This story is co-developed by Titan127.

Disclaimer: Pokémon is a registered property of Nintendo, the Pokémon Company, and GameFreak. This work respectfully uses the world and characters of the Pokémon series, with no intent of harm on the original creators. Please support the official releases of the Pokémon franchise.

Chapter 11: The Jungle Homecoming (7,114 words)

The Goldenrod Showdown. Individually, it's the most well-recognized and televised youth battling event in the entire Johto Region. The sheer mass of trainers from multiple cities over and from the deep rural countryside as they converge on Goldenrod could not be understated. As far as tournaments go, while it couldn't hold a candle to the World Trial by sheer renown, it was the best opportunity for young local trainers in Johto to get their names out there and announce their presence to the world.

Kori was excited all her youth to be able to attend and test her mettle, and her championship title nearly two decades earlier is probably the reason she managed to be scouted by the Indigo League. And now, that many years past, she would be returning to Goldenrod not as a learner, but as a master. Plus, she could finally have an in-person introduction to her new colleagues among Johto's Gym system. The League's reputation of bloated and inefficient scheduling had unfortunately come through and put that off long enough.

She'd take a train to Ecruteak and then further to Goldenrod later that day. However, at present, she was speaking with Ciel over video chat. He decided to give her a call after stopping by a daycare center on Route 34. It was thoughtful—and a nice chance of pace, if you asked her—that her son was reaching out to her, instead of the other way around.

"It's a convenient coincidence you decided to leave when you did, honey," she said to him. "That you just happened to be getting to Goldenrod in June gives you a nice opportunity. You have two Gym Badges, right? You could participate if you wanted."

He hesitantly laughed and trailed off. "I guess so, but I'd have taken waiting a few weeks in Goldenrod over being stuck in Union Cave."

"Well, what were you expecting, Ciel? You said you didn't have a map of the cave system with you, so it's your own fault. If you hadn't been picked up by a nice stranger, you might have died. Please be more careful next time."

"Right, right," he said.

Neither of them had anything further to say for a few moments. Some might have called the silence awkward, but she had a different perspective about communication. Sometimes, less meant more. All that was necessary was the presence of her family, letting her feel the comfort of togetherness. Kori was just as happy to be on the line with her son even if both of them were occupied. Just knowing she could speak to him was a blessing in itself.

Had he always looked so grown up? A two, two-and-a-half-month difference wouldn't have ever mattered before, but just seeing him, he was like an entirely different person. He was still her same little baby, but there was a maturity about him that she hadn't noticed before. It tore her heart on whether to feel proud or saddened.

"Are you excited to be back home?" Kori finally asked.

"It's technically not my home anymore, though," Ciel replied.

"You were only in Mahogany for, what, a day? Goldenrod is still your home just as it's mine. Maybe you could visit some of your old high school friends while we're there."

"How are we staying?"

"Since we've already sold the house there, I've just got rooms at a hotel near where the tournament is being held. I'm glad we reserved far in advance. Getting a family-sized room around the Showdown is a nightmare."

He looked puzzled. "Am I staying with you or will I be at the Pokémon Center? I hope you aren't spending extra on something high-end when I can get a room cheap."

"Oh, don't be silly, Ciel. I already ordered for fo— three people, so drop by whenever." Kori caught herself quickly and held in a breath. Ciel didn't say anything, so she continued. "The League sets aside an employment stipend for things like this, since we're obligated to attend.

"Okay, thanks mom. I should probably be going. I met back up with Brent and were planning to cross the last stretch of Route 34 today. We should be in Goldenrod tonight at the earliest."

So soon? That was alright. She'd be seeing him in person in a short while anyway. "Of course. You have fun, honey, and try not to get yourself into trouble. I know that's a tall order, but at least try."

Her son laughed lively. "I'll give it a try, but no promises. I hear trouble is all that trainers get into."

"I love you, Ciel."

"I love you too, Mom."

As she ended the call and shut the lid on her laptop, she was returned to the gentle atmosphere of their new home. It was early on Sunday, and she'd barely been given time to wake up. Rising sunlight cast in stripes through the nearly closed blinds, an ambient dust visible through the room where the sun laid. The residence was smaller than their previous one and far less modern. Sliding doors, floor mats, simple futons, and other minimal furniture marked olden ways, with the appearance only broken up by the modern convenience of a heating system, which in Mahogany was a necessity. Relaxing, she thought it. The simplicity felt like a haven where nothing was expected of her. Being a Gym Leader was fulfilling work, but she quickly found it more mentally exhausting than any other career on the planet.

