John's Team

Tyrant - Slaking

Vordt - Ursaluna

Smough - Snorlax

Klee - Blissey

Port - Mantine

Zephyr - Pidgeot

Klaus - Wyrdeer

Luna - Clefable

Pixel - Porygon2

Euphie - Eevee

Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon

The New Normal – 5-15 – Strategies and Schemes

Surprisingly, my parents weren't home when I got back from my match against Bruno. Though they did send me a text saying that they watched my final duel between our starters and congratulated me for my victory. I lumped those in with the rest of the congratulations I got from practically everyone I knew.

Lance in particular was very happy about it. "I'm glad that you won, John. We don't need any more reshuffling in the Elite Four anytime soon." He told me. "We, as in the rest of the Elite Four, watched your match together. I swear I heard Will breathe a sigh of relief when you won; he said he didn't want to work with a musclehead like Bruno."

"Bruno didn't seem that bad." I tried to defend him, "He just…doesn't seem very interested in dealing with politics."

"That's already bad enough." Lance deadpanned, "Anyways, I'll leave you to your rest. You more than deserve it. We can talk soon."

I went to bed straight after that phone call, too tired to do anything else. The next morning, my parents had returned home from whatever they were dealing with, and I found them stumbling towards the breakfast table looking like they hadn't slept a wink. Which might have been true.

To be fair, I wasn't looking much better either. After I came down from the high of my victory against Bruno, I was quickly reminded of the MANY responsibilities and meetings that I had pushed back in favour of my continued training, and I had spent the entirety of last night trying to sort through those in order of urgency to see what I had to address first.

"You doing okay there, son?" My dad asked as he practically collapsed into his seat, "You look as bad as we do. Thought you'd be happy about your victory. Oh, and congratulations again on that."

"Thanks, and I was. Until I remembered about all the meetings that I had missed." I grumbled tiredly as I idly fiddled with the TV remote. "I have a meeting to get to with the Sinnoh scientists later."

"Ah. Well, good luck with that." He said tiredly, visibly holding back a yawn, "Hope you get used to adult life soon. It isn't as fun as you might have thought."

I nodded, "How's the business looking? You handle the stuff from yesterday?" I asked.

My dad sighed, "Things are going well, it's just busy. Expanding means making decisions and doing last-minute organisation when things inevitably go wrong. It's just very tiring, but things are going fine with the Johto branch."

"Oh, well good luck with that." I said. "I could help, but I'm not sure if I have the time."

He waved me off, "Don't worry about it. You just focus on your own business. Your mom and I can handle it…" He said as he broke out into a yawn.

The two of us fell into a comfortable silence as we waited for mom to serve breakfast. We let the TV play idly as we waited. Coincidentally, the news was playing a re-run of their interview with Bruno yesterday, where he thanked everyone for a great battle.

He also stated that he did not intend to make any further challenges before the year was up and that he reaffirmed his promise to seek greater challenges to test himself. He would not let one defeat stop his strive for improvement.

I was about to tune the TV out before they switched over to something far more interesting.

'…And following on from John's victory over Bruno, we have some exciting news to share as well. According to anonymous reports that our network has received, which has also gained traction over the Pokenet, the Sinnoh League are looking to open their borders soon! We haven't heard much official word from the Sinnoh League, but when we reached out to Elite Bertha for confirmation, she simply said that she was 'unable to comment' and did not outright deny the claims!'

'This is some very exciting news for the whole of Indigo! We might be seeing access to the new region of Sinnoh and their Pokémon very soon!'

My eyes blinked blearily as I listened to the newscaster continue to explain the wonders of Sinnoh and how the opening of their borders would affect us. It was a pleasant surprise to hear that the borders were opening; this might have been a development that I had missed while I was busy training for Bruno.

…I guess I could just ask Professor Carolina for more information.

Soon enough, my parents and I finished up with our breakfasts before we left for our separate jobs. I made my way to Vermillion City, where Professor Carolina and the rest of the Sinnoh scientists have set up a temporary facility there.

It took a bit of time before I found their facility, but eventually I landed just outside of a non-descript and plain-looking apartment building that really didn't look like a research facility at all. The only way I recognized it was because of a small sign planted out front that read "Kanto-branch, Celestic Town Research Center".

I made my way in, and the newly hired receptionist at the front barely even glanced at me before gesturing for me to follow her, evidently expecting my arrival when I had contacted them last night.

I was promptly delivered directly to Professor Carolina's office, which I entered after a short knock on the door.

