He's traveled from Kanto to Alola. He's gained all eight badges in Johto, a few badges from other regions, and has trained his pokemon to their fullest potential. He knows the Elite Four rather well, even if he can't beat them.
Life can't possibly throw him any more surprises, was his arrogant thought.
He watches a boy hover over a postal drop box, trying and failing to mail a letter. The kid is struggling to push an envelope into the slot. He keeps freaking out and yanking the letter back at the last minute.
Life showed him, he thinks with a wry smile. He never thought he'd gain such a problematic little brother.
Almost 5 o'clock, he notices. The ship to Vermilion will be leaving soon.
He's given Jace enough time to drag things out—time to step in.
He silently pads over to the kid and arranges his face into exaggerated exasperation.
"You still haven't mailed that?" He asks, incredulous.
He yanks the letter out of the boy's hands and dances out of the way when the kid grabs for the letter.
"Give it back," the boy demands.
"So you can stare at it some more?" He tsks, holding the envelope out of reach.
"I'm going to mail it!" The kid hisses, jumping for the letter.
It's kind of amusing, he thinks. He resists the urge to make Jace dance for the prize.
Instead, he twirls around the boy and shoves the envelope into the slot faster than the boy can react.
"Why?" The kid asks, face falling once he realizes it's gone.
"Because our boat's leaving and you were taking too long," he replies cheerfully.
The kid pales dramatically, and while the whole thing is kind of hilarious, it's time to get to the docks.
"You were going to mail that anyways," he reminds the boy. "You need to tell dear, big brother what happened to you before heading to Kanto."
"You mean that you're kidnapping me?" Jace asks dully.
"Well, yeah, but we're not telling him that," he says, pushing the boy out the post office door.
"I know. You stood over my shoulder the whole time I wrote it," the kid mutters.
"I had to make you re-write it, like, five times," he recalls. "I can't believe you were comparing me to a Drifloon and then a Loudred!
"Gee, I wonder why."
...
Olivine City disappears into the distance; it's quite a view from the S.S. Aqua.
He's never known anything but traveling. The sight doesn't mean much to him.
The kid though…
Jace presses his face into the window, fogging it up with his breath.
Leaving home behind for the first time is a serious and melancholy feeling.
Or so he's been told.
He lets the kid mope for a few more moments before he starts singing "Going on a Journey" to break the mood.
"So great, having pokemon by my side," he croons.
(The face the kid makes in the reflection is hilarious.)
He talks Jace into walking around with him; he even manages to convince the kid to let his Happiny out.
The kid still acts like the small adorably pink, baby pokemon is really a Sharpedo in disguise, but he's at least willing to be within a foot next to it.
It's progress, he thinks.
They make their way down the ship, chatting with the other passengers, Happiny cheerfully bouncing behind them.
He doesn't plan on battling; Jace is too inexperienced, and his own pokemon would probably go overboard and sink the ship.
(Snorlax and cruise liners do not go together; he shivers in remembrance.)
"So I see there's another real trainer on board," an arrogant voice calls out.
Turning around, he sees a trainer with the same jacket as him; the other trainer stands haughty with a smirk on his face.
"I'm not in the mood for battle," he explains shortly.
This only makes the other trainer's smirk widen.
"A real trainer is ready for battle anytime, anywhere. That your jacket?" The Ace Trainer taunts.
"Oh?" He says narrowing his eyes, "did you want to lose that badly?"
"I'm not the one who's going to lose, faker," sneers the trainer.
He can't help the smile that grows onto his face.
Jace seems to pick on the tension and scuttles out of the way. The kid hesitates for a moment before going back for his Happiny, holding it like a bomb.
Kid's learning to be responsible, he thinks approvingly.
He eyes up his opponent, almost laughing at what he sees.
The jacket is too new and shiny, the trainer's right pocket seems to bulge slightly, and his opponent doesn't look like he's preparing to focus.
Standing in front of him is an Ace Trainer who's just received his jacket, thinks he's hot stuff, wants to prove it, and has absolutely no clue what he's getting into.
Doubtlessly, this trainer has been on a power trip and has accumulated quite a bit of cash. So, he gets to crush the greenhorn and get some money out of it too.
Oh this is going to be fun.
"I'll go first," he says brightly. "Arcanine try not to burn this one, okay?"
Jace ends up getting to see exactly what happens when people go above their level.
He makes it as educational for his little brother as possible.
("See that? That's a rookie mistake," he points out with a grin. "This is what you should do instead.")
He doesn't let the battle end until everyone learns something new.
Even the curious bystanders are taking notes; he overhears one of them say there's an ice cream vendor around the corner, and he decides to bring things to a close.
He makes a signal with his hand, and his Noctowl uses Air Slash to faint the already beaten-down Machoke.
He uses his winnings to buy ice cream for Jace and himself. They eat in front of the shaken and quiet Ace Trainer who is cradling his pokeballs in despair.
He cheerfully explains type differences to a wary Jace, who doesn't realize his Happiny is leaping up to take bites out of his treat when he's not looking.
They pretend the battle never happened.
(Not all gloating is vocal.)
...
He wakes up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom; he activates a small lantern to see.
Something in the glow of the light catches his attention.
Well, how about that, he thinks with a quiet snort.
Jace is passed out in the other bed, Happiny curled up on his chest.
One day ago, the kid wouldn't even let the pokemon out of the pokeball.
He takes great care not to disturb the two while he takes care of his business.
Jace still hates pokemon (and that's just wrong), but his heart isn't completely gone. The kid can still learn to open up, to heal.
He's going to see the kid grow to great heights or die trying.
(He doesn't realize how scary it is to mean these words)
The rest of the trip is uneventful, boring even.
He doesn't do well with sitting in one place for too long, and it's a relief to finally make it to Vermilion City.
The city is too bland for his taste, but it has some of the cleanest water he's ever seen.
They depart the S.S. Aqua for the local Pokemon Center only to see a small castle looming over the town.
Huh, that's new, he thinks.
"Cool," Jace breathes, "let's go check it out!"
He can practically feel the kid's excitement, and even he admits he's curious.
After all, exploring new places is just part of the journey.
He shrugs.
"Why not?"