A Gym Leader was intended to win. Most people will never beat a single Gym Leader over their lifetime, and the modern folk hero of the trainer who conquered a region's Gym Challenge, took on the Elite Four, and became the Champion was a rarity of the highest order. Her son had talent and was making good progress, but he'd had four more years of training than most and decided early that he wanted to become a trainer, helped by her and her husband's supervision. She had Pryce, whom had offered to train her from a young age back when he still regularly visited Goldenrod for League business. Most others, however, wouldn't be so fortunate. Many would see the insurmountable odds against their first Gym Leader and how the system was meticulously tailored against trainers who began at a regular age and quit before they ever had the chance to begin.

However, at the same time, the revenue the Pokémon League obtained from trainers and their activities was so invaluable that it needed to ensure a constant supply of rising trainers to perpetuate the system, to encourage the public to try and fail. The only way Gym Leaders could do that was to hold themselves back. And at the same time that they placed a permanent cap on their personal advancement to act as a roadblock, they had to perform at a high enough level to watch the childhood dreams of hundreds, maybe thousands of trainers crumble before them.

Pryce had explained all of this to her once, and now she was experiencing it firsthand. She and her husband were villains at the same time that they were teachers. And at the end of the week, when she'd worked herself through this ass-backwards mindset through a hundred battles, she wanted to do nothing more than to sleep and be with her family.

"Hey, are you interested in some breakfast?"

She looked over to the door, which had been slid open to reveal her husband, Daku. He had a tired look about his square face and his graying blond hair, which she could reason was from the same source as she. "Only if you're offering."

"I can't uncook it, so I'm not really sure you have a choice." He revealed a plate of steaming food from behind his back, already prepared and doctored. Soup, salmon, and rice, while simple, were the perfect wake-up comfort food.

"Breakfast in bed, dear? You're precious," she teased.

Daku sat down next to her and handed her the plate. He placed his arm around her and she leaned into him, feeling that familiar comfort of presence rise back up. The food was a nice bonus as well, and she dug in, fighting back her urge to wolf it down with as much grace as she could muster.

"The trip's going to be exciting, isn't it? I don't think either of us have attended the Showdown in a while."

"You know," she began with a mouthful, before swallowing to continue, "only one of us is required to go. Are you sure you wouldn't rather take the week off with the Gym closed leading up to the tournament? I can still alter our reservation."

He took a moment to respond. "I'd just rather spend the week with family than alone, I think."

That was false. She knew very well that he had an ulterior motive. "You want to speak with Ciel, don't you?"

"Did you tell him I was coming?" he asked.

"I almost did, but no. I'm not sure why you think that'll change anything. He might be more receptive if he knew you'd be there instead of showing up and expecting an audience."

"It just seemed like a good opportunity."

"Any better than the previous thousand, Daku?"

He pulled away, obviously angry at the accusation, and stood up from the bed. She could tell he was about to storm away as happened every time they had this conversation. Ciel was always a rift point between the two of them, perhaps because he envied her positive relationship with him.

"You two had been living under the same roof for years. You had so many chances to try and sit him down and talk to him, but you avoided or botched every single one. What makes you think now will be any better?"

"I don't know, okay?" he snapped. "You're right. I'm running out of chances now that he's on his own and I realized that there may not be many left in the future."

"Then you need to take responsibility for yourself. You owe it to the both of you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Kori?" he asked.

"I know what this is and why you want to go. You're expecting me to help you solve this since you've not been able to do it yourself." Kori sighed and set the plate of food next to the bed. She looked at him with as much caring as she could. "It's been years, and I know you've changed. I know you had a rough patch and the League was more to blame for tossing you between places and docking your pay and whatnot. In a way, I understand why you got yourself to that place, and I had hope that you'd get yourself out."

She stood up and grabbed his hands in her own. Locking eyes, she stared into his green. His blonde hair was graying around the roots, showing the toll of age. "Daku, I know you've changed. You've been sober for half a decade, you went to counseling for almost that long, and you've been trying your hardest to make up for it. You've changed, but the only one who can't see that are you and him. You don't want to admit that you were ever in such a low position, and Ciel won't see you to have changed if you don't tell him straight."

