CHAPTER 51

Lunch was a little more extravagant than usual.

Since we passed the audit with flying colors, I treated the whole Cherrygrove Gym Fam to expensive sushi delivered from the best places in town. Annoying thoughts were temporarily shoved out of my head to focus on ongoing conversations instead.

“I was so nervous…” Haru admitted. He hastily gulped down half his cup of water before continuing. “The lady who talked to me recorded every single word I said. I swear she even wrote down when I breathed.”

“Yeah, it felt like an invisition.” Yurie shivered from her seat at another table. “They asked so! Many! Questions!”

“I think you mean an inquisition, Yurie,” Hazel corrected with a sly grin.

The other girl grumbled out loud, turning away with a pointed upturn of her nose. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever, smartypants.”

Peals of laughter burst forth from multiple sources. Oh, how I’d missed daily life at the gym. Halfway through our late lunch break, I got up to throw away my takeout container and make a phone call. It was better to talk to Lance now so I could put my burning curiosity to rest. I left Vel napping on a chair and went out into the hallway. Quietly, I leaned against the wall with my phone held to an ear. My lips curled into a soft smile as chatter echoed faintly from around the corner.

This was what I was fighting for.

It was this kind of ordinary peace I wanted to protect.

I didn’t have to wait long. Lance picked up fairly quickly. Rustling sounds could be heard in the background, so I could only assume he was in the midst of paperwork. Hopefully I hadn’t caught him at a bad time.

“Hello, Arin. How are you?”

Guess I hadn’t.

It was a longer conversation than I’d anticipated but enlightening. By the time we ended the call and I put my phone away, I felt like I was one step closer to unraveling the mess known as the Blackthorn Clan. I had a better picture of them in my head now.

From what Lance had admitted to me, it seemed like the Elders were the root of all problems in their Clan. They used their seniority to pass down and enforce unreasonable mindsets and ideologies to the younger generations. It wasn’t much different from brainwashing in my opinion. Lance himself had described it as a toxic environment to grow up in.

Speaking of Lance… I’d never known his parents were casualties of the Rocket War. It made sense now why he’d reacted the way he had at the last meeting.

He had very personal stakes in this battle to get rid of Team Rocket for good.

It only made me respect him all the more for being able to stay composed and lead the whole Indigo League through it. As for Clair… Now that I had some insight into the kind of upbringing she and Lance had, I felt more conflicted about how to treat her going forward. Her recent behavior seemed to bode well for future interactions at the very least.

Perhaps she was not a bad person at heart but one warped over time by the terrible authority figures surrounding her.

For now, I filed away anything Blackthorn-related into my mental archives. I had so much to catch up on thanks to missing an entire week in Mount Moon. That included training sessions and lessons for my gym trainers and, as Lance had helpfully reminded, solidifying vacation plans. I figured I’d bring it up with dad now so I could get back to Lance sooner. He was the one who was going to have to accommodate everyone’s requests and spread out absences over the summer break.

People were still chatting happily among themselves when I crept back into the dining hall. Locating a head full of faded pink hair wasn’t too hard. Smiling, I walked over to where dad was by a sink. I rolled up my shirt sleeves and helped him wash some used plates and utensils. Telltale humming from my left signaled dad was in a good mood.

“Happy about the successful audit?” I guessed out loud.

A grin much like the one on my face appeared on dad’s. “Of course! This place is going to get the most funding it’s had in years. Extra money is always welcome.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

I really couldn’t. The new Cherrygrove Gym required an astronomical amount of work and power to maintain. Our maintenance fees were going to shoot up further once the League Circuit started again, too. The rooms set aside for gym challenge purposes weren’t in use now, but the technologies installed inside them were expensive. They would bleed us dry in the future unless we managed our finances. Extra funding from the League was going to be a huge help.

“Less than two months to go, son,” Dad suddenly spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts. I finally looked over to see dad smiling at me. “It’s going to fly by much faster than you think. Are you going to have everything ready by then?”

“Of course,” I shot back without hesitation. “It’ll be enough time to get the gym Pokemon up to shape and perfect our gym challenge.”

Even now, I was still brainstorming dozens of ideas for variations. Not every challenger was going to experience the exact same challenge prior to facing me. I also planned on conducting lots of trial runs before the summer was over.

My answer was satisfactory enough that dad went back to scrubbing furiously at a pesky stain.

It was now or never, I supposed.

