The morning Lucas came to visit, Arthur gave me an envelope.

'This came for you,' Arthur told me.

I turned it over and knew who it was immediately. Arthur continued on about his breakfast, spooning hot baked beans into his mouth, as if he was deliberately feigning disinterest. But I caught him sliding me a glance to see if I had opened the envelop. Mari looked at me, her eyebrow raised, wondering who would send me a letter in the middle of nowhere. Now that I think about it, how did the mail come? Did some poor mailman have to brave the rain? Or maybe some poor Pidgey? For that matter how did he get his groceries? Last I check, he wasn't growing beans in his backyard. There was only grass and more mud (which the Mudkip love I'm sure). I brushed my fingers over the carefully written 'Cara Bear' on the front. Biting my lips, I slide the envelope open.

'I'm challenging Ridwan Saldi of the Elite Four. It will mean a lot if you can come.'

'Tickets to an Elite Four challenge match?' Arthur had given up all pretense of indifference.

He was peering over at the two tickets that had fell out of the envelope. Ever Grande Stadium was printed on the tickets, along with the date and time.

'Wow, that's sick.' Mari stuffed scrambled eggs into her mouth, looking over at me. 'Are you going?'

'I don't know,' I answered.

'Oh,' Mari's mouth turned into an O shape, her spoon halfway to her mouth, as she realized who sent the tickets.

'Maybe you two could go?' I suggested, turning over the tickets to look at the terms and conditions. I need to read every single one of them.

'Are you reading the terms and conditions?' Mari asked in disbelief. Oh right, I hadn't told her about the League and the Pokedex.

'No, no, you young ones should go,' Arthur waved off my suggestion. 'Once in a lifetime opportunity, innit? Not everyday you get to watch a match like that live I'd reckon. And the tickets, they entitle you to a nice room at the hotel. Free food and spa.'

The hotel? There could be only one hotel he was talking about. It was ridiculously extravagant. I picked up the ticket again with interest. There it was, in the terms and conditions. Bloody hell, how did I missed that? I scanned the ticket again to make sure I hadn't miss anything else. Wait, bloody hell? Ugh, staying with Arthur is getting to me. I hope Lexy doesn't pick up any of the Galarian curse words Arthur have been throwing left and right. Arthur eyed me as I kept the tickets and place it on the table. I'd deal with it later. Arthur seemed to have the same idea.

'Training!' He announced.

Of course, we had to do the dishes and other chores around the house first. It's supposedly so we have time to digest our food, but Arthur said it as 'character building'. But who's to say no to an old man who has been training us, housing and feeding us for free for a month? Cleaning was the least we could do.

We were balancing precariously on one leg when Lucas arrived. It was one of Arthur's new exercises. He put us in position and went off to the toilet. It apparently helps to tone our abs so I'm all for it. But it did make us look extremely ridiculous. Not the first impression Mari wants to be in, I'm sure. Especially not when Lucas was hot. I've seen him on tv and all but boy was he different up close. He was the nice kind of ripped – not too much. He wore a fitting shirt that showed off those defined muscles, his veins clearly visible as he carried a large paper bag. His ash brown hair was deliberately styled into a messy manner. He couldn't have been more than 25. He gave a brilliant grin when he noticed us.

'Ah, so you are the poor souls Grandpa has decided to torture this month,' He walked over to us. The Slowbro he had came with lumbered off to the enclosure and psychically let himself in. There, he met a Quagsire and they both sat by the pool, staring comically in the air. 'Don't worry about it. Every now and then he sees a trainer with potential he'll offer to train them. He really has an amazing talent for it. Could've made a killing if he decides to be a Pokemon trainer's trainer, but there you have it.'

He made a turn as we wobbled in our positions, not daring to move for fear of Arthur's wrath and his 100 pushups. Lucas then glance over to our Pokemons who were training in the battlefield.

'I can see why,' Lucas squinted at Mari, tilting his head to the side. 'I know you. Beat me with that Charmeleon, didn't you?'

Mari squeaked out a yes, a faint blush on her face. I'm sure she'd blame it on the exercise.

'It was a good match, I'll be watching you,' Lucas laughed. 'What about you?'

'Ah, wait till she challenges you, boy. You'll want to watch out for this one,' Arthur came tottering down the stairs.

'Grandpa!' Lucas grinned, going over for a hug.

'Oh, toss off, you twit,' Arthur opened the paper bag. 'You actually got a steak and kidney pie! And bread and butter pudding!'

'Straight from mama's kitchen,' Lucas told Arthur.

The presence of his grandson obviously put Arthur in a good mood. He let us off training early and even let us off kitchen duty, saying that Lucas will handle dinner that night.

'Boy's an amazing cook,' Arthur thumped Lucas' back, while Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, giving an awkward laugh.

