248-250

The New Normal – 11-14 – Interlude – Blaine

"…Shelly, how am I supposed to find the time to help you with training a new Water type? You know I'm busy with my own projects." Blaine muttered into the phone.

"Well Kabuto are partially Rock and Water, so I thought you might have some tips for me." His friend and research partner replied, "Besides, you know how bad I am as a trainer compared to you."

"I won't deny that." He said mercilessly, getting an offended scoff from Shelly, "But surely you could have found someone else to help you rather than a Fire specialist?"

"You really overestimate the amount of trainers I am actually in contact with, and their competence." Shelly responded, "Did you really think you were my first option?"

"Right, now you've offended me. Can't believe you'd burn me like that." Heh.

"You're not any funnier on the phone than in real life, Blaine." She deadpanned, "Look, I'm not asking for much time, but surely you'd have more insights to at least training up my Kabuto's Rock type moves."

"Fine, fine. Come over later and I'll see what I can do." He sighed, "It'd be a good break anyways, and I'm still waiting for the new Growlithe to hatch—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the blaring of alarms suddenly interrupted him as the high pitch noise echoed through his lab. There was only one reason that the alarms would have gone off.

The Cinnabar Volcano had just erupted.

But why? Their monthly readings had not indicated anything of the sort.

Regardless, now was not the time to think about the 'why'. Immediately dropping everything he was doing, Blaine forced himself to remain calm as he summoned all his Pokémon.

"Eruption! Emergency procedures! Full evacuation!" He quickly ordered his Pokémon as they all dashed out the labs. As he made his way out, he saw that the many other scientists within the lab all running out alongside him, fear and panic visible in their faces.

"STAY FUCKING CALM!" He shouted, "STOP RUSHING OUT! STAY ORDERLY, AND EVACUATE TOGETHER! REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING – YOU WERE FORCED TO DO THEM FOR A REASON!"

His shouts were reinforced by the powerful roars from his Pokémon, which managed to snap the scientists out of their panic. Now following his lead, they all began to evacuate in a more orderly fashion as they stopped trying to push past each other. Then, just to save more time, he had his Magmortar rip a large hole through the wall to create another exit point.

His lab wouldn't survive the eruption anyways. And now every moment counted.

Finally exiting his lab, he surveyed the surrounding area to see masses of people running out of their homes and buildings as they tried to flee away from the imminent eruption. Blaine grimaced as he turned his gaze to the volcano itself, to see that lava was already beginning to overflow from its molten depths.

In the distance, he also saw a brave group of trainers rushing towards the molten lava, trying to slow down its descent with their Water and Rock types. They threw up barriers of rock and waves of water as they did their best to hold their ground against the incoming tide of fiery magma.

But even as all that was happening, Blaine saw that the evacuation efforts weren't as efficient as he hoped them to be. Even though they had many ships on standby to assist an evacuation in case of an eruption, most of them hadn't arrived yet.

And he knew that there was likely not going to be enough space to fully bring everyone to safety. Since it was not just people they had to evacuate, but they also had to accommodate the hordes of Pokémon that were also trying to flee from the deadly eruption as well.

Yet he trusted the mayor to be able to handle all of the administration; it was not his role to interfere with that. He knew where he needed to be, even as he got on the phone to Lance.

"Lance! I need a full recall of every available ship we have in Indigo and get them sent here immediately! NOW! We don't have enough fucking ships!"

"Yes, they're already on their way—" Lance replied, but Blaine interrupted him.

"We also need as many fliers as you can bring in case the ships don't arrive in time! The lava's coming! We probably have a few minutes at most before it swallows the entire island!" He shouted, not caring about how rude he was, "GET THEM HERE NOW! I'LL DO MY BEST TO BUY SOME TIME!"

Not even waiting for Lance to give a response, he hung up the phone and rushed to where the trainers were valiantly attempting to hold back the tide of lava, purposely placing himself on the side of the volcano that led down to the most populous area of the island. With his full team behind him, he ignored the scorching heat from the magma, and went to work.

"HOLD IT BACK!" He shouted to his team, "Magmortar, Rapidash, Houndoom, Arcanine! Focus on slowing down the lava! Torkoal, Camerupt, throw up some rock walls!"

His Pokémon all growled out their affirmations as they began their defense. An enormous wall of rock suddenly shot up from the ground, forming a barrier that blocked the incoming tide of lava from immediately overwhelming them.

In the meanwhile, his remaining Fire types rapidly strained themselves as they pushed their pyrokinesis to the very limits – forcefully taking control of the overflowing magma and holding them in place.

It spoke volumes to the level of training that his Pokémon managed to achieve as – for a moment – the tide of lava stopped entirely as they were forcefully held back by his Fire types. All the while, the other trainers around him continued to provide assistance as they shot out rapid torrents of water, turning swaths of lava into obsidian, while more barriers of rock were created to continue slowing down the volcanic eruption.

Furthermore, the specialized ships that they maintained around the island in case of an eruption finally showed up, and from their cannons they launched a truly enormous amount of frigid sea water onto the overflowing magma. Meters of lava were turned into obsidian as the icy cold water flooded over it.

But Blaine knew he couldn't relax just yet, even as he ordered his Pokémon to do just that to conserve energy. He knew that the water wasn't infinite, and with how large the Cinnabar Volcano was, they couldn't hold back all of the lava for very long. Their efforts might have bought them a few extra minutes at most, but it wasn't much.

True to his predictions, he watched with grim determination as the torrent of water started to gradually slow down, until it petered out entirely. The moment that it did, his Pokémon stepped up once again as they restarted their efforts to buy as much time as possible. He continued to bark out orders to the nearby trainers, making sure that they coordinate their efforts as efficiently as possible.

But even with the short period of rest that they had, he knew that all of their Pokémon were quickly starting to tire out. The tide of lava was slowly starting to move again as his Pokémon were unable to maintain their pyrokinesis for much longer. Even the large walls of rocks that were formed were starting to become overwhelmed by the endless wave of magma.

Yet he knew he couldn't retreat just yet. There were likely still people trying to evacuate from their buildings, and he wanted to make sure that as many of them could make it to safety as possible.

