170-173

The New Normal – 8-16 – Interlude – Lorelei

"You could have done better." Those were the words that her loving uncle had for her after her victory over Surge. But all she did was roll her eyes at him; he wasn't worth the effort to argue against.

But her uncle continued, ignoring her silence and her privacy as he just walked into her house, "So? Is this the place you live in now? Quite the downgrade from where you stayed back in the Mahogany Gym."

"At least it's away from you." She couldn't help but bite out, though her uncle merely snorted at that.

"If you say so." He said unconcerned as he sat down in her armchair, spreading his arms wide as if he owned the damn thing, "So, how are you making use of your popularity from your victory?"

"Is that what you came over for?" She spat out, shooting her uncle a venomous look, "Just to check on your niece's political aspirations? Looking to manipulate your way back into power?"

"You haven't kicked me out yet." Pryce pointed out smugly, "If you really disliked my questioning, you would have told me to leave ages ago."

She gritted her teeth, but her uncle was frustratingly correct. She had her proposal to create a financial crime organisation in the works, and with her victory over Surge - even if he wasn't the most threatening of opponents - it still went a long way into solidifying her position in the Elite Four and earning her much needed political capital.

Her victory had allowed her to attract many supporters who were once on the fence to at least consider giving her their support.

If anything, if the Pokenet and the news could be trusted, then Will was now considered to the Elite Four with the shakiest foundation. He had been voted in yet was still untested with a victory in a battle.

She expected someone to challenge his position soon after his return from Sinnoh.

"Well? Since when were you so silent?" Her uncle taunted, "Come on, I'm waiting."

She was so tempted to punch Pryce in his stupid face, but she was barely able to hold herself back. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she slumped into the nearby couch as she could no longer hold back the words, "I'm still not able to solidify my position! I've been in the Elite Four for some time now, but even after my victory over Surge, Will is still considered to be the more popular member. And he hasn't even won a battle yet!" She vented.

Her uncle straightened up in her chair, "Go on."

"So how?! How am I meant to really put myself in the public eye and prove my damn strength! I've been training like crazy, and I even had a clean victory over Surge! And yet the public still treats me as if I was the same trainer that barely beat Walker! So, what in Arceus can I do to change their perception of me?!"

She knew she was exaggerating a little bit, and that her uncle was about to give her a tongue lashing for her loss of control. While she certainly didn't have the popularity of John or Agatha, the public were now more confident than ever about her ability to remain in the Elite Four. But politically, she was still considered to be less influential than Will.

In fact, the public were hardly the source of her frustrations, but rather it was the Committee. They still looked at her if she was a mere newcomer, rather than someone who had proven herself twice over.

But to her amazement, the tongue lashing from Pryce never came. Instead, she found her uncle deep in thought, carefully considering her words.

"…Who's would be in charge of your financial crime organisation? Does it have a leader from the League directly?" Her uncle asked seriously. She blinked; she hadn't heard him this serious and so lacking in insults in quite a while.

"There is no leader." She explained to him, "It's just going to be an organisation that will be a special subsidiary to the Indigo Police. I presume they'll appoint someone internally to lead it."

"That won't do." Her uncle shook his head, "If you implement it like that, you won't get much credit beyond the first headline. You'll get praised in the news for a few days for creating such a 'cool' and 'reformative' organisation, only to be forgotten in a few days' time by the public as the next interesting thing catches their eye. Your achievements will have been long forgotten by then."

"What you NEED to do is to take control of the entire organisation. You need to put yourself as the person in charge of your new financial crime organisation. Make the entire organisation answer to you." Her uncle told her.

"But I don't have the slightest clue on how you would run such a big organisation–" She protested, only to be cut off by her uncle.

"That's not the point." Pryce stated firmly, "You need to make yourself the leader because that's how you will be able to forge connections for yourself and be recognized for your efforts. If you simply just create the organisation and then completely step away from it, then you won't be able to forge connections with anyone there."

"Tell me. Why do you think John became as popular as he is? It's because he was able to create connections with the right people, and those connections were able to build into more connections, and then suddenly you have him connected to a huge range of important people. I've kept a note on them, you know? The Champion, a few Gym Leaders, the CEO of Devon Corp, and even the big-name researchers of Sinnoh. All of them would happily pick up the phone if he dialled! Do you realize how much power that is?!" Pryce leaned forward, as if to emphasize his point.

Seeing that she remained silent, he continued, "You need to put yourself in a position to make those same connections. You had the opportunity in Hoenn when you helped out with setting up the International Police there, and that was a good start in establishing your credentials as someone who is supportive of law enforcement, but you can develop that even further."

"Set yourself up to be the leader of this new financial crime organisation, even if it's only a figurehead position, and elect a second to actually do the work. But you need to be THERE, shaking hands and making friends. Give it a month or two, and suddenly you'll find yourself with a whole host of new connections to make use of. And those connections will turn into popularity soon enough. If nothing else, you should trust me on this - having connections into law enforcement is a big thing to have." He advised seriously.

Lorelei blinked. She never expected her uncle to be this verbose, nor this helpful. But he was right. Connections were important, and putting herself in a position to make more was going to help her develop her political network.

She didn't know what made her uncle so helpful today, but she wouldn't question it, "Thank you, uncle. You were actually nice today."

"Bah! I was the Champion for a reason, you know? This is child's play." He boasted, returning to his abrasive self.

But, his words rang true. For a brief moment, she was reminded of the uncle that she greatly looked up to. For a brief moment, she remembered that this was the person that she had used to want to make proud. For a brief moment, she was speaking not to her uncle, but the man that Champion Oak chose to be his successor.

And she would follow his words.

The New Normal – 8-17 – A Meeting

After that enjoyable evening with Cynthia, I was a bit too distracted to really focus on anything else.

It was still unreal to me that I was DATING Cynthia. A part of me thought that it was all a dream, but the small yet cute smile that she shot me at the end of the evening was so firmly imprinted in my mind that it had to be real.

I wanted to spend whatever time I still had in Sinnoh with her.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do that. Because as much as I wanted to, I had other things I still needed to accomplish in Sinnoh. That was why, the next day, I valiantly put Cynthia out of my mind as I went to find Archer – I needed to speak to him and check up on what he was doing with the 'forward base' that he had set up in Sinnoh.

I owed it to Giovanni to at least check in and thank them for the help. Plus, he might have uncovered something important that I couldn't just ignore.

So after I called ahead, I went off and went flying on Port as I made my way to Jubilife City, where Silph Co had decided to begin setting up their 'branch office'. It wasn't difficult to find which building was the one that belonged to Silph Co; amidst the sea of high rises and fancy office buildings, there stood a single, still under construction, office tower near one of the corners of Jubilife City.

