Chapter 37: 144-148

Chapter 37: 144-148

The New Normal – 7-16 – Road to Sinnoh

As expected, Karen's victory over Sidney made the headlines over the next few days. The news were trying their best to dramatize everything, playing it up it as a huge underdog victory that was going to completely upset the Indigo and Hoenn political scene.

Though anyone with a brain knew that it probably wasn't going to be as dramatic as that.

Since Karen was always found at Pewter, reporters tried to swarm the Gym as they tried to find more content to fill their headlines.

Karen took this all in stride, and she made sure to stay humble in all of her interactions with the press. As she told me, the last thing she wanted to happen was for her to accidentally make claims that she couldn't back up, only to be crushed by an opponent that was too strong for her.

She was actually a little annoyed at all the big claims that the newspapers were making on her behalf. They were all playing her victory up with eye-catching headlines, which had the inadvertent consequence of making her seem arrogant whereas she was doing her best to remain humble.

She had repeatedly said that her victory over Sidney was as much luck as it was skill, and it was not something she could easily repeat. She still had a long way to go.

Still, all this attention did mean that Karen was definitely in the public eye now, especially with her announcement of her participation in the upcoming Indigo Conference. I had already seen articles with 'experts' discussing her strengths and weaknesses and possible counters to her team.

Though from what I've read so far from these 'expert analysis', there was nothing that any experienced trainer wouldn't immediately know about. On that front, Karen didn't have to worry about her tactics being exposed. At least not like that.

But she still was training hard. She knew that the more powerful contenders were now going to keep a very close eye on her, and she would likely have to refine her skills and strategies to be able to overcome whatever they had planned for her. I wished her luck on this, but unfortunately was unable to help her due to my own preparations.

Because I was going to Sinnoh.

Over the last few days, I had been mostly packing my bags and studying up on what I knew of the region. Lance had high expectations for both Will and I as representatives from Indigo, so we needed to make sure we were on our best behaviour. Fortunately, my meta knowledge helped me with studying up on Sinnoh's geography and cities, which should hopefully prevent me from acting like a complete country bumpkin when I got there.

But besides all of that preparation, I had to spend some time helping out with the family business as I promised. I fulfilled my promise to Brock by speaking to my parents about the possibility of a sponsorship, and they were more than happy to help out. Even with the move into our new offices, a sponsorship shouldn't break the bank for us, and after Brock got back to us with a rough figure for what they required, we were happy to provide it to them.

In return, they stuck to the terms I offered them. They would promote our Moomoo milk heavily around the Gym, hopefully attracting the young and impressionable minds of new trainers to buying our product. The hope was, once these new trainers were happy and familiar with our brand, they wouldn't buy anything else out of a sense of loyalty or familiarity.

With the deal settled, I fulfilled my other promise to my parents by making sure to check out the new office building that they bought. It was smack dab in the center of Cerulean, right in the commercial district and only a few minutes of the Gym. A prime location.

The tour of the inside of the office went well too. Obviously, things were still kind of sparse inside because many things were still being moved in or purchased, but it was starting to look like a real office building. Clean, sleek, and a little monotone, but very professional. I felt that the office space was certainly fitting for a company that has been growing in both fame and size as ours has, and someplace where I could see myself working in if my stint as an Elite Four didn't work out for whatever reason.

It pleased me greatly to see another tangible milestone in the growth of our family business. My parents had come a long way from their poorly beginnings, and I wished to continue their path of success when it was my turn at the helm.

And I knew that the office in Cerulean was only going to be the first of many. If I had my way, there would be an official office branch at every region as our family business grew even larger.

To honour my parents, I expected nothing less than greatness.

==============

?"All packed and ready to go?" Lance spoke to us as Will and I stood just outside of the pier at Vermillion City. We had a few assistants who already carried our luggage inside, leaving the two of us to say our farewells. The entire Indigo Elite Four was in attendance, ready to give us a grand sendoff as we were about to leave to Sinnoh.

"Sure," I replied, with Will nodding alongside me. "Packed some formal wear as well just in case. I doubt I'd need it...but you never know."

"Same here. Can never be too prepared." Will added. He was already all dressed up, obviously wanting to give a good impression to our hosts in Sinnoh. In the meanwhile, I was still in rather casual wear – I could get changed on the ride over and I didn't want to be dressed up for such a long time.

Fancy clothes weren't comfortable to be in. In fact, from my experience, there was often an inverse correlation between fanciness and comfort.

"You're lucky you aren't going to be challenged while you're over there." Lorelei spoke up with her arms crossed over her chest, a hint of envy in her tone.

Will shrugged, "I wouldn't mind being challenged, but it just wouldn't be practical. I can only thank Lance for his wisdom in allowing this."

Lance waved off the compliment, "Exceptions have to made sometimes. I couldn't just recall Will just because of a challenge towards him. That would be incredibly inconvenient. Same goes for you John, though I don't think anyone's likely to challenge you after Bruno."

I smiled at his words, though my eyes turned to Lorelei, "You think you'll be challenged soon?" I asked, mostly rhetorically. I was pretty sure of the answer already.