"Kori, I—"

"Daku, did you ever actually sit down and apologize to him? I know you apologized to Laina when you hit her because you realized then how much damage you caused. She forgave you. But you damaged Ciel's perception of you and never gave him the same chance to do so. You've tried to be nice and to make up lost time, but you've never actually told him you were sorry."

"Because it's hard!" he shouted. She backed away from him, and he stood tall, staring vacantly at the floor. "I just want to get rid of that and move forward. It hurts to look back."

"And it should," Kori told him, "but you can't ignore it. Your life isn't split into separate parts. Your past is what makes you you," she told him, placing a finger on his chest where his heart laid. "If you choose to accept that you've changed, it says more about you than if you try to forget. But I can't help you. I can't try to explain to Ciel this because it won't have the same impact. I'm your wife, not your mother. It's not my responsibility, and you can't leave a problem like this to be solved by someone else. If you want to make things right, you must do it. I believe you can."

He was silent, and she put her finger down. They both stood there for a while, not even regarding each other. "Your food is getting cold," he said softly. There wasn't any malice or anger in his words.

Kori sat back down and picked the breakfast back up. "Thank you, Daku. I'm sorry."

He walked from the bedroom and slowly closed the sliding door behind him, leaving Kori to sit alone on the futon. She ate the rest of her breakfast without a word, remembering then that, sometimes, spending time with her family was harder than any job.

Ciel could tell summer was approaching. As he walked the seaside path of Route 34, the last vestiges of cool wind were nearly drowned out by the pleasant and growing warmth of the sun's rays. To his left, the sea stretched endlessly in view, and to his right, an overgrown grassy plain that transitioned abruptly into some inland woods. The only thing separating the two worlds was the was the two-lane road that would lead them right to Goldenrod.

"Car," announced Brent.

Their entourage veered to the right lane as a vehicle shot from behind. The road had been preferable to both sand and grass, especially since they were still far enough out that the volume of traffic was minimal.

"So, Ciel, how did your Azalea Gym Battle go? You told me you got the badge, but I don't think you ever explained how it went down."

Ciel shrugged. "There wasn't much to talk about. Three of my Pokémon have an overwhelming type advantage against Bug." He'd been reading about type matchups to commit them to memory. There were so many of them. "After Falkner, I was expecting it to be difficult, but Bugsy could barely do anything against me.

He cast his eyes to his Pokémon. Raven once again found herself carrying Arden on her head and at that point had come to begrudgingly accept her position as a mount. If he wanted to make a wild accusation, he'd say that the Absol was proud of the enjoyment she brought to the junior Pokémon. Arden flared in excitement whenever he realized they'd be traveling, and the new sights he could take in from the vantage point satisfied him. Not that Raven would admit the maternal instinct if he prodded.

Hector trailed slowly behind Raven and Arden, diligently keeping up with the remainder of the group. His heavy footfalls and stature gave him an unrivaled presence, even though he was smaller than other Rhyhorn. That trait he shared with the final member of his team, who at that moment was preening Ciel's eyebrows. The trainer had no need to excessively brush his hair before, but the absolute mess he was left with whenever Clovis took to nesting up there was humorous to say the least.

Clovis had also grown noticeably larger. He still wasn't big, but the size difference was enough to make Ciel worry about the crick in his neck.

Brent had his own Sentret riding his shoulder, but his other regrettable Pokémon was still in stasis. It wasn't the best idea to toss the freshwater creature out into the ocean, and it could only survive on land for so long with internal water reserves.

That left only one person unaccounted for. He'd thrown glances back at her most of the trip but had yet to say anything. He finally decided to ask.

"So, who's the new girl?" he said as he spied her ornate dress carried by gallant strides.

"Oh, that's Zuki. She's a friend of mine that I met a few days ago. She decided to travel with me for some reason, but she never really explained why."

Ciel leaned in and whispered, cupping his mouth. "So then why is she treading so far back? It's kind of creepy."

"I'm sure she's just trying to be polite. Comes off to me as a bit reserved, you know? I could introduce you, if you'd like."

"Sure?" He shrugged.