"SPLIT UP!" He shouted, "I'LL CONTINUE TO HOLD HERE! SOME OF YOU STAY WITH ME, SOME OF YOU NEED TO SEARCH THE NEARBY BUILDINGS AND SAVE AS MANY AS YOU CAN! WE'LL CONTINUE TO BUY TIME!"

The nearby trainers all quickly moved to follow his orders, and his Pokémon had now switched tactics. Instead of trying to forcefully hold back the lava, they now simply destroyed as many holes in the ground as possible, forming large pits that would cause the incoming lava to pool within – buying them several seconds each time, while also continuing to throw up as many rock walls as they could.

He slowly fell back as his Pokémon repeated this action, and he made sure to carefully cycle through his Pokémon to conserve as much energy as possible.

He had no idea how much time had passed or how long he managed to stall for, since all he was focused on was making sure that the incoming tidal wave of lava in front of him was held back for as long as possible.

How much time was he able to buy? Was it going to be enough? Did his efforts at least ensure that one more person was able to get to safety in time? All of these thoughts were running through his head, but he forced himself to not think about it as he remained laser-focused on the task at hand.

Eventually, the cannons from the ships had been refilled, and another enormous barrage of water began raining down on the city, temporarily halting the incoming lava. Seeing this, he instantly turned around and began barking out commands once more.

"FALL BACK AND REGROUP!" He shouted again to the nearby trainers, "REGROUP AT THE EVACUATION POINT! REST UP, HEAL UP, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING BACK IN SOON!" They needed all the energy they could get – the most important part was to hold the evacuation point and ensure that everyone could get out in time.

As they retreated past the many rows of buildings that were about to be consumed in fire, he let out an inward sigh of relief as he saw that they were at least devoid of people – meaning that they had bought just enough time for everyone to at least start heading towards the evacuation point.

However, as they retreated, he spotted an elderly man desperately fretting over his partner as she had fallen over. Without a second thought, he immediately sent his Arcanine to pick the both of them up, carrying them with him as they fell back to the evacuation point.

Just as they were thanking him, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed throughout the skies, and Blaine turned around to see an army of Dragons flying their way.

He let out a small grin. The Indigo League was here.

The New Normal – 11-15 – The Eruption

I arrived to a scene of barely controlled chaos.

The erupting lava had already reached the edge of the city, and had already swallowed up dozens of building into its fiery maw, spreading fire and destruction in its wake. There would be no salvaging the melting buildings – I just hoped that everyone was able to get out in time.

In the meanwhile, ships and boats were being sent out and retrieved with the utmost haste, as they evacuated as many Pokémon and people as they could to the nearby Fuschia City or Pallet Town. The people were literally thrown onto the boats just to get them off the island quicker, and all you could really hear was the blaring of ships' horns and the panicked shouting of people as they desperately tried to make their way off the island.

We weren't just using boats to get everyone out, as many Flying and Water types were landing around the port in droves and picking up groups of people at once just to help out with the evacuation.

Housing problems could be dealt with later; the most important priority right now was getting everyone off this island as quickly as possible.

I pried my eyes away from that chaotic sight and immediately flew to where I saw Lance barking out orders at a myriad of people.

"Lance, where do you need me?" I said to him as soon as I landed.

"Everywhere." He didn't have the patience to elaborate, "Do as you see fit. Help wherever you think you can."

"Understood." I knew he didn't have the capacity to micromanage at the moment. So thinking quickly, I split up my team.

"Klee, Luna, Euphie, stay near the ships and make sure everyone's healed up. Assist the Nurse Joys. Port, you assist the evacuation as necessary." The three healers and my dedicated transport Pokémon on my team nodded.

"The rest of us are on search and rescue." I declared, "Stay with me, and let me know if you sense anyone. We're going to join up with the others and help. Maybe we could even help push back the lava if possible."

My team nodded around me and quickly set off to their assigned duties. The Waterflower sisters, who had arrived with me, were quick to join in alongside me.

Their plethora of Water types quickly joined in with all the others as they did the best to slow down the flood of lava. In the air as well, I saw that a small army of Dragons were also there to assist, either throwing up Rock Walls, firing off Hydro Pumps or Ice Beams that turned swathes of lava back into obsidian. Likewise, powerful Hyper Beams and Dragon Pulses tore right through the ground, forming an enormous trench that allowed the lava to pool within.

At this point, the Rain had also already been set up, giving a much needed boost to everyone's Water attacks.

Since my Pokémon weren't the most proficient with Water type moves, they prioritised throwing up wall after wall of reinforced stone, or even digging large trenches to slow down some of the lava. Vordt was especially good at this, and he managed to do the work of several Rock types by himself. In the meanwhile, I did my best to direct several groups of nearby trainers as we jointly coordinated our efforts.

Despite our efforts, most of the outer rim of the city had already been completely submerged into the lava's fiery maw. Ironically, the buildings and infrastructure of the city had been destroyed long before they could get swallowed up by the magma, as most of the destruction was actually caused by us throwing whatever we could at the overflowing lava in a desperate attempt to buy more time for the evacuation.

I saw empty buildings that were ripped apart and thrown into a haphazard pile, thrown up near the trenches that we had haphazardly dug as to form a makeshift wall.

I had only been here for a few minutes, but I could feel the sweat pouring down my face, staining my shirt with my heavy perspiration. The other trainers around me were doing little better, and I had to make sure a few were rotated out just to make sure they didn't collapse from heatstroke. Still, I was inspired by the efforts of my fellow trainers, as many of them had been fighting the eruption for far longer than I've been here and yet were still persevering through the heat.

Fortunately, there were still a few healer Pokémon on rotation – and an abundance of Potions to rely on – so the trainers could keep their Pokémon healthy and to push on with their duties. That made the task a little more bearable.

Yet as the minutes ticked on, the tide of lava only continued to advance, forcing us to retreat further and further back. Luckily, our rescue efforts had borne fruit, and we had already swept the surrounding areas and pulled out any survivors that we had found before they could be swallowed up by the lava. Ornstein was especially useful for this.

