"Yeah sorry but I have to say no, I'm enjoying things out here in Alola and I think I can get far, Ash has vacated the champion spot and I think there's a chance I could get it"

"Fair enough, what about you Tom?"

"I'll pass to, I'm enjoying things running the battle tower here in Johto, plus Palmer just given me some extra responsibilities"

"Okay, damn two for two, Joe lets not make it a clean sweep" Callum says turning to me

I pop back into reality, Callum sits across from me while our other two friends are on the screens at the side of the booth

"Uh well yeah its a tempting offer, something we would have dreamt about as kids"

"Is that a yes then?" Callum says with a happy face

"Can I think about it for a few days? Plus what type would I have to be?"

"Well, flying is up for grabs? I know you have quite a few of them"

"Okay, yeah give me a few days, plus me and Charizard will have to do some training"

"You'll be fine Joey!" Tom says with a laugh

"Thats fine bud, I don't have to announce things for another month yet, plus I gotta find two more members now anyway"

"Okay"

We talk for a bit longer, Tom and Ryan head off first, it was early morning for Ryan who is in the middle of his Alola Journey while Tom had a date night planned with Martha.

"Don't stress about it too much kay? No pressure" Callum says as he begins to head off

I nod to him before he gives me a wink and vacates the diner, I'm left looking out over the sea onto the horizon. I sit and contemplate

It would be an honour to be part of the elite four of Kanto, plus Nelly setting up her gallery so it would be a good idea to be in a stable job. I can keep doing the cargo flights too for extra money, we could retire and get a house in the next ten years.

"Hey hunny!"

I look up to see Nelly in front of me, her faces has splotches of paint all over it, her hair I tied into two pigtails which are also peppered with white and red splotches.

"Hello beautiful" I say pulling myself up from my seat, I embrace her and kiss her cheek

"What did Callum want then?" She says taking my hand as we move out of the diner

"Oh not much, don't sweat it"

She chuckles to herself

"What?" I question

"I already know hun, Emily cannot keep her mouth shut" She says still stifling laughter

"That girl" I say shaking my head

"So?"

"So what?"

"So, when do you start?"

"I haven't said yes yet" I say scratching the back of my head

"What?! Why not?!"

"Well, I dunno. Me and Charizard haven't battle all out for a while, plus I would have to use just Kanto mons and they'd have to have a type. Callum suggested flying but I only have Charizard and Crobat"

"I suppose but surely battling with all your best friends as a combined elite four would be a dream"

I chuckle

"What now?!" She says playfully pushing me

"Ryan and Tom said no" I says with a chuckle as I put my arm round her shoulder

"Oh, is Callum okay?"

"I think so, I don't think it went how he planned it too"

"Well obviously not dummy!"

I laugh and then we go silent as we walk up the road to our apartment for the evening, we hadn't put down much roots recently, we been skipping between apartments every six months. Nelly hadn't gotten a set gallery exhibition in a while so it was a case of displaying her art wherever would take it. We had been in Driftveil, Lumiose, Artazon and Celadon most recently, it been quite nice zooming around in the planes, I've been picking up jobs ferrying people or cargo to different places in the meantime.

"You should go see your dad" Nelly says breaking the silence

I look to slightly confused

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, whenever I have a big decision to make I speak to my Dad, might help you too"

"I'll give him a call"

I speak to my Dad and see what he's doing the tomorrow, hes based in Vermillion generally but hes doing a drop off in Paldea.

"Oh no worries, don't sweat it"

"Whats up Joey?" HE questions over the phone

"Oh I just wanted to talk something over with you"

"Nelly pregnant?"

"No!" I shout down the phone in confusion

"Oh jeez, I was hoping you would be asking for new dad advice" He calls back with a chuckle

"Well why don't you come to Paldea? I could do with the help on the pick up actually"

"Where about is it?" I question

"Levincia, nice coastal location"

"Sure, what time is pick up?"