I landed in one of the nearby open spaces. Looking around, I saw that the area around it was still relatively undeveloped, at least compared to the rich and busy areas that the other parts of Jubilife were like. It honestly looked a little rundown, and not at all suitable for a company as prestigious as Silph Co.

But before I could think any longer on that, I caught sight of Archer and his distinct cyan hair waving at me in the distance and quickly approached him.

"Archer, good to meet you again." I shook his hand, "How are things going on here?"

"Everything's still under construction, but I personally have no problems with the site." He replied. "It's good enough for our purposes."

"Really? Not to call you out or anything, but this area looks a little run down." I answered a little sceptically.

Archer shook his head, "Silph Co's reputation and prestige will ensure that the value of the surrounding areas will go up as soon as this branch is built. It's always like this. It's why this area was chosen, the surrounding land is cheap and it allows for easy expansion by just buying up the cheap land." He explained.

"Oh, wow. Okay, never mind what I said then; you clearly have this worked out." I backtracked, raising both my hands slightly in surrender.

Archer snorted, "As if I thought of this. Nah, this was all Giovanni's idea. I'm just following the steps he laid out. I'm hardly a businessman."

He patted me on the shoulder, "Actually, let's relocate slightly to somewhere more private. Better than just chatting out in the open." I nodded and followed after him, where he escorted me inside a small warehouse that looked like it had been hastily constructed.

However, I was very surprised when I went inside. Instead of a rundown and makeshift warehouse filled to the brim haphazardly with all sorts of things, I found the inside layer to be reinforced with steel beams, creating a sturdy foundation that would protect the warehouse from anything less than a direct Pokémon attack.

Not only that, but instead of the mess that I had expected, the inside contained rows and rows of clean office tables, all organized and arranged in a neat and tidy fashion. On top of that, each desk contained a high powered computer that looked really out of place inside what was supposed to be a rundown warehouse. If I didn't know that this was in the inside of a warehouse, I would have thought I had just entered into some sort of secret laboratory or something.

But the most surprising part of all that were all the employees. There weren't that much of them, but each and every one of them had their eyes glued to the screens, where I saw them trying to sift through massive amounts of information. Just looking at it made my eyes begin to glaze over. What was this? Where were the grunts that I had expected?

"You look surprised." Archer spoke up amusedly from my right, "Not what you were expecting? And don't worry, every one of these employees are under Giovanni's employ." Meaning that they were utterly loyal to him personally, was what was unsaid.

I shook my head, "I was expecting something more…messy." I told him, "This looks more like an office building."

Archer chuckled, "Information gathering is just like any other kind of office work. In fact, you probably have to go through even MORE paperwork than even a normal job." He explained, "Just because it sounds sneaky and cool doesn't mean it's actually exciting."

"The movies really do make it sound far cooler than it actually is." I commented dryly. Who could imagine reality to be so dull?

"Do they ever." He snorted. "I would have never traded my time with Giovanni for anything. But even sometimes, when I'm knee deep in paperwork that I'm meant to be sifting through for the most minute of details, I do regret my choice of occupation. More than any other aspect of it." That caused a chuckle to escape me.

For a moment, I just stared blankly at the employees, still trying to reconcile the image I had of Team Rocket – the costume-wearing Pokémon thieves – with all these office drones. It wasn't easy.

"…So, did you find anything useful?" I finally asked him, shaking myself out of my confusion. "Anything about what these criminals are doing?"

He gave me a questioning look, "I'm not sure how much you're expecting us to find out with such a small team like this and in such short time." He said sarcastically, "You DO realize that trying to infiltrate the underground and criminal markets to listen in on the rumours isn't as easy as just snapping your fingers."

I winced, "Okay, sorry. That was the wrong question to ask." I scratched my head embarrassedly, "But did you find out anything that we could use at all?"

"Right now, we're just focused on establishing the right connections to the less reputable businesses and the black market." Archer described, "It's not so easy to do when you're obviously a newcomer. In the criminal world, you very often have everyone already knowing about everybody, so to have a sudden unknown party snooping around raises a lot of alarm bells. Unfortunately, it's because of that we've had to move slower than I'd like."

"That being said, it's not all bad news." He continued, "I know that you mentioned to Giovanni that you had a suspicion that the terrorists were all very well-funded. Well, from what we've found so far, I don't think they're getting most of those funds from criminal operations. That kind of spending would be very obvious to anyone who knew where to look, and we've found no indication of anything of the sort."

"So…you mean to tell me that their funds are likely gained from legitimate means?" I asked.

"Perhaps 'legitimate' isn't the right term for it, since the money could easily be obtained through fraud or other means." He corrected, "But, in essence, yes. I really doubt that whoever is funding these terrorists are earning most of their money through criminal operations. My guess is that they're undergoing some kind of white-collar financial scheme to fund their operations."

"Or they could just be a big and successful company?" I hedged, pretending to think things over, "…Maybe something like Galactic Company? It's been done before – having a big and successful company concealing a more secretive operation."

"…Quite." He replied dryly, narrowing his eyes at me at the jab towards Silph Co and Giovanni's true role in it, "But you make a good point, especially considering the information I just told you." He rubbed his chin, "We'll be looking at someone trying to pull something similar on us. Maybe we'll find something. But I'll warn you now – investigating companies and their finances is going to take significantly longer. This is far beyond what we're used to doing."

"I understand, but I think it'll be prudent for you to look into this, if you can." I said to him, but I was still happy that we were on the right track. We really were beginning to bring the fight to Team Galactic.

There was still one more question I needed to ask though, "What will you do if you find anything?"

"Nothing, besides just informing Giovanni and asking him for further instructions." He said, "I presume he'll inform you in turn. Giovanni's already filled me in on how big a threat these idiots are, so I'll let the real thinkers devise a plan on how to deal with whatever we find out."

"You don't need me to tell you this, but don't get caught." I said, "We don't need to alert the criminals that we're looking into them."

He snorted, "Way ahead of you on that one. Don't worry, we've been doing this for years. We know what we're doing."

I nodded firmly, demonstrating just a little bit of my authority, "Good. We all understand the stakes here – so it doesn't hurt to make sure."

He gave off a dutiful nod in return, so I decided to step back and switch topics, "Though, now that I think of it, this feels quite different from your previous responsibilities as Head Gym Trainer of the Cerulean Gym. How are you finding this sudden change?" I asked curiously.

He chuckled, "Working in the Cerulean Gym was a nice vacation for me, but this was always what I was good at. Truthfully, I envy Petrel for being able to continue working there."

I looked at him disbelievingly, "Really? I would have thought working as the Head Gym Leader would be exhausting at times."

"It is." He agreed, "But it's far from the worst job in the world, and it is a lot easier than what I usually do. Herding Gym Trainers isn't particularly difficult, not when they acknowledge your strength. It especially helps when they respect you and when it's clear that the Gym Leader favours you. Not only that, but participating in Gym fights can be quite satisfying. I sometimes even pick up a few things in those battles."

