There is an elevated park at the center of Jaune Plaza. There are a few dozen rows of chairs, a few more banners and hundreds of people and Pokémon on the sidelines. A podium at the very front, where a robed man with almost impossibly long blond hair stood.
"...it is the duty of the old to surrender the power of choice to the young, once they have grown strong enough to demand it. I, Aleister Crowley, am proud to have served as principal for this next generation of Trainers, though some may choose not to train Pokémon. They may choose to become scientists, or to open a business, or simply to live off the land. Whatever futures may come for them, from now on, I can only wish them the best, and hope that I have done my duty. Thank you."
A fierce clapping from all around, a few whoops. Naturally, the students were sitting quietly in front of the podium, though clapping politely.
"I would now like for the class of 2012's valedictorian to give a short speech. Trevor-"
A plane passed overhead, waving a banner that said, "TEAM AMARUE WINS AGAIN!" The whiny roar of the engines cut across another round of applause.
Where someone had gotten the money to do that, or whoever went to their school and had gotten the money to do that, Blanche had no clue. He clapped along with everyone else as Trevor walked on stage, pulling out a set of index cards.
He then looked at them, shook his head, and scattered them to the wind. Like leaves from a tree in fall, they blew out across the park and mixed with the soggy winter flora.
His hands were tightly gripping the edges of the podium, and his head barely came up above its edge, but his presence demanded their attention.
"These kinds of speeches are supposed to be inspirational. I've heard of people reading picture books in front of thousands of people." He took a deep breath and forced a brittle smile. "I don't think that's what you all want to see."
It was a safe joke, and laughter scattered itself across the audience of relatives and precious family Pokémon.
"Inspiration doesn't mean anything. Inspiration is fleeting, inspiration is an emotion, and inspiration can easily turn into nothing."
A stale wind blew across the park. Trevor's hair was forced out of its impeccable curve by the breeze.
"The word I prefer to use… is dedication. To keep your inspiration, to make it matter, you need to be dedicated."
Trevor looked across the students, and locked eyes with Blanche for a split second. The orange-haired boy sighed.
"There is an astounding amount of talent and dedication in this class. I've met people that have overcome some of the worse circumstances I've ever heard of, and are still working at it. They were dedicated to becoming better. They have been inspired by others and passed that along repeatedly. I don't think they would agree, but it's true that they're dedicated to inspiring others. They whine a bit too much, but I like to think I can see past that."
There was a silent applause in the moments before he continued.
"If you want to inspire yourself and others, you need to keep working at it. You need to dedicate yourself to being the very best person that you can be. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter who you've been. Some here will become professional Trainers. Some will become Coordinators. Some will pursue other career paths. I read of a man that helped settle Unova and its surrounding regions while it was in great turmoil. He was a great man, but he was humble. Regardless of his origins, regardless of his limits, he simply said, "Whatever you are, be a good one." As long as you keep trying, keep getting back up, The true hero is the person who falls seven times, and rises up eight."
Trevor coughed, suddenly, as he ended his monologue. He wiped his brow and gave another weak smile, covering half of his face.
"If you can't tell, I've been listening to quite a few motivational speakers, recently." The orange-haired boy gave a half-laugh. "Thank you for listening, regardless. All of my teachers, all of my friends, I truly am thankful. I'm going to be someone, someday, and it'll all be thanks to you. Everyone here will become someone greater, and we'll all meet again, someday, somehow. So thank all of you as well. If you can't make something of yourself for yourself, do it for someone else. A friend, a parent, a partner. Dedicate yourself to something and to someone. That's all I have to say."
Blanche couldn't think of any other time that a standing ovation was more deserved. Was the speech corny as hell? Yes, no doubt about it. Did it mean something? Of course. It meant something to Trevor, so it meant something to him.
His casts clicked together as he rose from his seat, his graduation cap falling from his head in the wind. Even with such a weak sound, he kept clapping.
Then there was another who joined him. A bit further away and behind him. Serena perhaps?
And then the clapping grew stronger once again.
It would continue as they were all officially cast into the world by the principal, who didn't bother with his own remarks, instead calling for them to rise.