"9AM, so in about 13 hours"

"I'll be there, send me the location"

I set off early in the mornig, the timezone between Kanto and Paldea is 7 hours with Paldea being behind. I set off at 8AM Kanto time flying for 5 hours, it always feels odd to land at a time earlier than I sent off. As the first hints of light begin to brush the horizon, the sky transforms into a canvas of pastel shades. Soft shades of lavender, rose, and peach start to chase away the darkness, slowly illuminating the landscape. The calm sea below reflects these delicate hues, creating a serene mirror that stretches out towards the infinite horizon. A sense of quiet wonder blankets the cliffs as trainers and Pokémon alike slowly emerge on the land below. The silhouette of the city against the emerging dawn serves as a poignant reminder of the hustle and bustle that awaits, yet for now, all attention is drawn to the natural masterpiece that unfolds below. The descent into the city is quite easy, there barley any wind as it seems to be all cut by the huge building of the city. I land down on the strip, there only about three people there, the gentleman who stock it is that needs to be delivered to Kanto. The other two I don't recognise, I quickly jump out of the cokcpit down to the gorund, I stretch myself a little as the men approach.

"You must be Michael boy yes?" the older of the two gentleman says

"Hi yes Joe nice oo meet you" I say shaking his hand

"Lewis, you are a spitting image of your Grandfather"

"My Grandfather?"

My Grandfather had been a pilot from Paldea, he was born and raised in Levincia City however it had been more of a town back then. He had originally worked on the boats that were always docking into the town, bringing in a variety of treasures from the sea. However, as the travel became more prominent Port Marinada grew on the opposite side of the region as the ocean side was open to closer regions like Hoenn and Alola, this made them much more accessible as boats became more and more advanced. Due to this Levincia had to adapt, the high cliffs had always been a great feature and it was perfect for take off for planes, Wattrell and Kilowattrell would constantly make there nest in the cliff sides.

"Yes, we flew with him back in the days" He says pointing off toward the other man talking to the supplier

"Oh really? Thats amazing"

"Come with me, I want you to see something" He says waving me as he heads off towards a hangar.

The small plane hangar is compact structure, its exterior is made of concrete, featuring a large hangar door that can be rolled open to accommodate aircraft entry and exit. The hangar is nestled at the back of the airfield. Lewis walks up and hits the button pulling the rolling door upwards. Behind it is revealed a bigger cargo plane, completely designed in the shape of a Pidgeot

"Wow! I have heard stories about this!" I say running up and admiring the plane

"It was your Grandfathers, he used to do long haul cargo flights in it to places like Galar and Unova" Lewis adds happily

"We offered it too your Dad a few times but he's turned it down"

"Why!? Its amazing!" I say starstruck by the design

"Because its a relic!" comes a shout

My dad walks up and put his hand on my shoulder with a smile

"A Relic?! This girl is as young as ever!" Lewis roars back with a laugh

"Grandpa used to fly this things for days and days, it was cutting edge when it was first built" Dad continues

"He went with Pidgeot because of his partner Pokemon."

Pidgeot? I had never really met my Grandfather that much, he was quite old when I was born, he only lived till I was about 6. I have vague memories of him but nothing substantial

"I never knew Grandpa had Pokemon, did he battle?"

Dad shakes his head

"No, battling back then wasn't that prominent. It was only really I select few who were on the grand stage. Most cities across the world had battle clubs which is what became modern day gyms. Grandpa had lots of flying Pokemon though, he had then help him build planes and delver short range goods"

"Really? What did he have?"I question

"Oh lots, Pidgeot, Altaria, Fearow, Kilowattrell, he even had a Dragonair for a brief time"

"Wow, I never knew"

"Excuse me sirs?"

We all turn the other man who was with Lewis appears at the edge of the hangar, he looks very sheepish

"Whats the problem?" Lewis questions

"The supplier got another two lorry full to be delivered it was due to be in the next hour or so but, there's a blockage up towards Zapapico"

"Oh no worries, we have time don't we Joey!" Dads roars out

"Oh course, what's the blockage?" I question

"Apparently there's a lot of electric and steel type Pokemon blocking the way, no one can figure out why so they are having to move the traffic through one by one"

"I see" I mumble before beginning to thinking

"Well lets leave these two to rest, we will start loading the supplies we have"