"It helps that the sisters are genuinely nice people." He continued, "They're nothing like the reports that Giovanni had about them. I thought they would have been…spoilt and bossy, or simply uninterested in their jobs as most teenagers in powerful positions tend to be. But instead of that, I found them to be passionate and hard-working. They truly have a great love for their contests, and they'd proving to be competent Gym Leaders. Their youngest, Misty, also has the same drive that their sisters have, and she looks to be growing into an even better trainer than they were. Both Petrel and I truly look forward to seeing how they grow. They deserve it."

Was it me or did he sound genuinely fond of them?

"Wow. I didn't think you'd get attached." I smiled.

He waved me off, "Just because my occupation requires me to have multiple loyalties doesn't mean I can't form attachments." He explained, "It just means that I have to prioritize the right ones when push comes to shove. Though fortunately, I highly doubt that Giovanni and the Waterflower sisters will ever get into any sort of real conflict. In fact, Giovanni is very pleased with his newfound connection with them."

"So does that mean you might sneak your way into their employ again?" I couldn't help but ask.

He shook his head, "Unfortunately, that doesn't seem very likely. Petrel has a good handle on things, and they've already hired a new Head Gym Trainer to replace my old position." He slumped slightly, "I think I'm going to be stuck in Sinnoh for quite some time now."

He sighed, "I miss Indigo sometimes."

I was about to ask another question, but was interrupted as one of the employees suddenly ran up to Archer, "Elite John, I apologize for the interruption." He bowed his head, "But Boss, I think you should take a look at this."

"Got it." Archer nodded, instantly reforming his professional persona, "John, is there anything else you need? I'm afraid I still have a lot on my plate and not a lot to show you at the moment."

"No, it's fine. Keep up the good work." I praised, "And thanks again for the help."

He shot me a thumbs up, "No problem. I appreciate that you came to check up on us." Then he left me alone to deal with whatever had just come up. I had enough sense not to pry; I was confident that I'd be informed of anything important that they'd uncovered.

=======

​After leaving Archer's, I kind of just wandered around Sinnoh rather listlessly. I didn't know what came over me, but I didn't feel like training my Pokémon at the moment. Not when I was about to leave Sinnoh. Instead, I just felt like I wanted to spend some time just idling away in the cities of Sinnoh. Perhaps I'd take an unguided tour around the region and see where my feet led me.

I would have spent time with Cynthia, but she regretfully had something going on and told me to explore by myself.

So that was exactly what I did. And, I didn't really know how it happened, but I just found myself idly wandering about Veilstone City, simply taking in the sights. Walking around by yourself compared to walking around with a companion was very different. You could go at your own pace, and there was no pressure to even go anywhere.

Seeing that a small protest had broken out in the city, I decided that I'd suddenly felt like paying a visit to the Veilstone Department Store, maybe to shop for a few gifts for people back home and for Cynthia, so that's where I went.

On my way there, I couldn't help but continue staring at the small group that was protesting. Amongst them, I spotted a very familiar pink haired girl with a bandage on her nose. Was that who I thought it was?

Unfortunately, that was when my idle wandering backfired on me, as I stumbled across someone that I really had hoped to avoid.

A man stood in front of me. No, a man was not the right description. Even without having spoken a word to him, I knew that this thing was the furthest thing away from human as possible.

With utterly dead eyes completely devoid of any spirit or emotion, and a blank faced stare that was like it was carved in stone. I had accidentally bumped into the CEO of Galactic Company.

Cyrus.

"Elite John!" He greeted with a remarkable amount of enthusiasm in his voice, completely unlike how he looked. A small smile suddenly pasted itself on his face, "What a coincidence it is to stumble upon you today."

"Likewise, Cyrus. It's a pleasure." I smiled back, lying through my teeth. Neither of our smiles reached our eyes. But he was doing a good job concealing anything other than friendliness in his facial expressions. If I hadn't known what darkness lurked underneath, I would never have seen the inner monster within.

I clamped down hard on my natural hostility, though a part of me was already considering releasing Tyrant and turning him into pulp on the spot. It took a significant amount of my self-restraint to not attempt something like that.

The only reason I didn't do that was because my eyes locked onto the beeping glowing circle that was attached to his belt, which I recognised it as those teleporter pads Mars was talking about. This must have been a personal version used for Cyrus' safety, since it was green instead of the yellow one Mars wore.

I held in the urge to visibly grit my teeth. If he didn't have the damn thing on him, I would have unleashed Tyrant on him, ending him before he could enact his insane plans. But I couldn't – he would react quicker than I could at the first sign of hostility from me and all my attempt would do is to alert of him that I was onto him.

Plus, there was every possibility that even if I did end him here, that his goals and ambitions would simply be carried out by someone else - Maxie and Archie sprung to mind as potential successors. So nothing would really change, aside from alerting Team Galactic.

I couldn't afford to do that.

I took a calming breath to make sure that the hostility that I held for him was buried deep within me, leaving only the fake but friendly smile remaining on my face. Because who wouldn't to meet a new friend?

"You here to shop for something?" He asked casually, "Something to bring home as a souvenir for your family?"

"Yeah, can't afford to forget them." I nodded, keeping my voice deliberately level and open, "What about you? I'd would have thought someone of your status had someone else do the shopping for them."

He chuckled, and it was a faked thing that had no humour in it, "Yes, but my usual assistants are busy. Unfortunately, that meant I had to do it myself. Though, it's not always a bad thing. I do enjoy the occasional moment to just see the sights and get a feel of how the public are like. It reminds me why I work as hard as I do."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He gestured around him, waving in the general direction of where the small protest was taking place. "Look around you. What do you see when you look at the protestors?"

I blinked, what did he expect me to say? "Um…discontent? Displeasure? A bit of anger?"

"Exactly." He nodded, "And it saddens me, truly, to see how the people have to suffer like this. Life has so much beauty on offer, but people tend to focus on only the bad. Failing to appreciate the good." He let out a sad sigh that if I didn't know better would have thought was a genuine one, "Don't you think we've only touched the edge of potential of what we're able to achieve as a race? Because we're dragged down by interpersonal and inner conflict, insecurities, and discontent. A world without them…I think that would be a brighter world."

His sincerity shone in his every word, and his eyes seem to grow brighter as he spoke. Yet, it was all an illusion. A trick for the masses. Because behind all of that were the same lifeless eyes pretending to be alive.

I was acutely aware that his words weren't meant for me, but for the small crowd that had gathered around us once they recognised who we were. He was playing it up for THEM.