It didn't feel like a French tradition, Blanche thought as he tossed his cap in the air with everyone else, but that was just the world he lived in. He loved it regardless of its quirks.
He still reckoned that setting a flock of Pidoves free to fly through the sun's beams was a bit over dramatic.
2012 hadn't ended yet. There was still two weeks left in December.
Unfortunately, the Winter Solstice was on the 21st. It wasn't exactly a holiday, but in the church of Helix, it held significance. For what exactly, Ariel was sort of vague about, but she explained that it meant she had to go home in time to be there.
Two people and one Pokémon stood together on a MagLev platform. Passing people split around them like water, walking away and around them like they weren't even there.
Blanche hugged her tight, his eyes squinting themselves together to keep in tears.
"I'm not going to say anything corny, or try to convince you not to go, but…" he choked, then took a deep, wet breath. "I'll… miss you. You and Audino."
That constant nothing-behind-the-eyes smile could be comforting and disconcerting, often at the same time. It was familiar, though, something he could remember.
"We'll miss you too," she said, her ear pressed to his chest. She accepted the embrace, patting him behind the back. "You and everyone."
"You're the best friend, friends anyone could ask for," he said, stammering slightly.
"You as well. Even when you're hurting, you always try your best."
"Are we still friends?" he asked.
"Of course. Pinky promise?" she offered, her hands slipping away.
"Where… where did you hear about those?" he half-laughed, eyes still watery.
She held out her small finger, and he did the same. His hands were smooth and rugged, textured without being scratchy. He could feel his finger's shape in hers.
Ariel looked up at him and smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her shining green eyes.
"I was sheltered, not locked away in an attic," she joked.
There was an attempt.
"Friends?" he asked again.
She nodded. "Through thick and thin."
He nodded back. "Through brimstone and hellfire."
She shrank away, barely a sliver of an inch. He didn't see it so much as feel it. Ariel nodded again.
"I'll see you again, one day. If you ever find yourself in Kiloude City… please, feel free to visit!"
She lifted the few belongings that she had accumulated over the last year, which were all packed into a tiny brown suitcase. Audino walked over and stuffed the frill of an apron back into the bag and snapped it shut.
Blanche kneeled and gave it a rub behind the ears. It gave the same damn smiles as always for one last time, and thanked him with a trill.
"Goodbye, Blanche," she bowed before retreating into the MagLev.
He waved at her as she did the same, inside the train car. "See you later…"
The door slid shut, though they still looked at each other. Audino's head poked up above the bottom of the window, giving its own wave.
"Ariel."
With a THOOM, the MagLev sped off west, on its way to Ariel's home town and leaving empty space behind.
Blanche stood there for a long time. His hand stayed in the air until he was sure that all the blood left in it had rushed away.
There was a distinct sound of footsteps behind him. He'd been standing there long enough that the rush had calmed down so that he could hear.
It brought him back to reality and his arm fell to his side like a tube of jelly.
"Hey. You alright? We're all… we're all going to miss her too, but I don't think we will as much as you," Shauna said.
It was odd that she was being so perceptive, Blanche idly recognized. Had she always been like that, and had he just missed it? Even back in January, she caught on to even the slightest hints so easily. Back then…
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, voice thick. It dried out and became a whisper immediately after. "Don't worry about me."
Shauna sighed and stepped closer. She punched the side of his arm lightly. "Don't be stupid. You're allowed to admit you're hurting. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I'm… not," he struggled out with his face tightening further.
"I'd be a hypocrite for… well, do you remember in January when-"
"When you hated my guts?" he cut in, giving a weak chuckle and trying to change the subject.
"No, you dumb blond," she snapped, before coughing. "Before I joined FLARE, on the rooftop, I think? You got… mad. I mean, you got really mad. At me. You said I was being blind and that I just stood by when Serena was hurting. I still don't get everything you said, but I think I understood what you meant by it." She held her arm across her chest and pointed her thumbs at her heart. "So, I'm not going to be a hypocrite, got it?" she said, clearly demanding an answer.