"Ah, John, congratulations again for your victory. Please, come in." Carolina said as she got up and greeted me.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry for being unavailable for the past 2 weeks." I responded.

"Nonsense. You had your own priorities." She waved me off, "Anyways, now that you're here, could you please come with me to the experiment room. We can talk as we walk."

I nodded and followed her out of her office. As we walked, I looked around and found the interior of the building to be surprisingly modern, looking nothing like the plain exterior suggested.

Carolina speaking up pulled me back from my sightseeing, "Also, I hope that you have a free afternoon. There's someone who wants to meet you after we get done with all the experimenting."

I shot her a curious look, "Sure, I'm free. But who is it?"

"Just someone with the authority needed to approve a few things we might be discussing." She said cryptically. My eyes narrowed with further curiosity, but I let the topic slide for now.

"Right…well, anyways, can I know what we are going to be doing today?" I asked.

"Ever since our last meeting, my team and I have been busy gathering as much data as we could from back home at Sinnoh and here in Indigo." She explained, "Mainly, we prioritized gathering data regarding the native Ursaring and Stantler to see if there are any particular differences between them. There aren't."

She continued, "Now that we've done that, we've been looking to try to recreate the conditions listed in your article to see if we can replicate your evolutions. Unfortunately, scientists aren't the best at getting powerful and prideful Pokémon like Ursaring and Stantler to obey them, so we've been having a bit of trouble on that front." She said, chagrined.

"But, to hopefully streamline that process, we want to run some tests on your Ursaluna and Wyrdeer to see what they look like and how they compare to their unevolved forms." She finished.

"Oh, sure. No problem." I said, before shooting her a hesitant expression as I looked around the room. "But…I'm not entirely sure if this building is built for something of Ursaluna's size."

"Don't worry, we've taken that into account when the construction was done here." She reassured me. "And that's why we're heading to the basement. It's much safer that way."

I nodded and the two of us fell silent as we made our way to the basement for the tests. Once we arrived, Carolina immediately began barking out orders to the scientists and they all scrambled to get things ready for my Pokémon.

As I waited for them, I suddenly had a thought that I immediately brought to Carolina.

"Say, if your scientists are having problems with training the Ursaring and Stantler, why not hire some professional trainers to help you with that." I suggested. "They likely would have much more experience than your scientists and would probably help make sure things are being done correctly. Training powerful Pokémon and researching them are two different skillsets, after all."

Carolina looked at me contemplatively as she thought about my suggestion. After a moment to think, she responded. "It's been suggested by one of my scientists before, but it was initially shot down as we wanted to have more control over the process. But…now that we're running into problems, I could see the merit in what you've suggested."

She tapped her finger on her elbow, "…I'll bring it up at the next meeting. Thanks for the suggestion." She said to me.

"The trainers you hire might be more incentivised if you let them keep the Ursaluna or Wyrdeer that they manage to evolve." I added. "That way, you can ensure that they'll put their all into training them, all the while you get to monitor them and their progress. Or, you could even add in a condition that after their evolution that they would have to report in every once in a while, for further testing."

Carolina nodded, "That seems prudent, yes. We don't particularly need to keep an Ursaluna or a Wyrdeer on hand, just their data, so this would serve to get rid of two problems at the same time."

And this meant that they wouldn't need to ask me to come in all the time just to monitor my Ursaluna or my Wyrdeer. As much as I didn't mind coming in, I felt that this was just the most reasonable course of action that they could pursue.

With that out of the way, and with the equipment finally set up, I released Vordt and Klaus for them to analyse and then spent the next half hour patiently waiting for the scientists to do their thing.

Amusingly, both Klaus and Vordt wore pleased expressions as they allowed the scientists to poke and prod them with their science machinery. Especially when a random scientists would gasp or make awed expressions as they studied them. Nothing too dramatic, but just enough to let me know that they were suitably impressed by what they found. Perhaps my Pokémon felt like this was a type of 'showing off' for them? Strange, but not unwelcome.

The scientists carried on for a bit longer before they were finally done with their tests, and Vordt and Klaus were returned to me. A few of the scientists trundled off to inspect their latest results, but Carolina and I stuck around so that she could speak to me further.

"Thanks for waiting." She said as she approached me, "And if you could make your way to my office first, I think our latest guest is waiting for you there. I'll join you shortly." She gestured to a nearby intern to escort me.

I nodded and made my way to her office, before I was greeted by a very surprising sight as I found Bertha sitting there patiently in her office.

"Ah, John, it's nice to meet you again." She said kindly, her eyes crinkling as she spoke.