"…And how would you achieve that 'brighter world'?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Through the actions of my company of course." He answered immediately, "We at Galactic company are utterly dedicated to creating technologies that would help improve the world, one small step at a time. By providing easy and cheaper power to the masses, suddenly people don't have to live in squalor. Even the most destitute can live better lives thanks to our efforts. And with each new technology – each discovery – we are able to better the lives of everyone. Bit by bit. Step by step."

"And that's why I have made this my life's mission." He continued slowly, clenching a fist and raising his head to the skies, as if trying to announce his intentions to the world, "It is my sincere wish that I could bring this world closer to world peace. The world need not suffer like it does right now – things could be so much BETTER if we just tried! There is a beautiful utopia of eternal peace just waiting around the corner, and all we need to do is GRASP it with our hands."

"And even if I do not succeed, I hope – and I know, that someone else will carry on my beautiful dream into the future." He spread his arms wide, taking a step towards the crowd as his voice rose steadily, "Because it is not my company, nor my wealth, nor my inventions, that serve as my greatest treasure. No, it is the dream that I have, the dream that I have shared with all my friends, that I know will help create a brighter world for all!"

The small crowd that had been gathering around us broke into a loud applause at Cyrus' words. I joined in too, but only to not raise suspicion. For all of Cyrus' many, many faults, it was undeniable that he was an excellent orator and knew how to rise up the crowd.

This, more than anything, was why I recognized him as being so dangerous. He was a madman dangling over the edge of a cliff, but he was charismatic enough to persuade others to follow along after him. All of that passion in his voice was faked, a show for the outside world. I knew it in my gut that there was nothing inside a man like him but utter nihilism.

It showed in his eyes, which were as blank and soulless as ever. You couldn't even see madness from within them – only emptiness. Despite all the passion and energy that he just showed, Cyrus was still no more than a lifeless husk puppeteering a body.

Once again, I had to hold back the urge to simply pulp him on the spot with Tyrant. Consequences be damned.

Eventually, the applause died down and he turned to me, "…My apologies, I seem to have gotten too heated with my own words. Sometimes, I get carried away when I become passionate."

You can't be passionate about anything, "I understand, I get that way too. I know that it's all too easy to get absorbed by the energy of the crowd." I smiled as I lied through my teeth.

He stared at me for a short moment, his eyes gazing into mine, before he eventually returned a 'smile', "I'm glad you understand, but it does get me into embarrassing moments like these. I'm always eager to share my dreams with others, sometimes overly so. But that's enough about my personal philosophy for the moment." He looked me in the eye, and stared at me with those dead eyes of his, "What about you, John? I know you've been hard at work improving your own region, so surely you must have some ideas about bettering society at large?"

I thought through my words carefully, "I have, and I think the way to do it is to reach out to other regions and work together as one big international group. There is no need for animosity between the regions. I believe that working together would be beneficial for everyone, and I'd like to think that my efforts have borne fruit."

"Ah, the power of friendship." He smiled, "I'm very much in agreement." No you're fucking not, "I cannot carry the burden of my dream alone. It needs to be shared with friends. Friends are good to have, aren't they John?"

Why was Cyrus trying to persuade me? Did he think I was going to be converted into his way of thinking or something? "…Sure. I agree. I've benefited a lot from making friends with other businesses, as you know. I'd be happy to speak with you more in the future."

"But there will be no favouritism from me." I warned, "I am happy to extend a helping hand every once in a while, but no more than that."

It was a firm warning for him not to try to corrupt or bribe me. Not that I truly cared if he did – it would be more evidence against him – but I said so because I was deliberately playing into his expectations of me. I was known to be a person with high morals, so this was the image I had to show him.

It seemed to have worked, as Cyrus nodded at my firm warning, "I'm glad that you do. We here at Galactic Company would never agree to such underhanded methods of performing business. We value our integrity as highly as we value our discoveries."

Yeah right. I had never heard more blatant lies in my life. "I'm glad to hear that." I said.

Unaware of my thoughts, he continued, "We might have met by coincidence, but I don't see why a friendship cannot be built on chance. I hear that you have encouraged businesses to come to Sinnoh – we will very much enjoy working together with them. I was pleasantly surprised to hear you championing the cause of internationalism. I too feel like a united world would be beneficial to everyone."

I inwardly snorted as another false smile formed on my face, "I appreciate it."

He returned it, "Anyways, I apologize for taking up so much of your time. I did enjoy our conversation together." He extended a hand for me to shake, "It's been a pleasure meeting you, John. I hope to meet you again sometime. Maybe we can talk again in the future."

Hopefully the next time I meet you it's with you behind bars, I thought to myself. "I think the same. Good luck with your work." We shook hands for the final time before we split off and he set off back to his company.

As soon as he left, I immediately took off for the nearest Pokémon centre and released Pixel.

"Pixel, I need you to scan me for any trackers, scanners, and the like." I told it. Pixel buzzed affirmatively, and after a quick scan later, it replied that it hadn't detected anything on me.

"Thanks Pixel, really appreciated your help." I commended it before returning it to its Premier Ball. As soon as Pixel went away, I let out a frown.

Strangely enough, I had secretly hoped that Cyrus HAD planted a bug on me. That way, I could use the discovery of such as evidence against him, and bring my suspicions straight to Lance and the others.

However, he seemed like he was far too cautious for that. Or he didn't intend to bug me at all because he didn't find my behaviour suspicious.

I shook my head regretfully at the missed opportunity, before deciding to put Cyrus out of my mind for the moment before he could ruin my mood even further. I was satisfied enough with my earlier conversation with Archer that we were making progress to exposing Cyrus.

Instead, I headed back into the Veilstone Department Store to continue what I had initially come here to do - to buy presents for all of my friends and family back in Indigo.

And something special for Cynthia too.

This was going to be quite the shopping trip. I could already feel my arms straining at the thought of hauling all of my new purchases back to my room.

Oh well, this is why I had Pokémon. They could do the heavy lifting for me! I could already imagine their irritation when I handed the shopping to them.

I hoped that buying some food with mollify them to be my servants for the day.

New Normal – 8-18 – The Return Trip

As I expected, buying gifts for the many, many, acquaintances and friends that I had was a huge headache. I actually had to write down who was in my contacts list to see who I had to buy gifts for because of how many people I had become acquainted with.

Luckily, most of those gifts weren't that voluminous, but there were still a lot of them.

I wasn't the best gift-giver in the world, but the more notable gifts that I bought included: A watch and wallet for my dad and mom respectively, a cute, pink yet rugged backpack for Whitney, and a relatively nice bracelet that caught my eye for Karen.

That last one was especially important. I hadn't told her yet, but while I knew it was going to be a difficult conversation, I still valued Karen as a friend. I would hate for that to end because of this.