“How does a family vacation this summer sound?” I asked. That seemed casual enough.

Dad didn’t stop cleaning, but he did arch a single brow.

“Will they let you go with the Team Rocket business going on?”

“Apparently, yes. Lance told me everyone has to take a mandatory vacation at some point to recharge. We should go somewhere together.”

I wasn’t doing it just because of orders from the top. I genuinely wanted to spend time with dad and grasp at reckless ways to prolong his life.

He didn’t need to know that last bit, though.

“Hmm…” Dad adopted a thoughtful expression as he picked up a new and filthy plate.

Come on… Say yes, I begged in my head. Dad was a real workaholic when he wanted to be. Now that he had retired as Gym Leader, I hoped he would be more receptive to taking time off. It would save both of us a needless argument.

“Alright,” Dad finally agreed, nodding. Dare I say it, he looked excited. “A trip together does sound fun.”

Thrilled, I ran with the conversation before he could change his mind.

“Anywhere you want to go?”

“Not particularly—”

“How about Kalos?” I suggested with a bright smile.

He blinked at me several times in rapid succession. “You mean one of those countries on the other side of the world? In the, uh, what was it called… Galovea Continent?”

“Yeah! Listen to this, dad. They have gorgeous natural scenery, everything from beaches to stunning forests and…”

I felt a bit like a travel agent from the way I so zealously appealed to dad about the wonders of Kalos, but getting him interested was the most important thing. If all else failed, I had a trump card at my beck and call. That was—

“Did you know? They have a Grass type Gym there called the Coumarine Gym, and it’s built atop a gigantic tree the size of a small mountain.”

Dad’s eyes widened so much with intrigue that I had to refrain from laughing.

Hook, line, and sinker. A Grass Specialist like dad couldn’t resist after hearing something like that.

A family trip to Kalos it was.

We agreed it was probably better to go sometime next month. Both of us wanted to get more work done around the gym first and keep an eye on the Team Rocket situation. I went ahead and sent a message to Lance letting him know my tentative plans, then sent a separate text to Diantha asking about a temporary travel permit for dad. I was also obligated to let her know the deeper reason for my future visit given that it involved one of their regional deities.

Getting permission was one thing. I was fairly certain Diantha wouldn’t mind given I’d survived one meeting already, so she could trust me to conduct myself with proper manners.

Finding that god was going to be a whole other matter. Fairies were elusive, but none more so than a legend whose name had long faded from recorded history. They might have changed their usual resting place. There was also the possibility I wouldn’t be granted an audience at all.

Whatever. I’d cross those bridges when we actually got there.

I told dad to take a break and finished cleaning the rest of the dirty dishes myself— at least, I tried to. Vel woke up from his nap and graciously helped me. Afterwards, the Sylveon and I made a quick trip to my office. Like Lance had suggested, I sent a formal email of complaint to the Indigo League about today’s inspection process.

I swore to Ho-Oh right then and there, if next year’s audit wasn’t fast and normal, I was going to raise some serious hell.

Normal working hours were over by the time we trudged downstairs, but it wasn’t time to leave yet. My gym trainers were waiting for me in the battle hall. Even Luca was here with his baby Igglybuff for some reason. If he wanted to observe, I would let him. All of their expressions were torn somewhere between anxiety and excitement as I stood in front of them on the field.

This was makeup lesson number one.

“Sorry to keep you after regular hours, but I promise this will be worth your time,” I began. Everyone subconsciously stiffened when my voice took on a more serious tone. “As we’re all aware, Team Rocket is still at large. As much as I hope none of you will ever encounter one of their members while out on patrol, it’s a possibility we can’t rule out. Therefore, I want to make sure you’re all prepared to go up against them.”

I waited for people to nod silently before continuing.

“Team Rocket is a criminal organization. Remember that. Fighting criminals is vastly different from fighting other trainers in League-regulated matches or Circuits. Do not ever expect to fight traditional one-on-one matches.”

My eyes flashed with a hint of emotion.

“They can and will fight with all the Pokemon at their disposal, and they won’t stop at your Pokemon. They’ll even target you, the trainer.”

I wasn’t trying to scare people, but I had to make it clear that they couldn’t underestimate Team Rocket. Seeing as nobody flinched, they were ready for this. I pulled out a stack of thin, shiny cases from my bag and started passing them out.

Souta was the first to speak up after flipping the object over in his hand. Each case had a label on it. “‘Protect?’” he read out loud in a questioning whisper.