I didn't know how long it was, but then a powerful wave of Psychic power alerted me to Will's arrival. He landed next to me as his Pokémon added some much needed firepower to our efforts to stall the approaching wave – literally blasting it back with a powerful wave of Psychic. His Hypno then clapped its hands together with a Helping Hand, sending a surge of power towards Daisy's Golduck as it unleashed a truly enormous torrent of water that washed over the oncoming tide of lava, turning it all into obsidian.

That bought us a bit of breathing room.

"…How's everything?" I panted out hurriedly, taking the opportunity to chug a swig of water.

"We're getting the last of the evacuees out." He replied to my relief, "We brought in more ships from Vermillion and they should be enough to pick up the remainder of the civilians and their Pokémon."

"So…does that mean we don't have…to hold back the lava for any longer?" One of the trainers who could overhear us asked breathlessly.

But Will shook his head, "No. Standing orders from the Champion are to keep up the efforts. We need to ascertain that we haven't missed anyone in the rubble, and every second we stall for is another opportunity to rescue a trapped survivor. Lance will give the order when it's time to fully fall back."

That got a round of nods from everyone, and Will's comforting words seem to have rejuvenated our Pokémon as we knew that there WAS an ending point. We just needed to hold on for a bit longer – the end was in sight.

With another set of fresh Elite-level Pokémon joining the fray, it gave the defenders a slight second wind. And as the minutes continue to tick by, more and more reinforcements began to arrive – until the whole island became swarming with the Pokémon of Gym Leaders and the Elite Four.

In the distance, Giovanni and Brock were working together as a trio with Blaine as they held back an entire section of lava. Giovanni's Swampert fired off Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump while Brock and Blaine protected it by unleashing a huge fissure, creating a large crack through the island that allowed the lava to fall into. At some point, Will moved in to join them, boosting up Blaine's Fire type with a Helping Hand as they forcibly held back the tide of lava with their pyrokinesis.

I also spotted Pryce and Samson doing the same. Pryce was on the offensive, unleashing repeated Ice Beams that somehow managed to freeze huge chunks of molten lava for a second before it was melted and turned into blocks of obsidian. In the meanwhile, Samson stayed back, using his Pokémon's Helping Hands to boost Pryce's Ice attacks to further heights while also keeping it topped up on energy with the occasional Heal Pulse.

Surge's barking voice was also audible as he shouted out commands and helped organise the search and rescue teams as best he could. His speedy Electric types would ferry found survivors to the evacuation point as quickly as possible, while he kept an organised tally of which buildings had been searched and how best to organise our manpower.

Everyone was here to help, all united with a singular goal to get out as many people and Pokémon as possible.

With no further emergencies that required my attention, I focused back all my attention on directing my Pokémon as best as I could – though admittedly everything was on autopilot by this point. Even though the lava continued to creep forwards, the full might of the Indigo League managed to cripple its advance as we unleashed an enormous barrage of destruction against it.

The sheer amount of attacks raining down made Cinnabar Island look like a warzone.

However, after continuing our efforts for who knew how much longer, a shadow suddenly covered over our forms and an announcement was blared out from a loudspeaker.

"FALL BACK! THE EVACUATION IS COMPLETE! FALL BACK!" Lance ordered us from on top of one of his Dragonites, since Emperor was helping out with the lava, "CINNABAR ISLAND IS BEING ABANDONED UNTIL THE LAVA SUBSIDES! GET OUT! FALL BACK! IF YOU AREN'T IN THE ELITE FOUR OR A GYM LEADER, FALL BACK FIRST! EVERYONE ELSE REMAIN AND HOLD!"

Hearing the order, the swarm of trainers that had been assisting us made a quick retreat, returning all of their Pokémon before they retreated on their Flying types. Some were reluctant and wanted to stay in the fight, but a quick bark from Surge got them moving.

As soon as the supporting trainers left, the lava surged forth, rapidly swallowing several buildings in its wake.

A combined effort of all of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four managed to stall the lava for a few seconds with an enormous wave of water, ice, and rock, buying us precious seconds to begin pulling back to the evacuation point. Then, as we knew we were going to abandon the rest of the island anyways, we conserved the rest of our energy as we made a dash for the evacuation point.

Once there, healers quickly rushed towards us as they patched up both us and our Pokémon, making sure we didn't have heatstroke. My Pokémon that were stationed there also ran up to me, with Klee instantly checking me over just to make sure the Nurse Joy didn't miss anything. As she did her work, she told me all about how they had been scrambling to ensure that any Pokémon with burns or other injuries were all properly patched up before they could be evacuated.

The last thing we wanted was for a Pokémon to succumb to its injuries because we failed to catch it in time.

After listening to her explanation, I patted her on the head as I gazed solemnly at the tide of magma, watching it consume and gobble up even more buildings. Now that I was actually sitting down, I could see just how much of Cinnabar Island had been transformed into a desolate and fiery wasteland.

All that remained of the once prosperous island was fire and rubble. The island was completely uninhabitable.

Yet there was nothing we could do about it.

"OKAY! TIME TO GET OUT!" Lance's order broke through my thoughts. I quickly returned all of my Pokémon, climbed onto Port, and we flew away from the doomed island.

I met up with Lance in the air, who was staring down at the carnage with a grave expression, "I hope you don't have plans for the next few days, John. We'll be busy."

"What do you need me to do?" I asked dutifully.

"We have two major problems that we will need to deal with." He said, "One, we might have gotten everyone – or almost everyone – out of Cinnabar, but we still need to find a way to house and relocate them for the future. For now, we've already begun allocating emergency tents for their use, but that's not a long term solution. The same applies for the wild Pokémon."

"Second, we need to decide what to do with Cinnabar Island now that it's covered in lava. Now that the evacuation is finished, we can start thinking about the restoration process, but that will be extremely slow going. Then once that's done, we'd need to worry about the redevelopment plans and rebuilding costs, and if those can be done in time to replace the Gym in time for the next circuit. Of course, we'd also need to figure out WHY the eruption happened, and if there was any nefarious intent behind it."

I nodded as he continued, "The latter is obviously less of a priority for now, so I want you to head over to Pallet Town and assist with making sure that everyone has food, clothes, and housing for the next few nights. Keep them as calm as possible. We'll be allocating them to whatever residences we can find for them, but the Pokémon Centers cannot house this many people all at once at such short notice."

"Understood." I confirmed.

