflicts throughout its history. They'd abused their powers and waged devastating wars with the Pokemon they had tamed. As a result, the notoriety of those terrible individuals had carried on across the generations to the point where much of Unova was still wary of Ability Holders in general. Their League was at least trying to remedy the issue by hiring and working with Ability Holders to show cooperation, but…

There was still a lot of distrust among the general public and government officials alike.

Being an Ability Holder myself, I had not been well-received in Unova. Cautious gazes and jeers had followed me throughout much of my journey in that region, everywhere from simple walks through towns and cities to public gym battles and more.

It was certainly uncomfortable at the time, but I'd persevered. I'd still ended up making friends in Unova in spite of it all. Alder was one of them. Numerous mandatory check-ins with the Unova League meant that we saw each other fairly often, and Alder had gradually warmed up to me over a period of time.

I blinked back to attention when Alder shifted from one foot to the other.

"Well… the atmosphere is a bit better in Unova nowadays," he explained hurriedly. "I'll admit it's not the best it could be, but we're making incremental progress regarding the perception of Ability Holders. I'd have given you another permit to come visit anyway!"

That was nice to hear at least.

"Maybe next time then," I said with a small smile. I quickly changed the subject. "How's Vesta doing?"

Vesta was the name of Alder's beloved starter, his Volcarona. There was no way I would ever forget that one hundred something year old moth. Most Bug type Pokemon had short lifespans, but like species of all types, they could live longer if they acquired enough power and influence. There were stories of wild, reclusive Volcarona that had lived close to half a millennium or longer, but Vesta was the oldest living Volcarona owned by a trainer — at least in Unova's recorded history — and an absolute behemoth.

"She's doing good!" Alder grinned, but it looked strained to me. "Vesta's getting on in her years, though. I've been trying to convince her to battle less, but she refuses to retire."

I hoped she would stay healthy for as long as possible. Vesta had been with Alder ever since he was a dumb kid who tried to explore ruins, so they shared an incredibly strong bond that spanned several decades.

I had just verbalized my well wishes when Diantha walked over with all the grace of a model on the runway.

"Salut!" Diantha greeted cheerfully, and I grasped her slender hand in a handshake. There was a Kalosian greeting called la bise, but I'd always felt more comfortable just shaking hands. "I don't think I've seen you since that time Valerie invited you to the international charity gala… three years ago, was it?"

I had to root around in my head a bit for said memory. Eventually, I nodded. "The one Viola organized, I think, to spread awareness of Bug type Pokemon trafficking. Siebold and his employees did the catering for that, didn't they?"

"They did," Diantha confirmed with a pleased smile.

I had wonderful memories of Kalos if I was going to be honest. Beautiful sights, delicious food, and a unique culture… not to mention the fact that Fairy types were held in high regard. Aside from the startlingly high crime rates in Kalos, especially in Lumiose City, I'd had a magnificent journey there.

There was also the short time I met a deity and thought I was going to die, but—

"HEYA, ARIN!" Leon waved enthusiastically as he came barreling toward us. I only got a second to brace myself before he tackled me in a brief but powerful hug. "Come and visit Galar sometime, you hear? Everyone's always nagging me about the next time you'll show up, and Charizard and I need someone to get our blood pumping in a fight."

I tried not to wheeze for breath as I adjusted my tie. "I've got a lot more on my plate nowadays, but I'll try to visit."

Leon was as much of a breath of fresh air as always. It was easy to see how the Champion of Galar had endeared himself to his people with his exuberant personality. I'd initially gotten to know him through Opal. At the time, the Leader of the Ballonlea Gym had been the one to sponsor me for that year's Circuit.

Aside from a few incidents, Galar had been pretty fun. Camping there was taken to a whole new level, and their Circuit was rather unique compared to other regions. If only they didn't force people to wear sports uniforms for gym challenges… bleh.

I'd already forcibly archived any memories I had of wearing such a uniform from my mind. I would have burned the outfit, too, had my Pokemon not convinced me to keep it around as a keepsake. I was pretty sure I had it securely tucked away in a box somewhere never to see the light of day again.

"It's too bad you went to work for Geeta later. If I'd known you were going to settle down somewhere, I would have offered you a job with the Galar League first," Leon prattled on.