I heard him anyway and nodded. I’d ordered these a week ago for everyone but hadn’t gotten the chance to hand them over until now. “What I just passed out is the Technical Machine for Protect. It’s one of the most useful moves to have on hand for self-defense… especially if you don’t have a Psychic type Pokemon who can shield you with barriers of their own. Like I hinted at already, criminals will do anything during a fight to win. They won’t hesitate to target the opposing trainer. If your Pokemon doesn’t already know Protect, I’d like you to teach them this so they can help shield you.”

Technical Machines, or TMs as they were more commonly abbreviated, were disks that had the information of Pokemon moves stored inside them. How exactly they were made was a trade secret of Silph Co. and every other company in the same industry, but they were wondrous little things that made it possible for Pokemon to learn moves that would be hard or impossible to learn on their own.

Naturally, such technology came with absurdly expensive price tags to match the difficulty in creating them.

The ones I passed out to my gym trainers were the reusable kind. I would never spare expenses when it came to ensuring the safety of my people, but the League had been more than willing to cover the costs for these given the situation in Indigo nowadays. Every able trainer in the service of the League needed to be able to fight and defend themselves.

A chorus of thank yous poured out from my gym trainers. Even the youngest staff like Souta and Haru knew how expensive these TMs were, but I waved off their gratitude with a hand. This was only par for the course.

“If you want to thank me, then make sure your Pokemon practice this move as often as they can,” I reminded.

The way TMs worked was fairly simple. You inserted the disk inside a Pokedex or other compatible device before connecting your Pokemon’s Pokeball to them. Information was then transmitted from said disk directly into your Pokemon’s brain. They would instinctively know how to activate the move from that point on, but that didn’t mean they were good at using the newly learned move right away. The body had to catch up to the sudden load of information dumped into the brain, and that took time and effort.

One could never get away from the saying that practice makes perfect.

“Always have a Pokemon shield you during a dangerous fight,” I said firmly, “and always have at least one or two of your Pokemon out with you when you patrol. You don’t want to be ambushed and waste time releasing one of your Pokemon from their Pokeball. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Okay. Then let’s talk more about what to do during an actual battle,” I continued, beginning to pace around. “Remember, these aren’t League-sanctioned battles. Send out all your Pokemon for a team fight. If you’re up against multiple trainers and their Pokemon, relieve pressure from yourself. Neutralize them one-by-one instead of trying to tackle all of them at once. That being said, don’t fixate on a single enemy. Make sure you’re always looking around and checking the whole field to be aware of what’s going on…”

More tips left my mouth with intermittent pauses.

Use the environment to your advantage. Get the high ground.

Consider having a wall to your back like the mountainside so you have one less direction to worry about when surrounded.

They flowed without end.

For people like Murata who’d once worked as a Pokemon Ranger, they knew most of this stuff already from personal experience or training. For the majority of my gym trainers, however, this was brand new information. They’d only ever fought in traditional matches where rules and regulations applied.

I only hoped they would never have to use any of this in real combat, but that was probably too optimistic of a wish.

About thirty minutes later, I clapped my hands together loudly. “We’ll stop here for today. I just wanted to go over basic precautions and the like. Next time, we’ll have actual training where you fight against multiple opponents. Have your Pokemon practice using Protect and putting up shields around you quickly in the meantime.”

That was mostly directed at the youngest individuals in our midst like Souta, Haru, and even Felix to an extent. They were the ones with the least trainer experience and didn’t have Pokemon as proficient with shielding like the others.

Everyone left to go home after saying their goodbyes.

Everyone but one person: Will.

He and I both smiled amicably at each other. I already knew why he’d stayed behind.

“Sorry,” I chuckled. “We agreed to spar regularly as part of your employment contract, but I up and disappeared for a week.”

“No, no, the circumstances were far out of your control! Duty always calls, does it not?” he replied with a… twinkle in his eyes, or so I would have said if I actually saw them behind his mask.

At least he didn’t seem unhappy.

“Thanks for understanding. Shall we get started then? I’ve got time now.”

“Happily!” Will practically sang, and he twirled on the spot. Once he made a full rotation, he clicked his heel against the ground and bowed lightly with a flourish. Yeah, it was going to take another week or two for me to get used to this guy’s antics. “Although… I have a bit of a request if you do not mind, Arin. May we substitute some of our sparring today with move guidance?”

