CHAPTER 37

"Got it. See you in two days."

After exchanging final pleasantries, I ended my joint phone call with Wallace and Fantina. I stared at the screen of my phone with a contemplative expression.

Wallace was supposed to put on a solo performance after short opening acts from me and some other hired performers. That was the original plan. Since we'd gotten Fantina on board… plans had been significantly altered.

Now, we were going to have the equivalent of a duel between two Top Coordinators.

Wallace, Fantina, and the other performers I'd hired would arrive in two days for rehearsals. I couldn't wait to see them. Until then, there was a lot to prepare and do. I had to practice for my own opening and closing acts, work out additional security details for the gym's grand opening day (Arceus forbid Team Rocket or poachers launched attacks), make sure we had enough merchandise, and much more.

For now, I could focus on sending invitations.

Yulian had already edited all the posters and sent me revised versions, so I dug through my camera roll for some to use in the digital invites. Embarrassingly enough, I had to scroll past a few prints and posters featuring me before I found what I needed.

My fingers flew across the screen as I began typing and sending out invites to friends and acquaintances alike.

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The last twenty-four hours had been some of the most stressful yet happiest working hours in Lance's admittedly short life.

As expected, the Kanto-Johto government officials had mixed reactions to the new international treaty. There were those who were strongly against it and believed they didn't need outside help, but there were others who were intrigued by the other continent and trading ventures that could arise in the future.

Surprise, surprise. The reactions were essentially split along the line between the conservatives and progressives.

Lance mostly ignored the critics. He would do whatever he needed to do to keep Indigo safe. He had sworn as much when he had taken up his post as Champion, and he would uphold that oath until his dying breath. Allying themselves with the Galovea Continent was the best play at the moment. He would take all the extra help he could get to remove the damned Rockets from Indigo sooner rather than later.

They were slowly rooting out Rocket bases one after the other. Things were going smoothly, but Lance couldn't stop feeling a prickling sensation at the back of his neck whenever he thought about the situation. He tried to trust his instincts whenever possible, and this was one of those times.

They were missing something. Exactly what, he had no idea, but something was afoot.

No matter.

Even if the Rockets attempted to hide, the Indigo League and its newfound allies would find them. Admittedly, he found himself looking forward to the arrival of the Interpol agents much more than he would have thought possible.

News about the treaty with the Galovea Continent had finally hit the public as well. Lance was grateful to the Media Affairs team for providing such excellent articles and photos. People were focusing on the unprecedented treaty with new and foreign governments, and they were successfully distracted from Team Rocket with some semblance of other good news.

Lance smiled to himself. In spite of everything — all the complaints, concerns, and additional work — he felt hopeful for the future.

Everything he'd heard from the foreign dignitaries during their luncheon had been wonderful. To think such places and Pokemon existed elsewhere in the world… it was certainly eye-opening. Just recently Lance had resolved to grow as a person and keep expanding his horizons, and now he was being slammed with new waves of information.

He was looking forward to when the Rocket ordeal was over. (Perhaps he'd take a small vacation of his own to personally go and see new Dragon types, ahem.) He'd have to talk to Arin and see if the man would indulge his requests to hear more about the other side of the world.

Arin Watanuki.

He had already changed his opinion of Arin once before, but he was beginning to shift his evaluation once again. The political worth the Cherrygrove Gym Leader held was by no means small. He knew people high up on the ladder in numerous places. It was honestly astounding, and Lance couldn't have been more grateful to have Arin as an ally within Indigo's borders.

Whether or not Arin leveraged those political connections against him or Indigo was an entirely different matter, but Lance didn't think he would do so. They'd come to an understanding the last time they had a serious discussion. Lance would gladly take Arin as an ally over any of the conniving snakes at the Indigo Plateau.

Bzz.

Lance's personal phone vibrated from its place in his pocket. He was more than happy to set his pen down and finally take a break from all the paperwork. One hand massaged his stiff neck while the other fished out his phone.

Ah, speak of the devil.

There was a text message from Arin. Curious, Lance leaned back in his chair and viewed the message in detail. Arin had sent him a poster and personal invite to the Cherrygrove Gym's grand opening. Was construction finally done?

Then he actually saw what was written on the poster, and Lance did a double take.