"Most likely." Lorelei confirmed, exactly as I had expected. "I don't think my earlier victory was proof enough...and I don't believe my reputation or strength has been firmly entrenched yet. Many would likely seek to prove themselves against me." She said with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Bah! You shouldn't worry about that." Agatha cut in with a scoff, "You should be welcoming all these challengers with open arms. Then crush them all beneath your feet and scare them away from ever challenging you again. That's how I did it and look how well that went."

Surprisingly, Lance nodded in agreement, "It is a valid tactic. Admittedly, I have grown used to our current roster of the Elite Four and find you all most agreeable to work with. Yes, even you, Agatha." She chuckled at that, "While I cannot and will not intervene in any challenges on your behalf, I do wish you luck in your future challenges to come." He said as he stared Lorelei in the eye, getting a firm nod from her.

"And that goes for all of you too." He turned to address the rest of us, "Whether you are going to Sinnoh, or staying here in Indigo, I do truly expect and wish the best for all of you. I cannot be Champion without a stable Elite Four to support me, so I hope that continues for the years to come."

We all nodded, somewhat surprised at his sentimentality. But inwardly, I felt that most of us were at least slightly moved by his words. Except Agatha, of course. Still, it was always nice to know that we were appreciated.

Lance cleared his throat, "Regardless! For those of you not in Indigo, if you have any proposals for any meetings that you would like to bring up to me, please let me know through the phone. I will endeavour to keep your opinions and advice in mind despite the distance."

Then the blaring of a ship's horn caught our attention. Lance spoke up first, "Gentlemen, I do believe you have a ship to catch. Please call me as soon as you arrive, and again, I wish you the best of luck while you're over there. I trust you will do Indigo proud." We both nodded at that, and then we all shared our farewells before we made our way onto the ship.

Before I split off from Will so that we could settle into our respective cabins, I asked if he wanted to join me for lunch on the deck. He looked surprised at my request, but quickly nodded and promised he'd be down in a few minutes.

With that out of the way, I settled into my rather luxurious cabin as I fired off a few texts to friends and family, informing them of my imminent departure. Karen and Whitney got back to me wishing me good luck, and reminded me to enjoy myself. I kept their reminder to heart.

I had barely settled in when the ship began to move, signalling our departure from the familiar ports of Vermillion. It would be a long trip to Sinnoh, and I was sure that we would be very busy once we got there, so I intended to savour the moment of relaxation while I still had the time.

I considered releasing a few of my smaller Pokémon, but ultimately decided against it as I simply made my way to the cafeteria to meet up with Will. As soon as I got there, I had already found him inside, patiently waiting for me.

He perked up as soon as he saw me, "Ah John, hope you've settled in well."

"I have." I answered with a nod, "Probably going to take a nap after this meal."

"An excellent idea." He replied, "I was just considering the same thing. Come, let's get some food."

We got up and grabbed some food that was already prepared. It was fancier than expected; clearly whoever had arranged this trip had not decided to cheapen out. That caught me a little off-guard. There were many high-class options available, ranging from an assortment of raw fish and even some high-quality cuts of meat.

One full plate later, I sat down next to Will as we both began to eat silently. But as our plates slowly emptied, Will broke the silence.

"When we were getting food, I noticed that you were surprised at the options available. Was it not to your fancy?" He asked me curiously.

I shook my head, "Nothing like that – I was just expecting something simpler I suppose."

"Simpler? Why would you expect that?" He looked at me weirdly, "This is a diplomatic trip. Obviously, they wouldn't serve anything less than their best. We need to show off a good image."

"Sure, I get that. I guess I still wasn't used to the fancy food." I admitted.

That only caused him to continue looking at me strangely, "Why would that be? You're in the Elite Four! And I've looked into your family business, you have money to throw around! I'd thought you be more used to quality like this."

I shrugged. "I guess I never really adapted to my new wealth. As long as I have enough to survive, I don't really to see the need to flaunt it."

"But you worked so hard for it!" Will exclaimed in surprise, "Do you not owe it to yourself to reward yourself for your own efforts?"

"Maybe...but I'm happy enough where I'm at right now." I replied truthfully, "But is that why you seem to have a finer taste in things? It's not hard to see that your outfit seems immaculately tailored."

"Thanks for noticing." His chest inflated proudly, "But yes, to answer your question, why wouldn't I? I've worked very hard to get where I am today, like you did. So naturally I wished for others to see my achievements and praise me for it. It shows that I've succeeded in life."

I paused for a moment, taking a little aback by his honesty. Will was as boastful as usual, but nothing he said was wrong.

"...You know, I realized I don't know much about your past." I admitted after a moment, "At least, you seem to know more about me than I do about you. If you don't mind, want to tell me about it?"

I was genuinely curious about Will. I had initially disliked his tendency to show off, but I've gotten used to him. And I felt like I should really take the opportunity to actually get to know him better.

He looked surprised at my question, but quickly formed an excited grin as he began to answer me, "I'm glad you asked! Truthfully, when I first got selected into the Elite Four, I spent some time looking carefully into every member so that I could know more about you all. And, after doing my research, I felt that it was YOU that I related the most to."

Now it was my turn to be surprised, but I gestured for him to keep going. "Both Lance and Walker were both raised to be in positions of power. There is nothing wrong with that, but they had an advantage over the average person. Agatha...she worked hard too, but I didn't want to gain power like she did." He explained.