“What exactly do you need help with?” I asked. Blue eyes gleamed with curiosity as my head tilted to the left.

“I’ve tried teaching my Pokemon Fairy type moves based on information in the research paper you co-published some time ago,” my companion explained while adjusting his cravat. “Very fascinating study, but I mustn't digress! My Pokemon have achieved satisfactory results for Dazzling Gleam, Misty Terrain, and every manner of move under the sun. Everything but—”

“Moonblast?” I interrupted with a knowing smile.

Will blinked. That was the impression I got at least. This time, he was the one who tilted his head. “Why, yes. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you possessed latent psychic powers.”

The lighthearted jest easily drew a chuckle from me. “Well, Moonblast is the most advanced Fairy type move for a reason. Bring out your Pokemon.”

Will dutifully did as instructed. Out popped a Gardevoir who mimicked her trainer’s eccentric mannerisms with an entrance twirl followed by a curtsy. Not for the first time, I wondered what kind of person Will Itsuki was. That same question now evidently applied to the Pokemon under his care.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

I didn’t want to waste any time given I’d lost a week of it already in Mount Moon, so I got right into things.

“Let me guess: you weren’t able to keep the moon stable, and you couldn’t make it much larger than the size of your fist,” I listed while holding up fingers.

Will snapped his fingers, beaming. “Quite so! It was rather upsetting given how my Pokemon and I pride ourselves over our control. That’s why we now beseech help from the finest Fairy Specialist of Indigo.” That was maybe a little too much flattery for my liking, but Will moved on before I could comment. “Gardevoir tried drawing inspiration and energy from the moon at night. It did not help as much as we thought.”

I was already impressed that Will had managed to teach his Pokemon other Fairy type moves just from reading through a research paper, but he had taken a decent step into learning Moonblast on his own, too.

“You were on the right track,” I praised. That obviously delighted Will if the huge smile on his face was anything to go by. “Fairies draw power from the world, but the Moon is a particularly huge source of power for them.”

“Then what went wrong?”

“You already know this, but belief is a huge part of the Fairy type. You’re not simply creating a paltry imitation of a moon. You’re making the Moon, a living entity crafted and held together by your Pokemon’s will,” I began. “Other Fairy type moves are far easier to envision and bring forth into reality through the power of belief, but Moonblast is different. It’s the Moon. It’s divine and something mortals can’t ever hope to fully comprehend, and that’s why it’s difficult to control.”

Here, Will and his Gardevoir watched in silence as Vel took a few steps away from me. Above the Sylveon’s head, he Weaved tendrils of shimmering light as carefully as threads in embroidery work. Every strand was a Belief of his solidified and given tangible form, and they ultimately came together in the shape of the Moon. Each blemish on its surface was perfection in my eyes, a testament to my Pokemon’s existence and every trial he’d gone through. We all gazed at it a little longer.

Then Vel let the Moonblast go.

The massive orb flew through the air. Will let out a carefree laugh as we felt ourselves getting sucked into the moon’s orbit. A barrier from his Gardevoir put a stop to us flying away, and a moment later, Vel’s Moonblast made impact with the other side of the field. The explosion was intense enough that it rocked the hall, deafened our hearing, and scattered rays of blinding light everywhere all at once. When the smoke cleared, I saw nothing but cratered earth reflected in my eyes.

Oops… We’d have to get that patched up later.

I cleared my throat and avoided looking at the ruins we’d unintentionally made. Vel, on the other hand, stared at the scene of destruction with a bright smile like he wanted to do worse.

Let it not be said that Fairies were wholly innocent creatures.

“Moonblast isn’t just about having enough belief or control but both. You have to take the essence of your Pokemon — what makes them them — and use that to build the Moon. It’s a powerful move, and if your Pokemon understands themselves enough, it can even evolve into something unique to them at higher levels. A specialty Moonblast manifested and influenced by the values your Pokemon holds dear in life,” I finished, and I glanced over at Will to find him in deep thought. “You can worry about trying to add any ‘flair’ to Moonblast later. For now, have your Gardevoir focus on imbuing her Moonblast with her goals and life experiences— whatever she finds meaning in. Truly believe that you can control and bring this moon to heel.”

It was probably a lot to take in especially for someone not well-versed with Fairy type energy to begin with. Daunting, even. Self-discovery was not always an easy process no matter what stage of life you were in. Perhaps a second explanation was owed—

“Wonderful,” Will suddenly murmured.

Or perhaps not.