I also asked around and bought some good wine for Giovanni, on top of an expensive tie. I also, for the laughs, bought a very familiar looking red cap for Silver. Maybe he'd live up to it. And lastly, I included a nice purple scarf for Agatha, which I'm sure she'd appreciate.

I didn't forget about Cynthia, but hers was a little more special. And took me the longest to sort out.

There were of course plenty of other gifts that I bought as well for Lance, Lorelei, Will, and all the others. But that'd be too many to list out.

I had actually bought so many presents that I had trouble storing them all in my room in the lab. Fortunately, a few of the assistants were able to allocate some space in the storage room overnight. That was all I needed to store them for, since I was already preparing to leave Sinnoh the very next day.

And that was what happened. The next day, I finally finished packing all my things and prepared to leave Celestic Town for the last time in a good while. There were a few heartfelt goodbyes between myself and many of the scientists and assistants here; many of them that I'd come to know and made acquaintances with over my stay here. Overall, I was very thankful for Celestic Town to have played host to me during my stay here, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything else.

So, with my goodbyes made, I set out for Canalave City, where a ship was waiting to take Will and I, among a few other delegates that had been similarly sent over from Indigo, and deliver us back home.

I was truthfully a little melancholic on my flight to Canalave City, and flew a little slower so I could appreciate the scenery and atmosphere of Sinnoh for just a little while longer.

While I still preferred Indigo, I had come to really enjoy my time staying in Sinnoh, especially with all the cave explorations that we did. Sinnoh really had some spectacular and remarkable caves that was well-worth exploring, even if I couldn't really appreciate all of the rich history that must have come with it. My fondness for cave delving made me reaffirm my decision to bring up a similar proposal about opening up Cerulean Cave for similar explorations.

Eventually, I neared Canalave City, and could see that a large crowd had gathered around the distinct looking ship that would take us back home. It seems that there were many that we were eager to see us off. As I got closer, a few people even started pointing towards me, and cameras began to flash as I landed near the Gym.

"Make way! Make way!" One of the Indigo League officials shouted out as they pushed my way towards me, shoving away all of the reporters that had immediately tried to swarm me.

"Elite John! You should make your way to the boat now! It's—" He tried to tell me, but then a signature flash of light from a Teleport suddenly appeared next to us, interrupting what the official was trying to say.

Will stepped out of the light, looking as dressed up as usual and wearing his signature mask. But what was more surprising was that Cynthia and Lucian stepped out after him, shocking the crowd at their appearance.

Cynthia and I shared a small smile as we saw each other. We had agreed to keep our relationship private for now. There was no need to advertise it and attract undue scrutiny.

"John! What fortuitous timing!" Will greeted with his arms outspread, "Are you excited to head back?"

"Of course he is." Lucian stated, "Who would not want to return his home region after so long being abroad?"

"I think I would have liked to stay in Sinnoh for longer." I said, shooting Cynthia a subtle glance, "But I also understand that it's time to head home."

"There's much for us to do." Will agreed, "And, if I could be honest, I would very much to get out of this cold weather."

Cynthia snorted, "Better than the heat of Hoenn, from what I've heard. I've always found the cold more preferable."

"Let's agree to disagree on that one." Will replied diplomatically, but I knew he disagreed.

In the corner of my eye, I could spot the League official looking troubled as he stared at the four of us chatting. Many cameramen had used our sudden conversation to rapidly take as many pictures of us as they could, and the official clearly wanted us to just board the ship and set off from Sinnoh.

Well too bad for him, I still wanted to chat a bit. "Thanks for seeing us off." I said to the two of them, "Or are you here for other reasons?"

The two of them looked around at the reporters crowding around us before responding. "Partially." Lucian responded, after making sure that none of the reporters were in earshot and could overhear us, "But we're here to make an announcement as well." Cynthia nodded at his words.

Understanding flashed through my head, and I shot Cynthia a smile, "So it's finally time? Well, I know you'll do well."

"Thank you, John." She said, with a little more emotion than she would usually have, "But we hope to put on a good show with our battles. In just 4 battles, we need to regain the trust of the region in the Sinnoh League by proving my strength to the public."

"There's a lot of weight on Cynthia's shoulders." Lucian continued, "We won't be able or willing to hold back in our battles, so there's a lot riding on her strength to be able to defeat us all in a convincing manner."

"Have you already decided on an order?" I asked, "Or when the first battle will take place?"

"Due to the need for urgency, the first battle will take place in a week, against Aaron." Lucian replied, "Then Bertha, a week after that, after she returns from Indigo. Then Flint a week later, then myself last. Overall, assuming no complications, all the battles should be done in a month."

"It's a lot of work, but my team have been preparing very hard for it." Cynthia added, remaining confident despite the herculean task ahead of her.

Then she took a quick look at her watch, "I think we should let Will and John head back now. That League official standing next to us has been growing increasingly frustrated at our lack of movement."

"Let them squirm." Will chuckled, "You don't know how lucky you were to not have League officials following your every move when you were in Sinnoh, John. I like the spotlight, but they had no respect for privacy."

I gave him a commiserating look, "You have my thanks for dealing with them." It must be bad if even Will was complaining about them.

But we eventually decided to make our to the ship, and I swore I could hear the League official letting out a giant sigh of relief when we finally got moving.

As we reached the ship, both Will and I made a show of waving everyone a big goodbye. Will moved to exchange a few extra words with Lucian, while I did the same with Cynthia.

"I'll miss you." I whispered to her, "Exploring the caves with you was an unforgettable experience."

"It was for me too." She replied, "And you don't have to thank me for anything. I'm always happy to share my passions and interests with anyone interested. If anything, I'm grateful for how receptive you were to trying out next things. I doubt most other members in your position would be so eager to delve deep into the caves like that."

"We found something really cool out of it, didn't we?" I replied with a fond smile.

"We did." She nodded happily, "My own latest…discovery is still being monitored and examined, but I fully intend to include it properly into my team when the time comes. I assume you're doing the same with your own Pokémon."

"I am." I confirmed, "He'll grow to become a very strong addition to my team. And I'm sure yours will do the same."

"I hope so too." She replied.

"Before I forget, I got you a little something." I took out my gift to her, which was contained within a delicate box. Holding the box gently with both hands, she opened the box carefully to reveal a small locket that was designed to look like an Armor fossil.

Within that locket contained a picture that was taken of the two of us by one of the reporters during our long expedition together, where we were both sitting opposite each other in the cave, sweaty and exhausted, yet with bright smiles on our faces.

I had my own copy of the photo and locket, of course. Except mine was shaped like a Skull fossil instead.

I thought there could be nothing more suitable and fitting for a history and archaeology lover like Cynthia. And seeing the wide-eyed look on her face and how her eyes seemed to lock onto to the photo, I knew I had gotten it right.

