Daughter of G-Men agent enters, wins
third contest
Zoey Williams, Contests
Oct. 22, 2010
JUBILIFE CITY, SINNOH—Madelyn Murray
was raised on the importance of treating
Pokémon well.
Murray, who turned 10 and received her first
Pokémon in March, calls it her secret to
success. She won her third Super Contest
ribbon Thursday in Jubilife City.
"So much of performing well has to do with
you respecting your Pokémon and taking
good care of them," she said. "If you don't,
there's just no way you can do a good job."
Coming off a successful Appeals round in
which Murray and her Chimecho averaged
an 8.6—the second-highest of the four
semifinalists selected from 20 total
entrants—Murray swept her opponent,
Jarod Buyne, and his Staravia in a
two-minute Single Battle knockout.
Chimecho's Confusion caused Staravia to
hurt itself in a self-sabotaging move.
In the finals, Murray faced another two-
ribbon holder this season, Abby Kintle,
and her Pachirisu.
The battle was decided by the clock. Murray
managed to edge out Kintle in points thanks
to what judges called a unique combination
of Thunder Wave and Extrasensory.
Murray credits one of her fathers, Cole
Murray, for teaching her the consequence of
maintaining a good relationship with
Pokémon.
Cole Murray is a G-Men agent in the Sinnoh
division.
When Madelyn was 2, he led a team that
busted an illegal Pokémon-sharing ring
rooted in Jubilife. Coordinators would pay to
"borrow" trained Pokémon for competition in
the area.
While the Association of Pokémon
Coordinators does not explicitly disallow
competitors from using Pokémon they do
not own, Pokémon-sharing is classified as a
form of Pokémon trafficking and is therefore
illegal under Napajian law.
The ring was broken up, and the APC
stripped 13 coordinators of at least one
ribbon and permanently banned 11 from
competition. It was considered a scandal of
moderate proportion back in 2002—but
Madelyn has no memory of it.
Still, she acknowledges the poetic justice in
legally winning a Jubilife City contest nearly
a decade after her father's work in taking
apart the Pokémon-sharing ring.
"I don't remember it, but my dad has told me
about it," she said. "When I told him I was
entering this contest, he brought it up. It's
kind of neat how it all worked out like this."
Madelyn plans to compete for her final
ribbons in the Floaroma Town and Eterna
City contests in order to enter the Sinnoh
Grand Festival.
Follow the reporter Zoey Williams at
zoey_williams on Chatot.
Zoey watched Homa with careful anticipation as her eyes scanned over the draft on her computer. Zoey had pulled a chair up to a desk covered in empty coffee cups and now hung near Homa, waiting with bated breath.
Homa reached for her mouse and dragged the cursor across the screen, highlighting one particular passage: "Murray credits one of her fathers, Cole Murray, for teaching her the consequence of maintaining a good relationship with Pokémon."
"I don't like this," she said bluntly. Zoey winced.
"Madelyn has two fathers," she attempted to clarify. "Cole Murray is gay."
"Not that," Homa corrected. "Your lede is about how Madelyn was taught to treat Pokémon well, not about how she was taught to form good relationships with them. They're different things. I also don't like the use of 'consequence.' It sounds unnatural."
Zoey pursed her lips and hummed in thought, realizing she had a point.
"Well, then we change it to say that Murray credits her father for 'teaching her the importance of treating Pokémon well," she suggested.
"No," Homa dismissed. "That just repeats your lede."
Zoey chewed on her bottom lip, wracking her brain for another rewording.
"'Teaching her the… value… of…'" Zoey started.
"Warmer," Homa encouraged, cutting the old graph and beginning to rewrite it.
"... responsible… training? ownership?" Zoey suggested. Homa was visibly unimpressed with these choices, so Zoey added, "Stewardship?"
Homa considered that.
"I'll take it," she decided before finalizing the emendation as "teaching her the value of responsible Pokémon stewardship." She reached for a coffee cup and pressed it to her lips, only to discover it was empty. She slammed it back down on her desk, muttering a "goddamit" under her breath.