We both jumped when Geeta suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind him. She was as tall as Leon, so it was a bit frightening.

"Hello, Arin, it's good to see you," she greeted me first, and then she turned to Leon. "And… what was this I just heard?" Her face was the very definition of calm, but something in her voice made Leon back up a few steps.

"Well, I mean—"

"Kalos would have hired him, too," Diantha interrupted with a sly smile.

Geeta raised a brow. "Oh?"

The two women roped Leon into a conversation, one that I wisely stayed out of. Alder said something in the background, but he went ignored. While watching the Champions talk, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and came face to face with Kukui.

"Kukui!" I greeted excitedly, and he offered a lopsided grin in return.

"If it isn't a wild Arin," Kukui joked. We shook hands heartily. "I've been keeping up with your exploits ever since you left Alola. You've accomplished a lot!"

After departing Hoenn and Sinnoh, Alola was the first region I'd come across outside of the Kinjoh Area's sphere of influence. It was where I had found my calling as a Fairy Specialist and learned the truth about my Ability and the Fairy type. I had nothing but gratitude towards the islanders for the kindness they had shown me during my stay there.

Truly a utopia on earth, and one that was zealously guarded by active Legendaries.

"Is everyone doing well? I speak with Mina occasionally, but we don't usually talk about the islands," I asked as the other Champions chatted in the background.

"Yeah, no troubles whatsoever. Woo!" Kukui beamed. "Hau and I have been talking about implementing a more official Pokemon League of our own actually, complete with a huge Conference and all. We first thought about it way before you ever arrived, but after you came and left, we started seriously tinkering with the idea. It's going to be an uphill battle getting our guardian deities to approve of it, but hopefully they'll come around to the idea soon."

"Good luck," I told him with as much sincerity as I could muster.

Trying to get a bigger and more cohesive League established in Alola was going to be a monumental task. The Tapus that the islanders worshiped were the ones who held all the power. They protected the region, but they were also capable of great destruction when displeased. As both Fairies and gods, they operated on completely different beliefs compared to humans.

I wanted to chat more with Kukui, but the three Champions of the Kinjoh Area took their chance to come up to us.

"Hello Arin, I believe it's been a decade since we last met," Steven greeted politely, and he offered a hand to me. I shook it with a small smile.

What he said was definitely not an exaggeration. I had hazy memories of meeting Steven once before.

I used to advertise Pokeballs for the Devon Corporation at Joseph's behest. That was only after I'd established a burgeoning name for myself in Hoenn as a promising first-year trainer. Later, I'd even been sponsored by Devon once I'd proven my worth. Steven's father, Mr. Joseph Stone, had introduced me to his son ten years ago. Back then, Steven was the newly crowned winner of the latest Ever Grande Conference and had been training to challenge the Hoenn Elite Four.

We'd never kept in contact, but obviously a lot had changed since then. He'd ultimately defeated the Hoenn Elite Four and previous Champion to become Hoenn's new leader.

Cynthia stuck a hand out as soon as Steven was done.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Arin. I've heard a lot about you from Fantina and Volkner," the woman said. "I recall watching your matches at the Conference nine years ago."

I shook her hand with no small amount of nervousness. I'd never had the pleasure of meeting Cynthia unfortunately, but I'd always wanted to fight against her. She was widely regarded as one of the world's best Generalists, if not the best Generalist, and her battle prowess was something to be feared.

And to think Cynthia actually remembered seeing my fights in the Lily of the Valley Conference so long ago… I must have made a certain impression on her.

"I learned a lot from my journey through Sinnoh," was what I ended up saying as a modest response. I wasn't ashamed of the early years of my journey where I floundered through learning to be a trainer, but who I had been then was certainly a far cry from the person I was today. "I did better than I could have expected at the Conference honestly."

"Humility is an excellent virtue," Cynthia chuckled. "By the way, you should expect a message from Fantina soon. I believe there was something she wanted to discuss with you."

Mystified, I barely stopped myself from fishing my phone out and messaging the Hearthome Gym Leader in advance. I hadn't talked to Fantina in some time. I wondered what she wanted to talk about with me…

I was startled right out of my thoughts when Lance cleared his throat.