Wallace and Fantina had been invited as performers? Foreign Gym Leaders from Hoenn and Sinnoh?

That was certainly one way to bring attention to the Cherrygrove Gym.

Day by day, Arin continued to lob surprises at him one after the other. Lance checked his calendar and schedule just to make sure, but he was free on the day of the grand opening. He studiously ignored how he had piles of paperwork to work through and texted back an affirmative. He couldn't stay cooped up in the office forever, and it would be good publicity for both him and Arin if he showed up to the event.

There was also the concern of an attack by Team Rocket. Judging by an additional note from Arin asking if the League could spare any security guards, he probably had similar concerns.

He was in the middle of figuring out what forces he could temporarily allocate to the Cherrygrove Gym when his office phone buzzed. He reached out across the table and pressed a button near the bottom of the phone.

"Champion Lance, you have a visitor," his head secretary informed him through the speaker.

Lance's brows furrowed. He'd explicitly told his secretaries that he wasn't accepting any visitors that day, much less people without appointments. His brows only knitted further together when his employee hesitated.

"It's Hiromasa Naobu from the Blackthorn Clan."

Lance almost crumpled the document he held. He hadn't spoken to the Eldest in quite some time.

Not since he'd essentially walked out of a Clan meeting and away from the Blackthorn Clan.

Given recent events and the timing of the Eldest's unannounced visit, Lance had a very good feeling about what he was here for. He briefly entertained the idea of turning the man away, but that would likely cause more trouble than it was worth.

Lance took a moment to sigh and rub his temples.

"Let him in," he finally said.

He pushed aside all documents and waited for the Eldest's arrival. As Lance's eyes wandered across his desk, he experienced a moment of clarity and started putting away any heavy objects like mugs and paperweights.

He cleared his desk of any objects that could be picked up and thrown just in case.

Hiromasa had a habit of throwing things when he got truly angry. Lance doubted he would do so in the Champion's office of all places and risk getting arrested for assault, but it never hurt to be on the safe side.

Lance had just closed a drawer when the doors opened. His secretary bowed to him as the Eldest walked in with a cane in hand. Lance already didn't like the sour expression on the other man's face.

The Eldest didn't take a seat.

As soon as the secretary shut the doors behind them for privacy, the Eldest marched up to Lance's desk and stared down at him with absolute fury.

"How dare you," he ground out in a gravelly voice. "Are you out of your mind? You're letting foreign entities in on Indigo affairs! What's more, you're giving Arin Watanuki a role far too grand for someone of his position!"

Just as he'd expected, the Eldest was here to complain about the newest treaty and Arin's role in all of it.

And by all the Legends above and below, that made Lance incredibly frustrated.

Lance eyed the Eldest's twitching hand. Perhaps it was a good thing he'd removed all hazardous objects in advance after all. He calmly clasped his own hands together on his lap and leaned back in his seat.

Once upon a time, he would not have dared to talk back to the Eldest, but that time had long gone and passed.

"How dare I?" Lance scoffed. The Eldest bristled, but he went on without a care. "I'm the Champion of Indigo, and I've decided that this is a necessary course the country needs to take. Any help that is offered to us, I will welcome it with open arms."

"Johto does not need help, we are capable of handling things on our own—"

"Team Rocket is not to be taken lightly," Lance interrupted in a biting tone. He and the Eldest glared at each other. "We will get rid of them, and we will do so thoroughly. There can be no room for error, not when Indigo's already suffered so much in the past."

"There's still no reason for us to rely on outsiders," Hiromasa hissed. "The Clans will get together once again to repel them. We'll…"

On and on the Eldest ranted about how the nation was perfectly equipped to deal with the threat of Team Rocket, but Lance was only half-listening. He was disappointed with the Eldest. Was he so blinded by power and the illusion of strength that he was willing to put Indigo's security at risk? Could he not see the merits of having allies to rely on in troubling times and the other boons it could bring Indigo in the near future?

Ah. Realization dawned on Lance the more he stared at the Eldest's livid expression. The real reason why he was so agitated…

"You're scared," he mused out loud.

It became deathly silent in his office as the Eldest halted in his rant.

"Excuse me?" the man all but spat out.

Lance nodded more to himself than to his unwelcome guest. He'd hit the so-called nail on the head.