"That's… different. Really, I'm fine." Blanche looked in the opposite direction, staring off into space to distract himself. He shrugged off what he supposed had to be her concern. "I need to learn how to be strong on my own. You're all leaving too, in a few weeks. Thank you, but I don't need any help."
She sighed again. "You're really not an easy person to talk to. You're smart, stupid, dense, aware, perceptive and blind, all at the same time."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"You still have friends, though. Do you really think showing that you're hurting will make a difference?" she asked.
Damn it, Shauna, why do you have to make so much sense?
"When I get emotional, I'm not the nicest person." He shrugged, blowing out dry air. "Really, it's no problem."
Shauna shook her head, stepping away. After a few steps, she stopped. "Hey, what do you want for dinner?"
"Since when are you a Domestic-type Pokémon?"
"Shut up, Blondie. It's cold and I want takeout. You can pay me back later."
"Be still my beating heart, are you being nice to me?"
"Quit it with the stupid questions- I can be nice!" she turned around and huffed. "Like when I… um…"
Yeah, that.
There was an awkward air as the subject reared its head in both their minds. Which Blanche didn't really get. He was confused at first, at least until he remembered that Rosa said it was normal for friends to casually kiss like it was no big deal the first time it happened.
Intentionally or not, Blanche didn't account for Rosa being Rosa.
Whatever Shauna was thinking, it clearly embarrassed her.
"Let's wait until I'm Champion before we, um, make any big commitments," she said after a few moments.
"I'm cool with that," he said with an even tone, trying not to answer too quickly.
"Right, right… so, what kind of takeout?"
"What's the region off the Mediterranean sea that makes pizza? Mama mia and all that? It's got the region in the name, Gin recommended it to me."
She sighed again. "Idiot. Fine, I know the place you're talking about."
"Can you get Chespin extra salad? They put nuts in it that he really likes."
"As long as you're paying for it. Enjoy your alone time, brooding-boy."
The others discussed their plans, routes, and goals for their journeys over dinner.
Rosa didn't care about the Gym Challenge. At least, not like most people did. It wasn't about being the Very Best for her, it was about getting a good fight. She'd go to every Gym in the region, sure, but only to see which ones were the most fun to battle.
Battling herself, to be clear. Her and Tencent wouldn't technically qualify for an official match.
Serena wanted to be the Very Best. Sure, she said it in different but as few words, but it was clear she wouldn't accept a loss.
"It's the same as his goal, so I must pursue it," she said, cryptically as ever. None of them quite understood it, save Blanche. She didn't elaborate, and Blanche wouldn't.
Shauna was a bit more… Shauna about it. Having fun, making friends with all kind of Pokémon, and seeing if she could match up to Serena. It was a jest worded like a challenge to the other girl. He didn't doubt for a second that becoming an Esper had changed her plans at all. She was stubborn like that.
Trevor had a thing for Professors, or he wanted to become one; Blanche wasn't quite sure. He'd analyze all of Kalos's native Pokémon and then some. Definitely no Gym Challenge for him.
Tierno was a dancer through and through. He confirmed it when he stood up, placed a hand over his heart, and declared that he would form not just the first human-Pokémon hip hop dance crew, but the Very Best of them.
Blanche hadn't gotten very good at dancing in the time he spent at the studio. He'd stop by when Tierno invited him, but it wasn't really his thing.
In spite of that, he said that when Tierno went to the big leagues, he'd buy out the entire front row of the concert. Could he do that on his (to be fair, sizable) salary? Probably not. Did he mean what he said? Absolutely.
It was a little awkward when they didn't ask him what his plans were, mainly because they all already knew.
See, right next to the definition of 'irony' in the dictionary, there's a quote that says "getting transported to the Pokémon world and being unable to go on a journey."
Inability wouldn't be the right word, but it also wouldn't be the right word to describe the reasons someone wouldn't jump into a volcano. It was obvious what the end result was.
They couldn't comprehend it exactly because people didn't seem to die very often from unnatural-natural causes, but they trusted his word when he explained it as not having aura and left it at that.
Professor Sycamore stopped by that night, whether by pure spontaneity or purposeful scheduling.