"I wasn't aware you knew almost all these people," he said, and I didn't miss the way he eyed me with newfound interest. "It seems I should have asked you about your travels earlier."

I laughed nervously and scratched my cheek. "Well… a lot happened over a decade. I'd be happy to talk about some of it over lunch."

If the smile on Lance's face was anything to go by, he very much liked that idea.

"Champion Kukui, might I ask if anyone from Kanto—"

"Arin, may I inquire about your Mega Stones—"

Lance and Steven both paused and looked at each other. Steven was the first to move, and he gestured politely with one ringed hand.

"You first," he graciously said.

Lance smiled only briefly at him before turning to Kukui. "Champion Kukui," he repeated, "might I ask if anyone from Kanto has ever reached Alola before? We have records of people who have gone out to travel the world, and I'm curious if any of them ever made it."

I wondered briefly if he was referring to those same records he'd brought up with me during my swearing-in ceremony.

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Kukui wore an interested expression as he stroked his chin with one hand. "Before I answer your question, I'm technically not a Champion but a Professor," he explained. He received three very confused looks from the Kinjoh Area Champions in return. "Our 'League' is an unofficial one at the moment and still in development. We're making plans to adapt our structure to those of official Leagues in other regions and…"

Kukui rambled on for a bit as he explained the intricacies of the Alolan government and budding League. When he was finally done, he raised a hand excitedly. "But yes, going back to your inquiry… we've had visitors from Kanto before."

Both my and Lance's brows flew up in surprise.

"Really?" I asked.

Kukui nodded. "I'd have to check the records we have on hand for the exact date, but many generations ago, there was a man from Kanto who washed up on our shores. One of the Totem Pokemon at the time, a Primarina, rescued him. Once he was healed, that same Pokemon brought him back across the seas to his hometown. One of his descendants actually came and permanently settled in Alola, and he started a family. He and his wife passed away many years ago, but their child is still alive."

If it was even possible, Lance's brows flew up even further.

"Incredible. So our records were true then…" he muttered to himself. In a louder voice, he addressed Kukui. "May I ask about this living descendant?"

For some reason, Kukui gave me a wink before answering. I quickly learned why.

"Their name is Samson Oak, cousin to Samuel Oak."

My jaw dropped.

"PROFESSOR SAMSON?" I all but spluttered. Lance looked like he was having trouble comprehending this information, too. "Why did no one ever tell me this years ago? I always thought there was a bit of a resemblance, but…"

Kukui laughed loudly. "Well, you never asked! His father wanted to follow the fantastical stories left behind by his ancestor."

I blinked rapidly. This startling revelation made me wonder how Samson and Oak would react when they learned of each other's existence.

It also made me wonder who else had traveled between both sides of the world and lived to tell the tale. Perhaps there were more hidden connections out there.

With Lance's curiosity abated for the time being, Steven stepped up.

"May I see your Mega Stones, Arin?" he asked, and I had to blink a few times. For some reason, I thought I saw the corners of his lips twitch erratically. "I forget if I told you as much ten years ago or if you're aware of it from public knowledge, but I'm an avid collector of rare stones. I'd love to see your collection if you're willing to show it."

He definitely took after his father in that regard.

"I don't mind," I said easily, and I walked over to the meeting table. The others followed close behind me, but none more so than Steven. I took a quick peek behind my shoulder while he was thanking me, and I saw light blue eyes shining with absolute curiosity.

The meeting room was spacious, so I had plenty of room to send out my Pokemon one by one and temporarily retrieve their Mega Stones. I dug out a Hassel-designated handkerchief from my pocket — a leftover habit from my Paldea days — and carefully set the Stones on there so that they didn't roll away on the table.

Appreciative oohs came from the Kinjoh Area Champions as they laid eyes on the precious items. In the blink of an eye, Steven had somehow slapped on soft protective gloves and whipped out a loupe. He carefully held up my Mawilite and used the tool with his other hand to observe it in greater detail.

"Marvelous…!" he breathed out loud. "Such clear patterning! These ebony and pale yellow hues blend together so harmoniously…"

Out came a steady stream of compliments and rock terminology I was not familiar with, and the commotion brought over the other Champions.

