The crowd cheered as the final match was won. Chira and her friends were silent, though; Chris because he was still sore from losing, Jordan was simply contemplating the two trainers, and Chira because the winner was the trainer from her first day here. She felt he didn't deserve to win the match with Lance. And the winner was going to fight Lance. He had informed them early this morning when they had met. Today Chris and Jordan had accompanied her, and they had relaxed fairly quickly once they had realized Drake and Lance were just regular people who were perhaps a touch better known than most.
The day before Chira had spent the day with them, her two friends watching the matches. She had met up with them when the three cousins had finished talking for the day due to prior engagements on some sides.
This morning they had only met for a couple hours because Lance had wanted to watch the last few matches to study his opponent's strategies. The public still didn't know the winning match was to be against Lance, and they wouldn't until he walked up to the trainer's stand at the time of the match. The match itself was to be that afternoon, after the challenger had time to heal his pokemon. Now everyone in the stands were exiting to get some lunch before the final match. Chira and her friends joined the throng.
"Did you see the way he ordered his Feraligatr to lure it into his trap. It didn't even hesitate to obey him!" Chris was exclaiming.
Chira bit her lip, silent. She didn't tell them what she had observed; that his pokemon only obeyed him so well because they were scared of him. That she could tell he beat them simply if they didn't carry out his orders just so.
They got out into the hall, and managed to separate from the river of people surging for the cafeteria. They stood off to one side, Chris commenting on the battle and Jordan answering his unstoppable questions.
"Well, what do you think of my pokemon now?" a voice asked from behind them after the flow of people had eased off.
Chira turned and frowned at him. "You really don't want me to answer that," she said.
"Oh, but I do," the trainer leaned toward her menacingly.
"Hey, you're that winning trainer!" Chris said excitedly.
He sneered at the boy. "Yeah, which is more than I can say for you."
Jordan coughed. "Chira, are you going to introduce us?"
Chira opened her mouth to tell them he wasn't her friend, but he beat her to it.
"I'm Greg," he said. He studied Jordan. "Haven't I seen you before?"
"I doubt it," Jordan answered, picking up on Greg's attitude and mimicking it.
Greg snapped his fingers. "I know! You won the Johto League last year! What are you doing with these jokes?"
Jordan bristled as Chira clenched her fists. "This is my cousin Chris," he finally said, forcing himself to be calm. "And you already know my friend Chira."
"Whatever." Greg rolled his eyes. "You may be a Johto champion, but I bet you've never battled someone famous."
"You haven't either," Chira said. "At least not yet."
"Well at least I'm going to."
"Not if you keep that attitude up." Chira jumped. She hadn't noticed Drake joining them.
"What's it for you to decide?" Greg shot back, turning to face him. "Unless, of course, you're the one I'm going to battle." He faced him challengingly.
"No, but the trainer you are going to fight just happens to be my friend, and you just happen to be harassing my cousin." Drake crossed his arms, waiting.
Chira inwardly winced, but was surprised at Greg's answer.
"So, pokemon training must run in the family, huh, Runt?" he ruffled Chris's hair. "A Johto League champion and a famous Gym Leader all in the same family. But why didn't you get those genes, I wonder."
Chira shook her head, bemused with these turn of events. Jordan caught on, and cut Chris and Drake off from correcting.
"Actually, I'd say Chris is doing exceptionally well. Can you blame a guy for a bit of stage fright affecting how he battles? Even a month sometimes isn't enough to get over an innate fear."
Greg, Chris, and Drake all stared at him.
"He's only had his license for a month, and he already has eight badges?" Greg was incredulous.
Chris was too stunned to say anything, but Drake could tell Jordan was up to something.
"Yep." Drake said proudly. He ruffled Chris's hair. "Chris here promises to be one of the best yet."
"Wha-" Chris tried to say something but Chira wouldn't permit it.
"Their whole family is sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see how soon Chris wins a major competition." She moved beside Chris, nudging his foot in the process. He figured out they were trying to do something, but he didn't know what, so he just remained silent. "I myself am anxious to see how everything turns out for them."
"Whatever," Greg said, bored. "Just so long as they don't expect anything too major; not from that pathetic los-" He broke off when he saw Drake's face set in a thundercloud. "Well, I better get going. Got to prepare for my big battle, you know?" He scurried off, not looking behind him.
Chira burst out laughing as soon as he was out of earshot. "That was beautiful!" she said, wiping tears out of her eyes.
"Uh, what just happened there?" Chris asked, thoroughly confused.
"I am so glad you did that for me," Chira told Jordan, smiling. "Thank-you."
Chris looked from one to the other.
"Well, if you didn't want them to know…" Jordan scratched his head.
Chris looked to Drake. "Do you know what they're talking about?" he asked.
Drake was laughing silently. "Why don't you want people to know?"
Chira shook her head. "I don't want to ride anyone's tailfins. I want to do my best and not have people constantly comparing me with my family."
"But you're willing to put that on Chris?"
Chira bit her lip. "I didn't think about that. We'll have to figure out something to fix that."
"Fix what?!" Chris cried out, agitated. "What is going on?!"
Drake pulled Chira off to the side as Jordan began explaining what had just happened to Chris.
"Do you really not want anyone to know you're our cousin?" he asked, concerned.
Chira nodded. "I don't want to be treated as your cousin, I want to be treated like me."
"When did you decide this?"
Chira looked down sheepishly. "When I was confronted with the possibility of it happening, to tell you the truth."
Drake crossed his arms. "That was fast decision makiing," he said, raising his eyebrows.
Chira grimaced.
Drake put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But I respect your decision. That is very smart of you, and I'm proud you've decided to do that."
Chira smiled at him. "Really?" She threw her arms around him, hugging him. "That makes me feel better."
Drake, surprised, could only pat her on the head.
"But how are we ever going to counteract my mistake?" Chira fidgeted as Jordan and Chris joined them again.
"We'll think of something," Drake told her. "Just wait."