"And then there was you. Someone who came from nothing and made it into the Elite Four at such a young age." He stared at me intently, "It was inspiring, but it was also familiar. While the conditions of my childhood were nowhere near as...painful as yours were, if you don't mind me saying, I too came from a working-class background. And it was through my own hard work that I made my way here to where I am."

"And now that you're rich and famous, you figure you'd enjoy yourself?" I concluded for him.

"Exactly." He nodded. "Oh, I know I am flamboyant, but I don't see a reason to hide myself. After all, this is what I enjoy doing. Yes, I recognized in the earlier days of my time in the Elite Four that I may have taken it too far and bought into my own hype a little too much, but after spending much time among my equals, I believe I have learnt to keep my ego in check. I hope I have been easier to deal with since then."

"You have." I replied instantly, "Though I admit to disliking you at first – your boastfulness simply rubbed me the wrong way, you've either toned it down since then, or I've gotten more used to it." I said, bluntly honest.

Instead of being offended, he merely chuckled, "Yes! I remember that. I still remember challenging you as soon as I could – so eager I was back then to try to show off my own strength. And I fell into a bit of a slump when you so easily defeated me, but I have had time to reflect and grow since then."

"...I think I was too dependent on the approval of others...not realizing that I should be proud of my achievements on their own merits." He nodded to himself, "I mean, making it into the Elite Four is already a large accomplishment in it of itself."

"That's true. And I don't think I properly congratulated you for your entry." I said, offering him a genuine smile, "So congratulations, Will. You've done well for yourself."

His eyes opened wide for a moment, before his grin grew even wider, "Thank you for your words, John, and I could say the same to you." He raised his drink, "Let us hope that our success continues into the future. Cheers!"

We clanked glasses together and drank deeply, a shared moment of congratulations between us. Then, we moved on to more casual topics as we shifted away from our previous conversation.

"Any ideas on what you're going to do while you're in Sinnoh?" I asked him as we finished off our half-forgotten meals. "In your free time, I mean."

He nodded enthusiastically, "Certainly. I had a plan to visit all of the important cities. I'd love to see the sights of a new region. Maybe I'd look into to see if there were any Psychic types I could catch, assuming they let us."

"I don't see why not." I replied, "As long as you don't go overboard, I'd doubt they care. And from what's been said in the meetings, I'm fairly certain that the Sinnoh government are in no position to do much of anything right now anyways."

"I suppose." He agreed, "But it's on us to make a good impression. It would be a terrible shame if they were to shut their borders to us so soon after opening them."

I nodded, but paused for a moment as I finished up with my food. As soon as I finished, I spoke up again, "Any particular Psychic Pokémon you were looking out for?"

"I saw a...Bronzong, I think it was, in their Pokédex. That looks very interesting." He answered, rubbing his chin, "It would give my team some defensive utility that they currently lack. And having a Steel Type is always nice. What about you? Any Normal types you've set your sights on?"

"A few, though I don't expect to be catching them all." I admitted, "I was looking out for Togekiss and Lopunny in particular." There was another Pokémon I was thinking of too, but I wasn't certain that I could find it.

"Togekiss?" He asked confusedly, "That's not a Normal type. Well, not anymore at least. Thanks to you."

"True." I nodded, "But I don't mind fitting another Fairy type into my team. I have enough experience with training them that I'm sure I could handle it." And another Pokémon that was greatly resistant to Fighting would be more than welcome. It gave me more options to use against my team's only weakness.

"Fair enough, I see where you're coming from. Though that reminds me, I never actually thanked you for your discovery of the Fairy type. It's opened plenty of new possibilities with my Pokémon." He told me with an excited glint in his eyes, "There have been plenty of new Fairy moves I've been trying out. It's really opened a whole new world of possibilities for me."

"Thinking of challenging Lance with that?" I joked.

But Will clearly missed the joke, as his head swung violently from side to side, "No way. Absolutely not. I'm not some fool to think that that just having Fairy moves would suddenly give me an advantage over Lance. He would crush me in an instant. I have a VERY healthy respect for his strength, and I have no intention of challenging it."

I laughed, "I pity the fool to challenge him based on THAT assumption. But there will be someone like that, mark my words."

He joined in on my humour as he laughed, "Yes, I could see that happening! Though anyone daring to challenge Lance would have to get through us first – and I have no intention of being a stepping stone for someone to use."

My mind flashed to my shared plan with Agatha about Karen, and I shot him a complex smile, "Let's say you did lose – what would you do instead?"

"What would YOU do?" He shot back instantly, though he seemed to think deeply at my question, "You know, at first, my answer would be to become a businessman. But...recently I've considered something I would likely find far more enjoyable. And that is to become a Contest performer. It's a career path that's been taking off recently, and I could really see it being a viable option."

I could see it. If there was anyone who could become a contest performer, it would be Will. He was practically born for it. "You would make a great one, I'm sure." I said to him.

"Thank you, and I think so too. But that's just for the future. I have no plans on being kicked out. I EARNED my position here, even if I was chosen, and I intend to stand my ground and prove my strength to ANY who dare challenge me."

His eyes flashed, and I felt his determination washing over me. His usual boastful nature was gone, replaced by only the iron resolve of any ambitious trainer. At this very moment, the man sitting in front of me was not Will the showoff. But rather it was Will, Psychic specialist of the Elite Four. And a man who would fight to the very end to keep his place.

