Mt. Silver summit shone, bathed in the light of the late summer morning.
In front of an audience unusual for those parts, a beautiful woman of about forty years of age was standing in front of her microphone; her name was Celestia and she was the Pokémon World Champion.
"For too long I have been looking for a Trainer who can beat me. I have looked for the best from all over the world, and I myself have formed the Gym Leaders that the new talents will have to face if they want to get closer to my throne."
Her skin was white, her eyes deep pink, her hair iridescent: Celestia was a dream for men and women, but she had never wanted to get married, focused solely on her career as a Trainer and Champion.
But now, at the age of forty, she was tired and wanted an heir who could leave her free to make more personal choices.
Next to her, there were seven pretty girls, the same age and eighteen.
Celestia proudly introduced them:
"These are the Gym Leaders I have personally instructed. You will find them in the cities and towns of Kanto and Johto that still lack Gyms."
With a wave of her hand, Celestia invited a beautiful girl with long pink hair to come forward:
"This is Fluttershy, Pallet Town's Gym Leader. She will give you the Kindness Badge if you can beat her Fairy and Bug-type Pokémon."
The shy girl held up a pin in the shape of a pink butterfly to the sky.
Shortly thereafter, some kind of model stepped forward, with cleverly styled purple hair:
"This is Rarity, Lavender Town's Gym Leader. She will give you the Generosity Badge if you beat her Rock and Ice-type Pokémon."
After blowing it a kiss, Rarity showed the audience her pin in the shape of a blue diamond.
It was the turn of a perky girl with a disheveled mass of fuchsia hair:
"Meet Pinkie, the Indigo Plateau's Gym Leader. The Laughter Badge will be yours if you defeat her Normal and Steel-type Pokémon."
Screaming with delight, Pinkie showed her brooch in the shape of intertwined balloons.
A girl with tanned skin, blonde and self-confident came forward:
"This is Applejack, New Bark Town's Gym Leader. You will earn the Honesty Badge if you beat her Grass and Ground-type Pokémon."
From the pocket of her denim skirt, Applejack pulled out her apple-shaped pin.
It was the turn of a girl with red and amber hair:
"This is Sunset Shimmer, my first student and Cherrygrove's Gym Leader. Defeat her Fire and Fighting-type Pokémon, and you'll get the Empathy Badge."
With a warm smile, Sunset displayed her beautiful brooch in the shape of a fiery sun.
With a leap, a rainbow-haired girl waved energetically to the crowd:
"This is Rainbow Dash, Dragon Den's Gym Leader. She will give you the Loyalty Badge if you defeat her Flying and Electric Pokémon."
Screaming a "YEAH", Rainbow showed everyone her pin in the shape of a rainbow with a cloud.
Finally, the last obstacle for the aspiring Champions, one of Celestia's best students:
"And finally, Twilight Sparkle, Tohjo Falls' Gym Leader. Her Dragon and Psychic-type Pokémon are waiting for you, and in exchange there will be the Magic Badge!"
Twilight lifted her brooch: it was a kind of fuchsia star surrounded by other small white stars.
-0o0-
After this presentation, Celestia was satisfied:
"That's all! Now I leave you to the banquet. I hope this new season brings some extraordinary Trainers!"
Hilda, a sixteen-year-old girl from Nuvema Town, had befriended Dawn, who instead lived in Twinleaf.
"I love Rainbow Dash's style! She is so feisty! " Hilda had commented.
"I would like to dress fashionably like Rarity!" instead said Dawn, who was fourteen years old.
A boy from Hau'oli, Elio, was disconsolate:
"Why there are no boys among the Gym Leaders?"
The girls laughed. Elio was the youngest, with his eleven years of age.
"Hey, Dawn, how are you feeling?"
It was Lucas, Dawn's friend, as well as her age.
"Wonderful! I can't wait to start! I'll bring you some pictures of new and rare Pokémon!"
There was a veteran Trainer among them, and his name was Red. Serious, with short black hair and piercing eyes, he had always been number two. He had never managed to defeat Celestia, from which he was separated by nine years of age.
A fifteen-year-old boy, Nate, spoke enthusiastically about Aspertia City, his hometown. Listening to him was Shalina, a sixteen-year-old girl with dark skin and thick ebony hair, a resident of Vaniville Town.
Yuuri, a fifteen year old from Postwick, had the appearance of an ice fairy: albino hair, very light eyes, haughty appearance. She stood aside and didn't chat with anyone.
-0o0-
At the banquet, the girls talked about their future starters:
"I think I'll take Oshawott. I've always loved that cute little face!" Hilda began as she emptied a glass of orange soda.
"Oshawott reminds me of Piplup!" Dawn said.
"Piplup reminds me of Chespin!" Shalina continued.
"Chespin reminds me of Popplio!" Elio interjected.
The youths laughed and joked, under Red's serious look and Yuuri's almost disgusted one.
-0o0-
Towards evening, the crowd dispersed and the would-be Trainers returned home with their families.
Yuuri's mother was another fairy like her daughter, with the difference that she knew how to smile.
"So, darling, did you like meeting Celestia?"
Yuuri put the headphones in her ears.
"Yup." she replied laconic.
"What about your fellow adventurers?"
"Noisy."
Mari knew that her daughter was a tough nut to crack, but she hoped that her experience could help her make some friends.
-0o0-
Celestia lived at the foot of Mt. Silver: she had no problem getting crowded, but in the evening all she wanted was to immerse herself in a tub of boiling water and relax with her beloved Pokémon, in an environment free of traffic and pollution.
She lived with her beloved younger sister Luna, a woman with dark skin and blue hair.
Luna was ten years younger than Celestia and she deeply disdained Pokémon battles.
That evening, Luna imperiously entered the bathroom.
"Lulu, how many times do I have to tell you not to bother me while I relax?" Celestia retorted, between annoyed and amused.
Her sister was angry.
"Another season of training, yet another. You know what I think, don't you?"
Celestia turned her head to Luna.
"The practice of training Pokémon has been around since ancient times. We certainly won't be the ones to end it."
"Of course, if no one takes the first step!"
The Pokémon Breeder was particularly unnerved.
"Pokémon end up in the hands of spoiled brats who can't value them, who exploit and get mad at them to pursue futile dreams of undeserved glory. Pokémon fight each other hard to allow those shameless ones to be praised! I'm not there. Not anymore."
This sore outburst was followed by a sharp look from her older sister:
"Is this what you think of me?"
Luna backed away, realizing she had gone too far.
"Will you hinder me? And how?"
Behind the warm and affable smiles, Celestia was capable of being intimidating. Nobody knew better than Luna, when she disobeyed her parents but when Estia got angry she immediately stood at her attention.
"I…"
Celestia's pink eyes collided for a long time with Luna's turquoise ones, until the former broke the unusual tension:
"Come on, you are always the same. Please feed Slurpy, she couldn't get enough this afternoon."
"Your Slurpuff eats too much."
"It's a Meringue Pokémon, Lulu. What do you expect?"
Luna snorted and called Slurpy, who started hopping around the house.
Once the door closed behind her younger sister, Celestia became thoughtful; Luna had never been this hard on her, although she knew she had never trained her Pokémon in her life - she had only raised them. From an early age, Luna had always hated fighting and believed that Pokémon should've been free from Poké Balls and other human gadgets, while Celestia admired Gym Leaders and Trainers and by the time she turned ten she had started collecting Badges, while Luna had followed public schools.
Those two conflicting visions had never crossed with such ardor.
Celestia didn't know what to expect, but she vowed not to give it too much weight; she got out of the tub, covered herself with a bathrobe and began combing her damp hair.