A/N: Thank you all for your support! And I know, it's been a while… A long while… I took a break from fanfiction, but after a while I realized I missed it. And to see that I still get reviews and messages after such a long absence, well, I realized that I don't want to give this up. I don't think that I will be able to update regularly, but I still have the goal to finish this story, so here I am again haha. If I haven't replied to reviews or messages yet, or read a story you recommended, my apologies, I will get to that. Now, that's out of the way… Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

To Desertdawn101: Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the IkariShipping :)

To nick: Thank you for reviewing! As for your questions, some of those answers will become clear in the later chapters (like for question 1, 2, 8, 9 and 10). As for when this story takes place, it's about seven years after Ash left Kalos. I imagine that was ten years old when he left for his journey in Kanto and then got older just like everyone else. So for their ages, I'd say everyone is in their early twenties. As for your questions about their Pokémon, they all have the same Pokémon as they had canonically, with some additions so far: Drew owns a Swinub, Misty owns a Seel, Iris owns a Swablu and evolved Axew in Haxorus and Gible in Gabite, and Cilan owns a Tropius and Quilladin. As for how they got them, that already is/will be addressed in the story. I hope that clears things up and once again, thanks a lot for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the picture used as cover, though I did edit it.

Days

The day Iris meets the press

Iris

Friday, January 31st

"You don't have to..."

Iris gave Cilan a look, and he obediently shut up with a sheepish smile. "Well, I suppose you already know that," he said.

Iris smiled slightly to take the sting out of it and then returned to looking at the floor. They were in a rather small room, only dimly lit and sparsely furnished, in the Media Tower in Nimbasa City. Just a door away Alder was giving a press conference, to announce the replacement for Shauntal's position in the Elite Four.

That replacement being her.

Iris breathed in deeply to calm her nerves, and her hand went automatically to her hair, even though it had been years since Haxorus had been small enough to hide in there. Cilan noticed the nervous gesture, and he got up from his overly fluffy chair to take her hand.

"You look just like an Elite Four member," Cilan said, smiling encouragingly.

"They sure did their best, yeah," Iris half-joked, vaguely gesturing to herself with her free hand. A whole team had worked on her appearance for her introduction as Elite Four member; her hair had been tamed (a bit), her clothes were clean and carefully arranged, and she wore light make-up to 'accentuate her features' (or so they had explained to her).

Honestly, it was not half bad, she still looked like herself – just a cleaner, more mature version of herself. That had been the intention, she should be recognizable but show off strength and confidence.

"Even if they did their worst you'd still look beautiful," Cilan said.

Iris flushed, still not used to Cilan complimenting her like that. And she never knew how to react, so she just shook her head and squeezed his hand. "You're such a kid."

"Children and fools tell the truth," Cilan said, smiling in satisfaction.

Iris shook her head again and sighed. Cilan gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

She knew that Cilan wasn't very happy with her decision, because he worried, but he was doing his best to be supportive.

Still, despite the awful circumstances that had led to this, Iris herself was quite happy with it. She had to agree with Cilan that Alder could have been tactful with his offer, but still… being asked to be an Elite Four member was a huge honor.

And yes, as Cilan had reminded her, she loved being a Gym Leader, but what was a better way to continue Drayden's legacy than by becoming a Dragon type specialized Elite Four member. She hoped she was capable enough…

"Iris..." Cilan said, and from the tone of his voice Iris gathered that he had caught on to her train of thought.

She looked back at Cilan. He was smiling softly, and with a touch of worry that always seemed to accompany him these past few days. Not that she could really blame him, with her breakdown when she had seen Shauntal and Skyla. She couldn't be that weak again – she wanted to be strong, she wanted to show everyone that she could do this, she wanted to show Cilan-

"Iris, you know I don't like this choice, but I do believe that if anyone can do it, it's you." He smiled encouragingly and Iris felt a surge of warmth.

"Well, I can always go back to being a Gym Leader," she tried to make light of it.

It was true, too. Because they had not yet found a replacement Gym Leader, she would hold both positions, at least until they had found a suitable replacement for either of them. And with the pregnancy – they had finally told Alder and the other League members – a replacement would be necessary at some point, because Iris was pretty sure she couldn't handle two jobs and a baby. Who could? Well, Cilan, perhaps; he sure seemed intent on it.

"I mean it, Iris," Cilan said, looking at her earnestly.

Another surge of warmth shot through her and she grimaced embarrassed, unsure how to react. "Thank you," she said, hoping she managed to put all of that warmth in her voice. It appeared she had, considering the way Cilan's eyes shone at her.

To break the serious mood, she joked, "I'm still nervous."

It was only half a joke, really. She had rarely spoken for big audiences, and this would be broadcast around all Unova, even internationally.

Of course, Alder would be there as a support. And Cilan would be nearby, even if he wasn't going to with her on stage. Still, the media would undoubtedly have seen him around here now, just as they had planned. That had been Alder's idea, actually, with the intention that the media and the public could get used to them as a couple, and so that the news of her pregnancy wouldn't be such a shock. The media could be ruthless, and it was a small miracle that they hadn't gotten wind of the would-have-been-wedding.

"You can do this, Iris," Cilan said. "I'll be right here, and remember what Alder told you; if they start asking questions that are too nosy or painful, you can just say no comment to them and move on."

Iris nodded and Cilan smiled encouragingly. "And if you get really nervous, just imagine that you're talking to me instead of all those people, alright?"

