Katsu Hikkomori
"Aaaand done." He groaned as he stretched out. The lead up to the yearly conference was always a rush of activity.
He looked up and his office at this time of the year was a mess of memorabilia that had to be approved. Stall permits, building inspections, Pokemon Ranger requests to clear the roads and ensure that none of the wild pokemon in the Silver Mountain Range would be close enough to the Stadium to hear the battle and try to interfere.
That had only happened once with a wild Tyranitar to change the way both regions prepared for the Conference.
Paperwork on paperwork, work on work.
"Boss! Holy Arceus It’s... Impossible!!" A voice called out and Katsu groaned.
"What is it Hino?" He demanded, the woman was an incredible video editor. She was meticulous, and had a bit of a reputation for her works on the yearly Trainer Battle videos.
She was also...
He looked up and took in her appearance. Her hair was a mess, her glasses were slightly askew, and it still hurt just to look at them. They were so thick. Her clothing was a mess, and if it wasn’t for her being a total airhead, he might have asked if she wanted to go drink some nights.
The fact he was her boss had stopped him, that and he had seen how clumsy she was even at the normal events and getting soaked in cheap beer was a recurring issue for anyone sitting near her.
"What is it Hino?"
"S-s-s-ixteen!?" She stuttered and he just stared at her until she would start making more sense. She seemed to realize after a minute that he had no idea what she meant, and continued. "S-sixteen star badges!" She called out and he frowned.
That was incredibly low, impossibly low. Was this just the worst group of new trainers ever? "That’s it?" He asked, rubbing at his chin. "Is that still enough to make a full video?" He asked, he needed to focus on the job. Get this stuff edited and in production to sell at the Conference opening.
"N-No! It’s not that! There were lots of Star Badge victories! B-but... S-sixteen!!" She said again and he just gave her another look.
Please start being actually clear Hino, I don’t have time to try and figure out what you are hyper focusing on today.
Finally she flopped a bunch of papers on his desk. He’d be cleaning that up later he knew. And started rifling through it, before she grabbed one paper and nearly plastered it across his face.
Taking it from her before she made him eat it, he looked it over.
The last months registry for Star Badges? He looked through it. Not seeing anything unusual until he got to the end.
Victoria Ferrous: Zephyr Badge (Star) 11/28
Victoria Ferrous: Hive Badge (Star) 11/28
Victoria Ferrous: Fog Badge (Star) 11/29
And on it went. He felt his jaw dropping. One kid in less than a week had swept through every Major Johto Gym, including the Blackthorn?
"Tell me we have this girl’s battles recorded!" he demanded as he looked up and then took another paper Hino had found in her stack. He took it and looked through it. She wasn’t always clear on what the issue was, but Hino had never come to him like this when it wasn’t serious.
Victoria Ferrous, again. She had fought Koga in Fuschia too!? Then he looked up and Hino had another paper.
Suddenly he had a feeling.
"Sixteen?" He asked, and she stopped trying to shove the paper at him and nodded.
"All of them?"
"All of them. The Major Gyms. Kanto and J-Johto."
"You have the video?"
"A-all of them that were recorded!"
"Pull it. All of it. I need to make some calls! Hino! Get Fuu in here, I need her advice!" He demanded and grabbed for his phone. Who was he even supposed to call about this? There were methods for exceptional trainers. Sometimes great achievements would be added into the yearly trainer videos. Usually it was for those that had already passed their first year. Ace and Elite Trainers that had gone out and saved some ecological disaster.
But this was something else. She was ten, this was her first year! They might have to reach out to the kids parents because it was very likely she’d be getting her own personal highlight video.
He didn’t know who Victoria Ferrous was, but she was about to be famous.
"And Hino! Good job!" He called out to the woman that was creeping out of his office nervously. She jumped and yelped, dropping the papers she had collected from his desk, most probably his own paperwork, but Hino was like that.
—--
Ivy Vinewood
"Okay Ivy. You got this. You just... Have to get ready to stand in front of every person in Kanto and battle, and make a complete fool of yourself!" She slumped, putting her head in her palms as she looked away from the mirror.
She couldn’t do this! What if she messed up? What if she... What if she fought Vicky in the first round?
She cringed at the knowledge that it would be a short battle.
Vicky was the one that originally gave her the idea for most of her tactics. And Vicky was a freak when it came to battling.
"Ivy? Are you ready?"
"I don’t know!" She moaned out dejected. Looking up to see her mother looking sympathetic towards her.
"Ivy, dearest flower. You can do this. You don’t have to worry! It’s your first conference. No one is expecting you to win. You just have to compete proving you grew on your journey, which you did." Her mother stepped in and pulled her into a hug that smelled like Venusaur’s pollen.
Ivy relaxed. It had always been a soothing scent.