Brent suddenly slowed his pace and Ciel followed suit, until Zuki had caught up to them both. The girl seemed unphased by their sudden move and offered them a curt greeting. "Hello."

"Hey, Zuki, I'd like to properly introduce my friend here. This is Ciel. We'd been adventuring together for a little while, and since I'm the mutual friend, I thought you two should get to know each other."

Zuki leveled her gaze on him, sizing him up with a bit of intrigue. "Greetings to you, Ciel. You both have oddly foreign names." She bowed in a curtsy.

Were they too foreign, or was she too native? That was an interesting thought. He hesitantly waved in return while feeling the awkward atmosphere. Her being aloof and stiff didn't help—awkwardness talking to new people was something they had in common.

Ciel realized from some subtle cues, however, that Brent wasn't any more comfortable, but for different reasons. They'd met about a week ago and were obviously more familiar with each other, but a few half-laughs and arm rubs told him too much. It wasn't his job to play matchmaker, though, so he just giggled and let the urge to tease them pass.

The ocean road curved as they neared the city. The sun began its descent over the east, hanging still behind the deep forests as they traveled. Vehicles became more frequent, traffic to and from the city congesting further, and their group took to the sand in absence of any true sidewalk. Ciel felt a warming familiarity overtake him as the sprawl of buildings towered over them. It was an unforgettable skyline.

He stopped to take it all in, causing both Brent and Zuki, as well as his Pokémon, to pause inquisitively.

In a little over two months, he'd returned to where he'd spend most of his entire life. The Opulent City. The City that Overlooked the Sea. The City of Big Happenings. Whatever it was called, he knew it by a different name.

"Home," he said aloud.

Brent flashed a grin. "We're not going to find a place to settle before dark if you have to stop to reminisce. I never pinned you as the nostalgic type."

He resumed with a chuckle and their entourage proceeded, with excitement, to Goldenrod.

Of course, the first thing anyone would want to do after being away from home for so long is sleep. And boy, did Ciel sleep. He was sure he'd never again have trouble sleeping in, because camping out in a tent for months trained a person to take advantage of a cozy bed.

When he woke, it was sometime after noon, and it took most of his effort to get out from under the covers. He'd taken a room for the day before his family arrived, and just as his mother had implied, there weren't many rooms left available. The tournament coming up would pressure every type of lodging the city had.

As he showered and clothed and shaved, he noticed that none of his Pokémon were raring to go for the day. Raven and Arden laid curled up in a pile on the bed, while his newest team member seemed passively awake. He scratched Hector's head, to which the reptilian Pokémon responded favorably, but otherwise the behemoth didn't seem active. A cave-dweller like himself probably wasn't used to long hikes like the one they'd just had, so he'd need some time to acclimate.

Clovis was the only one with any energy, and as soon as an opportunity presented itself, the Pidgey launched from where he stood and took nest in Ciel's hair. Hair that he had just brushed, he might add. He mumbled to himself and walked outside into the main hall of the Pokémon Center, stretching his limbs and yawning.

It was only a few seconds before he was tackled to the ground. He barely even knew what hit him.

"Big brother, I missed you so much!" cheered the high-pitched, sing-song voice of his younger sister, who was squarely wrapped around his torso in a hug.

He pulled himself up and squeezed her tight in his own embrace. "You're getting too big to keep doing that, Laina. You're gonna hurt somebody." Clovis, who had been disturbed by his fall to the floor, flapped around and chirped in annoyance before once again finding rest in Ciel's hair.

She puffed her cheeks out in a pout. Her signature move. It was super-effective. "Fine, fine. You're just too much sometimes, you know that?" He slowly dropped the girl to the floor.

"Oh, I know. You just let me get away with it."

He scratched his sister on the head and ran his fingers through her hair. It was a deep red color. A recessive trait, but common throughout Kanto and Johto. It was from their mother's side.

And speaking of that devil, someone else had been standing by during their exchange. Ciel noticed his dark-haired mother, decked out in her robe and seemingly ready for battle. "Don't you still need to say hello to someone?"

"I was getting to that," he joked. He pulled his mother into another hug. She returned the gesture, and they held each other for a while. Being away even for two months made him a little homesick.

"It's so nice to see you guys again. What are we—"

She held up a finger. "Nuh-uh, me first. Here." She shoved a package at him, pulled from somewhere.