My respect for him grew.

"I wish you the best of luck then." Was all I said to him, and we moved to return our plates before we eventually retired into our rooms after a quick farewell.

As I laid down on the bed, hoping to get a quick nap, I thought about my plans with Agatha that we had made for Will. Initially, Agatha thought that Will would be the perfect target for Karen to target, considering his type disadvantage. And I didn't know about him and/or disliked him enough to go along with it.

But after spending more time with him, and especially after this conversation, I was starting to hesitate on our plans for him. Both emotionally and rationally.

Emotionally, because I was no longer too comfortable for setting him up like this. He was no longer an unknown person, but someone that I had actively spent time with and gotten to know better. He was in the same position as I was, fighting for his chance to be in the Elite Four, and I was uncomfortable for sabotaging it.

Not that way.

And rationally, because with Will training up in Fairy moves, suddenly the type advantage was no longer as skewed in Karen's favour as they used to be. If Will really got a handle on his Pokémon's use of Fairy type moves, then Karen was in for a much harder fight than she likely had expected.

Conflicted, I tossed and turned in the bed as I agonized over what to do. Eventually, I concluded that I would distance myself from Agatha's plans to target Will. It just no longer seemed like the right thing to do. I would still train with Karen and everything, but only insofar as it related to general training. I wouldn't specifically act to snuff out Will's weaknesses and report it to them – for example.

I still valued Karen as both a close friend and training partner. So even if I wasn't going to deliberately act against Will, that aspect of our friendship wouldn't change.

I doubted Agatha would be very displeased either. I was confident that our relationship had developed to be more than just business partners at this point. We were friends, even if she didn't like showing it. And I knew her plans were more flexible than what she first told me. Plus, I was still more than willing to help her with any other matters that she needed.

I just needed to find some way to tell her.

Finally, I put the thought out of my mind as I tried to get some shut eye. I needed all the rest I could get for Sinnoh; it was going to be an adventure!

The New Normal – 7-16 – Interlude – Cynthia

When she had received a call one afternoon that she was to be the tour guide for Elite John when he came to Sinnoh, to say that she was surprised was an understatement. Ever since Sinnoh had become aware of their foreign neighbours, Cynthia had instantly hopped off of her piano and had done everything she could to find out more about the greatest trainers from each region.

She found many of them fascinating, and Elite John was one of the few that initially caught her eye. At first glance, the trainers that she was most impressed by from each region were Lance, John, and Wallace respectively.

Lance, for his incredible strength that seemed to have no limit. John, for his underdog story and his achievements relative to his youth. And Wallace, for being able to mix in both spectacle and strength into one magnificent package.

And now, she was given the incredible opportunity to finally spend time around one of them, as their designated tour guide no less.

While some may consider this a daunting task, she bore this responsibility with eager anticipation. She spent weeks going through the necessary preparations, and now she was determined to make an impression on the visiting Elite Four member.

He would not be disappointed with her strength.

Her thoughts on her own strength was not some kind of arrogance borne out of pride, but from cold and logical fact. She KNEW how strong her team was, having spent her teenage years refining the best methods to train them into the powerhouses she knew they had become.

And those strategies and training methods only continued to be refined as she grew older. Perfection might be an unattainable goal, but she was not someone who let the 'unattainable' stop her.

When she had first begun to train up her Pokémon, many of her peers and teachers taught her that it was best to train up a single type and to specialize in it. At first, she could see the logic, realizing that training Pokémon all of a single type allowed you to master the type and pass down special moves and training throughout your entire team.

Generalist teams, she was taught, could never work on a high-level, because a trainer simply could not master all those types at once while training all your Pokémon to a high level. It would take too much time, they said, and that the different requirements and demands of the individual Pokémon would clash and conflict.

They were all wrong. And her team and their constant strings of victories were the proof.

Then they labelled her a 'genius' for being able to do so. Claiming that what she did was something that only she could do because of her 'special talent'. It disgusted her that they would undermine her effort like that with a simple label, as if to brush aside all of the time and effort that she put in.

They overlooked all that reading and studying that she did when she tried to figure out how to train up all these different types. They overlooked the copious piles of notes that she had scattered around her room as she scrambled to create a working training strategy. They overlooked all of the sleepless nights she spent brainstorming and planning out her team. And it was all to achieve one thing.

To create a team that was the strongest that the world had ever seen. Only time would tell if she had succeeded.

But she knew that she still had a long way to go. Despite all of her training, there was always going to be more that could be done, more improvements that could made. She had an impressive brain, but it was always best to learn from others.

Champion Lance was the trainer she acknowledged had the strongest team in terms of raw strength, and she frequently studied his battles to see what how she could learn from his strength. While she disliked his focus on pure force, there was a beauty in its simplicity that she intended to build upon, just like she did with the many trainers that she studied up on.

That was why she intended to make full use of the opportunity of being able to interact with Elite John, someone that the world recognized had incredible insight into the secrets behind Pokémon. She had great respect for John and his knowledge, and she would do her best to make all that knowledge hers.

Just like every other great trainer before him.

She realized that it was only a matter of time before she could not hold back her desire to ask John out for a battle – to test herself against him. Would his team of tested Elites be able to withstand the team that she had built up to defeat the many brilliant trainers that she had learnt from?