Soft clapping sounds filled my ears as Will smiled at me. “Moonblast is far more beautiful and meaningful than I could have imagined. Thank you for explaining it, Arin.”

Even his Gardevoir thanked me with a graceful nod of her head. A single look into the Pokemon’s eyes hinted that she’d already begun reflecting on how to gradually make the move Moonblast hers.

Both trainer and Pokemon weren’t scared by the challenge.

Since Will wanted to include his Gardevoir in today’s spar, we took a five-minute break to let his Pokemon talk to and learn directly from Vel first. We chatted idly among ourselves while watching them practice controlling Fairy type energy from a distance.

“How are you settling into the Cherrygrove Gym life so far?” I asked.

Out of my new hires, it was Will I worried most about given his trainer background and how little I knew about him. It wouldn’t be strange if he got bored doing mundane work. Sometimes I even wondered if he regretted joining us when he could have gone elsewhere.

Contrary to my expectations, Will smiled widely and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Splendidly well!” he announced in a bright voice. “Everyone here is so utterly friendly and kind— both my dear coworkers and the townspeople. I often find myself taking long walks in the gym’s gardens or through town when I have time. It’s very peaceful.”

The corners of my lips tugged upwards into a pleased smile. “I’m glad to hear that,” I voiced my relief out loud. “What about your living space? Are you sure you’re still happy with a room on the ground floor? There are plenty of empty rooms on the upper levels—”

“Oh, that’s quite alright.” My companion was quick to dismiss the idea with a wave of his hand. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m happy with my current accommodation. I feel most at peace on the ground floor.”

“If you say so.”

‘Most at peace?’ I would have thought he was afraid of heights or something, but I’d literally seen him walking or Teleporting around the highest levels of the gym before. It was a very particular way of phrasing things, but it wasn’t my place to dig further.

I blinked out of my thoughts when Will spoke up.

“Arin, you’ve met Gym Leader Sabrina before, yes?”

That was random. “On multiple occasions, but I don’t know her too well. Why do you ask?”

“I was merely curious about a fellow psychic,” Will admitted with a playful shrug of his shoulders. “People naturally think of Sabrina Natsume when they think of human psychics here in Indigo, and rightfully so. She’s very powerful from what I hear.”

I agreed, but I didn’t have a lot of firsthand experience. Only what little I’d seen and rumors I’d heard.

It did bring back recent memories of Sabrina casually admitting she could crush a bunch of human brains without much effort, though.

“Didn’t I hear you say before that your goal is to surpass her someday?” I inquired after parsing through my memories a bit. Yeah, I was pretty sure he’d said that at the welcoming party awhile ago.

“Indeed,” Will confirmed with a curious smile. “I’m pleasantly surprised you remember that. I wish to become the greatest human psychic in Indigo.”

Certainly a grand ambition… Considering how Sabrina was widely regarded as being the most powerful psychic to have ever graced Indigo’s recorded history, that wasn’t going to be an easy goal. I had no idea how human psychics trained, either, but I imagined it took as much as or even more effort than what Pokemon did.

I shifted in place to look at Will with newfound respect. “Good luck.”

“You don’t think it’s impossible?” Will blinked at me. His voice sounded a little more subdued than usual. “Sabrina is a once-in-a-lifetime genius.”

I look right back at him. “So? Doesn’t mean you can’t catch up to and surpass her, Will. Hard work and the right attitude are just as important as talent. Where’s your usual confidence?”

Without warning, Will burst into laughter.

“Oh dear, I feel ashamed now,” he confessed with his head thrown back in mirth. “It’s not just my Pokemon who needs to practice the power of belief, but me as well it seems. Very well!” He straightened with a motion so sudden that I actually jolted in place. Flashing rows of pearly white teeth, Will raised his arms to the heavens. “I, Will Itsuki, will surpass Sabrina Natsume someday! I’m going to become famous!”

The loud and powerful proclamation briefly caught the attention of our Pokemon nearby. Will’s Gardevoir merely smiled before returning to her practice.

As for me… Wasn’t Will already well-known? Was being famous that important to him? Was that part of why he wanted to join the Elite Four? I had so many questions, but I kept them to myself and smiled encouragingly.

“That’s the spirit.”

Still with arms raised high, Will turned to face me. “Of course! Now, do you have a dream of your own, Arin?”