"I've heard reports that Champion Oak is already out there and assisting the people, so just follow his lead." Lance informed me, "Maintain order at any cost, and try to cool tempers as much as you can. Crime will inevitably spike as a result of this, so make sure you crack down on it as efficiently as possible."

I gave him a nod before I began my flight over to Pallet Town. As I did, I took one final look at the remains of Cinnabar Island, and I frowned as all I saw was fire and magma.

The lab, the city, the Gym…everything was gone.

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

​Despite my solemn flight to Pallet Town, I was quickly snapped out of my thoughts as my eyes nearly shot out of their sockets when I took stock of just how many people were currently at this small town.

What was once a quiet and idyllic town was now crammed full of people, and even this high in the air I could hear the cacophony of panicked shouting, worried cries, and rising anger. The discontent was palpable.

Lance was right. Pallet Town was a powder keg waiting to explode.

It was not surprising. These people had just been through what was most likely the shock of their lives. They had just lost their homes, their livelihoods, and most likely all of their belongings. And in the panic of the evacuation, they might also have been separated from their family members and/or Pokémon; unable to know if they were okay or not.

It was easy to understand why everyone was such a ball of barely contained discontent.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Oak was here to save the day. I knew that he didn't like to, but right now – in a time of crisis – he was fully willing to make full use of the public's confidence and trust in him to calm them down.

I arrived just in time to listen to the speech he was making over the megaphone.

"I understand that many of you are shocked, tired, and angry about what you have just been through. It is greatly unfortunate that you were forced to suffer through the events that you have, and you have my deepest and utmost sympathy for whatever loss you may have suffered. I know that feeling of loss all too well and I assure you that none would blame you for feeling this way."

"However, as easy it is to give in to your baser instincts and unleash your pent-up emotions on those near you – consider this. They are people who have gone through the same thing you just have; who have suffered just as you did. To take out your anger on them would only make things worse for everyone involved."

"But I understand the need to vent. That is why I am always willing to lend an open ear to those who need help. I will ensure that all that could be recovered will be recovered, and that every effort will be made to ensure that you will be reunited with your friends, family, and your Pokémon once more. On my honour as the first Champion of Indigo, I do promise this to each and every one of you."

"Food, shelter, and amenities will be provided shortly. You need not fight over them. We have enough to spare, as the Indigo League has always been well-prepared to handle a situation like this. Better accommodation and housing will be allocated as soon as they become available. Rest assured that myself, and the Indigo League, are doing all that we can to ensure that none of you will suffer over the next few days."

"Remember – this is not the end, merely a new beginning. You can think of it like as starting over. Cinnabar Island will be rebuilt, better than ever before – and I promise you that you will one day return to your old lives and find them much improved compared to what you remember."

"Right now, your priority is to eat some food and get some rest. As I said, I will be around to listen to any problems that you might have, and I will do my utmost to resolve them as best as I can. I might only be one man, so it might take me some time to get to you – but I'll do my best."

I thought that it was the confidence, the surety that he had – to say that everything was going to be fine – that finally calmed down the rising discontent within the refugees. To know that the man who brought peace upon a region was there and willing to personally guarantee your continued safety was probably the most reassuring thing they could hear.

I was in awe not only of Oak's confidence, but the fact that, as soon as he put down the megaphone, he REALLY was going out there and personally listening to all of their problems and doing his best to address their concerns.

Every single one of them.

Seeing this, I made myself busy as I prioritised taking over the administrative and policing duties around Pallet Town. We were less worried about outsider criminals, but more concerned about the refugees themselves committing crimes out of desperation, fear, or anger.

Because, despite Oak's reassurances, there were always one or two people that were more desperate than sensible. And the fact that they were all living in tents and eating MREs while the actual, existing residents of Pallet Town were able to live comparatively comfortable lives in the safety of their homes – it was easy for jealousy to sprout. It was my job to stomp all of that into the ground.

Tyrant's growling face was an effective deterrent. And his fists were even better ones.

Unknowingly, with the roles divided in the way that it was, Oak and I ended up taking over the role of good cop and bad cop, with him as the former and myself as the latter. It was stressful, and Tyrant had to forcibly calm down more people than I would have wanted, yet it worked well, and we were able to maintain a semblance of order in what could have been an extremely unfortunate explosion of anger.

It also helped that many of them had at least brought their phones with them, and were at least able to call their loved ones to make sure they were okay.

Night eventually fell upon the small town, and Oak and I took the opportunity to sit together as we were both on our dinner breaks.

"Sorry that we didn't get to talk much earlier, John." Oak said to me. The two of us were both resting on a foldable chair as we chewed down our dinner. We were eating the same as all of the refugees – for fairness' sake.

"That's fine, we were both busy, and you were doing far more than me." I waved him off. I turned back to look at the refugees, most of whom should hopefully be sleeping by now. "I hope that nothing big occurs overnight. I'm knackered."

Between this and my earlier assistance with the evacuation, today had been a long day.

"My old bones aren't what they used to be." He chuckled, "I think I heard my legs creaking every time I bent down to listen to one of their problems."

"You have my utmost respect for doing that." I said to him sincerely, "I…wouldn't even think of doing what you did, to actually go around and listen to each and every one of their problems and to respond with the sincerity that you did. Especially when I saw that some of them even threw in the occasional word of hostility against you."

He truly was one of the greatest amongst us. Not for his strength, but for his humanity. Seeing him like this, I was starting to piece together just how he became Champion. His strength was mighty indeed, but it was his charisma and personality that would allow him to win over all but the most vilest of villains to his side. It was awe-inspiring to see the amount of effort and energy that he put in to helping others.

No wonder he was able to bring peace to a region.

"They were just venting; I didn't take any of their words personally." He reassured me with a patient smile, not realising my thoughts, "Besides, I was just doing what needed to be done. In times like these, when the world has decided to test us, it comes down to the leaders to shoulder the burden. To shoulder the woes and the troubles of the populace. For that is our duty, and our responsibility."

He looked at me, "It is not a skill that is easily learnt. It is difficult to be truly sincere, and people can pick up on that. If they think you're just phoning it in, they won't get the comfort that they would have compared to if you had genuinely listened to them. It is a skill that must be trained up. But, in times like these, that is what people expect of their leaders, and so that is what you must do if you want to truly become a great leader. Many will be unable to achieve this, and most will not be able to do so without putting in some serious effort, but it is my utmost hope that you could one day become one of those people, John."