"Homa, when was the last time you slept?" Zoey asked.
"2006, before I took over the trainer news desk here," Homa drolled. "I have to say, though, your Champion friends going public with their election experiment has really elevated my psyche to that of a vampire. The kind that don't sleep."
That was nearly two months ago. Zoey had kept her promise and stayed quiet about the new democracy, but only a week after her meeting with Dawn, it became public knowledge. An election commission had been established, and many had already thrown their hats into the ring. Mostly mayors of big cities—La Rousse, Goldenrod, Saffron—an Officer Jenny from an island in the Orange Archipelago, a board member of the Pokémon Connoisseur Association in Unova...
Most notable of the bunch—at least to Zoey, much to her personal chagrin—was Erol Adalet. He had turned in a letter of resignation as Chief of the Unova G-Men division to Iris prior to announcing his candidacy.
The first registration deadline was the coming Wednesday, and it was expected no one else would enter the race before then.
"That reminds me," Homa said. "After lunch, there's something I want to talk to you about."
"What?"
"After lunch," Homa repeated.
They finished edits, and Homa complimented her on a well-done story. It had taken a long time to turn around. Getting ahold of Agent Murray to secure permission to interview his daughter was more difficult than Zoey originally envisioned, but it turned out for the best anyway. The Jubilife City angle had a greater element of intrigue than anything she could have written earlier.
Zoey departed for the cafeteria, and Homa, presumably, went somewhere to get more coffee.
The lunch rush was just beginning, so the employee cafeteria was moderately busy. Many of the tables, empty at any other time of the day, had people scattered here and there. The half-dozen or so television sets mounted around the room were all turned to PNN, the broadcast news station of the Hearthome Chronicle's mother company.
Zoey purchased a sandwich and picked an open seat across from Nikki Martinez, an acquaintance and entertainment columnist. Nikki was picking at a salad next to her open computer, obviously still working on a story. They acknowledged each other with a nod, and Zoey unwrapped her sandwich while glancing toward a TV. Her full attention was arrested when she read the headline: "BREAKING: G-Men Servers Hacked By Data Miners."
"What happened?" Zoey asked Nikki with a gesture toward the screen. Nikki craned her neck toward it.
"Oh, that!" she exclaimed. "There was a breach in the G-Men's servers. The Champions are saying no classified information was accessed though."
"Then what was accessed?"
"The trainer database," Nikki answered. "That's why they think it's data miners. They would want to try to sell trainer information to the election campaigns."
Zoey sucked in her breath hissingly.
"That's… not good," she said. The election was meant to mark a fresh start for their government and country, and already it would be marred by questions of corruption. She could just imagine the hormone-fueled fit Leaf was having right then (as Zoey had half-suspected, Gary and Leaf's sudden wedding two months earlier was of the shotgun variety—though the pregnancy wasn't public knowledge yet).
Nikki hummed in agreement but did not seem too invested in the conversation. She habitually tapped her nails against her keyboard as she scanned her own computer screen. Then, she paused and slowly raised her gaze toward Zoey. Zoey could not decipher the look in her eyes, but she knew she did not like it.
"Would you... mind reading this?" Nikki asked innocently. "I'm interested in your thoughts on it. Photo hasn't pulled pictures from the wire yet, but it's supposed to publish tonight."
Zoey raised her brow but agreed. Nikki turned the screen toward her, and Zoey pulled it closer. The moment she read the headline, she was tempted to turn the device away again, but she pursed her lips and powered on.
Slideshow: Top 10 power couples in Napaj
Nikki Martinez, Entertainment
Oct. 22, 2010
10. Roark Blair & Gardenia Rigores-Blair
Who doesn't love a love story? Sinnoh natives Roark Blair and Gardenia Rigores met as young gym leaders, both recruited by then-Champion Cynthia Stone in 2000. The couple, according to Rigores, immediately hit it off at the annual Sinnoan Gym Leaders' Summit and became friends.
