CHAPTER 4

I woke up two minutes before my usual seven o'clock alarm went off. For a couple seconds, I wondered why I was in my old room in Johto. Then the events of the last day came back to me in full.

Arceus, so much had happened in the span of less than twenty-four hours. It was a wonder my mind was still functioning.

Vel woke up almost right after I did, which didn't surprise me. Me and my Pokemon were pretty much able to wake up around the same time everyday for our morning routines after so many years. I was quiet getting ready since I assumed dad was pretty tired from last night's events. I was, too, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

At one point, I glanced at the pile of papers on my desk. I'd think about it later. With Vel leading the way, we slipped outside to the backyard.

I hadn't gotten a good look the night before due to how dark it had been by then, but now I could properly see the land our family owned. Even as a kid, it had seemed like an endless sea to me.

It still did.

Our family owned a huge amount of land around the Cherrygrove Gym, particularly in the back by the forest. The ancestor who had founded the Gym hadn't been from a particularly noble family like some of the other famed clans in Johto, but he had been extremely wealthy. He pooled together his original wealth along with the money he got from the war to buy a lot of the land around the Gym.

There was a field of grass that stretched for miles and miles behind the house, enough to be worthy of being called a reserve or sanctuary. Various kinds of trees grew in small sections while flowering bushes and vibrant flowers bloomed as far as the eye could see. To the west, a river snaked through the land and flowed downstream to the ocean connected to the city. There were also ponds here and there that my great-grandparents had apparently made and added. One of them was big enough that it had a gazebo over it. I used to escape there sometimes to clear my head after an argument with dad.

A short way down from the house was a cleared field of dirt used for training. Several mossy boulders were strewn across it. I saw that the rest of my team had beaten me there, waiting for me expectantly.

I grinned and walked toward them with Vel. They'd sure gotten familiar with the backyard real quick.

"Light jogging first to warm up the muscles, then we'll break off into short spars and individual training," I said immediately once I'd gotten closer. I received a chorus of enthusiastic agreement and used that as the signal to take off, my Pokemon doing the same.

Running in the morning was always nice, more so in an environment as nice as our current one. I could tell my Pokemon enjoyed the floral change in scenery as much as I did, if not more. On our last lap around the field, Grima put on a sudden burst of speed and slid into first, much to the annoyance of Peri. The Togekiss glared at the smirking Grimmsnarl and told him off for the unnecessary show. Grima just shrugged, grinning as he told his companion to fly faster next time. They immediately started arguing with some of my other Pokemon chiming in that it wasn't a race.

I rolled my eyes as I watched them all bicker. No matter the time and place, my Pokemon always found a way to make things chaotic. "Alright guys, let's finish up our morning routine. If you bicker any longer we're gonna have less time to explore the city's beach later."

That made them stop almost immediately, and they quickly split up into pairs. I could practically feel the excitement rolling off of them. I grinned. They were just as interested in touring my hometown as I was. I had avoided talking about my dad too often in the past, but I had regaled them with plenty of fond stories and descriptions about where I grew up.

The rest of the training session passed quickly. Breakfast was all but scarfed down. At the end, my Pokemon all came up to me with glittering eyes. I barked out a laugh.

"Alright, alright. Let's take a scenic walk, shall we?"

After shooting a quick text message to dad letting him know what I'd be doing, I led the way towards the beach.

If anyone had seen me, they might have blanched at what would looked like a small army of Pokemon following closely behind me.

Yes, my team was nineteen members strong. Granted, two of them weren't Fairy types (Arya, my Altaria, and Audi, my Audino, didn't count because of their Mega Evolutions) and one wasn't an Elite tier like the rest of my team due to not battling much, but I loved each and every one of them.

Trainers could only deploy six Pokemon at most for a standard, League-officiated battle. They could own more than six as long as the surplus were being cared for at a reserve or other safe place, but to be able to actively carry more than six of them meant passing some very strict requirements.

One was obtaining a set of eight badges from major gyms of any region with an official League. Another was passing a test that included a written exam on Pokemon care as well as an interview and examination with the Trainer and their Pokemon. Lastly, they had to obtain a recommendation from either a regional Professor or a high-ranking League official who could vouch for the Trainer's ability to handle more Pokemon.