"You're scared," he repeated with a serious expression, "of foreign powers taking away the influence of the Blackthorn Clan, aren't you? You don't know how our Clan will fare on the world stage."

Because, Lance thought to himself, the Elders had always been that way. They clung to power within Kanto-Johto and constantly sought to establish themselves as an untouchable Clan. They were happy if they could rule from the safety of their City.

But when new powers emerged from beyond their borders? When they posed a threat to the absolute authority and admiration the venerable Blackthorns enjoyed?

It rattled them.

They were scared of change, and they had enjoyed their power without challenge for far too long.

Just like with the Fairy type, just like with Arin— again, they were trying to blindly push away the threats rather than simply trying to better themselves and overcome them.

That was not the true way of the Blackthorns.

A dull but loud thud rang out as the Eldest slammed his cane against the rug.

"Watch your mouth," Hiromasa growled. "It seems you've lost all respect for your elders. You do not understand the dangers these outsiders present—"

"I assure you, just because I agreed to a treaty does not mean I am not exercising caution around these foreign powers. But we cannot stay separated forever. Better to begin some form of interaction now then—"

"We do not need to change. Johto is fine the way it is."

"Perhaps, but I will not settle for fine," Lance countered sharply. "I wish to see Indigo become the best it could be. And in my vision, we eventually connect with the rest of the world."

The Eldest's hand flew up. Lance thought he was going to get slapped, but the Eldest merely adjusted his robes instead. His whole frame shook with fury.

"Why are you so set on this?" the Eldest asked instead of the scathing insults Lance expected. "Have you forgotten your roots? How the Clan has supported you until now?"

"I'll always be grateful," Lance replied, and he dipped his head in the smallest of nods. "But you cannot hold those above my head and force me to do your bidding. I became Champion not for our clan but for the country. I look out for Indigo first and foremost."

This answer greatly dissatisfied the Eldest. His lips curled back in the beginnings of a snarl.

"You're treading a thin line, Lance. I could remove you from the Blackthorn Clan," the Eldest warned.

Instead of inspiring fear or anxiety, those words made him angrier.

"So are you," Lance said coldly in response. "I've tolerated your disrespect until now, but I am the Champion of this country. Your threat means nothing to me. Remove or banish me if you want, I don't care."

It felt liberating to say this, all of this. He'd kept his head down like the rest of the Blackthorn Clan and followed the will of the Elders, but he should have stopped that sooner. He was his own person, and the Elders were not always right. His and their ideals were growing further and further apart. Their priority was the Clan and its prosperity rather than the country they lived in.

Tension reached an all-time high in the room as Lance and the Eldest glared at each other. Without a word, the Blackthorn Elder eventually turned around and stalked away.

Lance slumped forward as soon as the man left and slammed the doors behind him.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Seeing as how the Eldest hadn't screamed anything to his face, he supposed he was still a part of the Clan. For fuck's sake… there were more important things to worry about, but the Eldest was more preoccupied about maintaining power rather than cleaning out filth from Indigo's borders. It was mind-boggling.

He couldn't help but click his tongue with annoyance when he checked the clock. He'd wasted time on a ridiculous argument that hadn't even yielded useful results.

The Elders were starting to grate on his nerves. As he thought about the Clan, though, he couldn't help but think about his cousin.

He hadn't personally talked to Clair since that last Clan meeting. Every time he tried, she brushed him off and walked away. He would keep trying, though. He cared for his cousin, and he didn't want her to stagnate like the rest of the Clan. Hopefully she brought herself back to her own senses without his help, but that was a wishful thought.

Lance didn't want their relationship to deteriorate like Lorelei and Pryce's had.

Now, though, he really needed to get back to work. If he wanted to attend that grand opening on the weekend, then it was best to finish as much work as possible ahead of time—

His office phone buzzed again, this time with an incoming call. Lance groaned.

"What now?" he muttered.

He checked his office phone and snapped wide awake in a second. Champion Diantha of Kalos was calling him. Was there some sort of problem?

He picked up instantly and held the phone to his ear. A melodious voice with a unique accent spoke.

"Hello, Champion Lance. This is Diantha Carne speaking. I'd like to ask if you could allow…"

A few minutes later, Lance set his phone back onto its rightful place.