It wasn't until 2004 that photos caught the two holding hands in public. Later in 2006, the pair announced their engagement and then married in early 2007. Three years later, the couple is still one of Sinnoh's most notorious. Some say that if a trainer challenges Roark with Gardenia's badge in hand, they'll face the wrath of a husband set to avenge his wife.
9. Kenny Hudson & Ursula Schoenberg
We were all a little caught off-guard when Top Coordinator and beauty queen Ursula Schoenberg confirmed the rumors that she was dating fellow coordinator Kenny Hudson in a recent issue of Coordinators Weekly, and some naysayers are questioning how long the relationship will last—but why? While Schoenberg is a definite "10" and Hudson is a solid "6," he also has a Top Coordinator title under his belt.
The powerful attract the powerful, right? In the end, we'll just have to see where this relationship goes.
8. Juan & Fantina Gallano
They say everyone deserves a second chance—and thank goodness widower Juan and divorcée Fantina Gallano got one. The couple met as gym leaders working in separate regions and initiated a long-term courtship that would last nine years, until they finally sealed the deal in 2008 during a private wedding ceremony.
Juan and Fantina are not only known as great gym leaders but also phenomenal coordinators. Both hold a Top Coordinator title, and they often act as guest judges in large-scale contests and festivals.
7. Iris Ajagara & Cilan Griffith
Although Unova Champion Iris Ajagara and Cilan Griffith keep the PDA levels to a minimum, they remain one of Napaj's most visible, and certainly most politically active, couples. They're known for publicly supporting a number of causes, including but not limited to environmental conservation and the ethical treatment of Pokémon. Both were also major proponents of the movement to establish a Unovan branch of contests not long after Ajagara's 2009 inauguration.
While there's no doubt Ajagara is far more famous than her husband of four years, Griffith happens to be a distinguished S-Class Connoisseur who recently co-authored a book, Strengthening Relationships Between Trainers and Pokémon, with the A-Class Burgundy Myers. Parenthood is on the horizon for the Ajagara-Griffith duo; the couple is due for a baby girl this month after losing their first child in a miscarriage last year.
6. Paul Rebolledo & Dawn Berlitz-Rebolledo
Sinnoh Champion Paul Rebolledo and Top Coordinator-turned-Pokéstylist Dawn Berlitz-Rebolledo have always been quiet about their relationship. They're two of the most high-profile celebrities in their fields, so just imagine what they must be like together!
Well, we do know they have a penchant for creating adorable offspring. The couple welcomed their first child, Elizabeth Berlitz-Rebolledo, in April, and seeing the new mom and dad out and about with their infant daughter would melt even the iciest of hearts.
5. Wallace & Winona Reyes
Everyone loves a good soap opera, and Wallace and Winona Reyes are legendary for their rollercoaster relationship. Wallace and Winona began dating as gym leaders in Hoenn, but things went south once Wallace claimed the Hoenn Champion title. To the heartbreak of their fanbase, the couple split shortly after Wallace began his Championship tenure. What ensued was months of "will-they-or-won't-they?" teasing in their relationship.
The couple got back together for good in mid-2003 and finally married in 2006. Their happy ending apparently serves as an inspiration to other famous couples too, as Cilan Griffith once cited their example when explaining how he and Iris worked out some issues in their own relationship.
The story isn't over yet for the Reyes couple, either: Winona recently announced via Chatot that she's several months into her first pregnancy.
4. Gary Oak & Leaf Greene
If the name "Oak" is attached, fame is sure to follow—it was certainly enough for Gary Oak, the grandson of the monumental Pokémon Professor Samuel Oak, to win the heart of Johto Champion Leaf Greene, whom he recently married in a private ceremony.
Make no mistake, Gary does not live by the merits of his grandfather's name alone; he is a Ph.D. candidate in the paleontology program at Viridian University, has published multiple articles of his own original research, and was responsible for a major medical breakthrough in finding the cure for the Pokérus outbreak in summer 2009. Greene, meanwhile, is revolutionary as a Champion, having split the Indigo Champion title between herself and Ash Ketchum following a tie in the 2009 Indigo League Championship battle.