All of this was meant to ensure that only proper Trainers would have the privilege of carrying more than six Pokemon with them. Pokemon could not be kept for too long in their Pokeballs. Past a certain point, it became unhealthy for them, which was why it was advised to regularly let them out to ensure healthy minds and bodies. Only the most experienced of Trainers could handle raising and caring for teams larger than the normal maximum.

Before the War of Ashes, when cities, towns, and the League were not as developed as they were today, the six Pokemon rule didn't exist yet. It had apparently been the norm for all trainers to carry much larger teams of Pokemon with them as they traveled. This was because the wilds and the untamed Pokemon within them had been much more dangerous then. They still were today, but now we had more information about them and Rangers who could help patrol.

I continued leading my band of Pokemon south. There were restrictions on how many Pokemon you could have outside in a public setting at once, but it'd be fine for me to have everyone out up until the city's edge. We owned most of the land surrounding the Gym, plus I figured there would hardly be any residents up this early on a weekend.

It was nostalgic, really, taking the same path I'd walked along many times as a child. From our house to the back of the Gym was a short five-minute walk. I led everyone to the front of the building so they could look at it, though I wish I could have shown them what it looked like in its heyday. They were still impressed anyway.

We walked through the surrounding gardens on our way to the beach which my Pokemon also appreciated, one much more so than the others. A small pink bee buzzed happily and flew almost frantically around our heads. I smiled up at the Cutiefly. If we weren't heading somewhere, I was pretty sure Cally would have stuck around to drink a ton of nectar.

Now I regretted not bringing Filore with me as she would have loved seeing this, too. She was a Florges under my ownership but not a part of my main team. She preferred tending to the flowers around the house in Paldea over battling.

Finally leaving the gardens behind, we continued taking the main path down from the Gym. Eventually it sloped west towards our destination: the beach.

It wasn't as magnificent as the beaches found in Olivine or Cianwood, but it was still a place I was very fond of. Glittering pale sands stretched out towards the water with small seashells dotting its surface in intervals. Some Krabby scuttled along the shore line, and I think I saw a Wooper dive down into the water on the far end. Here, the scent of the ocean breeze mixed with that of sweet flowers in the distance, creating a delightfully soothing combination.

It was nice to be back here after so long.

I ambled forward with a wide grin on my face, my Pokemon following after me, and plopped myself down a few feet away from the water's edge. In the early morning, the view from the beach was especially beautiful. I was content to just watch the horizon while my Pokemon had fun around me.

Off to the side, I saw Yuno, Zuzu the Azumarill, and Brie, my Lapras, swimming yards out while Vel sat on the sand and cautiously poked the water with the tip of his feeler. Cally rested on his head. Zuri, Peri, Arya, and Fizz, my Fezandipiti, flew lazy circles in the sky above them. Fizz was the latest addition to my family after a certain incident on a trip to Kitakami. That… was a whole other story.

Choux, my Dachsbun, was laying on his stomach on the sand, legs sprawled out around him as he wore a content expression. My Scream Tail, Lico, had piled sand over Choux's body and was gleefully molding it now into some sort of shape… a mermaid's body? Freya, my Alolan Ninetales, and Fia, my Flutter Mane, watched Lico work on his masterpiece, offering input now and then. I was so proud of how far Lico and Fia had come since first meeting them in Area Zero a few years ago. They used to be so unfriendly and more than a little savage, but they'd mellowed out significantly since then.

In the distance, I made out Willow, my Mawile, showing off his gaping jaws to a group of wild Krabby. Next to him, Grima shook his head and wagged a disapproving finger. He smirked and flexed his arms, starting a competition where they tried to impress their audience more. Audi clapped her hands and cheered them on while Silque, my Hatterene, rolled her eyes at the showboating. Taffy, my Wigglytuff, giggled as he merrily splashed around in the water close by.

I felt something nudge my leg and glanced down. It was Mem. The tiny Mimikyu floated up onto my shoulder and swayed from side to side, his yellow cloth tickling the side of my neck. Today he was wearing one with tiny blue hearts I'd sewn onto the fabric. He had more than a dozen different rags with varying patterns and colors I'd made for him that he liked to cycle through. Mem made a strange screeching sound I'd long since gotten used to and verbalized how pretty the view was.

"It is, isn't it?" I murmured, reaching up idly to pat Mem's head. As he hopped a bit in joy, I stared out at the horizon.

How many times had I sat on these shores before as a child and looked out over the ocean like this?