"Oh, are we looking at each other's Mega Stones?" Leon asked, grinning. "I can show mine, too, if you're interested."

"I am willing as well, but may I see your Aggronite in exchange?" Geeta offered. "I've heard the Hoenn region managed to find some. Aron are quite rare in the Galovea Continent, and we haven't managed to find Mega Stones for their family yet."

Steven was more than happy to comply. Our little show-and-tell ended up turning into a full-blown exchange of information and Stones as everyone pulled them out. The foreign Champions were very appreciative of Steven's Aggronite and the other Mega Stones he had in his possession which couldn't be found in the Galovea Continent. Likewise, the Kinjoh Area Champions were amazed by the sheer variety found outside of their area of influence.

Watching them interact and discuss with each other brought a small smile to my face. I never would have thought in a million years I'd be seeing people around the world interacting with each other so casually like this.

It made me hopeful for the future and our future relations.

We had to pack everything back up when lunch was finally brought to us.

Kanto-Johto cuisine was well-received by our guests. Each had different words of praise for it, and I knew them well enough to know they weren't just saying so to appear polite. Diantha gave the most glowing reviews of all. Contrary to one might expect, she wasn't a picky eater. She was a self-made woman and had gone from rags to riches, so she knew to appreciate meals. She was currently watching her weight for a Kalosian drama she was set to appear in, but she still enjoyed the food and ate as much as she could.

As promised, I briefly explained to Lance how I'd come to meet everyone and some of the accomplishments I'd made during my travels. By the end of it, I felt like Lance was drilling holes into my head from the way he so blatantly stared.

I wondered what exactly he was thinking about.

Overall, lunch was a nice affair. Everyone dropped formalities to enjoy a casual conversation over food. It was nice catching up with friends I hadn't seen in years, and it was helpful getting to know the Kinjoh Champions as well.

"What's the latest movie you've starred in, Diantha?" I asked curiously at one point. I tried to keep up with the news and my friends when I could, but I'd been so busy lately that I was out of the loop at this point.

Right as Diantha opened her mouth to speak—

"Kfrgh!"

We all turned to look at Lance. He'd nearly choked on his drink.

"I apologize for the undignified display," he quickly got out after regaining his composure. His brows furrowed together. "Did you say a movie?"

Thus, we had to explain that Diantha was a prominent actress and one of the Galovea Continent's most beloved celebrities. Lance looked like he was one step away from fainting when he heard that.

I couldn't blame him. Nobody expected a Champion to be able to juggle not just one but two very different and time-consuming jobs.

Lunch continued on. There was a moment where Steven inquired about the different kinds of Pokeballs on my belt or the phone on my wrist, all of which led to an extended discussion about technology. The Kinjoh Champions brought up influential companies like the Poketch Company, Devon Corporation, or Silph Co. which greatly interested our foreign guests. The Galovea Continent couldn't just reveal all their cards, but they dropped enough tidbits that Steven went from looking like the calm scion of a wealthy family to an engaged, ambitious businessman.

I could practically see the gears turning in his head about future trade and business opportunities.

Lance couldn't hold himself back long enough and eventually peppered our guests with questions about new Dragon type species. When the others informed him of a barrage of Dragons he'd never heard of before, Lance gripped his fork so tightly that I was afraid he was going to somehow rip it right in half.

The expression on his face resembled a Poke Maniac about to embark on a long pilgrimage.

It was honestly interesting to see everyone interact with each other, especially the ladies. Cynthia, Diantha, and Geeta hit it off with each other not even ten minutes into lunch. I wasn't surprised by this development. They were all highly intelligent women and powerful trainers. I would have been more surprised if they hadn't gotten along with each other.

I would admit it was a bit terrifying, though, to think that the three most powerful women I knew of had tentatively become friends.

What a monstrous trio.

Surprisingly, Lance sought out advice from Alder regarding the role of Champion. More surprising than that was how Alder was actually willing to indulge him. Considering the history between Indigo and Unova, I'd expected Alder to brush him off. Then again, Unova had been willing to come all the way here for the sake of a treaty.

Perhaps Lance had made a better impression on Alder during this meeting than I'd thought. While the two conversed about that, I turned to Geeta who was sitting next to me. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her privately yet.