Unlike the many other famous couples on this list, Oak and Greene are very open about their romance, with public flirtation and teasing, even in interviews.
3. Ash Ketchum & Misty Waterflower
In a profile published by Legendary Magazine shortly after his inauguration, Kanto Champion Ash Ketchum said he met Misty Waterflower on the first day of his Pokemon journey in 1996. She helped him save his Pikachu from a flock of Spearow, and he repaid the favor by… accidentally destroying her bike.
Romantic, isn't it? No, really. Let's get an "Awww" going. The two managed to reconcile their differences enough to begin traveling together, which they did for two years before Waterflower became the Cerulean City Gym Leader, and that brings us here to 2010: The couple announced just a few days ago that they're engaged and will be tying the knot in April after Waterflower Chatted an uncaptioned photo of her engagement ring.
Sorry ladies: The Kanto Champion is off the market. And an extra double-sorry to the gentlemen: Kanto's formerly voted most-popular gym leader in 2006 now-turned Elite Four member is the same.
2. Drew & May Hayden
There isn't a soul in all of Napaj who doesn't remember the Hayden-Maple contest rivalry. Their battles against each other—and their chemistry when pairing up for doubles—could not be described as anything other than "electric" in their coordinating heydey. And those battlefield embers translated well off the field. As hard as they tried to keep their relationship low-key, the whole world knew Drew Hayden and May Maple were dating by 2002.
The couple finally married in November last year. Nowadays, both work for the Association of Pokémon Coordinators and occasionally guest-star as judges in contests across Hoenn. Are there baby bottles and binkies in the near future? Yes, according to May in an interview on PokéMorning, who said that she and Drew do plan on having kids.
1. Cynthia & Steven Stone
Even the Haydens' combined three Top Coordinator titles can't top the original power couple. Cynthia and Steven Stone began dating during their tenures as the Sinnoh and Hoenn Champions respectively and married shortly after Steven stepped down from his seat. The union had all of Napaj celebrating—they're the first and only pair of Champions to marry.
Although their glory days are over, the Stones remain highly influential in Napajian politics and are outspoken on many hot-button issues that affect the nation. They also stay active in their fields of research: Steven is a successful geologist while Cynthia studies both historical and religious myths.
Their legacy will continue in their daughter Emily—proof that beautiful people can beget beautiful children—who will turn 10 next year and begin her Pokémon journey.
Zoey pushed the laptop away and tenderly rubbed her eyelids; mid-day exhaustion had suddenly, and perhaps not surprisingly, set in.
"I think it's… very long," she concluded. Nikki glowered at her.
"It's online-only. I don't have a word limit," she said. "Besides, I'm talking content-wise."
Zoey dropped her hand back to the table.
"You really think Ursula and Kenny are a bigger 'power couple' than Elesa and Skyla, or even Flint and Volkner?" she asked dryly.
"Huh… I hadn't thought of that," Nikki mused.
"Of course not," Zoey said lightly.
"Well, you're friends with them, aren't you?" Nikki said, and there lay the heart of the reason she asked Zoey to read the story. "You don't think they'll last?"
"I really hope not," Zoey groused.
Some time later, a text message called Zoey back to Homa's office, and she was happy to get away. She threw out her half-eaten sandwich—her appetite was lost, and Nikki declined the offer—and took the elevator back up a floor. Homa was behind her desk with a fresh cup of coffee in her hands, and Zoey knocked on the open door frame as a formality before letting herself inside.
Homa raised her brow to Zoey in acknowledgement, then looked back at her screen as she asked, "Have you ever heard the name 'Junia Stevens'?"
"No."
"Me neither," Homa said, "but she received the 2,000 signatures necessary to enter the race, and they were verified by the election commission. Her official campaign launch is Thursday next week."
Zoey let out a short, incredulous breath.
"Who is she?" she asked.
"A curator at the Eterna Historical Museum," Homa said. "Beyond that, I don't really know. But I want you to find out."
"Well, sure, I can cover the launch," Zoey said. It was outside her usual beat, but it was not anything challenging.