Too many times to count, it seemed. I always came here whenever I needed to think. But now wasn't a time for reminiscing about my childhood. Now, it was time to finally, really think about those damn papers.

First, there was no way in hell I was relinquishing the Gym back to the League to pass off to someone else. The Cherrygrove Gym was our Gym. It had been in the family for generations, and I despised the League's attitude toward minor gyms enough that I didn't trust them to do a good enough job with it.

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Similarly, the option of demolishing it like dad had so nonchalantly mentioned was completely off the table. The gym had too much history and too much hard work put into it. I still couldn't believe dad had put that option there, but I guess he had just been trying to drive home the point that it was my responsibility now and that I could do whatever I wanted.

There was also the choice of simply leaving the Gym there and letting it slowly fade into obscurity, but I found that… sad. The idea of abandoning it just didn't sit right with me, especially when memories of dad toiling away day and night to improve it flashed through my mind.

That did leave me with one last option.

I could take over as the next—

I rapidly shook my head, almost startling Mem into floating right off my shoulder. He tilted his head in confusion as I bit my lip.

No. I wasn't even going to finish that thought. It wasn't a possibility worth entertaining. It just… wouldn't work.

"I came here thinking I'd figure it all out, but somehow I'm more confused than ever," I muttered out loud. A long sigh dragged itself out of me, and Mem chittered in my ear telling me to cheer up.

I donned a tired smile and gave him another pat on the head. The Mimikyu beamed before hopping off my shoulder and wandering off to go play with some of the other Pokemon. Vel took that chance to trot up to me with a knowing expression. Even without using his feelers, he knew me well enough to know what I was brooding over.

"What do you think, Vel? What should I do with the Gym?" I sighed again, deciding to ask my oldest companion what he thought.

A moment of silence passed, and then Vel tapped me in the arm insistently. He pointed with a feeler to somewhere out in the ocean by the cliffside. There was a place he wanted me to go. Now.

I couldn't remember for the life of me what was over there, but I nodded slowly. "Uh… okay. Let's go."

I whistled to catch the attention of the closest transport Pokemon to me, which happened to be Arya. The Altaria swooped down in front of us gracefully and chirped a greeting. I explained to her that we needed a ride, and after Vel and I got on her back, she took off towards the ocean.

The place Vel wanted to take me to was closer than it had originally seemed. Only two minutes into our leisurely flight, Vel suddenly told Arya to bank down and land below. I followed where his feeler was pointing to and felt my eyes widen.

The place he indicated was a small hidden strip of grassy land between the trees on top of the cliffside. A small shore pressed up against the rocky base way below. As soon as Arya alighted on the grass, Vel jumped off immediately and trotted away. I got off Arya's back more slowly, eyes still wide with realization as I gazed around me.

"This is…" I trailed off, whispering. I'd been here before. A memory was tugging at the back of my mind, but I couldn't quite grasp it.

Vel barked to get my attention. I glanced over and saw that he was waiting at the base of a tree just up ahead. I jogged forward to meet him with Arya flying along after me.

"Vel, what's—" I started to ask, but I stopped when Vel suddenly started to use Dig at the base of the tree. Not a full-on Dig, but he channeled enough Ground type energy to quickly scoop out the earth. Within seconds, he had dug far enough that he was satisfied and got out of the small hole he'd made. One of his feelers shot down into the hole and came back up with something wrapped in it. A brown box.

A very familiar box.

Vel shook it vigorously a few times to get rid of much of the dirt before presenting it to me. He asked me if I remembered now.

"I…" My brows knitted in concentration as I took the box from him, eyes wandering over its weathered surface. Arya peered over my shoulder. With much curiosity, I opened the box.

There was only one thing inside: a small green journal. The initials 'A.W.' decorated the front cover.

As soon as I saw it, that memory I couldn't quite grasp before came back to me.

"This is my journal," I realized out loud. Vel nodded in satisfaction, happy that I'd gotten it right.

I recalled everything now. When I was younger, I had randomly thought how cool it would be to do a time capsule. I somehow convinced a wild Pidgeot to help me find a secret spot, and this was where he had taken me and Vel to. It had been the passing whim of a child. That was the only time I'd come here, and I'd forgotten about it soon after.

This was what Vel had wanted to show me?