Ciel stared at the box. Polka-dot wrapping paper? A bow? "What is this? Wasn't my birthday months ago?"

"Just open it, you putz." His mother sighed.

With a shrug, he tore into the box, shredding the paper to pieces and revealing the true packaging underneath. Slapped in plain view on the front end was an image of a wrist-mounted digital device that opened to two screens. The title above read plain and clear: Pokémon Gadget, Explorer, and Receiver. A Poké GEAR.

"After you went into radio silence before getting to Cherrygrove, I'd been trying to track you down one of these so I could have easier contact with you. These newer models keep having stock issues. Between you and me, I think I got scalped by the guy I got it from."

"Wow, I… thank you so much, Mom!" he exclaimed, swiftly pulling the device out of the box and its cushioned packaging. Ciel attached the device to his wrist, pulling the strap tight. He flipped it open and powered it on. "This is so cool. It's even got a Pokédex function."

"I knew you'd enjoy it. It's a useful tool, as well as a leash I can use to prevent you from getting into trouble."

"When you put it like that, I'm not sure I want this thing," he said. She burst out laughing.

Laina chimed into their conversation, putting herself between the two to attract attention. "So what are we doing today?" she chirped.

"We," she emphasized, "are going to the tournament office so I can fill out some paperwork for Laina here to attend as a guest. You're participating, Ciel, so you'll just need to show up on Saturday and register on site. Once Laina and I are done with all that bureaucratic nonsense, we can move you into the hotel room and go out to eat."

"Should I stop by the Gym to scope it out?" he asked.

His mother shook her head. "Every Gym in the region is shut down this week to allow the Leaders enough time to get to Goldenrod for the tournament, even the one right here. The best you could probably do is find the Gym Leader and ask if you can arrange something in person."

"Do you know where I could find them? I remember you saying you hadn't met any of the other Gym Leaders yet."

"It's Monday, so she's probably at the University. Her name's Whitney, and she's a student there."

Wow, he thought, she must be super young. Ciel had assumed that most Gym Leaders were in their thirties at least and had either graduated from higher education or skipped it entirely. He didn't remember the Goldenrod Gym Leader being a young woman in TV promotions. Was she new?

"I guess I can go check it out," he said. "I never got to see the University when we lived here, so it'll probably be fun."

"You can take your friend and his friend with you." She pointed behind her towards a couch, where Brent and Zuki were chatting. He assumed they'd been waiting for a while since he woke up so late. "Make an afternoon out of it."

"That's a plan. I'll see you two soon, alright?"

"Okay! I can't wait to do fun stuff with you!" Laina exclaimed.

"We'll see you in a bit," said his mother. "And Ciel, fix your hair. You look like a mess."

As if his stuck-up bird gave him any choice in the matter. A prideful chirp told him that someone was proud of his handiwork.

"This is pretty dang cool, I'd say. I've never been to a city this big before," announced Brent as they walked up Main Street.

"With a home city like yours," Ciel said, "there's not much of a milestone to beat."

The name Goldenrod was apt, because the city was plated in gold. Not literally, of cours, but the gilded appearance borne of dandelion brick pavement, metallic yellow lining most of the buildings, and a few of the namesake trees and their titular color really sold the concept of an "opulent city". His hometown was lively and sparkling, which is one reason why never got tired of the view. It was no Ecruteak, though, so it was relatively cheap to live there.

Ciel, Brent, and Zuki passed under a towering skyscraper, its logo shining true, even under the midday sun. They were making their way out of downtown towards the east side and passing all the really ostentatious buildings. Surrounding them were jagged odd angles, weird abstract architectural fixtures, tall spires, towers, overhangs, glass walls, corporate logos, everything. The amount of detail poured into the cityscape made him dizzy. Not to mention, in the afternoon of a Monday with the workday in full swing, people were swirling around him, everyone with somewhere to be and something to do. The three of them were swerving in and out, bumping into strangers left and right.

Strangely, the tallest building in the entire city was the Goldenrod Department Store, dwarfing even the city's landmark radio tower. He used to hang out there on weekend with some of his old school friends—it was the perfect place to muck about, window shop, and do nothing at all. But, as much as he wanted to stop by so many places he used to visit, they were on a mission, and as the buildings thinned out after they traveled a couple dozen blocks, he knew they were getting close to the University.