Well, that conversation had gone much differently than he thought it would. He had more reason than ever to finish his work now. He was going to be spending more time at the Cherrygrove Gym's grand opening than he originally planned—

The phone rang again.

Lance looked at the caller ID. This time, Kukui was calling him. He picked up the phone and held it to his ear once more.

A conversation similar to the one he'd just held with Diantha took place, and Lance set down the phone with raised brows once he was done talking with Kukui. The weekend was looking to be a very… chaotic time.

Somehow, Lance was not surprised when the phone rang three more times. Champions Alder, Leon, and Geeta requested similar permissions from him. By the end of it all, Lance drilled holes into his office phone from his intense gaze alone.

Had they all timed it on purpose? They had to have, right?

All Lance knew for sure was that he was going to be spending the whole day at the grand opening now. There were people to meet, greet, and become acquainted with. He rolled his shoulders and picked up his pen again, returning to his paperwork with renewed vigor.

There was a little voice inside of his head that told him to warn Arin in advance, but he waved it away with a mischievous smile.

Arin was always surprising him. Wasn't he allowed a chance to surprise the Gym Leader instead?

A chuckle escaped Lance as he scribbled away at a document.

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Everyone I personally invited to the Cherrygrove Gym's grand opening responded before the day was over.

I'd sent out invitations to Mayor Sotheby, Morty, Jasmine, and the other Indigo Gym Leaders and Elite Four. Even though I hadn't interacted with a lot of them before, especially the Kanto Gym Leaders, I extended invites anyway out of courtesy.

Most of them gave positive replies, but there were a handful who couldn't make it. For example, Brock was going on a family trip with his siblings, and Chuck was on a rare vacation with his wife. Much to no surprise on my part, three of the Johto Gym Leaders — Falkner, Clair, and Pryce — politely declined my invitation as well.

It would have been a lie to say I would miss them, but I did regret the lost opportunity to at least attempt interacting with them. That, and I had wanted to show off the skill of the Blossom Hall construction company.

There was some ruckus at one point as the news about the treaty — and by extension, me — finally hit the Pokenet. I'd talked briefly about my travels across the world before, but the gym trainers all had questions for me about what the various leaders were like.

"Wait," Neil froze in place as he and the others were pestering me. "That display case in your house's living room. Don't tell me those are all badges from the other regions?"

"Yes? Did I not mention it before?"

"No?!"

Things were lively after that for a long time. Dad was missing at one point which made me concerned, but he came back with a newspaper in hand. Apparently he'd rushed out to get a copy of the news.

I didn't comment when I saw him sit in a corner and cut out some text and a picture of me from the featured article, but I wondered if he was still keeping up his scrapbook hobby. Ever since I was a kid, he'd kept family scrapbooks.

On the preparation side of things, that front was steadily progressing. For now, I was having my gym trainers and the rest of the new employees memorize the layout of the Gym and its surroundings. They would need to know this going forward for security reasons.

Before sleeping that night, I made sure to remind dad about our hospital visit tomorrow.

I didn't see the complicated, far-off look he directed at my back as I headed to my room.

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First thing in the morning, I accompanied dad to Cherrygrove's largest health institution: Solaris Hospital.

The city had a number of smaller clinics that practiced acupuncture, herbalism, and other forms of traditional medicine, but Solaris was the best and most modern health center Cherrygrove had to offer. Today, dad had an appointment there with Dr. Monzen. Our old family doctor had retired and passed away sometime during the decade I'd been gone.

Like every other time we'd gone to visit the hospital, dad disguised his face with a dark cap, shades, and a face mask. He was adamant about not letting the townspeople find out about his illness, but he stood out like a sore thumb with his incredibly conspicuous appearance. Plus, with me at his side, people were bound to figure it out eventually.

Still, that didn't stop dad from trying to keep his secret. He even scheduled the earliest appointment he could and made us go through one of the hospital's side entrances just to avoid being seen by anyone.

Quickly, we swept through long corridors bustling with staff members. Lights bounced off the polished linoleum floors as we walked past rows of doors that led to hospital wards or separate branches.

By the time we finally reached Dr. Monzen's office, the smell of disinfectants had long breached my nose and clung to my clothing.

"Welcome. Please have a seat," the doctor greeted with a smile as the doors closed behind us.