Yes, there could be no doubt about it. I was not speaking to Professor Oak, but Champion Oak.

"…I'll take that to heart." I replied genuinely after a moment, "I hope to be able to be as steadfast and as humble as you, Professor Oak."

"If it's any consolation, you've lived through a time of relative peace." He said as he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "There was no need for you to act as I did, because there was never a big enough crisis that demanded it. But, as much as I hope it would never happen, a crisis like this is always sneaking up around the corner, so you must be ready to act as the pillar that the region can rely upon when necessary."

"I know full well that our society values strength above almost everything else, but sometimes they value kindness equally as much. A great leader knows when to lower themselves to the public's level and speak to them from the heart."

I nodded, and he continued, "…Tomorrow, I want you to do what I did today. Go around and listen to their problems. Help them all; each and every individual. Speak with them and empathize with them. I will take on your role as the 'bad cop' to police the area and also deal with the administrative activities. It will be good practice for you."

Yes it would be. I had seen the brightening faces that would always appear whenever Oak would speak to someone. That was the power that a respected and trusted leader would have on the populace. And I wanted to have that.

Not for power or for the praise, but because I knew that a single act of kindness for these people could make a whole world of difference for these people.

"I will." I nodded again firmly, "Thank you for the advice."

He waved me off, "It's the duty of the elderly to pass on their wisdom to the youth. And I do enjoy the occasional lecture every once in a while. You might act more mature than your age, but you're still young. You still have plenty to grow. You're already doing a great job as an Elite Four, but you could always do better."

"There's always someone better than you." I quoted myself.

"Exactly." He agreed, "So get some rest now. You have a busy day ahead of you."

I went to bed that night in a reflective mood. I didn't even acknowledge the crappy tent that I was assigned to sleep in. I did at least make sure to inform my friends and family that I was okay, and I answered a few questions to a curious Cynthia about what had happened.

However, more importantly than that, I thought about what Oak had told me. He was undoubtedly right, so I fell asleep while thinking about how I could better myself as a leader.

Oak was an excellent role model, and a truly great man.

The New Normal – 11-16 – Aftermath

I held Oak's words to heart on the next day, and I deeply reflected on his wisdom as I slept. He was certainly right that a great leader needed to be more than just someone who could lead and be strong, but they also had to be empathetic and approachable. The people were relying on us, and it was time to meet that expectation.

With those thoughts circling around my head, I woke up the next day full of vigour and determination, a large contrast to the general air of malaise that plagued the temporary residents of Pallet Town. The memories of the eruption were likely still fresh in their minds.

But I wanted to do my best to correct that. So, I quickly chowed down on breakfast and got to work, making sure I was a friendly face as I went from tent to tent to make sure that people had someone checking up on them and listening to their concerns.

Fortunately, it seemed that Oak had already handled the worst of the cases, as it appeared that the evacuees were a lot more calm after they had gotten some sleep, especially since most of them were able to get into contact with their loved ones and made sure that they were okay. There were still a few attempts of thievery or fighting between the evacuees overnight, but the situation was nowhere near as bad as it could've been.

I had actually checked in with Lance on that, and he told me that the evacuation was a huge success – the evacuation measures, as well as the joint heroic efforts of everyone involved, managed to buy enough time to evacuate almost everyone off the island in time. Sadly, there were, inevitably, a few people that were still listed as missing, but we were holding onto hope that this was because of an administrative error rather than the alternative.

Still, with that bit of positive news in mind, I got to work speaking with the evacuees.

"Thank you for your attention, Elite John, but we're doing fine at the moment." One elderly couple said to me, "We lost the house, but it was pretty rundown anyways. Maybe they'll build us a better one in the future. In fact, I was pretty sure I saw someone's Pokémon rip out our house to help block the lava. That was pretty amusing, seeing our old home used that way. It made us feel like we contributed, in a way."

"I have been assured that rebuilding efforts will begin shortly, right after they clear up all the lava." I informed her, "I'm not quite sure on how they plan to redevelop the place, but I'm sure something will be announced later. In fact, the new Indigo Charity Fund that was set up may actually compensate you for your loss. I believe that there will be an announcement soon regarding that, so please make sure to follow up on that."

That was a scheme that I had previously proposed successfully with Lance, and I hoped to see it coming into use here. At least it seemed like the right thing to say, as the elderly couple began chatting about how much they would receive from it.

However, the next individual that I spoke with was far less calm, "…It was pretty scary, not knowing where the lava was. My wife had just gone out to pick up some groceries when the warning sirens starting blaring. Then the next thing I know was that I saw Gym Leader Blaine rushing towards the lava with his Pokémon as the volcano began spewing it out like a flood."

"I had already ran out of my house at that point, but even though I could reach my wife over the phone, we weren't close enough to meet up. Then the next thing that I saw was that Blaine and many other trainers just held the lava in place. I didn't know what happened next, but I just ran to find my wife. Yet I was stopped by one of the trainers who forced me to head to the evacuation point instead."

"…I haven't been able to contact my wife since then, and I don't know if she's okay. I think she must have dropped her phone." His breath caught in his throat as worry filled his eyes, "Please, I need to know if she's okay. I've looked around Pallet Town but haven't been able to find her, and the Jennys and Nurse Joys were too busy to help me yesterday."

I sympathised, and I did my best to put on my most reassuring smile, "…I'll see what I can do for you. Pallet Town isn't the only evacuation point, since many people were also taken to Fuschia. Let me speak to a few people and ask around for you. What's your wife's name, and can you give me a general description of her appearance?"

He did so, and I quickly ran to where the Jennys were and asked them to chase up on the matter. The line was very busy, but within minutes, I was luckily able to confirm that his wife had been successfully evacuated to Fuschia. And I quickly reported that back to the man.

"Oh, thank you! That's a huge relief." He let out a big sigh, and I felt the weight dropping off of his shoulders, "…I wouldn't know what to do if she was missing."

"She'll be looked after." I added comfortingly, gently patting him on the shoulder as I let the tears of relief stream down his face, "Your wife will be fine, and I'm sure you'll be able to meet with her soon."