We took a quick shower and went to the dining room for dinner. Lucas was an amazing cook, whipping up mac and cheese and stir fried Pidgey on top of the pie and pudding he bought.

'So boy, have you got anyone you fancy?' Arthur asked, helping himself to a generous portion of pie. Lucas, who was drinking water, spluttered. Arthur didn't seem concerned. 'Come on now, handsome bloke like you. Say, are you girls interested?'

Mari and I choked on our food. Was this why Arthur was eager to train young trainers? Not to eat them but to play matchmaker. The myth probably got it wrong, Hansel and Gretel were just victims of love. Oh boy, should I tell him I'm gay?

'Grandpa! Don't scare them off,' Lucas recovered from the shock.

'You're 22! And no girl! How am I to carry my great grandson?' Arthur retorted.

I was momentarily stunned. I knew Lucas was young, but I didn't know he was that young. And he had been running the gym for a while now.

'How old were you when you took over the gym?' I asked him, adding hastily. 'Sir.'

'Please, call me Luke,' Lucas grimaced. 'Sir makes me sound like a million years old. I was 20 when Nathan Sugiwara stepped down. Oh speaking of, his house recently caught on fire. it's on the news, did you see?'

Mari flinched at his statement. I thought about her recount of her adventures, particularly in Sootopolis City. Her flinch at Lucas' words. My mind raced, connecting dots. I made a mental note to ask her later.

'Bah! The news! What a load of codswallop. It's censored by the League. Edgar Gray? That bloke's a right tosser if I ever see one.' Arthur waved his spoon around, emphasizing his sentence. 'That wanker's ought to be replaced, innit, boy?'

I never heard anyone talk about the Head of Pokemon League like that. But then again, if you are a retired Champion from another region, who also happened to be an old man, you probably can get away with most things. Lucas looked uncomfortable discussing any sort of politics in front of strangers.

'Grandpa!' Lucas admonished.

'What? Young people should know the truth,' Arthur stuffed a pie of piece into his mouth.

'So, you girls are challenging the Fortree Gym?' Lucas directed the question to us, hastily changing the subject.

'Yeap,' Mari replied.

'You shouldn't have a problem with Manning, not after training with Grandpa,' Lucas told us.

I was briefly shocked that he called her by her surname. I guess not all gym leaders were friends then. I then thought about gruffy Tobias from Mauville Gym. Yeah, I couldn't imagine him being friends with anybody.

'Course you won't. Give her hell for me.' Arthur said with distaste.

'Is that why you have a house here?' I was amused.

'I have a house here for many reasons, but training Trainers to beat and annoy that minger is one of them, yes.' Arthur eyed me. 'Looks like I've got a smart pair this time. Anyway, I wanted Lucas to meet you two for another reason.'

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. He meant beyond matchmaking us to his grandson?

'Go on, boy,' He gestured at Lucas.

'My grandpa wanted me to see how my Mudkips were getting along with your Pokemons. Particularly your Gardevoir, Cara.' My other eyebrow joined the first. 'He seemed to have taken a liking to her. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to only give Cara, so what say you both to a pair of Mudkips?'

'I… No!'

'She meant we are honoured, really.' Mari translated my splutter. For once she doesn't seem to be having a meltdown in front of her idol. 'But we are staying her for free and getting trained. We couldn't possible accept such a generous gift.'

'Nonsense. They'll either be Gym Pokemons or given to the League to be a starter. At least this way we will know they will be in good hands.' Lucas told us firmly. 'And that little rascal would love an adventure.'

'Rather you than the League.' Arthur muttered. 'Ay lass, you only have four Pokemons. I reckoned if you take that little twit and trained him up a bit, he could stand his own against that bloody minger.'

I was in need of a Water Pokemon. Any Pokemon actually, but a Water one would balance out my team. I accepted, seeing as opportunities like this don't come by very often. Plus, the Mudkip was the offspring of a strong Swampert on Lucas' personal team. It probably meant this Mudkip will grow up to be strong too. I can always send Arthur some steak and kidney pie as repayment. And something else for Lucas. I have to find out what was Arthur's address first though. What on Earth could it be? In the middle of nowhere, Route 119?

To my surprise, Mari adamantly refused it. She already had 6 Pokemon on hand and was afraid that she wouldn't be able to handle so many at once, accidentally neglecting the Mudkip. Besides, she already had a good Water Pokemon. After more badgering ('Don't be daft, lass! I just called you smart!'), and Mari still refusing, the conversation turned to Arthur and his training. Somehow, Lucas wasn't surprised by his unorthodox method. He did, however, laughed when he recalled the ridiculous pose Mari and I were in, causing Mari to flush with embarrassment.