Dr. Monzen was a heavyset man with eyes as dark as coal, but he had a surprisingly higher-pitched voice than one would expect from someone of his build. He stood up from his desk and gestured to the chairs in front of him. Dad took the one directly in front of him, and I sat to his left.

We didn't waste any time. Dr. Monzen ran a few beginning tests like measuring dad's blood pressure. Once that was over, dad went right into explaining what had happened the day before while Dr. Monzen listened with a serious expression. My hands tightly gripped my knees.

Contrary to my expectations, Dr. Monzen didn't have any 'bad' news for us.

"It's nothing to worry about," he assured us once dad had finished recounting his experience. I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. "I know it's unpleasant to think about, and forgive me for the reminder, but… like I mentioned in our previous meeting, there will be a gradual increase in tremors and headaches over the course of…"

One thorough discussion later, I took away several major points from what he said.

What dad had experienced was normal… or at least within expectations of what he would experience as his illness got to later and later stages. Dad's symptoms would grow worse over time to reflect his deteriorating state of health. Dr. Monzen made sure to describe what these symptoms would look like and reminded us of which medications to take. On top of that, he prescribed new medicines that dad would need now that the illness was steadily progressing.

He even had a long talk with dad in private about how he was faring emotionally. I left the room for that since dad requested it of me and came back in when they were done.

Dad's eyes weren't moist nor were they red-rimmed, but the rigid way his jaw was set clued me in on his distress.

We left Dr. Monzen's office shortly after. Neither of us said anything as we trudged down the hall to the in-house pharmacy. It was only when we went down a flight of stairs that I finally spoke.

"Dad… be honest with me. How do you feel about all of… this?" I hesitantly asked.

Arceus. It was so difficult broaching this sensitive topic with dad.

These last few months had been full of work regarding the Cherrygrove Gym or just spending time with each other. We'd been tiptoeing around or otherwise ignoring the subject of his illness until now, but it was high time we actually talked about it in more detail.

I stopped in place, but dad kept walking. His steady stride didn't falter.

"It can't be helped," he said calmly in response. "I've got to make use of the time I have left."

What?

Something about his calm tone infuriated me. Before I knew it, I'd marched forward and stopped directly in front of dad, blocking his path. I stared at him with an incredulous expression.

"That's it?" I asked in disbelief. "Why are you being so nonchalant about all of this? This is your life we're talking about here."

Dad didn't give a verbal response and hung his head.

He took a diagonal step forward, but I blocked him off with a frown. I did so again when he tried taking a step the other way. Realizing I wasn't going to move any time soon, dad finally gave a long sigh. His shoulders visibly sagged with exhaustion.

"What do you want me to say, Arin?" he asked quietly. He finally looked up from the ground, and it was now I saw the look of sheer defeat in his eyes. "What is there to even do? I've made my peace with it."

A lump formed in my throat. I barely managed to swallow it and speak my next words.

"But have you really?"

Dad stared at me. I couldn't see my own face, but I was sure a mixture of desperation and frustration was reflected there.

"Yesterday, earlier today, and even now… to me, it feels like you keep sidestepping this issue," I said, and I pressed on. "That you're just pretending to be okay. Stop bottling up your emotions."

I clenched a fist at my side.

"You being so calm about all of this makes me angry. Really angry," I admitted. "I… I don't want you to die."

That admission from me lingered in the air. Dad's hands twitched at his sides as if he didn't know what to do with them. Across his face, conflicted emotions flowed and morphed between a grimace and some expression that I couldn't quite place.

I didn't want dad to die. Of course I didn't. Not when he was the only blood relative I had left. Not when we had a whole decade to make up for and the rest of our lives to live out.

Putting aside the issue of a cure, it bothered me to see dad bottling up his emotions. Even if he was trying to put on a brave front for both our sakes, it wasn't healthy. Rather than keeping everything to himself, I wanted to hear how he truly felt.

"Just tell me one thing," I said quietly.

I looked dad in the eye.

"You want to live, right?"

He didn't say anything for a long time. I waited patiently.

After what felt like an eternity, dad finally took a deep, tremulous breath. He whispered just two words.

"I do."

I heard the distant sounds of clattering carts or the thumping of shoes as people walked back and forth on the floor above us, but I paid them no attention. I simply walked forward and pulled dad in for a wordless, one-armed hug. He placed a single hand on my back.