Either way, it would be another learning moment, another chance to improve.

Oddly enough, as we got there, I saw a Chatot and a Wigglytuff munching happily on an Apple just outside the entrance. Weird.

"This time, I brought extra spelunking supplies since I knew you probably didn't have enough time to pack." Cynthia explained as we walked, "However, next time, we'll both be expected to bring our own. Just in case one of us misplaces ours or forgets something."

I nodded, making a note of it in my head. As excited as I was about cave exploration, I realized that this was a serious and potentially dangerous activity with its own shared of risks. It wouldn't do to take it lightly.

Surprisingly, a few people even waved at me when we got there. They must have recognized me from yesterday. I made sure to wave back before we started to head deeper into the cave, where we were met with the guarded perimeter of Pokémon and their trainers, all of whom were wearing the recognizable outfit of an Ace trainer.

"Cynthia. And Elite John. Good luck today." One of the Ace trainers greeted, who was probably the leader of the group.

"Thanks, Charlie. See you later." Cynthia replied as we crossed the perimeter line. As soon as we did though, Cynthia retrieved a Pokéball off of her belt and thew it, releasing her Pokémon.

A Lucario emerged silently from the Pokéball. Its eyes quickly scanned its surroundings before they locked onto mine, staring deeply into my eyes with an analysing and judging stare. A lesser trainer would have been intimidated, but I met his stares with one of my own as I inspected its form in return.

I inwardly scoffed as I took in Lucario's form. I had no idea how Cynthia could fool anyone that she was 'just' an above average trainer.

This was no ordinary Lucario. There was no way it was anything less than an Elite level Pokémon. It was doing its best to conceal its presence, but it couldn't disguise the confidence and power that threatened to leak out of it – only held back by its substantial training and discipline.

I wouldn't have been surprised if Bruno threw out this Lucario on his team.

Lucario continued staring at me, and we locked ourselves into a short staring match until it eventually looked away, nodding at whatever it saw in me.

"Sorry about Lucario, he likes to do that with newcomers. He's very protective of me." Cynthia said as the staring match ended, patting Lucario on the shoulder.

"Oh, I get that a lot from my team too. Except they normally try to hug me to death." I responded as I released a Pokémon of my own. Following in her footsteps, I decided not to release something too large, so I simply released one of my most well-rounded Pokémon for general day-to-day use. Klee!

My Blissey came tumbling out of her ball and immediately wrapped me in a hug, just like I thought she would. I gave Cynthia a look that said 'told you so', and she gave me an amused huff.

With our Pokémon out and our safety now assured, we started to descend deeper into the caves. Admittedly, after barely a few minutes into our dungeon delving, I realized that I had seriously underestimated how treacherous heading downwards in a cave like this was.

The terrain was rocky and uneven, and sometimes there were even loose rocks that crumbled as you stepped on them that could cause you to slip. The decreased light levels only made things worse, since it was harder to see where you were going and made you far more prone to accidents. Plus, there was the ever-present threat of having a rock fall from the ceiling and smashing into the back of your head.

And we were still close to the surface, with all of the nearby walls still lit up with torches! It was only going to get harder from here.

In comparison, Cynthia was moving her way downwards like it was nothing. The difference in experience really showed, as she was often forced to wait up for me to catch up. I frowned at the realization that I was slowing her down.

"Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it soon." She said, as if she had read my mind. "I've gone down here more times than I can count, so of course I'm used to it."

"I feel like we would be moving faster if I just had my Pokémon carry me down." I replied dryly.

"Well, you could, but could you withstand the embarrassment?" She shot back, and I stayed quiet.

Though true to her words, I slowly grew more used to traversing the terrain. It helped a lot that I was fully confident in Klee's ability to bail me out if anything happened to me. Furthermore, the wild Pokémon that loitered around here were still too weak to threaten us, and were easily deterred away by the presence of Klee and Lucario.

"How are we going to get back up though?" I asked, realizing I probably should have asked this earlier.

"We're not going very deep, so we have a pre-established path back up." She explained, "But if you're going deeper down into unexplored territory...then you're going to have to find your own way back up yourself. I suggest some rope or some good Pokémon to levitate you."

I nodded in understanding.

As we continued to move downwards, I realized that we had begun to leave the more well-lit areas of the cave and were now beginning to enter into relatively unexplored or infrequently explored territory.

A minute or two later, Cynthia spoke up, "We'll be hanging around this area for now." She said as rummaged through her backpack before bringing out a huge flashlight, "It's just deep enough that it'll give you a good idea of what to expect as you head down deeper. It's only going to get darker and more hostile from here."

"You come down this deep often?" I asked, looking around and trying to get a sense of my surroundings. All around me I could hear the sounds of different Pokémon echoing throughout the caves. It was starting to become a little unsettling. Though Klee looked completely at peace; she still had that goofy smile on her face.

"Of course." She nodded, "I did most of my training here. And it's also where I caught my Spiritomb. Well, not here exactly, but in these caves."

"Wow. That's amazing." I remarked, "So the Pokémon here are THAT strong? And rare?"

"For you? No to the first question. Half-half to the second question." She responded, "The Pokémon here will certainly be a match for your average trainer. In fact, it's probably not very safe for them to come down this deep without supervision. But for your average Ace trainer, it's not too big of a challenge."