"C’mon Vicky! We have to go!" Papa called out and I nodded at the call, grabbing the last of my stuff. I was in my new winter outfit, and it was time to head to the Conference grounds.
The battles weren’t starting today, but the signup and the Moltres flame delivery would happen.
Finally I looked at my final piece. I ran my hands over it. Mimikyu had done an amazing job. It turned out Elizabeth had taken him to the craft store, and he had picked up all sorts of things with her help.
I grabbed it and swung it over my shoulders. I had meant to use it as a joke to mess with Lance some more, but since the Master had officially given the title it might be taken as me copying Lance un-ironically.
Which was a shame. Capes weren’t official dragon trainer clothing after all. It was because of Lance that later Dragon Trainers would wear them. I guess I was just getting in on the ground floor.
The little hook that locked it in place connected and I whipped my right hand down and it flared the cape.
I definitely hadn’t practiced that in the mirror a dozen times to get it right.
The cape was a purplish blue, the color of Dragon Types. It was shorter than Lances or Clair’s cape. It only just covered my butt, but I think mine was definitely the best. Because mine had Milotic scales sewn into the collar. Not the Prism Scales, but the much larger tail scales, and it gave the collar a spiked appearance.
It kinda reminded me of Zinnia from the games. Except her cape had dark scales around her collar.
I wasn’t sure why Mimikyu had chosen this style, even the color hadn’t been something we discussed.
He just... Made it.
Maybe it was a pokemon thing? I’d have to ask him sometime, but for now I gave my image in the mirror a heavy nod and turned, once more flaring the cape a bit as I headed out of the room.
Of course the moment I stepped outside to the flash of a camera I turned around and pushed my face against the wall.
"Noooooo!" I moaned in horror at everyones looks. Gram Gram was here too!?
"Vicky, you’re about to stand in front of the entire region. If we embarrass you..." Papa offered, but I shook my head.
"It’s because it’s you!" I moaned and then shook it off. Now wasn’t the time!
I spun flaring my cape.
"Dragon Master Vicky won’t be stopped! To the conference! To Victory!" I demanded pointing and despite my face flushing red I held the pose as Gram Gram took pictures between her cackling. Papa was laughing with her, but Mama was being supportive, or sarcastic and was clapping.
"Pfeh! Should be a Cat Master." Gram Gram grumbled at me. She hadn’t stopped teasing me about it since we got confirmation from the Pokemon League.
They had sent a little certificate confirming I had the title.
Also apparently it came with some responsibilities, but I was lucky. Since Lance was the Champion and a Dragon Master, any issues with Dragon Types went through him first!
"Alright. Enough teasing, and enough showing off." Papa said first looking to Gram Gram, and then to me, but he was smiling. "We have to leave or we’ll be late."
"Pfeh. They will wait for a Sixteen Star Badge Trainer." Gram Gram grumbled, but I felt my smile go a little brittle.
I knew it was going to come out no matter what I did, but it still felt weird knowing that I was about to become sort of famous, in the child prodigy way.
At least Koga had treated me normally when I went to visit and tell him what happened in Johto.
Stupid ninja traps. I had dodged the newly installed trap door that got me last time, but they got me with the Psychic invisible wall. It didn’t take me long to figure out that a Venomoth was doing it, but it was still embarrassing to keep walking into invisible walls Koga! My nose still hurt!
Shaking that off I headed out the door. Idly patting my pokeballs. I can’t believe it was time. I can’t believe it was happening.
"Come one Vicky." Mama whispered into my ear as she pulled me into a hug from behind a bit awkwardly with my cape. "We’re proud of you. No matter what happens. Win or lose in the first match and we would never think less of you."
"I wouldn’t." I grumbled, the idea that I would get beaten so quickly wasn’t going to be allowed. But it was seriously unfair to hit me with the ’Proud of you.’ Speech right now! It was impossible to resist something like that!
—--
Kiba Garou
"Huh!? C’mon! I made it into the conference! At least tell me you’re proud of me!"
"Of course I’m proud of you brat. Now hurry up and get in the damn car!" His Mom yelled as he continued to dig through the piles of clothes in his room.
Where was it!?
"Kiba I’m going to be proud of you upside your ass if you don’t move!"
"Hold on you hag! I’m trying to find my jacket!"
"You little shit-" Kiba yelped as he was pulled right off his feet by the back of his collar. "We are leaving!"
"My Jacket!"
"You’ll lose more than your Jacket if you don’t move your ass!" She snapped back.
Damn hag! How was he supposed to show off without his jacket!?
"Might! Might!" Mightyena came barreling past him and...
"Dammit that’s my jacket!" He roared as he kicked to try and chase after his Mom’s partner, but she didn’t let him go!
"In the car you brat! I’ll get the damn jacket!"
Just another day in the Garou household.