The weight of that hand felt incredibly small and frail.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean to sound so pushy. It's just…"

"I know, son," Dad replied in the faintest murmur. "You care about me, and I appreciate it." He was quiet for a moment, and then a long sigh drew itself from his throat. "After finally admitting it out loud, I should be more honest now, shouldn't I? I wish I had more time."

Something in my chest tightened.

"I'll look into cures," I said out loud. I let go of dad and took a step back, looking at him with determination. "There might not be one in the Kinjoh Area, but maybe elsewhere in the world other countries will have potential treatments."

I'd make use of all the connections I had to dig up leads. Medical technology varied widely by region. I didn't want to get dad's or my own hopes up, but it was worth looking into.

At the very least, I didn't want to give up without doing anything.

Dad tried not to look too interested, but I saw hope flicker for the briefest of seconds in his eyes. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. I wondered if he was going to tell me to temper my expectations, but eventually he gave a single nod.

"Okay," he said in a hoarse voice.

That was all I needed to hear.

Dad had told me he wanted to live, and by Arceus, I was going to help him achieve that.

Finding a cure to an incurable illness was not going to magically happen at the snap of a finger, and it didn't help that we didn't have a lot of time on our side either. Following what dad had told me long ago, he had about… a year and some months left now, provided no major complications arose in the process.

That was all the time we had. Our time limit.

If medical technology wasn't the answer, I'd have to look into more unconventional methods. For now, I'd go through potential solutions one by one.

We started heading down the stairs again, this time with chests that were simultaneously lighter and heavier at the same time. I rambled on about various herbal medicines dad could take in the meantime to supplement his health. There were quite a few Fairy type Pokemon who could contribute to healthcare. Among those were Flabebe and Comfey for the healing oils and flowers they could produce. I was drawing off of treatments used primarily in Alola, and I would have to inquire with traditional clinics and herbalists later, but everything at my arsenal would be used to help dad extend his life as long as possible while we looked into something more permanent.

I would make sure of it.

The pharmacy we were heading to was on the first floor. When we got there, there was a noticeable increase in the number of visitors compared to when we'd first arrived at the hospital. Dad split up from me to grab his prescriptions while I waited near one of the exits.

I had just finished texting various medical inquiries to acquaintances in other regions when someone approached me.

"Oh, Leader Arin? I didn't expect to see you here," a female voice spoke.

I didn't recognize that voice, but I did recognize the person when I looked up. A familiar blue-haired woman stood in front of me with a gentle smile. There was a Hypno standing next to her side. This was my second time meeting this woman.

Beryl, Hazel's sister.

"Pleasure meeting you again, Dr. McMillon," I said. I decided to address her by her formal title seeing as I was at her workplace, and we briefly shook hands.

"I was passing by on my break and thought I recognized you. What brings you here today if I might ask?" Beryl asked curiously. Her eyes widened a fraction. "Is everything okay?"

It wasn't my place to talk about dad's illness when he was trying so hard to keep it to relevant parties only. I gave a small shrug of my shoulders instead.

"Everything's fine," I said smoothly. I racked my brain for ideas of where to steer this conversation and stumbled upon a decent idea. "Would you happen to know any reputable herbalists or traditional clinics? I'd like to discuss traditional medicine with them."

"Oh." Beryl blinked a few times. "Hmm… Hypno, dear? Do you recall any?"

She turned to her Pokemon. A few moments passed of them communicating telepathically before Beryl turned back to me. She offered an embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry, I don't personally have any close friends in those fields, but there are a few clinics I could recommend that Hypno's heard good things about," she replied. "Shall I list them for you?"

I appreciated that she wasn't asking about why and nodded.

"That would be great, thank you."

A minute later, I had a new note on my phone with names of clinics worth reaching out to. There weren't a lot, but it was better than nothing from this unexpected conversation. Beryl had to say goodbye when a nurse came by and asked for her Hypno's assistance. She said she would ask some coworkers and pass word about other clinics through her brother later, something I greatly appreciated. She was as nice as Hazel had said.

I waved at their retreating backs as dad came up to me with bags of medicine in hand.

"Hmm? Did you meet someone?" Dad asked.