A pause followed. Homa focused her gaze on Zoey, and the air grew thin.
"I want you to do more than that," she said. "I want you to follow her on the campaign trail."
Zoey's jaw dropped. She immediately tried to speak, but no words came; she felt as though she had been sucker-punched in the gut.
"W-What?" she finally managed to stammer.
"All your travel expenses will be taken care of, and—" Homa started reassuringly, but Zoey quickly interjected.
"No," she protested. "I'm a contest reporter, and this is something that should be covered by—by—"
"Contests is your beat," Homa corrected. "But you work for the trainer news desk."
"Why is trainer news covering it?" Zoey half-demanded. "This is clearly politics."
"The politics desk is tiny and ill-equipped to tackle something of this magnitude. It only covers local elections because that's all there's ever been. Napaj has never had an independent, national election before," Homa reminded. A pause. "Anyway, the editorial board decided the election falls under League activities, so this desk covers it. That means anyone working for me is fair game for reporting on it, and that includes you."
Zoey clamped her mouth shut but looked at her with utter reproach.
"Don't give me that eye," Homa warned. "I like you, Zoey, but I'm still your boss." Zoey's gaze fell, and she sank in defeat. Homa frowned sympathetically and sighed, "I know it's a lot to spring on you so suddenly. But this is the biggest change in Napaj's political landscape during our lives thus far, and I need my best reporters on it."
"You have plenty of other good writers," Zoey said.
"Good writers are a dime a dozen," Homa said. "Good reporters are harder to come by. And you said yourself you wanted to be writing something that matters. You should be writing bigger things than contest recaps and rookie coordinator features, as good as you are at it."
"Like the accusations levied against Barry Pearl?" Zoey pointed out.
"Don't start with that again."
"Well, it's what I meant when I said it." Zoey straightened up. "I like my beat."
"I like sleep," Homa quipped. She added more seriously, "Zoey, you were the obvious choice. Everything else aside, you have the necessary connections with the Championship seats to do the good, thorough reporting this election needs. And you're young, unmarried, no children—it's a lot easier to send you across regions than it is to send your ordinary Joe when he's got his 2.5 kids at home."
Zoey frowned.
"A month ago, you called my connections a 'conflict of interest,'" Zoey complained. She more carefully added, "And just because I'm not married doesn't mean I don't have any… roots laid down here."
"You're not reporting on the Champions; you're reporting on the candidate," Homa said. "Regardless, I trust you'd have the integrity to still report fairly and objectively if you needed to make use of those connections."
"... Yeah," Zoey agreed. "Who's going to cover my beat?" She added a little extra emphasis to "my," and Homa smiled in amusement.
"I'm thinking Nikki Martinez," she said.
"Nikki Mar—" Zoey broke out incredulously. "The columnist?! She doesn't even work for this desk."
"She used to be a coordinator like you. She wasn't nearly as good, but she knows the game and can produce serviceable content," Homa said coolly. "Gee, I didn't realize you had such a personal issue with her."
"I don't," Zoey grumbled. "She can keep the seat warm while I'm gone. You'll want me back."
"I'm sure I will," Homa said lightly. "Take the rest of the day off, enjoy your weekend, but do your research."
"I will," Zoey said, picking herself up off the chair. "Get some sleep, Homa."
Homa picked her coffee cup up again and held it out in a lonely toast.
"I'll sleep next November when this is all over," she said.
Zoey returned to Snowpoint much earlier than expected—and in a much more sour mood than she would have liked. Extra time together with Candice, even if only a few hours more, was usually celebrated; dinner had been quiet though, and Zoey went to bed early, saying she was tired.
Candice must have doubted she was sleeping though. And sure enough, ten minutes after retiring to her bed, Candice came upstairs and found that Zoey was laying in bed with her computer on her lap and Glameow curled up at her side.
"You workaholic," Candice teased, grinning. Zoey glowered at her.
"Work's kind of a sensitive spot right now, Candice," she said.
"Sorry," Candice said a little sheepishly, sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. "I guess it's really just been a rough day, huh? First, the G-Men getting hacked, then Homa reassigning you…"
"The G-Men getting hacked isn't my problem," Zoey grunted.
