AN: And here is the second chapter of Price of Championship. Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy.
Disclaimer: Grace Eric is mine, the Eric family is mine, even the plot is mine, but Pokémon is not mine.
Chapter 2
Grace arrived the next day at the stadium and checked in under Carson Samuels. The cover was a both a League Champion and Top Co-ordinator so she wouldn't be totally lying. There was even a small bio made up about her so no one would question her. The problem was some the information was left blank because if she gave too much away they'd figure it out or it was hard to explain. An example being the starter Pokémon which for Grace was Cyndaquil, now Typhlosion, but for Carson she didn't know what to put so pick a random one being her Umbreon which she said she got as an Eevee from her parents. Wasn't a total lie. She got Eevee from her mother's Espeon and father's Jolteon and she did get her after Cyndaquil so technically a starter.
Speaking of her Pokémon the all were inside their Pokéballs except for Natu who was perched on her shoulder. This is so she could look non-threating to others and Jacob could spot her. She did promise him she would meet up with him. Plus Natu loved to be outside his Pokéball.
Both trainer and Pokémon looked around for the eldest brother. He was nowhere in sight. Grace bet money it was Sarah's fault they were running behind. The search didn't last long as Grace wanted to keep a low profile. She told the Nurse Joy to deliver the message to Jacob Eric that a Carson Samuels had arrived and where she was staying.
"I know you three will do great. I just wish Gracer could be here too." Professor Steven Eric said to his three oldest kids as they walked into the stadium about an hour after Grace had been there. John silently agreed and while Sarah kept her mouth shut. Jacob inwardly thought that she should be there with no detection.
"Well you're all checked in and good luck in the tournament." Nurse Joy said to the siblings. "Oh, Jacob."
"Yes?" he questioned. He couldn't think of why she had to stop him when he needed to look for his youngest sister.
"I was told to give this to you by a girl in room 27 in Unit 1," Joy explained giving him a note.
"Thank you" he said taking the note and mentally adding that it was worth being stopped if the note was what he thought it was. He opened it to read:
'Quit looking, because I'm here. Meet me in my room. Knock and don't walk in. 1-27 CS.'
Jacob read the note again wondering what she meant by 'CS'. He figured '1-27' was where she was in case he forgot. He wouldn't forget this.
As Jacob walked down the halls he thought about this upcoming meeting. It had been 4 years, almost 5, since she disappeared. He wondered how much she changed. She would have to in so much time as well as to keep hidden. From their letters he could tell her personality changed slightly, but when someone threatens you it tends to change people. He arrived at the door and knocked. The door open, but he was disappointed to find no one there. He cautiously walked expecting almost anything.
"Natu!" the tiny bird chirped teleporting in his face.
"Hi Natu!" Jacob said getting over his shock in seeing the bird. At least this was a familiar face. "Where's your trainer?"
"She's right here." Grace answered coming out from the bathroom dressed in new clothes and a towel wrapped around her shoulders to protect them from her wet hair. Jacob was right thinking she changed. Her hair was longer and much darker in a shade of brown. She was also taller and filled out as a nineteen year old should be. She's wasn't a kid anymore and was practically an adult. Her eyes never changed from dark brown almost black, but now glasses covered them. This Grace would have no problem convincing others she was another person. Jacob rushed over and embraced her in a hug.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Jacob said as he released her after about a minute.
"Coming from the brother who constantly picked on me and put me down that's hard to believe," she said somewhat serious and playful.
"I know. I've kept my mouth shut since you left. You wouldn't believe all the crap people have said about you," Jacob informed.
"No, I'd actually believe it and I've read some of it." Grace replied.
"What's CS?" he asked.
"Carson Samuels, that is name you'll call me by," Grace answered.
"Also what's with the glasses?" he asked again. He wanted to get these ridiculous questions out of the way that kept picking at him to ask.
"I need them. Not all the Eric siblings can have perfect eye sight. John has them and now so do I. That was the time I asked for a little money about three and a half years ago so I could get them," she explained.
"Ah. So it's five and opening ceremony starts in an hour. You're going to have to face them," Jacob said.
"No, I won't," Grace hoped.
"They even know it is you. I didn't even at first. Oh! Here." Jacob said giving her something.
"My Pokédex…keep it. The world isn't ready to Grace Eric again."
Grace and Jacob walked over to the stadium where they were to meet to enter. There they saw the rest of the Eric clan and Grace began to retreat. Jacob caught her jacket and pulled her along. She tried to get Natu to peck at his hand, but he was staring off into space as usual.
"Jacob, where did you go?" Sarah asked her older brother. "Who's this?"
"I was meeting an old friend, this is Carson Samuels. I met her a while back while traveling through the Kanto region," Jacob lied.
"Hi, I'm Sarah, his sister, and this our younger brother John and our dad, Steven. You may know he's a professor in legendary Pokémon." Sarah gloated. She liked people to know she came from a respectable family.
"I'm familiar with his work." Carson (Grace) answered. "I should mention that I believe your Unown theory to incorrect, but that's for another time."
Her and her father disagreed on that. Before she disappeared they were trying to work on a paper together so Grace could be recognized as a Professor of Pokémon. They couldn't agree on the hypothesis so when Grace disappeared he completed his way. Another member of family she disagreed with was Sarah and then Grace wanted to pop her in the jaw, but was Carson and she was an only child.
"Jacob, we better go, if we want to make to the ceremony," John said interrupting before anything could start. He was good at being the mediator and was the only sibling Grace had a good relationship with.
"Right."
"We'll be seeing Carson." Sarah said.
"I'll go with you, I'm competing as well," Grace said. She decided then to take Jacob's advice and interact with her family again. If they were put in any danger she promised herself she was out.
"Really?" Sarah asked.
"Natu!" the tiny bird on Grace's shoulder answered snapping out of his daze, not that anyone could understand him.
"Yeah, I won a League and I'm Top Co-ordiantor," Carson (Grace) explained.
"Awesome!" Sarah squealed. "I'm a Top Co-ordinator too!"
Opening ceremony was like if they were at League, but they made it apparent to mention they were fighting for Championship of the Johto Region. Grace swore to herself that it would be her, but remembered she needed to focus on stopping Team Aero. Finally, the match ups for round one, one on one, came on screen. Carson was against the Violet City Gym Leader, Faulkner.
"I guess Natu is company," Sarah walking up to Carson as she was focused on the board. She didn't know what was about her that made her want to talk to her.
"I guess so, he trains with the rest of my Pokémon plus he runs errands. He's strong, no doubt," she answered not looking at the girl as she rubbed under Natu's beak.
"Tu…" he cooed from the attention. He was happy he decided to go with Grace. He'd never been happier or stronger.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Good-bye!" Sarah said. Most people would think she wanted to turn in early, but Grace knew better and knew that Sarah was going to strategize.
"Bye." Carson (Grace) answered casually.
As they walked away from the girl Steven Eric couldn't help, but think the girl had something familiar about her. To be honest a lot of girls he met during the last four years reminded him of his youngest daughter. He assumed wishful thinking. All this time, even now, he thought it was his fault she left. They fought about theories and he pushed her to be more than what she was settling for. She wanted Champion, but he wanted someone to follow in his footsteps and Grace had potential. She needed to embrace it and she didn't exactly want to. He didn't know what about her he saw, but it was different.
AN: And we have Chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed and sorry it seemed kind of short. Please hit and Review and be ready for the next chapter!
Preview: Grace/Carson goes up against Faulkner, a gym leader from her past. How will she deal with what he has in store for her because it is not like the last time she faced him. Who will Grace use and will it give her away?