"Haze's sister," I supplied. The two of us started heading out of the hospital. We were both more than ready to go home. "She's a doctor here…"

As soon as we got back to the Gym, I made sure dad took his medication since it was around that time and stuck one of our Chansey to his side like glue. I had half a mind to assign a second Chansey to him from now on but decided against it after dad gave me a certain look.

Up the stairs I went to the second floor. Preparations were in full swing for the grand opening. I saw my gym trainers carrying boxes back and forth of newly-ordered merchandise and others holding freshly-printed pamphlets. Some of my Pokemon like Vel, Grima, or Silque were helping them.

"Arin, have you seen Haru and Haze?" Yurie called out on her way past. She threw a glance over her shoulder as she held a bag full of miscellaneous items. "Haru is hardworking, so maybe he got lost. Haze on the other hand… I told him to grab some boxes for me, but he hasn't come back yet. Lazy bum!"

I shook my head with a chuckle. "No, but let me find them."

Haru was easy to find. Sure enough, he'd gotten lost in the maze of stairs and rooms connected to the watchtowers outside. He apologized profusely even though I told him it was fine.

I looked in a few different rooms after that, but Hazel wasn't on the second floor. He wasn't on the first floor either. So, I sidestepped people moving things around and went all the way up to the third floor.

I found Hazel fast asleep on a couch in the middle of the hallway. There were two boxes at his side, and his head had rolled back onto the couch as he peacefully slumbered. The soothing tick-tock of a grandfather clock was the only sound on this quiet floor. The pendulum swung back and forth as I went over and gently shook Hazel awake.

"Rise and shine, Haze. We've got work left to do," I said with muffled laughter.

Hazel's glasses nearly slipped off his nose as he jerked awake. He blinked furiously a few times, first at his surroundings, then the boxes laying at his side, then the huge clock in his face, and finally at me.

He blanched.

"S-SORRY!" he blurted out, and he scrambled to his feet. One hand hurriedly pushed his glasses further up his nose as he picked up the boxes. "I didn't mean to doze off! Ah, shit, Yurie told me to move some boxes from here to the second floor… I was just going to take a quick rest. I must have been more tired than I thought."

He looked so genuinely apologetic that it was difficult to admonish him. I couldn't really blame him anyway, the couches up on the higher levels were all made of high-quality material and quite comfortable.

I'd admittedly been close to dozing off a few times before myself when resting on them.

"It's fine," I said, and I laughed a bit as I patted Hazel's shoulder. My smiling expression seemed to put him at ease because his shoulders immediately dropped. "Try not to do this during the League Circuit season though, yeah?"

Hazel nodded vigorously, but another laugh escaped me when he gave a big yawn halfway. His face flushed bright red with embarrassment as he followed me back down the stairs.

"Sorry. I've been so tired lately," he apologized again. "Oh! Not because of being overworked or anything, I promise—"

A loud voice interrupted him.

"HAZE! THERE YOU ARE!"

Yurie dashed over to meet us at the foot of the stairs. She grabbed one of the boxes Hazel was carrying and jerked her head in the opposite direction.

"We've been waiting for you to bring these boxes since forever! We have to count the inventory!" Yurie said a huff. She didn't sound nearly as mad as she looked, and she playfully kicked Hazel's foot. "Come on, let's go. Sorry about this, Arin."

Hazel whispered another apology to me as he followed after her.

"So where were you anyway? Slacking off?"

"Um…"

"…"

I shook my head fondly as I watched them. It was nice to see them getting along. As I went back down to the battle hall to practice with my Pokemon, I couldn't help but think that perhaps we needed a map of the Gym to prevent anyone else from getting lost in the future.

So many things to do.

----------------------------------------

Time pressed onwards as we busied ourselves with preparations. Before we knew it, the next day was upon us.

I waited with much anticipation by the Cherrygrove Gym's moat.

It was the day before our grand opening, and we had rehearsals to get to. Most of the performers had already arrived and were waiting inside the Gym's battle hall. Any minute now, the last two guests were due to arrive—

"Hello!"

"Good morning!"

Two very familiar voices rang out in unison as flashes of mint and violet temporarily flooded my vision. I wore a huge smile as I strode forward to greet the figures that had appeared via Teleport. Behind them, a Kadabra wearing a bandana with the words Goldenrod's Finest Teleport Service disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Wallace and Fantina were here at last.