"You care, though."
"... I do." Zoey sighed and ran her fingers through her hair than dropped her hand to pet Glameow. Glameow stretched her neck and began to purr in response. Candice pursed her lips and tilted her head to look at Zoey's computer screen. She was doing a search on Junia Stevens and had a word processor pulled up for notes. The list was sparse.
"You know, Zoey," Candice began after clearing her throat. "I don't mean to sound insensitive or anything, but I'm not sure why it's such a big deal."
"Cyber security is always a big deal."
"Oh, not that," Candice said with a wave of her hand. "I was talking about you changing beats." Zoey lifted her eyes and stared through her. Candice took that as a cue to elaborate.
"Remember the day you decided to sign up for an intro to journalism class on DIL?" Candice began. "I thought it was super weird when you told me; I mean, it was cool, but it seemed so random. Then you explained why."
Zoey eased the laptop further away from herself, giving Candice her full attention.
"What happened to you when we were kids was… traumatic in its own way," Candice said, unable to come up with a better term. "Getting wrapped up in the G-Men… becoming a part of a massive cover-up… ? You hated it. You told me that you hated it because you hate dishonesty. And journalism is all about keeping people honest when they don't wanna be."
"It's only journalism if someone doesn't want it published," Zoey murmured in agreement, quoting every journalist's favorite mantra. She finished with an appreciative smile, "Everything else is public relations."
Candice grinned again.
"See?" she said. "This is the kind of thing you've always wanted to do. This Junia Stevens woman could be our president! Someone's got to vet her. And there isn't anyone else who I think would do a better job than you."
Zoey bit down another smile.
"You know, Ms. Senior, I think I'll keep you around," she teased. "Sorry I've been so moody."
"I mean, I get that you'll miss reporting on contests," Candice said. "I know it's fun for you to travel around to watch contests and talk to coordinators… but this won't be forever!"
Zoey suppressed a laugh. Candice's infectious optimism never failed to cheer her up. Still, reality set in again, and she let out a long, depressing sigh.
"Well, it's not just that," Zoey admitted.
"What else is there?" Candice asked, blinking.
"I'm going to be gone for so long," Zoey said. "It's already hard now, being away most of the week and only getting to see each other on weekends. I miss you."
Candice smiled sadly.
"I miss you, too," she said. "But like I said… it won't be forever! This is an amazing opportunity for you, just like the CIU was. I don't want you to hold yourself back because of me. I'll always be here when you come home, Zoe-Zoe."
Candice held Zoey's hand in earnest, promising at least that much. Zoey's chest swelled, and they both leaned forward to peck each other on the lips. Candice stood up again.
"I have some papers to grade," she declared. "But let's hang out tomorrow, okay?"
"Of course," Zoey agreed.
When Candice left again, Zoey stared idly at her computer screen. There was little to gather about Junia Stevens online, so she supposed she would have to wait for Thursday. She sighed, closed her laptop, and reached over the now-sleeping Glameow to set it aside. The room briefly went pitch black when she switched off the lamp, until the screen of Zoey's smartphone lit up. She scrolled through her contacts and picked one out.
It rang.
"Hey, Zoey?" the other end soon answered, sounding a little confused. "It's getting kind of late in Sinnoh, isn't it?"
"It's not that bad, Drew," Zoey dismissed. "Listen, do you have some free time? I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."
"On the record?"
"Off," Zoey said. "It's not an interview. I'm just doing some research."
"Okay, sure," Drew agreed. "What about?"
"I need a crash-course lesson in Napaj's political history, the implications of the election, and what you think we should be looking for in these candidates," Zoey said. "Think you can handle that?"
"... Yeah?" Drew replied. "What's this for?"
"I just thought I'd make you put that useless political science degree of yours to use somehow," Zoey quipped.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Drew said dryly. "No seriously, what for?"
Zoey sucked in her breath.
"Well, I need to know," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "because it's what I'll be reporting on for the next year of my life."