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks. Hopefully it won't be necessary-"

The door opened and an assistant poked his head in. "You two ready? Let's go."

Cilan squeezed her hand again before letting go and Iris nodded strongly. She forced her face to relax and walked out of the safe small room and into the Pyroar den.

"Please welcome, Iris Stevens, the newest Unova Elite Four member," Alder's electronically amplified voice sounded through the room, and Iris walked up the stage. She could hear Cilan following right behind her.

She forced herself not to look behind her, knowing that Cilan would stay behind. And in front of her were a dozen or so reporters and cameramen, microphones and cameras ready.

Alder stepped aside from the speaking table so that she could take his place.

"Good afternoon," Iris said, starting just as she had practiced. "Thank you for coming here." A small pause to force a smile and look at all the cameras, as had been advised by the media assistant of the Elite Four.

"My name is Iris Stevens, and most of you will know me as the Gym Leader of the Village of Dragons, specialized in Dragon types. My teacher Drayden already left big shoes to fill as a Gym Leader, but taking Shauntal's place as an Elite Four member…" Another well-timed pause, and this time she didn't have to fake her expression of sadness. "As a friend and a colleague, it will be impossible for me to ever replace her, but I do hope I can become as good an Elite Four member as she was."

Iris would like to say that she had made the speech herself, but while it got her sentiment across, the pretty words had been thought of by the media assistant. At least she had been able to convince the woman to keep it short.

And apparently it had been so short that the reporters were stunned into silence.

Iris smiled, this time with genuine amusement. "I will take your questions now."

As she had been told, she pointed to one of the reporters.

"Will you continue to specialize in Dragon Types?" came the first question.

Easy one.

Iris nodded in confirmation. "I will, yes."

She pointed to the next reporter.

"What did you think of Shauntal's death?"

That was a more difficult one, and Iris swallowed. It had been an expected question, but still a painful one. "She was a kind and strong colleague, and I will miss her. We all will."

Before more in depth follow-up questions could be asked, Iris pointed to the next reporter.

"Who do you think is causing all this? Do Ghost types have something to do with it?"

Alder had warned her for these kinds of questions, and she had been told to refer to the official report. "That is not the subject of this press conference. I refer to the official report that was recently released."

She could practically feel Alder nodding in satisfaction behind her. His perfectly scripted response was well used. Still, after that question about how she felt about Shauntal's death, Iris couldn't help but add, "Still, whoever is causing this, probably benefits from division in our community, so I would recommend not pointing any fingers until there is proof."

And now Alder was probably facepalming. Mentally, at least.

Iris smiled at the reporter, showing teeth, and then pointed to the next one.

"What do you mean by that? Do you have more information about Shauntal's murderer?"

Iris wanted to make another clever remark, but from behind her she heard a badly muffled groan from Alder. She bit her tongue and then said, "That is not the subject of this press conference. I refer to the official report that was recently released."

If Alder's sigh of relief had been any louder the microphone would have picked up on it. He did have a sense of drama, didn't he. Iris's lips twitched into a wry smile before she quickly continued on to the next reporter.

There were some more questions about Shauntal's murder, but Iris stuck to what she had been told and refused to give the press any more spontaneous remarks. When they realized that, they turned the subject to her memory of Shauntal, what she thought about her other colleagues, her ambitions as an Elite Four member, and then-

"I saw Cilan Griffith at this press conference, why is he here? Are the rumors about your relationship true?"

Had there been rumors? Iris had been far too busy with everything happening around Shauntal's death to pay attention. Alder had told her that nothing about the wedding had gotten out, but still-

Focus. They had expected this question, planned on it even. A way to make her more human, and to make the news of the pregnancy not as shocking when it got out.

"Cilan came here with me to support me." She didn't have to fake the smile when she looked behind her, even though she couldn't see him. "He's my boyfriend."

A surprised rush of murmurs followed and Iris pointed to another reporter.

"Did your relationship with him influence your decision to accept this position?"

"No, I don't think so, I would have accepted this regardless of Cilan," Iris answered after a moment of thought.

"How long have you been together?" another reporter asked eagerly when given his turn.

A normal question, but considering the past weeks, his was getting too close to difficult topics. "We've been friends a long time and things developed from there," Iris said, which was not exactly a lie. "But the details of my personal life are not the subject of this press conference."

She smiled again, to take the sting out of her words, and then quickly nodded to another reporter. "What is going to happen to the Gym? Is it going to be closed?"

Another topic, good. Iris felt some of the tension that had unconsciously built leave her body.

Alder should have already told them that, though. But then again, the media did sometimes like to ask things they already knew, only phrased differently.

"It's not going to be closed, I am going to keep the Gym until a suitable replacement for the position is found," Iris explained patiently. The reporter nodded and Iris pointed to the next one, who followed up with another question about the Gym.

As she answered, Iris allowed herself a small smile.

She could do this.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading after all this time! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I had fun writing Iris and Cilan, they have fun interactions. If you have the time, please leave a review. They really do motivate me to keep writing :)

Thank you!

Recommendation:

The Inheritance Cycle: The Pact by bbqbert. AO3. A very interesting, finished multi-chaptered story that could work as a sequel to the series, with a focus on Murtagh. A new enemy has risen, and to beat him, Murtagh might have to sacrifice it all…

If you have a story you'd like me to recommend, let me know!