I sat down on the grass with a loud thump and gingerly lifted the journal out of the box, setting the container aside. Vel and Arya huddled on either side of me. Without further ado, I opened the book and began to flip through the pages.

Most of it contained entries like how much fun I'd had playing with the wild Pokemon, or things I wanted to do during the weekends in town, that kind of ordinary stuff. There were even some drawings I'd included of Pokemon sketches. Vel smiled when he saw one I'd made of him as an Eevee. A poor lookalike, but he appreciated the effort.

I was halfway through the journal when I suddenly hit a blank page.

"Huh?" I blinked in confusion.

I flipped to the next page and paused. The entire sheet was taken up by the words 'GYM PLANNING' written in fat green marker and then a drawing of me at the bottom with a Pokeball in hand. I couldn't help but snort with laughter at the terrible rendition. When I turned to the following page, I saw it was filled entirely in text with some areas highlighted or otherwise marked up.

"'For first-badge challengers, the most important thing is to test their knowledge of type matchups. Beginner trainers need to know this if they want to go far in their journey,'" I read the first two lines out loud. As I went down the page, I realized it was an entire list of information about how and what to test gym challengers on. All of it was stuff dad had shared with me during my successor training.

I turned the page again, and again, and again. Each time I did, my heart beat a little quicker in my chest.

Every single page was filled to the brim with notes I'd taken or my own thoughts about various topics related to the Gym. One section was about how best to take care of the Gym Pokemon and which ones were ready to move up to a different badge tier. Another was dedicated to suggestions I had for how to encourage more trainers to both visit the city and challenge the gym. There was even a page where I wrote my own guidelines for giving advice to trainers after their match.

These were just a few of the countless things I'd written. The tone of these entries was vastly different compared to the first half of the journal. It was obvious how serious and determined I had been at the time.

A surge of emotions rose up inside, threatening to overwhelm me.

I swallowed dryly, ignoring them as I kept reading. I was too invested now to stop and try to think. There wasn't much of the journal left. Eventually, I made it to the last page that had something on it. 'GOALS' was clearly labeled at the top.

I stared quietly at three sentences written in bold black marker.

I WILL BE THE BEST GYM LEADER.

I WILL PUT CHERRYGROVE CITY ON THE MAP.

I WILL BECOME THE GREATEST SPECIALIST.

For a long time, I just sat there and stared.

Young me had been so incredibly passionate, so full of hope and ambitions for the future. I had seen it in every word I'd written, and it resonated deep within me. It shook me to my core.

How could I have forgotten my love for the Gym?

More importantly, when did I stop dreaming?

I couldn't remember the last time I'd really, truly wanted something so much that it consumed my very being. Yes, I had competed in and won a few Conferences and challenged Elite Fours and Champions, but those had just been short term milestones to gauge my team's strength.

And the jobs I had in Paldea were satisfying, but that was it. They kept me busy and gave me something to do on a day-to-day basis. If anything, I think the job I had taken as a part-time lecturer at Naranja-Uva Academy revealed a bit of what I really wanted in life.

I liked teaching. I enjoyed helping aspiring trainers succeed on their own journeys. I wanted to be a role model for them and someone who could set them on the right path.

I'd forgotten this after leaving Johto in such a mess.

Dad had been a big part of the reason why I left, but I only now realized some of it had to do with me.

I… had been running away from the challenge.

I had known what I wanted, but I hadn't stayed and fought for it. Instead, I'd drifted from place to place and distracted myself with my journey.

I knew the real reason now for why I had been so reluctant about giving the Gym away to strangers or letting it fade from existence, and why I'd reacted so strongly when dad gave me those papers for the Gym. There had always been a part of me that had known.

I had just been too scared to admit it.

Fairies shaped the world around them. I wanted to do the same.

I was done running away.

I finally looked up from the journal and closed it softly, tucking it away in my bag. My eyes found Vel's. The Sylveon looked back at me silently, but I could see his lips curled into the smallest of smiles. I think he already knew what decision I'd come to.

"Thanks for bringing me here, Vel. It was just what I needed," I said sincerely. I took a deep breath. "There's something I need to tell you and the rest of the team. Also, I'm gonna need your help in a bit…"

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I went back to the house after spending some more time on the beach with my Pokemon. Vel was right by my side. On the front porch, dad was sitting in a chair with a cup of tea in his hand. I was pleasantly surprised to see not only Meguri but the rest of dad's main team in the front yard with him. It was good to see them again after so long.