"Though occasionally you WILL get Pokémon that are significantly tougher than the others in the area. Those you actually do have to watch out for." Then she looked at Klee and reconsidered her words, "Then again...with your strength? I don't think you have to worry about anything."

"Thank you, though I'd like to point out that you're completely at ease too." I said, gesturing to her Lucario, "And don't think I can't tell when a Pokémon is at the Elite level. I know for a fact that your Lucario is very well-trained. I faced off against Bruno, so I know what a strong Fighting type looks like."

She shrugged, "I'm wasn't trying that hard to hide it. Though I won't deny it's nice to have my strength acknowledged." She grinned, "Though if you're impressed with my Lucario, then I have a few other Pokémon on my team to show you. Maybe in a fight?"

"You're really itching for that battle, aren't you?" I chuckled amusedly, but I was being infected by her enthusiasm. "Tell you what, after seeing your Lucario, I can't deny that I'm interested. As soon as we have a good time for it, we'll do it. We'll even invite some reporters to make it a whole thing."

"Waving the flag for Indigo?" She asked rhetorically, "Fine, but don't feel bad if Sinnoh wins." She said challengingly, her Lucario straightening as if to support his trainer.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say–" I was cut off by the sound of a Pokémon's roar echoing through the caverns. Realizing that we had simply been standing around talking, we quickly fell silent as our eyes darted around, trying to spot what was happening. Klee instantly put herself in front of me protectively, partially shielding me with her body.

"That sounded like a Hippowdon." Cynthia whispered to me, "Probably another scuffle between wild Pokémon."

"Should we do something about it?" I whispered back.

She shook her head, "No, and we're going the other way anyways. Follow me. There are some ruins this way."

We moved on silently, trying our best not to alert any of the nearby wild Pokémon. While we were more than strong enough to take on any threat, Cynthia explained that any kind of fight risked causing collateral damage. While there wasn't anything important around here, it was better safe than sorry.

As a general rule, it was highly recommended that you don't pick fights when in caves. Stray attacks could easily attract far more wild Pokémon to suddenly target you down, or could easily cause a cave-in. Therefore, avoiding battles was far more preferred.

We continued trekking on until we entered into a slight opening into the caves, revealing a large ruin that looks like it was once a large tower that had now collapsed. I could see a few torches hanging on the walls, showing that people had been here before. I had to pause to take in and admire the view. Despite the dark lighting, seeing the remnants of this tower sparked the inner sense of adventure within me, and I smiled unconsciously at the sight.

But more noticeably, the fallen tower was overrun with wild Pokémon, many of whom had likely built their homes in these ruins. There were even a few rare Pokémon here, as I could see a few Duskull and Dusclops roaming around alongside one or two Gligars.

"This is what we call the Fallen Tower Ruin." Cynthia explained as I turned back to her, "While it may not look very impressive at first glance, it was still a very important find for the Celestic Town Research Centre. As you may have been able to tell, this was the first significant ruin that we managed to find."

"But more importantly than that, its where we first started on the theory of the 'Civilisation of Hisui - a civilisation that had once lived and thrived here until it collapsed and disappeared many years ago. We believe that these ruins are simply remnants of that once great civilisation." She continued, "That discovery put us on the map for many big research groups, and we finally got the prestige and funding that we needed to keep expanding. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this find was what allowed us to grow into the size and influence that we have today."

"That's incredible!" I exclaimed, "I guess this is a very important place for you all."

"Yes, and this is why we take the rookies here." She nodded, "Gets them used to travelling and exploring the underground. Though usually coming down this deep with a rookie takes multiple trips instead of doing it one go like we did. But I had the feeling you could handle it."

After that she told me that I was free to look around if I wanted to. Eagerly taking her up on the offer, I started circling around the ruins, keeping a safe distance as to not accidentally provoke any of the wild Pokémon. Klee, who was following behind me, was doing the same to minimize her presence.

As I got closer, I realized that the tower was actually far bigger than I thought it was. And there was a full community of wild Pokémon living around here. A part of me wanted to move even closer to the tower itself so I could have a look at the insides, but I ultimately decided against it as I didn't want to disturb the wild Pokémon.

A fight breaking out right now would be very bad from a collateral damage perspective.

Still, just being able to get a look at the ruins was able to temporarily satisfy my inner sense of adventurism. But I knew that I would soon be craving for more; Cynthia had reawakened my inner sense for adventure and exploration.

Even now, I was tempted to ask Cynthia if we could head even deeper, to see even more of what was hidden beneath the earth. And to see if there were any rarer Pokémon to find. I mean, we were supposedly still 'relatively close' to the surface, and we had already managed to find Gligar and Dusclops, both Pokémon you would be hard pressed to find overground.

But I knew it was starting to get late; we had wasted enough time with my slow descent down here.

I returned to where Cynthia was idling about, mumbling something to Lucario that I barely failed to make out. She perked up as soon as she saw me return.

"Enjoy yourself?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you for the opportunity." I replied with a nod, "Gotta say, I'm very excited for what's come next if this was merely the appetizer. What other things could we find down there?"

"That's the real question everyone here is trying to answer, isn't it?" She chuckled, "But I'm glad you've taken this so well. I was a little worried that you might not enjoy spelunking."