"Well, I might as well tell you early, not that it wasn't already obvious," he said with a bow, barely crossing through their front door. "Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie are my gift to you. Divide them as you wish, though I'm fairly certain they've made their choices themselves. Good luck to you, young Trainers! Now, Grace, this is unrelated, but since all of the kids will be out the house next year, how about-"
The flamboyant man was then chased out of the house by a trio of Fletchling, and from the cries, presumably sat upon by Rhyhorn.
God rest his soul, Blanche prayed silently, motioning a cross across his torso.
Chespin had already stuck himself on Blanche's head. He barely even registered the extra weight at that point in time, used to the Grass-type perching there. Froakie was firmly gripped in Shauna's arms, only making a token effort to escape before relaxing. Fennekin had hopped into Serena's lap and was so still he almost forgot it was there, only noticing when he caught its gaze. Then it just kept staring.
Knowing that it would later evolve into a Psychic-type, he hadn't been surprised that it already acted a bit strange.
Trevor and Tierno were actually perfectly content with the distribution. Tierno wouldn't force his partner to dance if they didn't want to, because obviously Blanche didn't have enough reasons to respect him, and Trevor wanted to see a lot of Pokémon anyway so he'd be better off with a smaller Pokémon that was easier to maintain, like a Joltik or something similarly low maintenance but no less powerful.
The house would be empty, now that Blanche thought about it. It would be strange if it was just him and Ms. Grace when they weren't related. She'd not even said a word about it, but ever the observant young man he was, he knew she'd appreciate him moving out. He'd be stuck in the city for the rest of his life anyway, so he might as well get it over with and get to house hunting.
He'd already accepted they were leaving, and already felt its impact. He was just delaying it until he was alone.
Blanche's hand trailed along a handrail, creating a light metallic whine as he walked along the high walkway.
Beyond the walled city of Lumiose-3, the environment was incredibly diverse. Suburbs outside the ring of skyscrapers were considered to be the bindings of the city. To the west, there was a desert. To the north, there were rocky hills. To the east, there were wetlands and rivers. To the southwest, there were historic buildings and rolling plains.
And to the southeast there was a visible trail of destruction, carved from the southern coast through the forest, through the flower fields, through everything there once was. A cone of ruined terrain made what occurred clear, even if nature had partially healed.
It seemed that it had healed even more since the last time he'd gone on a walk along the city walls.
Chespin walked alongside him. Normally, it would be struggling to keep up, but Blanche was taking slow steps. The atmosphere felt calmer that way.
The wind whipped through his hair, massaging frigid air into his skin and cooling his nerves.
There were no heartfelt goodbyes for them, as all it took was a sweeping hug from Tierno to get their feelings across.
Trevor had rechecked everyone's bags as the MagLev timetables grew closer.
Tierno and Rosa went first, heading to Camphrier Town to see the old castles that were, if she was lucky, not inhabited by the region's royalty. Tierno was going with her because the town was relatively renowned for having tutors that taught old styles of dancing. Tencent barked at them one last time before they hopped on the next car and sped off.
Serena gave them all a smile before taking her own leave, Fennekin perched partially inside of her bag and Shauna trailing after her talking about all the fun they were going to have. The Lumiose Gym had always been finicky around the start of the new year, even before the Heavens Shattered from what he had heard. She was heading southeast to find one of the old routes to Snowbelle City, presumably. Shauna was tagging along because there was strength in numbers.
Blanche had given Trevor an odd look. No Pokémon, no one else to travel with him.
The orange-haired boy pointed at his brain in response, then pulled what had to have been a paintball gun halfway out of his bag.
He didn't have any more questions after that.
And then… Blanche was alone. It wasn't as bad as he thought. And really, he wasn't alone. They weren't gone forever, they never would be, even as the chill set in.
His thoughts returned to his pace as the light gray clouds seemed to thicken and the wind grew harsher.
Chespin tried to hide it, he could tell, but the Grass-type was getting cold. Blanche picked him up, wrapped him in his jacket, and zipped it up just enough that his head was still poking out. It was just the right thing to do.
As he began the return trip home, flakes of ice began to fall from the sky. And that night, a palette of snow would be brushed across the canvas that was Kalos, primed and ready for new footsteps to leave their trails.