"So," I said slowly.

"So," Geeta echoed.

We stared at each other. Eventually, I couldn't stop a smile from tugging at my lips.

"Fancy seeing you in Kanto-Johto," I finally settled on. Still with a playful tone, I gestured to the rest of the table locked in lively conversation. "I'm pretty sure this was the biggest shock I've gotten in my life so far. It's weird seeing you all here."

"Is it truly?" she quipped back, and a faint smile played at the corners of her own lips. She turned her head to stare at the scene around us.

"We only put into motion something that probably should have happened a long time ago, or something that would have happened eventually. I wasn't lying when I said we've lost opportunities over the years. Whether it was due to hesitation in reaching out or concerns regarding previous leaders and governments of the Kinjoh Area… we waited. I believe there's greater merit in coming together rather than staying separate. For too long, all of our regions have looked inwards and not outwards."

She paused to look back at me. "Besides, this was technically started by you."

"Me?"

"Yes," Geeta confirmed with a raised brow. "Isn't what you're doing right now in Kanto-Johto and the Kinjoh Area as a whole signaling a new era of change? We're merely fanning the embers that you've started."

"…"

I had no answer for her because I couldn't refute it. Part of my ambitions had been to bring this part of the world closer to the other half, and I'd indeed dreamed of globalization on a grand scale. Everything I was doing were steps towards a new and even more prosperous Indigo. We couldn't stay in the past. We had to walk towards the future.

I just couldn't have imagined that other countries would be willing to reach out to us first.

"…Thanks," I finally said. "I imagine it couldn't have been easy for all of you to get here or even pass your proposals through your respective governments. I'm not Lance, but I truly hope this treaty works out well."

"No thanks is needed," Geeta immediately replied, and she waved a hand through the air in dismissal. "We're all giving and receiving from each other through this treaty."

I smiled wryly. I was a trainer first and foremost and not a politician, but I knew this treaty was going to influence any future agreements. It was going to be up to our Champion, Lance, and the League to navigate those tricky waters when the time came.

"Alright," Geeta announced suddenly, and I blinked out of my thoughts. "Enough political talk. Let us chat about happier things while I'm still here. The others were very determined to come with me, but I had to force them to stay behind for security. Hassel erupted in tears…"

I laughed so hard at that. Classic Hassel.

I had fun talking to Geeta and the others. So much fun, in fact, that when lunch finally drew to a close and we walked outside of the League HQ, I felt a bit sad they were leaving so soon. Around me, everyone prepared to return home to their respective regions and let out their Flying mounts.

While Lance discreetly salivated over a Noivern from afar, I turned to Geeta and the others. One by one, we exchanged farewells with each other as they mounted their fliers.

"See you next time, Arin!"

"Take care of yourself, Mr. Diplomat."

And so on and so forth.

"Thank you for hosting us today here at the Indigo Plateau," Alder formally spoke for the group, and he dipped his head in a friendly nod to Lance and the other Kinjoh Champions. "It was a pleasure getting to meet and talk to you all in person. The future of the Kinjoh Area seems bright. As for Interpol… they'll probably dispatch agents here as soon as possible now that the treaty's been approved. I'd say to expect them in one to three days provided they're able to navigate here well."

"Got it," Lance said with a firm nod of his own head. He waved goodbye to our guests, and I did the same.

Alder and Geeta both offered me final waves.

"See you!" Geeta got out, and then the group disappeared into the skies as one.

I watched them long after they became mere specks and disappeared fully into the clouds.

What a hectic day it had been so far.

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I ignored the slack-jawed stares from pedestrians and frantic clicking of phone cameras as I waited in front of an inn with Steven and Cynthia. It wasn't everyday they saw foreign Champions out and about. I'd accompanied them to pick up the Professors since I wanted to thank them one last time for everything.

I hadn't needed to stay further at the League. Lance was busy sorting through a new load of paperwork as the result of the latest treaty (I felt sorry for him), and I wouldn't be needed unless it was for Rocket or Interpol-related business which was fine with me.

Now, I just had to wait. Rowan and Birch were already out of the inn, but their aides had gone back in to grab the last of their luggage. I shook their hands while we waited.

"Take care, Professors. I'm truly grateful for the work you put in this last month," I said sincerely.

