There's a New World Coming
And it's just around the bend
There's a new world coming
This one's coming to an end

-New World Coming; by Cass Elliot


If Janey thought Treecko's energy was much the night before, she was in for a surprise that morning. The Wood Gecko Pokémon was practically bouncing off the walls she was so excited. Treecko wanted to know everything. She was touching things she shouldn't have been touching; almost knocking important pictures or items over because she couldn't stay in one area for long. Janey hadn't had the opportunity to properly get dressed before Treecko had gone on her rampage. By the time Treecko made it into the kitchen, a feeling of dread filled Janey. Tangrowth usually helped Rhiannon make breakfast in the morning, and Tangrowth had a habit of being a little controlling in what was done in the kitchen. Treecko, on the other hand, had no sense of boundaries yet and wanted to be on or near anything she didn't know. So, when the Wood Gecko Pokémon saw Tangrowth, she instantly latched on to the Vine Pokémon and started rambling out questions.

Janey laughed at the irritated look that came across Tangrowth's face. "Ease up on her," she exclaimed. "She's not used to this place."

"(I'm getting the grand tour)," Treecko exclaimed. "(That's what Janey called it. Are you coming with us)?"

Letting out a frustrated huff, Tangrowth sent a look in Janey's direction. Rhiannon couldn't help but let out a laugh, too. In the years since Rhiannon and Tangrowth settled into the domestic lifestyle, the Vine Pokémon had adapted rather well, and as age started adding up, Tangrowth started to show impatience to those he deemed "out of control", or "obnoxious". Seeing the look that was on Tangrowth's face, he thought Treecko was all of that and more.

"Tangrowth, that Treecko is just a baby," Rhiannon scolded, chuckling lightly. "Have some decency. There were probably plenty of older Pokémon who thought we were irritating when we were younger."

"(At least we managed to grow out of it)," Tangrowth muttered, pulling Treecko off his head. The Wood Gecko Pokémon bounced onto the ground before climbing onto Janey's shoulder. Janey shook her head at the whole ordeal.

"I'm sure Treecko will calm down eventually," Janey said, "just give it time. No need to be so mean."

"(Maybe you should take a nap)," Treecko offered. "(Dahlia always had Oddish take a nap whenever she was being mean)."

"It's too early for naps, dear," Rhiannon said, smiling at the Pokémon happily perched on Janey's shoulder. "But I'll keep that in mind when it gets grumpy."

Tangrowth let out another huff before finishing the task he'd started.

"I'll be outside for a little bit," Janey said.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Rhiannon said, looking at her granddaughter expectantly.

"I should be back not too long after." Janey smiled at her grandmother. "I just want to show Treecko around; she's been wanting a tour since the second I woke up."

. . . .

"That's it, isn't it? They won't negotiate with us, what else can we do?"

A scoff. "We'll make them see it our way." A young woman, sitting in a small, uncomfortable chair, looked at her companion. "They can't expect us to be OK with this," she exclaimed. "To sit back and let this slide. We've got families to think of. Don't you think that's more important?"

The woman's companion, a young boy, looked conflicted. He understood what she was talking about, but he just couldn't understand why there had to be threat of force. "Do we have to hurt anyone, though?" he asked quietly.

"Can you think of anything else?" she asked. "Zander, I know this is the last thing you want, but sometimes it's better to use force to get a point across."

"But..."

"No," she said, her tone firm. "Zander, we can't keep begging to them, we can't hope things get better. They played our hand. Now we have to do it ourselves."

Zander watched as she got up and left. A chill of fear ran up his spine, and he flinched when she slammed his front door shut. She'd spent a better part of half a day in Zander's house ranting about the inequality villagers were facing, how the Elders were exploiting their people, how the Origin Region was a dead region. She was absolutely livid. Zander looked at his Ninetails, who looked just as concerned as he felt. For weeks, she'd been going to the houses of the villagers, trying to rile them up to see her point of view, and not many people were really willing to do anything or say anything.

"What do you think?" Zander asked his Ninetails. "Do you think she's right?"

"(I think she's crazy)," Ninetails huffed. "(She can't honestly think that's true)."

. . . .

"Flora Village is probably the most beautiful village there is," Janey said, peering at Treecko, who was still perched on her shoulder. "There's fields, and berry orchards, and I heard if you go far enough beyond the hills, there's a pond with water so clear it looks like glass."

Treecko's eyes were wide with excitement and wonder. Janey had shown her some of the houses and formally introduced her to some of the villagers. Treecko vaguely remembered some of them from the Celebration, but not all of them. The previous night had been such a blur of so many things, Treecko couldn't remember who she met.

"(Can we go to the pond)?" Treecko asked.

Janey shook her head. "I've heard really powerful Pokémon live there," she said. "Only partners who are really experienced in battling are able to go through." Janey saw the saddened look on her Pokémon's face. "Maybe if we challenge some of the other villagers here, we could gain some experience," she suggested. "Once we have enough, I'll show you the pond." That alone seemed to lighten Treecko's mood. Janey chuckled at that.

"(We should challenge Dahlia)!" the Wood Gecko Pokémon announced.

"Oh no," Janey said. "I've heard stories about people who've challenged Elders. They're too strong."

"(We'll be stronger)!" Treecko exclaimed.

"Dahlia's Tropius is a Grass/Flying-type," the young girl said. "That's a type advantage over you. If Tropius knows any Flying-type moves — which I'm positive he does — then the battle will be over before it begins." Treecko let out a defeated huff. "Like I said, we'll ask some of the villagers for battles," Janey continued. "We'll start at the bottom and work up from there. Don't worry."


(A/N):

I know, I know — this chapter should've been up sooner. I just got so sidetracked by so many things I completely forgot about this. Not only that, but this isn't actually my best chapter. I got a bit of writer's block once I started working on this, and I had to rewrite this whole thing, like, five times because I couldn't figure out how I wanted it done. This is pretty much the best I could come up with.

Nothing in this fandom belongs to me.

This coming Monday, I start my fall quarter. Let me tell you, I will be REALLY busy. I'm taking five classes, plus working part-time, so I'll have little time to work on this story. If I manage to even get a mini update in, that's literally the best I can do. And I'm letting you know now, if I do update a chapter during those months I'm in school, and it shows the previous chapter instead of a new one, please — PLEASE — I do not want to be receiving reviews saying I posted the same chapter twice. I won't have the patience to be dealing with anything like that. I'm already low on patience because some of my professors are already assigning work and that's part of the reason this chapter wasn't up sooner. So please, I'm telling you this now, none of that "you posted the same chapter twice" stuff. You're telling me stuff I already know and it's honestly not going to make the writing process go by any faster.

Sorry if it feels like I'm getting snippy or whatever, I just don't want to be dealing with any of that.

Thanks.

Sully