I don't usually respond to reviews like this - usually I'll message the person if I have a problem - but in this case as it was left as a 'guest' review, I will have to make do.
I'm a tad miffed that someone came on here just to tell me that Blanche is "confirmed a girl". Now, I don't care what you see Blanche as, but don't come onto my work, refuse to read it, then tell me how I should be writing my characters. I love constructive criticism, don't get me wrong, but telling me my character is off because I've made a she a he is bothersome. Especially considering I mentioned this in the first couple of sentences in my author's note for the prologue. It's obvious you didn't even bother reading the first line and just came on here to say that. Usually, I would ignore it, but I'm going to stand up for myself and other authors/artists who receive the same old bs every time they gender bend a character or change some things around. This is a fanfiction, not an official piece of writing, so if I make Blanche a male, I make him a male and all is good in the world. Please don't tell authors and artists that their take on a character is wrong. This is called artistic interpretation - so please respect that.
For everyone else, I'm sorry you had to read that but I needed to get that off my chest. I am tired of seeing everyone squabbling over Blanche's gender every time an artist or author draws/writes her.
Thank you to everyone who bothers to read and doesn't criticise without first having a go at my writing :)
After all that, here's the next chapter ~
"I can't go," I shook my head slowly as I cleared the table after dinner. "Kanto is too far away."
"Blanche," my father sighed and leaned back in his chair, "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Kanto is the best of the best, and they've asked you to train with them. Imagine it! You could become the gym leader in Kanto!"
I shrugged, cleaning the plates methodically, my mind needing the repetitive moves as I worked. "I didn't exactly have plans that huge. I want to be a trainer, but in Kanto... Imagine the competition."
"Are you turning away from a challenge?"
"If I don't, then I'm turning away from you."
My father let out a bark of laughter. "Where did you get that idea?"
I let the dirty water flow down the drain before drying my hands to collect my thoughts. "If I leave, you'll be all alone. The people here haven't exactly been the friendliest since I was born, and you'll have to face that alone."
"Blanche, Blanche, Blanche," he said my name with a sigh. "You don't have to protect me. I know what they say, and I know they're wrong. You've got so much more to you than what they think, and I want you to go to Kanto and prove it."
Deep down, my soul was itching to run out the door and meet with the gym leader I had spoken to, Candela.
~~~
Candela gave me a huge smile, "I have a proposal for you. I've seen the way you fight, and it's obvious you're fair not only to your pokemon but to the pokemon of others, so I was hoping you might come back to Kanto with me and train under my leadership."
I blinked at her in shock before I could bring myself to open my mouth and force words from it. "Why would you want me to do that? You don't even know me."
"It doesn't matter," she gripped my arm and began dragging me along the walkway without asking - leaving my father behind who was watching us with excited eyes. "I see what I want, and I take it. So I'm taking you."
I frowned and tried to pull my arm away from her. "You can't just take me. I'm not an object. Stop messing around." I guessed she was someone from my village who was trying to mess with me. No way would a leader from Kanto be all the way out here.
"Look, kid," she muttered, even though she looked the same age as me. She opened her wallet and flashed her gym leader badge at me. "Want one of these? Then come with me. If you don't, you'll spend the next ten plus years going from tiny village to tiny village trying to collect enough badges to see if you can make it through the Kanto gym's front doors. So there's your choice right there - me and Kanto, or you and nothing. Enjoy being an obscure runt for the rest of your life."
"Wait!" I called out as she began to walk away. She stopped immediately and spun around, a huge grin on her face as if she knew I had been about to stop her.
"What if I choose to join you? What would happen then?"
"Then," she took a step towards me, "you will come to Kanto, most likely by train so please don't ride your pokemon, and you will be a part of the gym." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card with the logo for the Kanto gym on it. "Show them this, and they will let you in to see me. You have one week before that card becomes invalid, so decide on your path quickly."
I stood there, staring at the card in my hand with a dumbfounded expression as she walked away, nudging strangers out of her way so she could take a straight path towards the docks.
"What do you want?" My dad asked softly.
I pulled the card out of my pocket and stared at it for a moment before meeting my father's understanding eyes. "I want to go."
"So go," he said simply. "I'll hold down the fort here and you can call me every week."
I opened my mouth, about to tell him no, but the words wouldn't come out. My father was right - I shouldn't give up an opportunity like this. Not everybody gets this chance and it would be insulting to turn it down. And if it didn't work out,
I could always return here and continue to be a trainer. I guess in this way, I was in a win/win situation.
"Go and pack," my father murmured as he took the card from my hand. "I'll hold onto this so it doesn't disappear into your luggage and you get ready. I'll find out when the next train is coming and we'll get you on."
I gave him a doubtful look. The train doesn't come often enough in my village - once a day if we're lucky - so I've probably missed my chance to begin travelling today, but I didn't want to tell him that and squash his excitement. I went to my room and pulled out my old suitcase. It had been repaired in areas with who knows what. But I loved it anyway, as it did what I needed it to do without fuss. Well, except for the left lock - that thing would never flick open when I wanted it to.
Picking out several clothes, I put them in there, including my mother's blue jacket. It still reached my knees, even though for years my father had insisted I would grow into it, but it flowed nicely and looked good with my long silver hair.
I finished packing and lugged my small suitcase to the front door where my father stood, his phone to his ear. He nodded and thanked the person on the other end before hanging up.
"Good news," he murmured. "There's one early tomorrow morning. So get some sleep and I'll take you up there when the sun rises." He leant forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I'm so proud that my son is going to Kanto."