"…And I'm counting down the days until then." He nodded, "Thank you again, Elite John. You don't know how much this helps. I can finally relax now. Keep up the good work."

I held on to the warm feelings that I received as I continued to make my way to more people. I didn't forget to also thank the actual residents of Pallet Town, many of whom – while not necessarily opening their homes to the evacuees – had donated whatever spare amenities they could afford to those who needed it more.

"I do hope that things will get better for those poor evacuees out there." A kind-looking, brown-haired woman said to me from the porch of her house, "I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to lose everything you had."

"It'll get better for them." I promised, "The Indigo League will do its best to rebuild Cinnabar Island as quickly and as efficiently as possible. They'll have good lives to return to."

"I'm sure you're all working hard." She smiled softly, "…If I was in that situation, I wouldn't know what to do! My son's always running off to play with his friend, and I don't know if I could run away from the house without him. I would be losing my mind if I couldn't find him! But there really should be a way to stop another eruption from causing so much damage. Maybe that's something you can pass on to the redevelopers?"

"It's something many have mentioned, and I will pass the message on." I nodded, "Don't worry, that is a topic that the higher-ups are all thinking about as well. Especially since we're able to design the new city from scratch."

Apparently, I heard from Lance that one of the main reasons that they couldn't have extra measures installed originally was that the city was built long before those kinds of technologies were developed. It then became too much of a hassle to redesign the city to implement such measures; it would have pissed off too many vested interests for such plans to be politically feasible.

Of course, now that the entire city had burnt down, we had free reign to design the new Cinnabar Island to whatever we liked. And this time, like many have suggested, there would be an emphasis on not allowing this level of damage to happen again.

It was going to be expensive, but worth it.

"Thank you, I'm sure the future generations would appreciate it." She smiled, "You know, I've been really meaning to do more—" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as a high-pitched voice interrupted her.

"Mom, mom! Look at all these new Pokémon here!" A very familiar kid's voice came running towards us, "Even Gary was surprised! There's so many that he hasn't seen before."

I blinked; needing to do a double take as I took in the sight of the newcomer. There was no way I didn't recognise him.

"…Ash, I hope you haven't been bothering them." She lightly scolded, "I told you that they've been through some tough times already. They deserve the opportunity to relax."

"…I know, I know. But they're just so cool!" The future protagonist smiled excitedly, "I even saw someone with a Clefable! That's the new Fairy type!"

Then he turned to me, recognition flashing through his eyes, "…Wait, I know you! You're John! Gary talks about you sometimes!"

I smiled, "He does?" That was interesting, "What does he say about me?"

"Oh, only that you talk to his sister more than you talk to him." He responded, before dropping his voice into a whisper as if he was telling me some dark secret, "…I think he's jealous of her."

I chuckled, "I'm sure he will become a fantastic trainer too, one day. And you as well. You both are still are very young, but if you prepare well, I'm sure you will be an extremely formidable trainer once you set off on your journey."

Ash grinned wildly at that, but I wasn't done yet, "But that's only if you actually prepare well. Study hard, learn the Type matchups, think about what kind of Pokémon you want to start off with. Not only that, but you should study how other experienced trainers battle and see what you can learn from that. Or better yet, see if you can convince your mom to let you get a starter Pokémon a little earlier so that you can get a head start on training. It will help you a lot."

Ash instantly spun towards his mother, "Can I, mom!? Please! I told you I've always wanted my own Pokémon!"

Whoops, I probably should have asked if that was okay first before making the suggestion. I got a little too talkative after meeting him. Luckily, Ash's mom didn't seem annoyed by that as she replied to her son, "…Next year, I promise. I still think it's a bit too early now."

He pouted, but that quickly faded away as he regained his usual enthusiasm, "Okay! Deal! So, John, what kind of Pokémon should I start with? What Pokémon are powerful?!"

"That's something you'll have to figure out yourself." I lectured gently, "But, if I could give you a word of advice – I know you're friends with Gary, so why don't you speak more often to Professor Oak? The man is one of the best trainers in the world, and he can give you more tips than I could. I'm sure there's much that you can learn from him."

I also idly wondered how much my advice would change his future as a trainer. Maybe he'd be less prone to making beginner mistakes like he did so frequently at the beginning of his journey.

Ash clearly wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by his mom, "And I think we should leave it there. Ash, let's not keep the kind Elite Four member any longer – I'm sure he has other things to do. Why don't you say goodbye to him and let him continue on his duties?"

"…Okay, thank you for the help, John." He said a little reluctantly, "But I'll remember what you say!"

And with that, I parted ways with what could have been the future protagonist of this world. I say that, because I was absolutely certain that my own actions would have drastically altered the course of his life by now, to the point where I wasn't even sure if he was going to be the protagonist anymore. After all, he was like 7 years old right now. There was a lot that could be different in four years.

Yet, in a way, I was happy about that. No 11 year old deserved to bear the responsibility of the world on his shoulders. If my actions allowed him to live a more stress-free life, then I was content with that outcome. I was certain that he would still be a great trainer regardless.

Either way, that was something to consider for the future, and I resumed my previous duties as I set off to check up on more people. After a few more hours of doing this, it was time for lunch – which meant I could finally take a break.

Of course, that was when I received a call from Lance.

"Lance, how is everything going?" I asked as I picked up the call.

"The fact that it took me this long to call you is probably a good enough sign that things haven't exploded in our faces." He replied, "Unless you've been hiding things from me."

"No, Pallet Town is okay. There's some frustration and discontent, but nothing above what would be expected." I informed him, "Oak and I have been doing the rounds; making sure people aren't misbehaving and are staying calm."

"Good, good. I'm glad to hear that." Lance nodded, "Will reported that there were little issues at Fuschia City as well. Koga has been excellent at maintaining discipline."

That was relieving, "And how's Cinnabar doing?" I asked.

"As devastated as expected. The city is a total loss, but we've scoured the parts of the city that haven't completely submerged into the lava to see if we missed anyone and didn't find anything." He explained, "Still, we've done our best to recover anything we could from the eruption, but we're still going to have to rebuild everything from scratch."