Aveline messaged him and said they needed him at FLARE.
Given he wasn't doing much else so early in January since he'd finished healing, he obliged right away.
The FLARE Pokémon Lab had a steady staff of three, maybe four people depending on the older Professor. That day it held eight, not including himself.
"Due to Geranium, Rue, and Dahlia's absences, it has become pertinent that we have a steady number of Rangers in the city at all times," Aveline explained, flipping a page over her clipboard and adjusting her glasses. "We haven't created a very accessible application process- Michael will be working on that soon- but these are some of the Espers interested in working with you, as well as some Pokémon but they're inseparable from Clemont's sister at the moment so let's…" Aveline took a deep breath, shook her head. "Yes, please introduce yourselves."
A tallish boy stood dressed head to toe like a ninja, mostly in black with red highlights and a matching scarf, the skin around his exposed eyes a shade of dark brown while two sheathed swords poked out over his back. Next to him, a girl in a white and deep blue dress with what looked like pointed tufts of cottons sticking out of her scalp. Gin was the third in the line, shooting finger guns at him.
"You mean working for FLARE, right?" he asked.
"Yes, that's what I said," she clarified.
The ninja offered a hand, though made a motion as if to arm wrestle. "Hello. I am the Black Shinobi. For years, I have traveled across the world to seek out evil, and I believe I can best do that with you as my ally. I hope that we can work together well, like steel sharpening steel in order to vanquish evil.
Blanche took the shrouded hand and gave it a small shake before releasing it. "Right. Uh, I'm Blanche, literally white in Kalosian if you didn't know, so I guess the naming thing balances out."
The ninja nodded. "No worries."
"Alright, Black Shinobi- Okay, sorry, do you have a name besides your title?"
"You may call me Ash, as my forefathers were called before me, like the dying embers of flames traveling upon the cooling wind of sunrise. As long as you grant me a similar honor, of course."
Blanche ignored the poetry before giving half of a shrug. "I don't really have any cool titles worth honoring me with, but you do have to call me Amaranth in the field." He made a so-so motion. "It's part of the brand or something."
"I see. Kalos is certainly an interesting place-"
"Don't I know it!" interrupted the poofy-blue-haired girl. A small part of his brain thought that the tufts of cotton, seeming almost like ears, twitched as she bowled into the conversation, pushing Ash to the side. "See, I've lived here for years, and you know, me and my partner, Meowstic, we both think that it's crazy! I mean, especially for the last three years. Don't you think so?" She stared up at him, pink eyes almost looking through him and practically glowing with energy.
"Yeah… You do kinda look like a Meowstic, is that intentional? Not to be rude or anything, but… actually," Blanche looked over to Gin, "Can you guys all explain your abilities and, well, why you're even here? It's kind of important."
Gin smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Easy as apple pie. Yo. I'm Gin. When I fight dirty, I turn Dark-type. It's pretty cool. Whitley's the best repair technician in FLARE, by the way. I'm her boyfriend, and man, am I lucky."
Blanche motioned for him to go on, saying the words to match.
"Oh, well, I realized I wasn't going about anything the right way. I used to be a vigilante, still am if I remember the law correctly, but I made some mistakes and now," Gin pointed at his heart with his thumb, "Ya boy is on the straight and narrow, ya dig? I gotta make up for Russ going off to train and Lenore traveling to become a performer, and FLARE's the best place to do it!"
Gin turned to Clemont, the blond gave him a thumbs-up, and Blanche became acutely aware that weird shit would happen regardless of if he was there to see it.
"Oh, is it my turn?" Not waiting for an answer, the Meowstic-like girl continued, "Just call me Em!"
She went on to not elaborate.
"...Is that short for Emily or something?" Blanche asked, trying to fill the awkward space.
"It's short for Salem. People get really weird when I tell them that, though. My partner's a Meowstic, and we're best buds! It's called… eh, doctor, what's that called?"
Aveline adjusted her glasses and seemed to physically resist the urge to sigh. "That is called the Bond Phenomenon. I haven't observed a case as permanent as yours, Salem, but it is… very interesting."