"Are you kidding me? I haven't gone on a proper adventure in a while! This is everything I was hoping for!" I exclaimed honestly, "I can't wait for the day that we find something that you haven't discovered yet. I really hope we can unearth a new discovery or two. Hopefully even a new Pokémon!"

"Hmm...I hope so too." She nodded, "We haven't found anything super significant in some time, but I hope that our luck changes soon."

She tapped her chin, "OH, and I never told you how I found Spiritomb didn't I?" I shook my head. "Well, it was actually haunting around in a different ruin. It was full of Ghost Pokémon, and I was carefully using it as a training area until I accidentally stumbled on Spiritomb's keystone."

"Of course, I didn't know what it was at the time. Only that it was moving and shaking around when it really shouldn't be. It gave me quite the fright when Spiritomb's mass of ghosts suddenly burst out from within." She smiled nostalgically, "Still, I managed to capture it and persuade it to be a member of my team. It took a while, especially since I didn't know how to properly manage and wrangle Ghost types at the time, but eventually Spiritomb learned to recognize me as its trainer – and I helped train it to be as powerful as it is now."

"My friend, Karen, has a Spiritomb too." I pointed out, "It's incredibly powerful, and until recently because of Fairy types, it had no known weaknesses."

"Ah yes, I know about her." She nodded, "Fantastic match against Sidney, by the way. You can congratulate her on my behalf. She's another trainer I'd like to battle, though I know distances makes that very unlikely."

Her eyes flashed challengingly. "Actually, both her and her guardian, Agatha, are both trainers I'd love to be able to learn from. They have such unique ways of fighting that I really want to be able to incorporate into my own style."

Her voice grew more excited as she spoke, and the passion in her voice was unmistakable. I could feel the naked ambition radiating out of her. But it was the good kind of ambition, the kind that forced you to be better. To be the best version of you.

Cynthia had the same goals that many others did – to become the best trainer ever.

However, unlike many others, I could tell that she was very much the sort of person that would back up her statements with actions. Not just that, but she had the intelligence and drive to achieve it. Even from the short while that I knew her, I had no doubt that she had used her brilliant intelligence and work ethic to help sculpt her team to be as powerful as they are today.

Furthermore, it was hard to miss the analysing glances that she gave me and Klee every once in a while. Like a sponge, she was trying to absorb and learn every little bit that she could.

"Anyways, if you're up for it, we can start heading down even deeper starting tomorrow. If you're comfortable with it, I could even hang back a little to let you have a chance of exploring slightly independently." She continued, breaking me from my thoughts. "Would you be happy to do that?"

"Absolutely." I replied immediately, "I'd love to get a better hang of this."

With that over, we left the ruins, beginning the trek back to the surface. I immediately realized that it was MUCH harder going back up. Going down you risked tripping and falling, but going up you risked the same AND you had to fight against gravity.

Luckily, there was a pre-built path that led back to the surface that we could easily follow. Otherwise, I might have to rely on Klee to levitate me out of the cave, which would be a little embarrassing. I learned that I was a lot less proficient at rock climbing than I had expected.

"Like I said before, you'll get used to doing this kind of thing with enough time." She said, reading my thoughts once again, "It took me some time to get used to it too, but once you do, it's actually quite relaxing."

I was doubtful, but I didn't gainsay her, instead taking the time to recover my breath. Klee patted me on the back encouragingly.

"Word of warning though, this is the easy section." She continued, "The new ruins and caves that travel under Snowpoint are really dangerous. Not only are they freezing cold, but they're slippery and treacherous and filled to the brim with powerful Pokémon. I'd advise not going in there by yourself without someone to accompany you." I nodded, before making my way out of the caves with Cynthia.

And then suddenly I was met with an onslaught of flashes from cameras, a horde of reporters blocking off the entrance as they rushed to take my picture.

I was very glad that I had taken the time to steady myself before coming out; I would not have looked very flattering on the news if I had been caught while still huffing and puffing for air.

"ELITE JOHN! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SINNOH! HOW HAS YOUR FIRST DAY BEEN!?" One reporter shouted out, trying to make their voice heard over the shouts and cries of the others.

"JOHN! HOW DOES SINNOH COMPARE TO YOUR REGION OF INDIGO?! HOW MUCH BETTER IS SINNOH?!" Another reporter asked snidely.

"ELITE JOHN! WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT POLITICAL STATUS OF SINNOH!? ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGE OF REGIME!?" One more person asked loudly.

I let out an inward sigh, meeting Cynthia's apologetic eyes with a helpless look of my own. We both knew that something like this would be happening, though I doubt either expected to be ambushed like this.

A small smile broke out on both of our faces at our shared commiseration.

Regardless, I didn't let my tiredness and impatience show on my face as I stepped up to face the wall of reporters.

This was going to take a while. And all I wanted to do was get some dinner and sleep.

The New Normal – 8-2 – Interlude – Lorelei

Despite the absence of two members of the Elite Four, the atmosphere in the Indigo Committee wasn't much different. There was still the usual bickering and arguments made by people who thought themselves to be overly important, while their Champion tried his best not to shut them up with his Dragonite.

She could relate. No wonder her uncle became like that if THIS was what he had to deal with every day.

At least the current roster of Committee members were a little less sycophantic than what they were during her uncle's times; it made their arguments and discussions a little easier to listen to.