"A word on that front – many evacuees have stated that they would prefer if such a devastating eruption could never happen again." I told him, "Its like we talked about before. I think we really need to emphasise that having proper defences set up in case of another eruption should be the utmost priority during the reconstruction. In fact, the entire city should be rebuilt in a way to minimise damage done from any future eruption."

"Yes Will received similar comments in Fuschia." He nodded, "I will definitely keep that in mind and pass it on to the relevant people. You're both right in that a disaster of this scale should not ever happen again."

"Speaking of which, I have better news for you." He continued, "Many of the Pokémon Centers around Indigo have cleared out all their non-essential beds; they're now fully open to take in the evacuees. It's a temporary measure, and there still isn't enough space for everyone, but it'll probably beat sleeping in tents."

"That's good news." I commented.

"It does mean that you're going to have to organise them to the appropriate Pokémon Center. We don't want to break up families due to poor organisation." Lance said, "There'll be League officials to help you out with that. You just need to stand there and act imposing so that the evacuees fall in line."

I chuckled, "I'll let my Pokémon do that. They're far more intimidating than me."

We didn't talk for much longer as we both had work to get to. As per Lance's words, a group of League officials arrived in Pallet Town shortly after and began organising the evacuees, with those separated from their families having priority so that they could be reunited. As I stood there, waiting for the people to be sorted out, I let out an inward sigh of relief. It looked like the most immediate consequences from the eruption were about to be settled.

Now it was time to deal with the less-immediate consequences.

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

​As soon as the evacuees were all safely escorted out of Pallet Town into their new temporary homes, Lance had summoned all of the Elite Four to meet him at his office for a meeting. Lorelei was here by video.

"Sorry that I couldn't be there." Lorelei apologised to us, "But I'm glad to see that it's mostly been handled."

"No need to apologise; you have your own duties in Sinnoh." Lance waved her off, "And to the rest of you, thank you all for your hard work over the past few days; I know it must have been tiring work for you all." Lance said to us, "But before I let you go home and properly rest, I thought it would be prudent to discuss a few of the changes that we will be announcing in the next few days."

"Are we about to assign the blame?" Agatha grinned, "A disaster like this must fall on someone. So who will be sacrificing today?"

"The choice has already been made by the man himself. Blaine has already agreed to 'accept responsibility' for the eruption." Lance announced, to my shock.

"Wait, why?" I asked disbelievingly, almost offended on my friend's behalf, "He didn't do anything wrong – and from all that I heard he performed admirably with his response to the eruption."

"He has – I was not faulting his conduct. To clarify what I meant, Blaine has volunteered to take the blame." Lance explained.

My first thought to Lance's words was more confusion, but as I thought things through, I slowly began to piece together Blaine's thought process. Only to realise the only logical conclusion to his actions.

"…Is he stepping down as a Gym Leader?" I asked carefully, this time eliciting a surprised look from both Will and Lorelei.

"He is." Lance confirmed, "I suspect that he wanted to use this opportunity to focus more on the sciences rather than stay as a Gym Leader, though I believe you'd have more luck asking him yourself."

I nodded slowly, my mind still whirling at a mile a minute as I comprehended the resulting consequences of this decision. To step down as a Gym Leader was a massive decision, and I needed to know what Blaine was thinking.

"Regardless, this is actually why I brought you all here today." Lance explained, shaking me out of my thoughts, "With Blaine's imminent retirement as a Gym Leader, we have a new problem on our hands. Namely, we need to both find a replacement Gym Leader for Blaine, and also construct a new Gym to serve as a replacement to the now-destroyed Cinnabar Gym. The Kanto circuit must have 8 badges."

"Fortunately, this isn't a decision that we have to make immediately." Lance added, "We still have some time before the circuit starts up again, but we need to at least make a decision on where the next Gym should be built. Construction does take time, after all."

"So are we going to be able to give suggestions?" Will asked.

"Yes. I predict I'll be very distracted with the cleanup of Cinnabar to really search for an appropriate candidate, so I'm offloading the responsibility to all of you." Lance nodded, "If you believe someone is suitable for the role, let me know and I'll put them into consideration."

I could see the spark of ambition growing in Agatha's eyes, "Never mind who becomes the next Gym Leader for the moment. The Gym should be rebuilt in Lavender Town." She stated immediately, pouncing on the opportunity like her Ghosts on a Psychic type.

"Are you telling me or asking me?" Lance chuckled.

Agatha rolled her eyes, "Don't play coy with me, Blackthorn. You know as well as I do that there isn't anywhere else in Kanto to accommodate a Gym other than Lavender Town. Or are you about to build up a Gym in tiny Pallet Town? Or in the middle of Viridian Forest? And it's not like you'd be able to rebuild the Gym in time for the beginning of the new circuit in Cinnabar Island anyways, not when its still flooded with lava."

She was right, but I stayed silent as I allowed Agatha to continue, "Besides, it's about time that Lavender Town receives a Gym. I've been on the Elite Four for longer than you were alive – I think this would be an appropriate 'gift' for my services."

"Are you nominating yourself to be the Gym Leader as well?" Will inquired.

Agatha rolled her eyes, "You must be wearing that mask of yours too often because it's making you blind." She spat out, "Do you think I'm suited to being a Gym Leader?"

"You DID act as regent for the Pewter Gym for some time." Lorelei pointed out.

Agatha waved her off, "I just passed everything on to my apprentice and let her do all the work. I'd rather throw myself down a flight of stairs than have to deal with all those trainers on a daily basis."

I didn't think she was lying, but I also thought we were going wildly off-topic, "So, just to confirm, you think Lavender Town would be the best place for a new Gym?"

"Yes. Again, where else would it be built?" She asked rhetorically, "Cinnabar is covered in lava. Pallet is too small. And you would never build a Gym in Viridian Forest. All the other cities already have Gyms in them. So Lavender Town remains the final option."

"We could always build it at the Seafoam Islands—" Will tried, only to be immediately interrupted.

"And build the Gym inside a cave? Don't be stupid." Agatha cut him off, "Ignoring how impossible that would be for young trainers to find, it'd also be the least prestigious Gym ever built. No, we needn't argue this any further, Lavender Town is the only appropriate place for the new Gym."