Lewis and the other guy wander away to the lorries beginning to load the cargo holds. Dad and me grab some drinks and wander to the edge of the airfield looking out over the city and sea. As the sun's golden orb edges above the horizon, it paints the sky with a burst of radiant orange and gold. Its warm light spills over the cliffs, casting long, ethereal shadows that seem to embrace the rugged terrain. The first rays of sunlight touch the tips of the grasses and wildflowers, setting them aglow with a gentle warmth. might otherwise go unnoticed. The city's structures begin to awaken, each window reflecting the sun's brilliance as it peeks over the horizon.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Dad questions taking a sip from his coffee

"Oh yeah uh well, Callum obviously the new champion of Kanto"

"Um very well deserved" He nods

"Well, he's offered me a role as one of the Elite Four"

He raises his eyebrow and smiles widely

"Wow, that is a very prestigious role. What have you said?"

"I haven't given him an answer yet"

"I see, well does it fit your plan?"

"Plan?" I laughing

"I don't have a plan Dad"

He smiles

"Well what about being a researcher? All that work you did with Cedric in Unova"

"I suppose but it got boring, counting the amount of berries a Purrloin eats or how many Patrat is in a nest, I want to do something more active"

"Well, how about you do a test run?"

"Test run?"

"Those Pokemon blocking the way from Zapapico, go see if you can figure out why"

I stand and look out over the horizon

"Okay, lets see what I can figure out"

I wander up and out of the city. The business people are beginning to venture out, the lines out of the coffee shops are huge. I look up into the sky as I wander out onto the route.

"Its so odd that there's no bird Pokemon flying at all. You would think with all this wind that they be out in force, especially the Wattrell" I mumble to myself

I look around on the coastal route, there is plenty of land and water based Pokemon. A few Marill and Wooper all swim in the river splitting the city and the route, Tadbulbs float around while Sandygast mill around on the beach.

"Charizard come out!"

I throw up the ball and Charizard emerges, he stretches out and roars

"Char, lets go up I wanna get a birdeyes view please"

I jump on his back and his bursts up into the air, as he ascends he gets to a point in the sky and begins to squirm in the air thrashing about. I tap him and centre him as he drops down recovering

"What was that?!" I question

He taps his head

"Something was disorientating you?

He gruffs in affirmation

"Can you get us up there onto the high cliff? I don't wanna have to hike up"

He nods and bursts forward over the cliff pushing through the disturbance, we drop down onto the cliff side and I look out over the area, I can see the huge tailgate that leads all the way around from the huge mountain side. I spot a lot of workers all stood around while some Cufant and Voltorb all squirm around on the ground. I run up and prompt the workers

"Whats going on?" I question looking to them

They shrug

"No idea, the Pokemon started freaking out all of a sudden"

"How long has it been going on?"

"About three hours?"

"Anything changed at all in those three hours?" I question

They shrug

"Talk to that guy, he come up from the academy" They say pointing toward a purple haired guy in a lab coat

I walk up and tap him on the shoulder

"Uh hello there sir, my name Joe, I was a research with Cedric Juniper, can I hel"

"You know Professor Juniper?! Whats he like? I always wanted to study under him!"

I baulk before he calms down dusting his lab coat down

"Sorry about that, nice too meet you, I'm Jacq, I'm one of the researchers working at the

Naranja academy"

"What do you think is going on?"

He looks out over the area, around are pockets of different electric and steel type Pokemon all quivering in groups together

"I think its must be something electrical, like there's an imbalance somewhere"

"But why would that affect the flying types?" I question

"Flying types?"

I throw up Charizard into the air who bursts out, he tries to steady himself in the air before beginning to flinch and stir in the air before landing down

"Interesting" Jacq says walking up to Charizard putting his hand on him in comfort as it continues to flinch

"Charizard, what is the issue?"

It roars out grabbing at his head

"Is it sound?" Jacq asks

It grunts in a nod

"Oh sound?! I didn't think of that! Thanks Charizard" I say before returning it

"So its sounds, well what could be causing that?"

"Audino I choose you!"

I throw up another ball and the white and pink Pokemon appears

"Audi" It calls out before flinching

"Can you hear something?" I question her

She nods back

"Can you lead us to where it is?"