"Oh? Didn't expect to see you here, but it is nice to see you." I admit, "You must be the one that Carolina said wanted to meet me."

"Yes. I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you." She told me, "But first, how have you been? I saw your recent battle against Bruno, very good work on that."

"Um, thank you. It was a tough fight, but I'm glad I got through it." I replied, before I remembered about today's news report about the rumours from Sinnoh. "Say, Bertha, do you know anything about that report about Sinnoh opening their borders?"

"Ah, yes, of course I do." She smiled conspiratorially, "I'm just officially not allowed to say anything. Though, unofficially…that's another matter."

Oh, I was beginning to understand, "So, hypothetically, is there any truth to the matter?"

"Hmm…how do I put this…" She muttered, "Traditionally, it is well-known that the current Committee in Sinnoh are staunchly against the opening of our borders and have been frequently stonewalling such attempts out of some ridiculous idea of traditionalism. However, there have been reports that there is a growing desire from the public that disagrees with this view."

I nodded in understanding, so she continued, "…In more recent times, this growing desire has swelled up significantly, and it has become a major point of contention within our political circles. These rumours about us opening our borders may simply be an attempt to increase the pressure on the Sinnoh Committee to stop being so stubborn and to open our borders."

Right, I understood what she was trying to tell me. Basically, to get around the fact that the Committee members were trying to stall their opening of borders with Indigo, there was an idea in Sinnoh to subvert the Committee and push for the opening of the borders regardless.

I wasn't entirely sure if Bertha was supportive of such ideas, but considering her behaviour and the way she described the situation, I strongly suspected that she favoured them. But seeing that she was purposely being vague about her own leanings, I didn't push her any further.

Then Bertha leaned back casually on her chair and switched topics, "Anyways, I had another reason to invite myself over, which I'm sure Carolina will bring up when she gets back."

"Yes, I did." A voice suddenly said from the door, and I turned around to see Carolina coming into the room. "Thanks for waiting, John, and nice to see you again Bertha."

She continued as we nodded, "Returning back to the topic at hand…John, I have not forgotten our previous promise to grant you access to Sinnoh's ruins. After speaking it over with Bertha, she has agreed to submit a request to the Sinnoh League to grant you permission to come over as a temporary explorer to the Celestic Town Research Center."

"What that means is, assuming permission is granted, that you'll have access to any ruins that are under the umbrella of our research center." She explained, "I'll be happy for you to capture any Pokémon you find, so long as the capture of which doesn't affect the ecosystem that they were found in."

Bertha cut in, "I don't exactly have a timeframe of when you could be sent over here. It might be after the border opens, or before it. It would depend on both the decisions of the leaders of both regions. Sorry if that crushes your hopes a little."

"I don't mind. I'm just thankful for the opportunity regardless. Even so, I'm definitely very happy with the arrangement." I replied with a smile, "And, not to sabotage anything, but why invite me over like this?"

"Us Sinnoh natives have always prided ourselves on our region's rich culture and history. There's no harm in creating a positive impression in showing that off to an influential member of the Indigo Elite Four." Bertha smiled wryly. "Especially when that Elite Four member has been known to promote unity and international cooperation." Which she supported, was what she didn't need to say.

"Besides, we have been trying hard to get a head start in integrating ourselves with the rest of the international scientific community." Carolina added, "Even if its just for show, having you working alongside us, with your strong scientific reputation, would only help us grab a foothold within the scientific community. It's a win-win for everyone."

"Well, like I said, I'm not about to say no." I grinned, "But I probably would have to arrange things with Lance to make sure I'm actually free to head to Sinnoh." No need to risk stepping on any toes.

"We can send a joint message together." Bertha responded, "We can phrase it as 'developing inter-regional relations' or something. I'm sure he wouldn't say no. It's our own Committee that I'm more concerned about".

I nodded, though I felt like I had to bring something up, "That's true, but I do also have my own commitments and meetings, even outside my usual duties as a member of the Elite Four. Meaning that I might not be able to head out to Sinnoh for very long – maybe no more than 2 weeks at a time."

As much as I'd like to take a vacation in Sinnoh to just explore the ruins and capture new Pokémon, my earlier decisions to take a bigger role in the development of Cerulean and the continuous strive for greater unity in Indigo means that I'm not able to just set aside those political commitments for too long. I'd have to return eventually to check up on things.

But even then, two weeks was more than enough time to really get things done in Sinnoh. It gave me enough time to explore the region and/or catch whatever Pokémon I wanted to add onto my team. Overall, it was still an excellent opportunity.