Ivy, a very old Venusaur with a few scars on his legs, was sunbathing with Meguri in a corner. Chomping on some Oran Berries nearby was dad's Exeggutor, Ein, and watching him eat with a complicated expression was Sunny the Sunflora. Dad's Jumpluff, Hop, floated high in the sky above everyone's heads.

A Bellossom which had been sitting on the table with dad suddenly jumped off and began scurrying toward me with eager cries, causing dad and the rest of the Pokemon to finally notice my arrival. I grinned and scooped the Grass type off the ground with my hands, lifting her high up into the air.

"Good to see you too, Iris!" I told the last member of dad's team. She giggled and waved her stubby arms around, delighting in the fact that she was so high up. I set her down soon after and caught up with the rest of dad's Pokemon I hadn't seen the day before.

Then I crossed the steps of the front porch to where dad was waiting for me. There was something I needed to do.

"Good morning, Arin. How was the beach?" Dad asked conversationally, setting his empty teacup down.

"Just like how I remembered it, but even better," I said with a smile. Dad looked pleased. "My Pokemon had a lot of fun."

"Glad to hear it."

He started to get up from his seat, but my next words caused dad to freeze halfway.

"Dad, I'd like to have a serious Pokemon battle with you. A one-on-one with our starters."

He stared at me with a very surprised expression as he rose fully from his seat. "Er, this is quite sudden," he confessed. "What brought this on?"

"Well… it just kind of occurred to me that we've never had the chance to battle each other before," I said truthfully. The words 'before we had that massive fight' went unspoken but were clearly understood. "It's something I dreamed about a lot as a kid. Would you mind humoring your son's request?"

Dad stared at me. Eventually, he nodded. "Of course, Arin. I don't mind, and I don't think Meguri will either. Let's head to the back for this." He leaned slightly over the porch, angling his head outwards. "Meguri, Arin and Vel want to battle us!"

That immediately caught the sunbathing giant's attention. Gold eyes snapped wide open as the Meganium rose to his feet, eyeing me and Vel with interest before starting to trudge to the back. Dad and I followed with the rest of the Pokemon.

Before long, we took up positions on opposite sides of a dirt field. Dad watched first with interest, then astonishment, as I released the rest of my Pokemon to allow them to spectate. Dad's Pokemon looked quite curious as well, especially with so many species in front of them that they hadn't ever seen before. I made a note to finally introduce everyone after our fight.

Dad had his Exeggutor put up several layers of psychic energy around the field to prevent damage to the surrounding areas and spectators. I knew I could trust in the shield's strength since it was coming from an Elite tier Pokemon. Meanwhile, standing in front of us were our starters.

I had brought up the idea of battling dad to Vel back near the beach, and he had been on board with it. Vel glanced back at me briefly looking remarkably composed, and I knew he was, but I also knew what was hiding underneath that almost eerie calm. After all, it surged within me during battles, too.

Violence dwelled within all fairies. It was as much a part of them as their loveableness. Both were sides of the same coin.

On the other side of the field, Meguri stood in all his glory. With a whopping seven foot tall stature, he vastly dwarfed Vel's figure and was considered a giant for his species. He had helped me and Vel train occasionally when I was younger and been both a friend and a teacher.

Now, he looked at us as equals and roared out a challenge. Vel did not reply verbally, but he did dip his head in acknowledgement.

I turned my gaze upon dad. He looked sharper than he ever had. Despite his age and the slight shaking of his right arm, he looked every bit as the dignified, imposing figure of the Cherrygrove Gym Leader in the memories of my youth. We locked eyes and nodded at each other. Even from this distance, I could see the excitement on his face and knew I probably looked the same.

I clenched and unclenched a fist at my side, exhaling lightly. I was confident Vel and I would win, but it was not going to be easy. Out of all Dad's Elite tier Pokemon, Meguri was the strongest by leaps and bounds and could probably give even a Champion's Pokemon a run for their money. We were also facing one of the greatest Grass Type Specialists even among those I'd met abroad. Dad and Meguri were going to make us work for a win.

Ivy the Venusaur stood near the middle of the outfield with one vine raised in the air. Dad and I held our breaths and waited.

With a deep bellow, Ivy swung his vine down in a sharp motion.

The battle began.