I have a sneaking suspicion that there are connotations to that name, but I'm not sure what, Blanche thought.
"Oh, yeah. I'm also a Psychic. Why can't I read your mind, Blake?"
"Blanche."
"That's what I said." She stared him dead in the eyes for a few seconds, Blanche not sure if it would be rude to look away. "Aw, man, it still doesn't work! Okay, just pretend I changed your mind so I got it right."
Michael chimed in from his computer, "You know, reading the mind of a teenage boy in general isn't usually a good idea."
"What? Why? Hey, Gwen, look here!"
Gin looked after a moment of confusion, and because he wasn't wearing his sunglasses properly (did he ever?), he made eye contact.
It clearly still didn't work, given the Meowstic-girl's displeased reaction. Either his residual AIAM fields just resisted Psychic-type stuff naturally, or certain types of thoughts automatically qualified as Dark-types.
Ash rested his fist in his palms, not opening his eyes as Salem whirled around to him. "I will not be tricked by illusions of the mind. I have trained for years and meditated for continuous days in order to achieve my state of mental fortitude. It is unlikely that even one as skilled as yourself would be able to penetrate to the truest realms of my-"
Blanche cut off Ash and interjected, "Okay, Em, no reading minds unless it's necessary."
"Alright," she said a little too quickly.
"Unless me or Aveline says it's necessary," he added.
"Aw…"
"May I continue?" Ash asked, his calmness nearly radiating off of him.
"Oh, yeah, my bad for interrupting," Blanche said, waving his hand to dismiss himself.
"It is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things," he said.
"He reminds me of a certain someone," Augustine mumbled, rubbing his chin, though this went unnoticed.
Ash continued, "I am what is called a Poison-type Esper in your scientifically-minded society. However, my clan is in fierce competition with the Koga clan, and in order to maintain our level of prominence, we were forced to innovate. As such, through extensive training and habitation near Koffing and Weezing, I gained the ability to manipulate poisonous substances to varying degrees."
"Right, I'll keep that in mind if we ever have a stealth mission," Blanche said.
He hadn't meant to be sarcastic, but it must have come across that way, as Ash said, "I can also swing a sword fast enough to cut three times with a single slice. Four is…" he sighed, "Beyond my reach, however."
Blanche blinked. "How fast is that?"
"It is a dangerous technique, but should you ever call on me, I will be able to demonstrate," Ash said, bowing his head.
Salem cut in, saying, "Oh, and don't forget, I can brain-blast any weird Pokemon you need me to! I'm very good at that."
"And I'll punch anything you need me to," Gin added, whirling his fists in front of his face.
Blanche scratched his cheek. He'd noticed it earlier, but they were deferring to him instead of either Professor. He wasn't literally FLARE's field leader, that was just what Rosa called him… and then Shauna, though with more sarcasm… and then…
A lot of people would have gotten that impression, he realized, the Professors probably knew that.
Aveline flipped another page, scanning over the paper before saying, "FLARE Rangers 00 through 03 will keep their designations. Geniévre, your designation is Ulex 04. Salem, um, Em, your designation is Rhododendron 05. Ash, your designation will be Agapanthus 06." Regardless of the barrel-bottom-scraping naming schema, Aveline seemed entirely unfettered and bowed. "Once again, we are very grateful to have you here. We try to keep it quiet, but, well, FLARE really needs all the help it can get."
Gin moved as if to say something, but shook his head and stayed silent.
Ash clapped his fist against his palm. "It is I who must give my thanks. I will bring honor to my clan and peace to the world; if you would kindly allow it, mademoiselle." He paused for a moment. "I do hope that is the correct term in the Kalosian dialect."
"O-of course. We appreciate your enthusiasm," Aveline said.
"Did someone say enthusiasm?" Salem asked, closing the distance between herself and Aveline within the blink of an eye. A literal blink of the eye as well, if he'd read everyone else's expressions correctly.
As the Professor stumbled and her father laughed at her expense, breaking whatever remnants of professionalism there were once and for all, Blanche looked at Gin.