Luckily, Carolina seemed to be understanding, "That's alright. We took into account that you may have had other commitments, and I promise you that the Celestic Town Research Centre can easily accommodate you regardless of your own personal schedule. It's really no burden to us to host you there."

I thanked her for her consideration, and we got started talking about the arrangements for my journey to Sinnoh. Bertha informed that she would be sending messages to both her League and to Lance to request for permission for me to head over.

After that, Carolina and I fell into a discussion about the ruins that were available to be explored. She explained that the Celestic Town Research Center had access to not only the Celestic Ruins, but also the large and mostly unexplored cave network connected to the North, near Snowpoint. She told me that the cave network was a relatively new discovery, and that they hoped that they could make some interesting discoveries regarding it soon.

"If you don't mind, I could employ a tour guide for you." Carolina says to me, "You probably need someone who would be more familiar with the layout of the ruins, since they can be pretty dangerous to someone who is unfamiliar with cave exploration, so the use of a tour guide is probably prudent."

"Oh yeah, sure. No problem." I replied, curious about who she would employ. "I'll leave it in your hands."

We continued discussing a few matters for a bit longer before Bertha excused herself since she had other duties to attend. Similarly, Carolina realized how much time had gone by and said the same, saying that she had to get back to her research. After a quick exchange of thanks, we parted ways.

I headed home with a slight skip in my step; I was very happy with the arrangement to head to Sinnoh. I wasn't sure WHEN I would be allowed to go, but just being able to be given the opportunity to head to Sinnoh and catch whatever Pokémon I found that I wanted to include to my team, was more than enough for me.

As soon as I got home, I was about to head back to my room to sort out my other meetings before I received a phone call from an unexpected caller. Joseph Stone was calling.

"Hello?" I answered.

"John, it's Joseph. I hope you're doing well, and congrats on the win!" He said cheerily.

"Thank you, and yes, I'm doing well. How can I help you?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to let you know that my son, Steven, is in Indigo right now." He said, surprising me, "I don't really need you to do anything about that, this is just a courtesy call after all. But if you don't mind, could I share your number with him so that he knows who to contact if something goes wrong? I'll give you his as well."

It was an…unusual request, but I didn't see the harm in it, "Sure, no problem. Is he looking to challenge the Gyms?"

"He sure is. Said that he's doing it as warm up before he goes and challenges the Hoenn Elite Four." Joseph boasted proudly, "He might be making a public statement soon, though I'm taking my hands off it. He said he wanted to achieve things himself."

"I see, well thank you for telling me." I reply, "And it's been good catching up with you."

"Nonsense, I heard from Shelly that you've done much for our new branch in Viridian and with the research into Porygon. I'm very thankful for your contributions." He chuckled.

"Anyways, if you need anything, please let me know. I'll do my best to accommodate you." He told me, and after exchanging numbers with him I thanked him before ending the call.

Steven Stone being in Indigo was definitely an interesting thing to note. I made a mental note to at least speak to him while he was here. No harm making acquaintances with a possible future Champion.

After that busy day, I collapsed into my bed as I idly browsed through the Pokénet, just to see what people were talking about. Unsurprisingly, there were many articles about my match against Bruno, but there was also an article or two about Karen's recent actions in Pewter.

I read through and smirked. Apparently, she had done a complete overhaul of the Gym, ripping everything out by the roots and starting all over again. She performed a full audit, practically replaced all of the current staff, and was leveraging whatever personal connections she had to fill in as staff members.

It was still slow going, but I could foresee the success of Karen's efforts here. I made sure to send Karen the article – she deserved to know she was doing well.

Besides that, many were trying to analyse the reasons for my victory. Something that I noticed was that many were trying to deduce the reason behind Luna's initial victory. That reminded me that I still had a lot to improve on in terms of my team's training; I had apparently not covered my weakness to Fighting types as well as I thought I might have. That needed to be worked on.

And I probably needed to train up my 'weaker' Pokémon up a bit more. The fight against Bruno showed that there was much to improve on with Zephyr, Luna, and Klaus.

Furthermore, the more observant pointed out in a few articles that there were inconsistencies in the fight that couldn't be attributed to just 'good training'. They suspected that there was more at play here that they simply didn't understand yet.

I frowned; I figured that the secret of the Fairy type was about to be realized soon. But the question was, what could I do about it?

A.N. A slower chapter aimed at setting up a few things happening in the future. And yes, John WILL be heading to Sinnoh in the future, and I do have plans for what he will be doing there.

This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!