"…Thank you, John. This is…this is very sweet. Sweet and thoughtful" She managed to say. "I'll keep it by my side. Now I feel bad I didn't get you anything in return."

"I thought it was something to remember me by, since I have my own." I replied softly as I showed her my own locket, "I hope you like it."

"I love it." She smiled, and nothing could have been more beautiful than that. I wanted to kiss her then and there, but I barely held myself back.

"…And Cynthia, let's make sure to talk when I get back to Indigo." I instead said to her.

That brilliant smile never left her face, "I was about to say the same thing. Maybe I'll have to call for you for help if I can't handle the stresses of my new position. Or the paperwork." She joked.

"I don't think I can help you with those." I laughed, "I already pity Lance for the amount of work that gets piled up on his desk. I don't foresee your position being any better."

She let out an exaggerated sigh, "That's just part of the cost of being in charge." She lamented, "Anyways…I think it's time to make my announcement."

"Good luck." Was all I said. It was all I needed to say.

"Thank you." Then she wrapped me in a tight hug, "Let's see each other soon."

"Likewise." I responded. With my arms wrapped around her back and her head subtly leaning on mine, my self-discipline was strained to the limits as I just about stopped myself from pressing my lips into hers. And from how tightly she was hugging me, I figured she was doing the same.

The two of us lingered like that for a moment longer before we eventually let each other go, just before our hug became 'more than friendly', and she shot me one final smile before she turned around and tapped Lucian on the shoulder. With an acknowledging nod, the two of stepped forwards, facing the crowd of reporters and cameras that had been snapping away at us all this time.

The reporters all paused at the two's sudden approach, and they all collectively fell silent as their instincts warned them that a juicy story was about to appear.

Cynthia only began when everyone had fallen silent, "…I'll keep this brief, as I do not want to overshadow the departure ceremony for our friends from Indigo. However, as I'm sure many rumours have already hinted towards, I am using this opportunity to officially announce my intentions of making a challenge for the position of Champion."

There was a collective gasp from the reporters, and they were all momentarily stunned at the sheer implications of Cynthia's statement. But Cynthia ignored their reactions and continued, "I have already been in correspondence with the Elite Four, and they have unanimously supported my challenge. Of course, this doesn't mean that they'll be holding back at all. In fact, we hope to prove to the public of Sinnoh, that is all of you, that the institution that is the Sinnoh League will have the strength and competence to continue serving and protecting all of you to the best of its ability!"

Lucian stepped forwards next, "The first battle has already been arranged to take place against Elite Aaron next week. With the fight with Elite Bertha taking place a week after that, and Elite Flint a week later. Then finally, against me a week another week after that." He explained. "We hope you can all be there to show your support."

As soon as Lucian finished, the reporters all exploded with a chaotic mix of applause and questions. Will and I just politely clapped and made a show of shaking both their hands before we finally hopped onboard the ship, leaving Cynthia and Lucian to deal with the questions.

I continued to stare at her figure as we slowly departed from the port.

"…Felt like we just left them to the Sharpedo." Will commented wryly as he walked up to me.

"It's none of our business anymore." I shrugged, finally tearing my gaze away from Cynthia's figure, "You gonna head inside or get something to eat?"

"I already ate." He waved me off, "I'll just get some shuteye."

I nodded and made my way into my room, finding that my long list of purchases and souvenirs had somehow already been transported abroad. I winced as I saw them; even in this big and luxurious room my gifts still took up most of the space.

I shoved away my regrets for my over-spending and fell onto the deluxe bed, taking out my phone as I began browsing the Pokénet, wondering what I had missed over the past few days.

Turns out, quite a bit.

===========

​[LARGE EXPEDITION ORGANIZED BY THE CELESTIC TOWN RESEARCH CENTRE?! WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO UNCOVER?!] By Sinnoh News

[Picture of the Celestic Town Research Centre]

The Celestic Town Research Centre, recently gaining more prominence in the spotlight due to them hosting Elite John during his stay in Sinnoh, has just now declared their ambitious new plan: To set out on a large expedition to set up a forward base in the caves under Snowpoint!

Long story short, setting up a forward base would allow them to delve far deeper into the caves than they had ever done before. Who knows what kinds of discoveries they might find in there? Furthermore, a team of reporters will be attached and joining in on this expedition, so you can be sure that the entire adventure will be properly documented and published for the public to see! Let's hope we find something interesting down there!

More notably, Elite John has been made a public member of this expedition, providing much needed strength and security to defend against the numerous strong and deadly wild Pokémon that can be found lurking around these caves. We wish all of these brave explorers all the best and hope that they can stay safe!

Comments

LoveIsEterna

Ruins and cave exploration have always been a big part of Sinnoh's culture. We're all huge fans of our history here, and we're all very proud of it. So it pleases me to see that the foreign delegates of Indigo are willing to take a chance and try to learn more about our history and do things that they normally wouldn't.

Good on them!

FutureAce

I wonder how strong the Pokémon are in those caves? Are they really powerful because they've been down there for so long? Or would they be weak because they haven't had interactions with trainers in so long?

RuinsManiac

It varies heavily, but the general power level of wild Pokémon that can be found in our caves shouldn't be underestimated. I'm unfamiliar with the strength of wild Pokémon in other regions, but in Sinnoh it is not recommended for anyone below the level of an Ace trainer to enter into a cave unattended and unsupported.

NotTooMuchWater

So in Hoenn, we have all this water and cool underwater features. But in Sinnoh, we have all these cool caves and underground areas. What's next? Really cool big cities?

Anyways, loving the huge focus you guys have on caves. Would love to explore them for myself one day.

ResearchMagnet

It pains me to see these caves of supposedly historical and scientific importance be opened up to the public. If they contain important scientific information, then access to them should be restricted for those who can TRULY make use of that information. Instead of having to waste time being used for 'entertainment'.

LoveIsEterna

@ResearchMagnet But that's just a part of our culture! We can't just deny it to the public! They have every right to be there!

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

​[FOSSILS REVEALED! DEVON CORP COMPLETES THEIR FOSSIL MACHINE AND SUCCESSFULLY REVIVES FOSSILS INTO POKÉMON!] by the Eye of Science

Scientists, archaeologists, and Pokémon enthusiasts are all celebrating today as Devon Corp have made a momentous announcement in that they have completed their fossil revival machine! As its title implies, the machine's function is to revive old fossils into new Pokémon! Not just one or two, but potentially over a dozen new Pokémon await us!

The machine has been extensively tested and reviewed, and has proven to work without causing harm or any side effects to the revived Pokémon. And while the process IS time consuming, two new species of Pokémon have been revived, named Lileep and Anorith from the Root and Claw fossils respectively.