“Several actually. Becoming the greatest Fairy Specialist, becoming the best Gym Leader in the world, making our town famous…”

“And here I thought I was ambitious, but you’ve brilliantly outdone me. Now! Practice giving our beliefs tangible form with me, Arin! Let’s shout out loud together!”

“Er… That’s not quite how it works. I’m good…”

An odd of a fellow as ever, but I felt like I’d grown a little closer to Will today.

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

My spar with Will ended a little past six o’clock.

It was not an exaggeration to say my Pokemon quickly wiped the floor with his, but that didn’t deter him in the slightest. I believed we were both looking forward to future improvements. Psychic powers aside, Will was a talented trainer with talented Pokemon and diligence to boot. I had no doubt he would grow rapidly from fighting me over the next year and someday take his place in the Elite Four.

The hall felt so much emptier after Will gave his melodramatic goodbyes and Teleported away. I shot dad a quick text letting him know I’d come back soon for dinner. A long overdue errand was on the menu—

Ding.

I paused on my way outside of the gym. There was some sort of notification from my phone it seemed. When I checked, I saw a message from Giovanni. Obviously, I clicked it.

Bright colors entered my vision in the form of a fancy digital letter. Oh, Giovanni had invited me to a charity gala hosted at his family home.

Tomorrow.

The extremely short notice would have made me feel frustrated in any other situation if Giovanni hadn’t attached a long and lengthy apology to his invite. Apparently he’d meant to invite me and the other Gym Leaders a proper week in advance, but not surprisingly, Mount Moon had driven a wrench into his plans. Understandable. That mountain had screwed a lot of us over in more ways than one.

It wasn’t like I had anything planned during the hours of the charity gala, so my thumb hit the ‘attending’ button on the digital invite. Tomorrow seemed like it would be fun. I was looking forward to interacting with other Gym Leaders outside of work.

I found myself thinking about what to wear as I exited the gym and flew off on Zuri’s back.

The Dragonite coasted through the skies in the direction of Kanto. We were on our way to Mulberry City to see one of Hazel’s old university professors. It was an appointment I would have narrowly missed if the Mount Moon operation had dragged on any longer. Though dad and I were officially going to Kalos later this summer, I had to do what I could here to keep dad healthy.

Zuri passed the border into Kanto territory in record time. I would have liked to slow down and admire the natural scenery from above, but we were in a rush to get back at a reasonable time for dinner. So, speeding it was.

Eventually, Mulberry City came into view.

This was my first time visiting an actual city or town in Kanto. Mulberry was a human settlement tucked away in Kanto’s eastern border near Lavender Town. I didn’t know much about it other than it was a very industrial city. From what I’d read online, they had a lot of factories and automobile repair shops. That was primarily what they were known for.

That, and their minor gym.

I planned on checking it out later, but I had to finish my main errand first. Zuri dropped me off at a clinic in the outskirts of town. After confirming I had the right address, I walked up to the door and pulled on the handle—

“Huh?”

I tugged a few more times to be sure, but the door didn’t budge. The sign read ‘open’ for all intents and purposes. Even the lights were on. I walked back and forth along the wall and tried peering through a window, but I couldn’t see anyone.

The moment I considered pulling out my phone and making a call, the door swung open.

“Sorry, I left the counter for a moment!” A young woman came out and apologized to me, bowing as the door swung shut behind her. “I’m sorry you came all this way, dear customer, but— oh. Y-You’re the Cherrygrove Gym Leader over in Johto.”

Realization dawned in her eyes when she straightened back up, but I was more focused on the matter at hand.

“Is the clinic not open?” I asked politely. “I was supposed to have a consultation today with Dr. Nakani.”

“Right!” She snapped out of her surprise. “I’m sorry you came all this way, but the clinic is permanently closed. Dr. Nakani passed away from a heart attack a couple days ago. We haven’t had the chance to inform all his clients yet or make courtesy appointment cancellation calls.”

My eyes widened. I definitely hadn’t expected something like this to happen.

“My condolences for your loss.”

“Thank you, um, Gym Leader Arin. I’m just a part-timer here, but his family has it worse. I’d really like to apologize again that you came all this way for nothing. Can I please offer tea or something at least?”

I was going to decline, but seeing how terribly apologetic she looked, I decided a single cup of tea couldn’t hurt.

“Sure, thank you.”

It was the right decision. The young lady beamed and showed me inside to a private waiting area. While the part-timer hurriedly brewed tea like her life depended on it, I let Vel out of his Pokeball. I chatted with the Sylveon and looked around to pass the time.