Zuki was most out of place of the three of them. Here he thought Brent was the backwater farm boy. She and the city were two distinct entities and they clashed horribly. A discomfort reflected in her face.

"Hey, are you doing alright, Zuki?" Ciel asked the kimono-clad girl, concerned that the sights were too much. As someone born in a city like this, he never had the perspective of someone who hadn't been surrounded by such a crowded and busy place for their entire life. It could be anxiety-inducing for all he knew.

She took a deep breath. The clapping of her wooden sandals was audible among the bustle. "I'm… splendid. There's no problem, I'm just a bit shaken."

Way to inspire confidence, Ciel thought. He motioned to Brent, who without hesitation paced by her side and took the girl's hand. The slight calming effect it had on the girl was cut short, however, as she whispered something under her breath.

"I think we're being followed. More specifically, I'm being followed."

"What?" asked Brent, urgently. "What do you mean?"

"Please don't be suspicious, but there are two suited men that I noticed were behind us a short while ago."

Sure enough, as he slowly turned his head, he could see behind them, among the crowd, two large figures with black sunglasses hiding their eyes. They looked like bouncers, or worse, gangsters, and he wanted nothing to do with that. It was their job to do something about this. Brent was a hero, and Ciel was a protector.

"Zuki, can you take your geta off? We need to run," Brent urged. The girl nodded and then slipped off the sandals, leaving her in socks on the pavement. "Ciel?"

He nodded. "I'll make some noise and hold them off. We'll meet up later at the University."

Without another word, Brent and Zuki broke out into a sprint, cutting through the crowd. The two suspicious men, seeing this, also shot into action. He only brought two Pokémon with him, that being Clovis and Hector, both of whom were in stasis. Ciel pressed the button on a Poké Ball and brought it to ready state. He held the capsule forward popped the mechanism, materializing the newest member of his team on the street. As the body expanded within the red beam, the crowd gasped and veered away.

He threw out his arm to command. "Hector, use Bulldoze!"

If he was tired before, the Pokémon didn't display it then. He reared up on his hind legs, and using his entire mass, slammed into the pavement. Ciel's feet almost gave way underneath himself as the miniature tremor the attack caused rippled the ground around them. Nearly everyone in the crowd around him, businessmen, tourists, and city-goers, lost their footing and fell to the ground in surprise with accompanying gasps and shouts. The two men didn't fare any better, and he watched as one of the suits fell hard on his hind quarters and the other slipped forward and met the concrete with his face.

Ciel barely managed to keep his own balance, and the civilians steering clear of his Pokémon left him a wide lane to scare the two suits something good. "Hector, charge!"

His Pokémon powered from a standstill and accelerated towards the two men. It was like watching a tank cross a battlefield, each stomp shaking the ground. They had both managed to collect themselves just soon enough to see the tiny behemoth barreling towards, forcing the two to split in opposite directions and dive out of the way into the fallen crowd.

Ciel held the capsule out and recalled Hector, before heel-turning to make his getaway. "Sorry, everyone!" he shouted to the fallen crowd. All he got were a few groans and expletives in response, but at least everyone would be okay.

The trainer knew the streets well enough to find an alternate path. He ducked through a few alleys he'd seen around this part and wracked his brain for where he supposed the campus was located. As he appeared out in the open on another street, he looked up at the long apparatus casting a shadow on the road below. The magnet train rail. It ran right through the university to cross the Johto Region.

He followed the track for about twenty minutes at a fast jog until he crossed into an out-of-place green field. Suddenly, he'd crossed into an area of century-old construction, where each building had dignity. A long white building with a central, windowed clocktower stood across from him down the campus's main road. After a few quick glances behind him to make sure to the suits hadn't managed to find him, he sat down on a nearby bench, panting, heart pounding, muscles on fire. He wasn't sure he needed the thrill like that so often.

"Ciel!" called a voice. His two friends made their way over. They were both out-of-breath as well, and Zuki was still running around in only her socks. "What happened?" asked Brent

Ciel held out a thumbs-up and grinned. "We lost them," he said through gasped breaths. "They probably won't know we were coming here, so we're in the clear."

The two friends bumped fists and sighed in satisfaction. They had done their jobs.

"I'm not sure how I can express my gratitude," Zuki said as she slipped her sandals back under her feet. "You both have done me an excellent service."