Agatha was being uncharacteristically insistent and forceful on this, though I suppose it shouldn't be surprising. Having a Gym be built in Lavender Town was practically a gift from Arceus for Agatha – I could understand why she was so worked up about it. And I agreed about her point about Seafoam Islands. Even if that was where Blaine had relocated to in canon, I felt that having the Gym there was insane.

"The Sevii Islands are an option too." Lorelei pointed out again, "Though perhaps that might be a bit too far away."

"Let's table this discussion for now." Lance interrupted before Agatha could respond, "I do agree that Lavender Town seems like the most appropriate option for now, but let me speak to my other advisors to see how viable that would be. I will get back to you about my decision once I hear back from them."

We all nodded, Agatha more reluctantly than others. She must have really wanted for Lance to make a decision here and now.

"Other than that, there's nothing else urgent we need to talk about. Just keep your phones on so that you can be reached if something pops up." Lance told us, "Otherwise, you're free to leave. Get some rest, you've all earned it."

All of us split off as soon as the meeting ended. Agatha even disappeared on me before I could speak to her.

However, I had someone I wanted to meet with before I headed home. I rang up Blaine.

"John, I guess the Champion must have told you about my decision if you're calling me this soon." He greeted.

"He has." I confirmed, "I just wanted to speak. Is there someone we could meet up?"

"Well my lab is gone, and I don't really know anywhere else we could meet." He shrugged, "You decide."

"…Then let's meet at my place." I decided, "Here's my address."

"Alright, meet you there." He replied.

Fortunately, no one was home today, and it wasn't long before Blaine arrived at my house. However, instead of looking tired or exhausted like I expected him to, he looked just as he usually did.

Amusedly gruff.

"Thanks for inviting me over." He greeted me with his usual smile.

"No problem…though I'd thought you be more upset about losing your Gym and stepping down." I couldn't help but say, "I can't say I expected to hear that you were stepping down."

He shrugged, "There are ups and downs." The two of us sat down as I offered him a drink. "I'm pretty sure I told you before that I've been increasingly dissatisfied with being a Gym Leader. Even though I hadn't held the position for very long – I think it's been just over a year, a little before you started your duties as an Elite Four."

"In truth, I saw the title of Gym Leader as a means of regaining some of the respect and recognition I knew I would lose when I stepped down as an Elite Four." He admitted, "But I don't think I was very suited for the responsibilities of the position. I'm no politician or Gym Leader – I'm more of a scientist at heart. That is what I enjoy doing."

"So you stepped down because you wanted more time to be a scientist?" I asked, "But why take the blame as well? After all, I think your actions during the eruption were commendable. You were the perfect example of what a Gym Leader should be."

"Because someone must – you know how the media are. Plus, with my role as Gym Leader, most of the responsibility would have fallen on my lap anyways." He explained, "Admittedly, I could have done more to make sure there were further measures to ensure the protection of the city in the case of an eruption. That fault does lie with me."

"It doesn't." I disagreed, "There are many others who could have made a similar suggestion."

He shook his head, "…No, John. There is also one other thing. It hasn't been announced to the public yet, but you must be aware that it takes a large amount of Fire Type energy to create a Magmarizer, which requires careful handling of the magma from the Cinnabar Volcano—"

"Wait, are you saying that the creation of the Magmarizer caused the eruption?" I interrupted with visible surprise. I highly doubted that was the case though. I knew the production of a Magmarizer only involved small pools of lava – definitely not sufficient to cause an entire eruption.

"I suspect that we might have disturbed the volcano accidentally, which may have led to the eruption." He nodded, even though I believed that this was just his guilt or paranoia talking, "Initial reports don't show any other external factors that may have caused it. Or perhaps it was just a spot of bad luck from Arceus. It's rather impossible to tell."

"Nevertheless, even if we might never know if that was truly the case, I still feel partially responsible for that." He continued, "Plus, as Gym Leader, I could have been more insistent on ensuring that the further protections were provided in the case of an eruption. But I was too focused on other things and didn't make it a priority. So I agree that I hold some of the fault. Anyways, it doesn't matter – I'm happy enough that it gave me an excuse to step down. I would far prefer having more time to dedicate to the sciences instead."

"…I think I would never have done this had I not been so wildly successful – with your help – with my projects." He continued as he idly ran a finger over his teacup, "But with the income and fame that I've been receiving from our shared discoveries, I don't really need to be a Gym Leader anymore for the recognition. My scientific achievements are already notable as is."

"Plus, I'll still be working with Shelly in the future. Our cooperation doesn't end with my retirement as a Gym Leader. So nothing really changes there." He explained, "In fact, I might even join Devon Corp as a scientist instead. It would be more fun there. And more importantly than that, it would help me on the journey to become a proper Professor, like Samuel is."

I took a sip of my tea to hide my continued surprise at his words. Who knew that my interactions with Blaine would change so much for the man? In canon, he would have stayed as Gym Leader even after the eruption, to the point where he even kept his Gym open in a dinky cave in Seafoam Islands. And now he was willing to give that all up for his true passion in science.

Yet, after coming over my shock, I found myself smiling at him, "If that is truly what makes you happy, then I'm all for it. Let me know if you need any help with anything. And I won't simply stand back and allowed you to be torn to shreds by the media. I'll have your back. Both for this and your journey to become a Professor."

Professor Blaine. Who would have thought it?

"Thank you, John. I admit that I was concerned that you might treat me differently now that I no longer intend to be a Gym Leader. But I'm glad to have misplaced my fears." He said, mirroring my own smile.

The two of us settled into a comfortable silence as silently sipped our teas. It was a moment longer before I spoke up, "Do you have any suggestions about who could replace you as Gym Leader?"

"Not a fucking clue." Blaine grinned, "You think I have any idea about who would replace me? I'm hardly suited for the role as is. I didn't have time to choose a successor."

That was about what I expected. Yet with Lance giving us the opportunity to put forwards our own suggestions, this was something I was going to have to think seriously about.

However, there was one amusing thought that popped into my mind. "Say, Blaine, do you know where the new Gym is being built at to replace yours?"

He raised an eyebrow, "No, I don't. Where would it be?"

I grinned, "Lavender Town." And I watched as his face immediately turned into a scowl.

"Fuck."