Seeing as there were cardboard boxes stacked here and there, I could only assume they’d begun cleaning out the clinic now that its owner was gone. Some furniture appeared to be missing judging by scuff marks on the floor. The walls still had some decorations at least. Hanging photographs.

Plenty of them were old black-and-white ones. There was a picture presumably of the late doctor and his wife on their wedding day, another of their kids… Most of them were in excellent condition, but there was an old and tattered image tucked carefully inside a wooden frame.

It was a group photo. Maybe the doctor and his friends in their youth if I had to guess. Dr. Nakani stood in the middle with a handful of other men, each smiling and with arms slung around each other’s necks and shoulders. One of the men in this photo looked strangely familiar for some reason. I peered closely at the photo, deep in thought. He kind of… looked like Blaine Katsura, or how I imagined a twenty-year-old something version of him to look like at least.

I didn’t spend more time looking at photos after that. As soon as the girl came back with tea, I made small talk with her and finished my drink as soon as possible before departing.

The clinic turned out to be a bust, but I was going to make the most of my trip while I was here.

Vel and I strolled down the streets toward the Mulberry Gym. The first thing I noticed was the residential architecture. There were subtle differences between the houses I typically saw in Johto and the ones here in Kanto. Sharper planes, more brick than wood, shorter but wider buildings… it was interesting to see how architecture differed between the two halves of Indigo. I vaguely wondered if the rest of the region was like this. My mind was half-occupied by navigating where to go using Zoogle Maps on my phone. The other half was busy wondering about all the looks we were getting.

Older locals stared at us and not in a kind way. Distrust was written all over their faces to the point where I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone threw an egg at me. I knew people online were complaining about Johto having nine major gyms to Kanto’s eight and a host of other issues related to ‘unfair treatment’ between minor and major gyms, but I hadn’t expected such open hostility.

Then again, there were people who’d traveled hundreds of miles just to protest at the Cherrygrove Gym last month. Patriotism was not to be underestimated.

Vel shot me an unhappy look and asked if we could go home already. The stares weren’t bothersome; rather, they annoyed him.

“Just a quick look,” I assured the Sylveon.

Yes, just a quick look or so I intended.

Five minutes later, I stood in front of the Mulberry Gym — which had been converted from the city’s oldest factory interestingly enough — and an angry, scowling man not much older than me.

I hadn’t even gotten the chance to enter the gym’s lobby. This dark-haired man had marched out of the doors and intercepted me. From the way he squared his shoulders and stood firmly in front of the entrance, it was obvious he didn’t want me going inside.

I knew who he was from pictures online. He was the Gym Leader of Mulberry City, Juro Asachi.

“Gym Leader Arin Watanuki,” he gruffed out. “What are you doing here in my city?”

“I had an appointment nearby,” I said, not missing the way Juro’s eyes narrowed. Did he think I was here to harass him and the gym or something? “I also wanted to see the Mulberry Gym. It’s nice to meet you.”

Honesty was the best policy, but apparently Juro didn’t like that.

“We’re closed,” he said flatly.

I looked behind his shoulder to where visitation hours were on full display by the doors. “But it says the Mulberry Gym has evening hours for the exhibits on the ground floor?”

“Closed,” he repeated, this time with more force. “Go back to Johto.”

Rude. Well, if he was going to be obstinate, then so was I. I crossed my arms and stayed where I was. Vel looked like he wanted to hiss at the other Gym Leader, but he thankfully held his tongue.

“Listen, I just want to look around like any other visitor—”

“Since you’re not taking the hint, Leader Arin, let me give it to you straight: I really don’t like you,” Juro interrupted. No, he practically spat that out. “The League’s given the Cherrygrove Gym preferential treatment. You even took an irregular promotion exam.”

I stared at him with an incredulous expression. I already knew the minor gyms in Kanto didn’t think that highly of the Cherrygrove Gym for a myriad of reasons, but that was what he was angry about?

Over the stupid promotion exam I took months ago?

“I think your definition of preferential treatment might need to be checked,” I advised in all seriousness. I hadn’t come here to fight, but I sure as hell was going to defend myself. “The committee agreed to a change in proctors to better assess my fighting capabilities.”

“If they really wanted to be fair, they would have had you fight Leader Clair like the rest of us—”

“Take it up with the League, not me. I would even argue that my test was harder than usual given I fought a former Champion, so no. Definitely no preferential treatment in my favor.”