He and Brent waved her off in unison. "It's no trouble, so don't worry about it," Brent reassured. "I would like to know why you were being followed, though."

"They are my retainers," she said. Her articulation was as pristine as ever, despite the labored breathing. "They've been looking for me to return me to Ecruteak."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "You ran away from Ecruteak?"

The girl didn't answer, which simultaneously answered the question. She didn't seem at first glance to have any Pokémon, and in dress like that, he couldn't help but wonder how she made it so far south.

"Well, whatever reason you're here, you can be sure you're safe with us. We're both heroes, you see, so we'll keep you out of trouble." Brent said that with the goofiest smile he could muster. Light seemed to reflect off his face.

The three of them took some time for a break. They bought a few snacks at the Poké Mart before they left since they hadn't planned to stop to eat. A few candies, water bottles, and even some sushi passed between the three of them. It wasn't high-class, but they all could use the recharge. Every item Zuki held in her hands elicited an apprehensive look, as if she'd never seen a snack before—the commercial packaging looked downright offensive when compared to her clothing. Still, she thanked them for the food and didn't complain, obviously just as worn out from the chase as either of the two boys were.

Ciel cast his eyes up to the clocktower, where it was about to strike four against the slightly cloudy sky. A loud bell chimed, and within minutes, the outflux of students from their last classes for the day filled the courtyard where they sat.

"I guess I'll go ask around," offered Ciel as he stood from his seat. "You guys can stay here if you want."

He once again enclosed himself in a crowd. A few people stopped when he beckoned, and he asked where he could find the Gym Leader. Other students ignored his question entirely, which was quite rude, and another set of standoffish preps scoffed at the idea that he was speaking to them. It made him flush red, but he tried to ignore the jeers.

"Whitney who?" "Oh, you mean the Gym Leader?" "I've seen her before, but never met her." Every kind of non-answer he could imagine was given, though with a student body as large as Goldenrod, he realized it was a longshot to locate any one person who knew a specific other person. The closest anyone came to solid information was that they had met the Gym Leader before and had seen her around the University's "humanities" building.

Without much else to go by, he made his way in the direction that person pointed. As he turned the corner, he smacked into someone. Hard

"Ow!" he shouted, laid out on the floor for the second time that day.

"Hey, watch where you're going, guy!" chastised a girl. "Gah, I think my nose is bleeding." She had striking white hair and green eyes. The latter weren't out of place, but the former was only found in the region north of Kanto. She looked a little younger than he did and was substantially shorter. She wore a white tank and cargo pants.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to hit you," he said as he pulled himself up. "Would you happen to know where Whitney is? The Gym Leader?"

"You just smashed me in the face and that's what you ask? You must be some hotshot Pokémon Trainer."

"Well, yeah, I'm trying to complete the Johto Gym Challenge and I heard I could find her here. And sorry, again."

She waved it off, pulling some napkins from a pocket in her cargo pants to wipe her nose. "It's whatever. Actually, I have a class with her, which we both got out of a little while ago. It should be her last class of the day, so she'd be heading home, I think."

He sighed and dipped his head. Damn. They'd. already missed her. After having to run from those suits, they'd have to go back empty handed, and that was a major disappointment.

"So, you're doing the Gym Challenge. You want to become famous or something?" the girl asked, curiously. She had a sly look about her as she inspected him.

"I mean, I guess?" Ciel said. "I'm just trying to become a great Pokémon Trainer, and being famous would be pretty cool." He left out the rationalization of him wanting to protect people he cared about. He understood Brent's struggle. It must sound kind of dumb.

She cocked her head up at him. "It's really difficult to get big as a trainer, isn't it? You'll just fade into obscurity if you don't give it your all. Then you won't make money and it'll be even harder for you to train."

That sounded like a challenge. If he wanted to get strong to be able to protect people, he could easily reach for the top. The World Trial, even. He crossed his arms and held the best confident posture he could manage. "You'll see. In a few years' time, you'll be hearing the name Ciel Fauder on international TV!" he boasted.

The green-eyed, white-haired girl snorted. "I'll hold you to that, hotshot," she said, before walking away. "Have fun getting your butt kicked!"