The new Lileep is a Grass/Rock type, and the new Anorith is a Bug/Rock type. The Root and Claw fossils have always been suspected to be created from the remains of…[Click here to continue reading]

Comments

ResearchMagnet

You love to see science being able to uncover the mysteries of the past. If the Root and Claw fossils can be revived, surely the other ones can too. Excited to see it.

FutureAce

Woah! New fossil Pokémon! They must be super ancient Pokémon then. Wonder how good they might be in battle? Because if they're as old as they are, then surely they must fight super well.

TangelaThoughts

Hope we can see more of these Pokémon showing up. If we can revive all of the available fossils that we've found so far, that gives us 3 new Pokémon to find, on top of the discoveries of Lileep and Anorith that we've already revived so far!

Great job Devon Corp!

LoveIsEterna

Wonder if that machine works on Sinnoh fossils as well? Because we've also got the Armor and Skull fossils here. That would be exciting to see! Especially since businesses are allowed to invest in Sinnoh now, maybe we can see some cooperation like this for the future?

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

​[GYM LEADER BLAINE CREATES AND DISCOVERS A NEW EVOLUTION ITEM?! MAGMARIZER TO BE SOLD IN STORES ACROSS THE REGIONS?!] By the Eye of Science

[Picture of a Magmarizer] [Picture of Blaine's Magmortar]

Gym Leader Blaine has done it again! When most of the world has thought that he was busy with discovering a new Pokémon using the PIT technique, he really was actually working on a new type of evolution item specifically to evolve Magmar into what he has dubbed is a Magmortar.

This evolution item, made from the careful condescending of magma and volcanic energy into a concentrated box, is able to channel enough power into a Magmar to stimulate an evolution into a Magmortar.

We'll leave out the battle and trainer implications of such an evolution aside, but Blaine has provided plenty of reports that show that the Magmarizer has gone through rigorous testing and is ready to be sold and distributed to the public. You can get them from special stores run by Devon Corp, though there is inevitably going to be a hefty price tag attached to it for such a specialist evolution item.

Blaine has once again stepped up and proven his keen scientific skills and abilities once again, despite a few people wrongly writing him off as more of a Gym Leader than scientist. What do our readers think? Let us know!

Comments

KantoRepresent

…What do you mean that Devon Corp will be handling the sale? WHY is SILPH CO not doing it?! Someone explain this to me, NOW!

ILoveGoldenRod

Chill, dude. They probably just offered a better deal or whatever. Devon Corp have been expanding quite nicely into Indigo. Glad to see it!

FutureAce

Interesting discovery! Not entirely surprised by Blaine discovering a new Fire type evolution – it was always his specialty. But I wonder if there could be an easier way of creating a Magmarizer that doesn't require volcanic energy. We should really try to make it cheaper for the trainers!

ResearchMagnet

Feh! To try to make a discovery cheaper is one of the most idiotic things that could be said. The time and effort can be better used to discover further developments! Science cares not for money.

TangelaThoughts

Arceus! Did anyone see the battle that Blaine took part in against a trio of new trainers? He really showed off the power of Magmortar! The link is here.

FutureAce

…Wait a minute, I recognize those trainers. Isn't that Sabrina and Janine? The daughters of the Saffron and Fuschia Gyms respectively?

They seem really strong. I wonder who that third girl is. Her Miltank is the strongest I've seen!

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

​[INVENTION OF A NEW TYPE OF PC STORAGE SYSTEM?! RENOWNED SCIENTIST BILL HAS CREATED A NEW WAY OF TRANSPORTING POKÉMON?!] By the Eye of Science

[Picture of Scientist Bill, with a PC behind him]

It seems like recently has been one of significant scientific progress as scientist Bill, a renowned scientist and expert in many different scientific disciplines, has finally revealed to the world the results of his long-time project!

Dubbed as the Pokémon Storage System, or PSS, it allows any trainer in the world to simply transfer and access their Pokémon by transmitting and storing them as computer data! What this means is that, should this system be implemented on a worldwide scale, each and every trainer will have the ability to access their full roster of Pokémon by simply visiting any PC compatible with this storage system.

Knowing of the world-spanning implications of such an invention, we just HAD to speak to the man himself to see what he had to say:

"The Pokémon Storage System was something I invented to solve a fundamental problem of this world – the storage and accessibility of Pokémon. Unless you were someone with a great amount of resources, many trainers are not able to capture more than 6 Pokémon because they simply do not have the ability to keep so many Pokémon around."

"However, with the PC Storage System, I hope to allow more trainers the freedom to capture more Pokémon, with the understanding that their Pokémon can simply be stored away and kept safe for later, as well as being able to be accessed at any time. And I would like to thank all my many sponsors for providing the necessary funding for this project!"

"That being said, I would like to clarify on one specific point. Keeping your Pokémon in the PC for long periods of time is not recommended. While the storage system does convert your Pokémon into data, your Pokémon are effectively kept in status until they are released again. As you may know, keeping a Pokémon in status for long periods of time can be rather detrimental to their health and training, so it is inadvisable to keep your Pokémon stored in a PC for an overly long time."

Bill also clarified that the PSS is still very much in its beta-phase, and that the system still needs to go through many rigorous rounds of testing before it can even be CONSIDERED to be released to the public. Yet he has repeatedly expressed his desire to make an official release soon, being as excited as the rest of us to truly explore the potential of this new system. This writer is extremely curious to see how it will change the landscape of society moving forward. This is another excellent scientific development!

What do you all think? Let us know in the comments! (EDIT: Okay, that is SOME comment section)

Comments

BigFlamer (Verified POG)

BILL! Since when did you find the time to work on this?! But I'm delighted to see you hard at work again! HAHA!

And since when did you do 'beta' stages anyways? I thought you were the type to just release your discoveries to the public as quickly as possible?

StoneCollector

Very interesting! Would love to see the implications of this on trade in the future! I wonder how much this would simplify logistics for many businesses! We here at Devon Corp are very interested!

We have so many questions! How will this be released? I assume it'll be released in stages to slowly introduce this new system into the public. Let us know if we can be a part of this!

TheRealBoss (Verified POG)

I must agree with my counterpart from Devon Corp. Silph Co is also extremely interested and invested into pursuing this for our own purposes. Good work! You do our region proud!

We hope that once the PSS is gradually released to the public that you can entrust us with the responsibility of testing it!

PsychicReader (Verified POG)

Very fortunate timing, if I could be honest. This would hopefully allow Sinnoh to have access to Pokémon from the other regions much easier, and vice versa! Very good!

Like the others have mentioned, I wonder when and how it'll be released. I'm sure everyone's very interested! Flint's already interested to have easier access to more Fire types!

SamuelOak

Good job, Bill! You should come by to the lab sometimes and show me how it works! I'd love to be able to play around with it!