It was odd not seeing a goofy smile on his face. He was the confident greaser, that was his thing, but he looked to be at a mental impasse. If Blanche were to take one, he was fairly certain he wouldn't score very highly on an EQ test, but even then he would be able to tell that something was conflicting inside the other boy.
Well, nothing that a nice drink wouldn't fix. Who would stop him from buying soda? The bartender?
In fact, the bartender kicked him and Gin out within the very minute they walked in. One, it was too busy for a fight, and two, it was just that many hours into the afternoon. He also said something about Blanche's arms needing a little longer to heal properly.
Believing he sensed an excuse, Blanche held up his pastier than usual yet still bare arms. He'd gotten his casts off the week before.
The bartender said he was a doctor as well as a psychologist, which sort of overruled that, and said that drinking too much of anything wasn't a good idea when he would still be healing for a while longer.
"...On this, the day of my daughter's wedding…"
The television in a Little Kanto living room was blaring an old crime drama as two teenagers sat with nothing better to do.
Blanche's elbows clicked quietly as he held Chespin high in the air above his chest, laying flat on the couch. He gave the Grass-type a small shake, and it responded like a bobblehead.
"Gin, I think I need a day job."
"You and me both work at FLARE now. Why would you need more work?" Gin responded, shoveling convenience store chips into his mouth while he leaned against the couch.
"I don't want to just sit around when I'm not working." Blanche's eyes screwed up in thought. "Ariel told me about a bakery she visited one time, maybe I should ask for a job."
"Blanche, I'm not being mean, but you don't have the presence for customer service," Gin said, shrugging. "You look out of your element most of the time."
Blanche winced. It wasn't inaccurate either, but it was something he didn't know how to fix. "Yeah…"
"You could start hitting the gym," Gin offered. "Hell, we can get Clemont and, uh, other guy in on it."
"I thought it was shut down right now," Blanche said. And wasn't Clemont the old Gym Leader? Would that be awkward?
"No, no, I mean one for physical training," Gin added, making Blanche groan internally. "I could keep trying to show you how to fight, but I'm not really the type of guy to work out like Russ," Gin said.
"Dude, you have a six pack," Blanche pointed out.
"I said like Russ," Gin reminded him. "He can bench… wait, carry the one, add three zeros… A lot. Most gyms don't have enough weights for him."
"Ah. Cool. Terrifying." Blanche put Chespin down calmly, then reversed quicker than a celebrity after getting called out. "YOU MADE ME SPAR AGAINST HIM?"
"He's all about control, you had nothing to worry about," Gin said, waving him off before tilting the last of the chips into his mouth.
"...I don't know why I even bother," Blanche sighed. "Alright, where's the gym? Let's go."
"Oh, right now? Sick. They let Pokémon in too, so Chespin can come along. Alright, so it's called Doc Louis's off of Vert Plaza…"
The mountains beyond Kiloude City have acted as natural barriers in years past. In fact, the only way to access the city is by train, as many consider the hike to not be worth it. They seem to layer themselves as if they were painted on canvas, compressing in the vision until they fall away on the horizon.
A shadow crests over a faraway peak.
And the rest of them follow.
AN:
A lot of low-key stuff in this chapter. I'm not French, I know very little about graduation ceremonies over there, but I hope it's not too offensive to use my personal knowledge of what they're like. Pokémon is already so ridiculous that a world-wide standardized education system doesn't sound too far-fetch'd. I hope your disbelief can be suspended.
Also, new characters. Ash is admittedly based on someone I know in real life. Dude really likes Naruto. I thought of the name and then I remembered that it's also the name of the twenty year old ten year old. Keeping it unless there are too many problems with people not being able to notice the difference. I'm sort of iffy on Salem's design but I'm so far into AU that including more stupid anime stuff can't hurt. And how do I say this... shit is about to get real, really fast, so take the comic relief where you can.
Basically, the paraphrased wisdom for this chapter is that no writer can ever come up with something in fiction that is more insane than what has, happens, and will happen in real life.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story and gave their criticisms, it's very helpful. I should probably write something that isn't so far removed from the fandom. Even if I'm a bit scared to check my review page sometimes, they are generally pretty accurate.