Deciding that he found as much as he could, he walked back across the university grounds towards the main clocktower. Along the way, he passed a giant marble statue of a Jigglypuff, standing tall to honor the school's mascot Pokémon. He personally thought having "The Puffs" represent a school was a stupid idea.

As he approached their bench rendezvous, he noticed three people, rather than just two. The third had a head of ostentatious pink that forced him to blink twice to make sure he was seeing a real color. The girl's white shirt had a matching trim, which combined with her hair and long striped socks made her a magnet for attention. He picked up the pace until he was within earshot.

"You must be one of the Kimono Girls! I'm a huge fan, it's so nice to meet you!" the girl pressed. Her attention was completely focused on Zuki and it was clear that her personality wasn't a good match. Her presence completely overpowered the other through extroversion.

"Hey, she's already a bit shaken, so can you step back a bit?" asked Brent.

"What do you mean? I'm not being overbearing, it's all fine. You're Zuki, right? Zuki wears the black kanzashi. Naoko wears red. And Kuni wears blue. And—"

"And the person who needs to speak to you is here," Brent announced. The girl spun on her heel like a ballerina, eyes landing on Ciel as he approached. "We, uhh, we found Whitney," Brent said to him.

"Yup! That's me! Gym Leader of Goldenrod and Normal-type extraordinaire! Put 'ere there, what's your face," she cheered, and extended a hand for him to shake. Her weirdness made him hesitate, but he shook it all the same. "You need something from me?" she asked.

"I'd like to know if I could, I don't know, arrange a Gym Battle?" Ciel asked. "My mother implied that might be possible."

"No can do, guy," Whitney told him. "If I've got a week off like this, there's no way I'm going to deal with any kind of work work in the meantime. What kind of girl would pass up a vacation?"

"Oh." He felt somewhat rude for asking.

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Nah, don't feel too bad. If you're going to watch the tournament, I'll be there with the other Gym Leaders, and then we're right back operational starting next week."

"Actually," he corrected, "I'm going to be participating."

Her eyes went wide. "Oooooooooooh. It's gonna be super fun, I guarantee you! If you're participating in the Showdown, you should take this week to train your ass off. I'll see you at the tournament, Mr., uhh…"

"Ciel."

"Yeah! See you at the tournament, Mr. Ciel," the Gym Leader exclaimed, before skipping off towards the end of campus. He couldn't help but think she reminded him of Ethan. Or maybe even his sister.

Ciel turned towards his two friends and shrugged. "The afternoon was kind of a wash, but at least we had fun?" Zuki shot him a glare. Guess not.

Brent spoke up next. "We should head back. It's like she said. If the tournament's coming up, we're going to need to train and train and train to stand a chance, even if we've only got a few days left.

"Wait," he realized, "you keep saying 'we.' You're participating too?"

"Of course! I've also got two badges, and I'm not going to miss a big opportunity like this, being pitted against some of the best rising trainers in the region. It's like the best experience a trainer could get."

The three of them left the campus to return to the Pokémon Center. Fortunately, no more trouble came their way on the return trip, perhaps because they took a long route to avoid Main Street. Ciel and Brent agreed that, the moment they got back to the Center, they'd get started. Both would be ready for anything when Saturday rolled around, and together they'd face the showdown of a lifetime.

That's right, the next bunch of chapters are going to cover a tournament arc. Couldn't be shōnen-esque media if it didn't have a tournament arc, right? This is what I alluded to in a few previous chapters when I said an event would be coming up to introduce a lot of new (or canon) characters and expand the story's scope. It just won't overstay its welcome, I promise. It's no Chūnin Exams, first of all.

Meanwhile, this was admittedly somewhat of a transitory chapter where a lot of character plots over the next however long are being set up. As I've alluded to before, I'm a believer in "strategic filler", and this chapter was a cool-down from the Slowpoke Well stuff and a shift into to more character-centric storytelling. I pray no one is angry at me for skipping the Bugsy battle and Ilex Forest, since I didn't feel that either were necessary. Some gyms will receive a lot of attention (like Violet) and some will get very little.

I'll try to keep my author's notes short and less rambly since it artificially inflates my word count. My work for the semester is starting to ramp up, so I'll try to keep a two-week update schedule or as close as possible, but I can't guarantee anything. Thanks for being patient if you've been following for a bit.

Next time is Chapter 12: Welcome to a Bigger World! See you soon!