The New Normal – 8-18 – Interlude – Giovanni

There could be no doubt in anyone's mind that Giovanni was a busy man. With all of his many known, and less known, commitments, he barely had any time for himself. Let alone his family. Especially now that Petrel and Archer were unavailable, two of his most valued subordinates who usually helped with his administrative duties, it meant that he was forced to take on more of the work himself.

Yet he was fully aware that his choice to prioritize his work over other aspects of his life had caused some strain with his personal life. Ariana was happy enough with the time that they had together; any time spent together was still a major improvement over the forced distancing that they had before, so she wasn't really the issue. Though that might just be the excuse that he comforted himself with.

The issue really came down to his interactions with Silver. Or, specifically, the lack thereof.

Silver was a…demanding kid. Giovanni didn't really blame him; he knew the struggles of growing up with only a single parent, after all. So, while it did frequently annoy him, he knew that Silver's constant desire for attention was partially his fault for leaving him alone with his mother, so he tried his best not to begrudge him for it.

Even if it was difficult some days.

But today, with the circuit nearly over, he finally managed to squeeze out an entire day to spend with the family. Ariana suggested for them to take a day trip to the beaches of Vermillion, and he readily agreed. He had been spending a bit too long inside and it'd be nice to stretch his legs and get some sun.

Silver was very excited with the trip, just like any old 7-year-old would be, and the bags under his son's eyes the next day told Giovanni enough about when he was able to fall asleep.

Still, with the near-infinite energy that could only be found in young children, they still managed to spend a nice and relaxing day as a family at the beach. They built sandcastles, played a little bit of volleyball, and had a nice swim around the shallow waters. Even the weather seemed to be looking out for them, with the sun being out with just enough of a cool breeze for it to be not swelteringly hot.

He was fortunate he had made an attempt to disguise himself. His image of a refined gentleman would have been shattered had anyone seen him out like this today. Especially with an 'illegitimate' son. Although, only the biggest of busybodies cared about Silver's illegitimacy, divorces and abandoned children were unfortunately all too common in society, so that piece of news was very quickly forgotten about.

Those that had 'longer' memories found themselves quickly encouraged to keep their silence. It wouldn't do to let the fools continue flapping their mouths.

Eventually, after spending a couple of hours in the sun, Silver tired himself out from playing and they decided to rest at a nearby restaurant near the beach. It was a delectable meal, made better by the company they shared, and a smile never left his face as he simply enjoyed the time that he got with his family.

It was during this time that Silver raised a surprising question.

"Dad, how are you so strong?"

The word 'dad' made his smile grow slightly wider, as it always did, "What do you mean, Silver? What kind of strength do you mean?"

Silver gave him a puzzled look, "There's different kinds of strength?"

"Of course, dear." Ariana smiled as she put down her knife and fork, "Strength comes in many different forms. There's political strength, financial strength, Pokémon strength, and many more!"

Silver shook his head, "I mean as a trainer! Dad's a strong trainer! I want to be a strong trainer too!"

Giovanni chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Well, even as a strong trainer, there are many different types of strength. There's not just one way of becoming a strong trainer."

Seeing Silver's continued confusion, he continued, "Let's use Lance as an example. He's stronger than me, right?"

"Of course, he's Champion!" Silver immediately answered.

"Yes, that's true." He nodded, "But what is Lance most known for?"

"Uh…his Dragons?" Silver replied unsurely.

"More specifically, it is the raw strength that his Dragons have." Ariana answered for him, "Lance's strength comes from raw power. His Pokémon are strong not because they are faster, or more technically trained, although they also are fast and technically trained, but the most important part is that they WILL overpower you."

"Isn't that good enough?" Silver asked questioningly.

"Well, let's look at a different trainer." Giovanni continued, taking on an educational tone, "How strong do you think Elite Agatha is?"

"Uh…quite strong?" Silver answered hesitantly, "She's in the Elite Four, so she must be quite strong, right?"

"The correct answer is VERY strong." Giovanni corrected, though inwardly he knew he might be exaggerating things a bit. Agatha certainly was that in her prime, but nowadays…it was less certain. Though he would never dare to challenge her any time soon.

"But her strength doesn't come from raw power." He continued, "Instead, her power all comes from her mastery of the Ghost types. She has managed to push the potential of Ghost types to their very limit, and is constantly exploring how to expand those limits even further. Compared to her, my knowledge of the Ground type would be seen as paltry."

He leaned forwards, "Let me explain. If you fought against Lance, you would know why you lost. You lost because his Pokémon were stronger than yours. But if you lost against Agatha, I'd most certainly bet that you'd have a tough time understanding WHY and HOW you lost."

"…But then how do I get strong then?" Silver finally asked, visibly upset and confused at their explanations. He must have wanted a simpler answer.

Ariana chuckled and patted her son on the head, "The first thing you should do is to do research. Search up powerful trainers, and see what they do. Look at what tips they can give you. It might seem simple, but you never know if you can learn something from them."

"Next, you should ask questions where you can." Giovanni added, "I know your mother and I are quite busy, but I promise to make some time for you to ask some questions. Or, if I don't have time to answer them, you can just write down your questions and I'll just write down my response when I have time."

Then a pink haired girl flashed through his mind, "Or you can ask Whitney and her friends, I'm sure they'll be happy to help you. But be nice about it! Don't take advantage of their kindness by being rude to them."

Silver nodded seriously, clearly taking that suggestion to heart, "Anything else? I want my Nidorino to become strong."

"Two things." He raised a finger, "The first, is patience. Patience is very important as a trainer. There's no point rushing to get an evolution when your Pokémon hasn't even mastered the basics. Training up a good foundation for your Pokémon early would pay off greatly in the future. Trust me on this."

Silver nodded, so he raised another finger, "The second, is to never let yourself become complacent – that means to always keep moving forwards. If you want to be the very best, you need to keep training, keep studying, and keep improving. Or else someone will surpass you."

"To borrow a quote from John, 'There's always someone better than you'. Never forget it."

Silver bobbed his head up and down, then he quickly scrambled to finish his lunch before bolting out of his chair as he rushed back to the beach. Giovanni let out a sigh at his son's antics, though Ariana just let out another chuckle to his side.

"You think he remembered any of that?" She asked him as she leaned into his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around her, "I'd hope so. He seemed to be listening quite intently for the most part."

"Didn't you want to discuss politics and business with him?" She asked.

"…I think I might have been too hasty when planning those discussions." He admitted, "Silver is much too young for those."

"Give it a couple of years. He's a smart kid, and more importantly, he really looks up to you. He'll learn." His partner told him, and he smiled down at her.

The two of them enjoyed each other's company for a moment, before a scream of excitement echoed out from their son. With another sigh, he called for the waiter and paid his bill before going after their son, who had been trying to power through the oncoming waves and was asking them to join him.

He was getting too old for this.