“Then why does Johto have a ninth major gym?!” Juro snapped. “Why have none of the minor gyms in Kanto ever passed? We’re always ignored. It’s like they’re blatantly favoring you and Johto—”

He kept half-yelling, but it all sounded the same to me. It was the equivalent of a child throwing a tantrum.

What I’d told Will earlier today came back to mind in full force.

Hard work and the right attitude are just as important as talent.

“Do you want to ask the League if you can fight Pryce then? Or Giovanni, since you seem to have something against Johto? Perhaps you’d rather fight a fellow Kanto Gym Leader?” I interrupted tiredly.

Yes, a choice between the former Champion or the man who was strong enough to have received an invitation to join the Elite Four in the past.

Juro instantly shut up.

“I hope you know the League pretty much ignored the Cherrygrove Gym in the past, too, for years before I became Gym Leader. I hate to say it, but they do discriminate greatly between long established gyms and new powers trying to enter those ranks,” I admitted. “This isn’t a case of Johto trying to one-up Kanto or any conspiracy theory you might have. We just met the qualifications to become a major gym fair and square.”

I really didn’t want to have to say this, but since he’d been oh so kindly honest to my face, I did the same to Juro.

“Not being able to put up a good fight against the test proctor is one thing. You just need to train harder. Showing why you deserve to be promoted is completely different. I don’t know much about the Kanto minor gyms, but I’ve read online what trainers say about them. There’s complaints about the challenges being too easy or boring and the gym fights being too hard.”

I gave him a pointed look.

“I think if you spent more time fixing up your own gyms instead of blaming others, Kanto would probably have three new major gyms by now.”

The man across from me clenched his jaw. He didn’t say anything back, so I knew I’d hit a nerve.

“Good luck. Personally, I’d like to see more major gyms in Indigo,” I emphasized.

Ho-Oh knew how much we needed unity right now in the country. This wasn’t the time to be squabbling among ourselves like children and dividing ourselves into ‘sides.’

There was no side. Only Indigo.

I didn’t wait to see how he would react. Dad was waiting on me for dinner. I walked off to find some space, then flew off on Zuri’s back with Vel sitting in front. The Dragonite beat her wings in a steady, rhythmic pace while I sighed to myself. Mulberry City quickly vanished behind us.

That had gone disastrously. I didn’t even get to see the inside of the gym.

I’d meant it when I wished the Mulberry Gym Leader good luck. Dad and I knew better than anyone else how minor gyms were treated in Indigo. The higher-ups in the League basically left them to their own devices and funneled all their funding into the major gyms who consistently produced results. That was fair, but they were also unnecessarily harsh on minor gyms. The League didn’t try to grant them any sort of support to help them improve. It was like they didn’t even see the benefits of having more major gyms across the country. More leaders who could become reliable public figures in times of unease, more educational institutions that young trainers could flock to and undergo trials to become stronger…

The more I thought about it, the more it annoyed me. Maybe this was something worth bringing up with Lance in the future, but I had a feeling his hands were long tied on the matter. Complaints from the minor gyms had been in the news weeks ago. The League hadn’t come out with anything since then. They were silent.

That meant they saw fit to continue what they’d always done and focus on established gyms with prestigious backgrounds. Typical.

It was better to worry about myself for the time being. So many things to do this summer and so little time—

“Whoa!” My head snapped back with alarm as Zuri suddenly put the brakes on our flight. I was about to ask her why when I felt it.

Pressure, pressure, so much pressure.

We were miles up in the air without any living beings around us, but the air was heavy. Goosebumps rose on my arms without warning. It took me a moment to figure out the pressure was being radiated somewhere below us. Zuri helpfully pointed with a clawed hand, but Vel and I had already leaned over her side to look.

Tiny buildings could be made out in the distance. A quick look on my phone revealed we were in the sky above Lavender Town. For a moment, I was worried there was a Team Rocket attack and looked for real time news on my phone. I soon understood what all the pressure was about when I swiped the screen. News articles were being released at the speed of light.

Some famous local in Lavender Town had been mysteriously murdered, an old man by the name of Mr. Fuji.

This pressure wasn’t coming from a Guardian Pokemon or Team Rocket or anything nefarious. No, it came from a certain Elite Four and her army of Ghosts.

The legendary Agatha Kikuko, the very woman who was born and raised in Lavender Town and guarded it with her life, was somewhere down there in that sleepy town.

And she was pissed.