It was still very painful though.

Eventually, after Arceus knows how long, the Committee meeting was finally over, with nothing of importance being decided, as usual. As was almost routine at this point, she subtly elbowed Agatha in the side to wake her up.

"Hmrrghh...!" Agatha yawned loudly as she stretched, her bones creaking and cracking as she did so. She got a few hostiles looks at her blatant display of boredom, but Lorelei knew that Agatha never cared about that. She wished she could be so thick-skinned sometimes.

As soon as Agatha had finished stretching, Lorelei extended a hand so she could pull Agatha out of her seat, and she smiled at the nod that Agatha gave her as she took her hand. Agatha might try to put on a strong face, but her declining health was an open secret.

Anyone with any sense of awareness could see it. Already, there were some that were whispering about how Agatha was getting weaker and that she might not stay in the Elite Four for much longer. When Lorelei heard that, she let out a snort. Aging old lady or not, even LANCE stepped carefully around Agatha.

If someone challenged Agatha on the assumption that she was weak, then they would be going to be very disappointed. And screwed.

Regardless, she pulled Agatha to her feet, and casually lent her a shoulder to lean on. Subtly supporting Agatha, they moved to Lance's office, where she hoped he would be receptive to her plans. Unfortunately, John had gone over to Sinnoh, but she trusted that he would honour his words and support her when the time came.

They arrived at Lance's office where they entered without knocking on the door. It was a small thing, but it showed that Lance trusted and was willing to spend time to listen to them.

"So...what's up with you two?" Lance asked, looking a bit tired himself. Probably from the all the meetings and paperwork.

"Lance, I have a proposal I would like to share with you." She spoke up, getting a nod from Agatha.

"Oh, about time we heard something from you." Lance commented, leaning back on his chair, "Go on, I'm all ears."

"I've brought this up to John, and he's in agreement on this. Same with Agatha." She began, with Agatha grinning widely behind her in support, "But I would like to create an organisation that is specifically created to target financial crime in Indigo."

Honestly, she had wanted to propose this earlier, but she delayed it because of all the developments in Sinnoh and because she wanted to shore up more support. With Agatha now onboard as well, she knew she would find it much easier to pass.

She had wanted to ask Will about it too, but she knew Will would have a high asking price. So she figured that she probably had good enough odds already without having to overcommit to getting Will's support as well.

"A division to target financial crimes...?" Lance muttered to himself, "That is...an interesting idea. And rather in-line with the idea of the International Police. Tell me, what would this new organisation do, in your mind?"

She was ready for this question, "I'd consider it a branch to the current Indigo Police, but mostly dealing with high profile and financial crimes. They'd have a team of experts that are incredibly specialized in this kind of thing, so they can work with great efficiency to uncover any attempts to earn illegitimate funds."

"Or at least, they'll certainly try!" Agatha crowed from behind her, "Corruption will always exist, as a Blackthorn should know, but it's better than nothing!"

Lance smiled through the insult, "It certainly wouldn't be a very popular idea, but I can see that your heart is very set on this." He tapped his finger on the table for a few seconds as he pondered her proposal.

He spoke up after a moment, "Truthfully speaking, I'm a little wary about expanding the remit of the Indigo Police any further." She frowned, but he continued, "But I can see the merits of your proposal. I think having such an organisation would be great for the future of Indigo and would help keep the larger businesses of Indigo on their toes. Arceus knows how much damage businesses could do if they remain unchecked."

He tapped his finger for a little longer, "I won't decide right now, but give me some time to think things through. I'll speak to the Indigo Police to see how amenable they are to such an idea, and I'll get back to you. Fortunately, since this is something that I could see is genuinely for the betterment of Indigo rather than your own interests, I won't even consider this me doing you a favour."

Lorelei nodded while expressing her thanks to Lance, which he simply waved off and said that she was doing a public good. He asked if there was anything else, and since Lorelei didn't want to bother him any longer, the two of them left Lance behind in his office.

"He'll agree." Agatha suddenly spoke up as they walked out of the building, "It's a good idea, and it'll be like putting the final nail in your uncle's coffin. Lance of all people is always going to be interested in spiting your uncle."

She nodded, though she wasn't super comfortable about villainizing her uncle. There was a still part of her that cared for him, despite everything that eventually happened.

"Thanks, Agatha." She replied, "But I have to go back to training, I–" She was cut off as a League official suddenly rushed up to her, panting and breathless.

"Elite Lorelei!" He wheezed, "Did you...see the news?"

Confused, she shook her head, "No, what's wrong?"

"You've been challenged!" The official gasped out as dread started filling her heart, "Gym Leader Surge just made the announcement on TV!"

She grimaced; she knew that things had been too peaceful lately. But she didn't let the rising fear control her. She knew that she was going to be challenged, she had been told as much by practically everyone when she got here. And now was finally the time for it.

Next to her, Agatha was shooting her a massive grin, "Remember what I said? Crush all in your way. Let none doubt your strength. Beat Surge so thoroughly so none would think of challenging you ever again."

She nodded firmly to Agatha. She was about to thank her before her phone started ringing. Annoyed at the sudden attention, she went to see who was disturbing her at such a time, only for her eyes to widen as she saw who was calling.

It was Pryce.