Rowan's normally fierce eyes grew warm as he inclined his head. "We've been through this song and dance already. We're thankful to you for the opportunity."

"Yes, it was quite fun!" Birch chimed in with a huge smile, and he shook my hand vigorously. "Ah, if only I could stay longer… perhaps next time I visit, I'll bring my son with me. He's interested in following my footsteps!"

We only got to chat a little longer before the aides returned with the last of the luggage. Cynthia released her Gallade in preparation for the upcoming Teleport, and I exchanged final pleasantries with her and Steven along the lines of how nice it was to meet them.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to the show by the way. Wallace told me about it," Steven commented as I took a few steps back. I stared at him with confusion as he smiled in amusement. "My father and I will be dropping by."

I only deciphered what Steven was talking about after Cynthia's Gallade Teleported the group away to the airport. I stared at the empty space in front of me with shock.

"The Stones are gonna be at the grand opening?"

…I suddenly felt more nervous than I had in a long time.

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I came back home to see all my gym trainers in the backyard with luggage.

Since the Gym was set to be done tomorrow, Yurie had excitedly asked earlier in the day if they could stay over for the night and do a group camping experience. I'd easily given permission for that since it presented an excellent bonding experience for the employees.

Of course, I would also be camping out in the backyard with them. So would dad, Neil, and the Chester siblings who were interested in hanging out with everyone.

Those of my employees who wanted to use the staff lodgings had brought additional luggage with them aside from sleeping bags and equipment. This group included Haru, Souta, Hazel, and Yurie. Up until now, they'd been living at inns or hotels in the city, but now they would finally have a more permanent residence to live at and store their things in.

Their excitement was honestly more palpable than the rest of the group, but that didn't mean much. Everyone was antsy as the hours bled by and we finished up patrols around town.

All of us were counting down until tomorrow.

Once the sky darkened with soft hues of fading orange and purple, we all started setting up sleeping bags and tents in the backyard. I felt like I was fifteen again and out and camping in the wilds of Galar or Paldea.

For a more authentic experience, I chose a safe spot for a campfire, dug a pit, laid down tinder and kindling over it, and started the fire. Pretty soon we had a nice flame going, and dinner preparations were hastened.

I decided to make some Galarian-style curry using an old recipe I had on hand, so I got started on that with help from my eager employees. I decided to go with Plenty-of-Potato Curry since I had ingredients on hand for that already, plus it was bound to not step on anyone's toes.

I mean, who could hate potatoes, right? They went well with just about everything.

I had to make a quick grocery run once my Pokemon sniffed the air and figured out what I was making. They shared fond memories of Galar with me, and they wanted to re-experience the magic of Galarian-style camping with curry again.

…That meant I suddenly had to make a LOT more portions than I was expecting, but I didn't mind. I ended up making extra portions for the other Pokemon, too.

We ended up eating dinner much later than we'd originally scheduled, but nobody minded. The curry was a hit with everyone, and the pot was emptied after additional servings were doled out.

After dinner came the fun stuff: storytelling and idle chatter as we laid on our sleeping bags under the gentle gaze of shining stars.

I had no idea who suggested it first, but we ended up telling scary stories at one point.

"…the young girl looked around. She couldn't see where her brother had gone," Hazel said somberly. "The shadows were everywhere. Her flashlight was broken, so she could only wander around aimlessly."

Everyone was quiet as they stared at him with anticipation. More than a few people audibly gulped, including Yurie, Haru, and Souta. I was pretty sure I even saw beads of sweat rolling down dad and Murata's foreheads.

"And then?" Kari prompted in a barely audible whisper. "What happened next?"

"She kept walking," Hazel continued without missing a beat. "Deeper and deeper into the forest she went. She wanted to turn around at one point, but then she saw a light."

Souta sucked in his breath. "Did she find her brother?"

Hazel merely smiled and went on. "She was excited. Her brother's flashlight must have still been working, she realized, and she ran forward with a smile. She called out to him and darted past the tree," he said. "And she was right. Her brother was there with his back to her. He greeted her and turned around, but something wasn't right. She stopped and tried to look at him. It was only when he lowered the light he held that she saw it."

Hazel paused meaningfully. I stayed where I was, but everyone else shifted forward in their sleeping bags.

His next words came out as a mere whisper in the wind.

"His eyes were gone. There was only red."

BAM!

High-pitched screams rang out from several different people as a short figure suddenly emerged from the darkness and landed with an audible thump on the ground. Glowing red eyes whipped their gaze one way after another as deranged hissing sounds came from it, and Yurie and Kari both jumped to their feet with wide eyes.

"OH MY ARCEUS—"

"MONSTER!"

I let the hysterical screaming and finger-pointing go on for a few moments before I turned on my flashlight.

The 'monster' was actually just a Morgrem it seemed, and judging by the way Hazel was rolling back and forth on the ground with a shaking frame, he'd somehow bribed the gym Pokemon to be his accomplice for this prank.

I couldn't help but snicker to myself as I saw the scared looks on everyone's faces quickly morph into relief. Dad had grabbed Iris out of fear and held his Bellossom to his chest like some sort of safety charm.

Yurie was the fastest at putting two and two together, and her temper quickly flared as she bent down to grab something.

"Ugh, Haze, YOU ASSHOLE!" Yurie screamed, half in frustration and half in anger.

She threw the closest object she had on hand — which happened to be an extra bottle of water — at the still-dying-of-laughter Hazel. He barely managed to dodge it even as chuckles continued to pour out of him.

"Arceus, you should have seen the look on your faces! So funny," Hazel cackled, and Yurie chucked another harmless object at him.

Laughter escaped my throat, too, as I watched them.

We decided to put a pin into the horror stories after that and talk about ourselves instead. Kari shared funny stories about her brother, and Yulian retaliated by sharing embarrassing stories of his sister.

"Man, must be nice to have siblings," Yurie complained as she hugged a pillow to her chest. I couldn't see her because I was too busy looking up at the night sky, but I thought I detected some melancholy in her voice. "I grew up in a really nice orphanage, but I always wished I had a little brother or sister."

"Aww, Yurie…" I heard Kari trail off. "I can be your sister if you want!"

Yurie giggled. "Kariiiii," she sang. "You're so nice!"

"Hey, don't take my sister!" Yulian warned in a playful voice, and everyone burst into laughter.

"You could have mine," Hazel suggested in a teasing voice. "I love Beryl, but she nags me so much sometimes that it's enough to drive me insane."

"I haven't even met her yet!" Yurie shot back. "You keep bringing her up, but she's like a ghost. Does she even exist?"

"She does," I piped up. "I met her and Haze in town the other day."

"Huh, so she does exist. What does she do?"

"I feel like I've said this a million times already, Yurie. She works as a doctor at a hospital here in Cherrygrove. Sis's Hypno helps her when patients can't sleep at night."

"Oh, that's cool."

"Heh, you think that's cool? Sis has also done a lot of volunteer work in Kanto since she was a teenager. She's the nicest person and doctor ever, period…"

That set off a whole discussion of interesting things people had done over the years that didn't involve Pokemon training. Apparently, Murata had worked as a fisherman for a week, Yurie had assisted with a traveling circus, and Haru had picked up some skills from an electrician he previously ran errands for.

We could have chatted longer, but everyone got tuckered out fairly quickly. Hazel fell asleep the fastest after making several large yawns. That in turn caused a chain reaction where everyone else felt sleepy, and we all got ready for bed.

I ended up being dogpiled by my Pokemon as I went to sleep. Peri and Arya acted as a fluffy pillow and blanket respectively. My smaller Pokemon like Vel, Choux, or Mem piled up on my sleeping bag like stuffed animals, and my other Pokemon cuddled up around me like a fortress of fluff and fur. I'd chosen to unpack my sleeping bag near one of the ponds connected to the nearby river in our backyard. This way, my Water type Pokemon like Brie could be close to me, too.

Just like that, I drifted off to sleep with pleasant dreams of ships and planes traveling around the world in the distant future.

I don't know what time it was the next morning, but it was well ahead of my alarm. I was confident that I woke up the earliest out of everyone. Even with all the Pokemon dogpiled on my sleeping bag that made it a struggle to get out, I still wore a giddy expression.

Construction work on the Cherrygrove Gym had finally completed.