She begins to walk off, holding her head up eyes closed, her ears twitch every so often, walking off in different ways. After about 10 minutes she finally stops in a spot before bending down

"Audi Audi!" She calls out pointing downwards

"Its down there?" I question

It nods back in confirmation

"Great work girl!" I say returning it as Jacq moves up scanning the ground

"There is a lot of seismic movement below but in a very concentrate area, I would imagine this is why it did come up on any radar, you'd have to be pretty close to even detect it"

I peer over at the scanner as it shows a pulse of energy emanating out from the spot under us

"What do you think it is?" I question

He shrugs

"Could be anything really, underground disturbance, turf war, who knows"

"What would normally be round here?"

"Well deep under ground there probably some Pokemon nests"

"Well, lets take a look! Steelix come on out!"

The hulking goliath of Steelix emerges

"Steelix dig down!"

It begins to spin before ploughing into the ground, it curves round before breaking through into a little tunnel, it quickly burst back out of the hole. Both me and Jacq jump forward and peer down the hole. At the bottom is a collection of red worm like Pokemon

"Orth! Orth!" They call up at us

"Oh that could be the issue" Jacq calls out

"What?" I question

"This is a breeding ground for the Orthworm, but it looks like it been filled in" He says pointing down into the hole

I look down and I can see a huge metal deposit in the ground

"Oh what and you think that has filled it in?"

"Oi you lot!" I shout over to the workers who are all grouped around drinking coffee

"What?"

"You know anything about this melted ore down here?!"

One puts his mug down before wandering up

"Oh yeah, that probably the solder from the welding on the towers up there" He says wafting his hand behind him before wandering away

"The hell! So it clogged up the breeding grounds!" I say as the ground begins to shake

I look down and see the Orthworm spin attack the build up of ore trying to destroy it

"And that must be the noise, the grinding against the ore"

"Well the question is how are we going to melt it" Jacq says

"Don't worry!" I say throwing another ball down the hole

"Excadrill!"

"Excadrill, use dig and create a hole just in front of that big deposit!"

It swipes it claws before jumping up and ploughing into the ground, it quickly comes back up having created a large hole

"Great work!" I shout throwing another ball down

Charizard plops down and roars

"Charizard! Use Flamethrower!"

Charizard beckons the Orthworm to move along with Charizard before begins to blast away at ore deposit, it begins to melt and seep away down into the hole infront of it created by Excadrill, after about 5 minutes all the ore has melted and seep away into the earth

"You lot, give it a little bit to harden and then you can move over it into your breeding grounds!" I shout down

"Orth Orth!" They call up happily as Charizard picks up Excadrill and flies the pair up out of the hole

"Expertly done guys, thank you" I say retuning them

"The wild Pokemon seem to be returning to normal now" Jacq says as Cufant and Voltorb begins to break off away from each other

"And the traffic is moving again nicely" I say as a stream of cars passed down by on the intersection

"Very well done, you and your Pokemon work brilliantly as a team" Jacq says

"Well thanks, thank you for your help too"

"Oh don't mention it, we could certainly do with a lot more field professor like you" He says with a laugh

"Field professor?" I mumble to myself

Jacq and I talk for a little more just to make sure everything settles down. After about a half an hour we part ways as he heads back to the academy, he hands me his contact card and I promise to keep in touch. Alot of hours have passed now on the ventures, it the height of winter so the days are incredibly short so the sun is already starting to set. I text Dad to see where he is, he responds saying him and Lewis had headed in Levincia for a meal and catch, the load had now arrived on runway and were being in the process of being loaded, we wouldn't be leaving today now due to visibility but Lewis had offered to put us up for the night. I wander my way down throgh the route and spot a cliffside to perch myself onto, I sit with my legs out over the drop and wonder at the surrounds. Watrrell and Wingull hover gently overhead sweping down every so often to catch an updraft.

Bring Bring

"Ah moshi moshi" comes a gravelly voice

"Professor, hi its me Joe sorry hope its not a bad time"

"My boy! How are you?! I always have time for my protege!" comes the distict voice of Cedric Juniper

"I'm well Professor, how are you keeping in Nuvemba?"

"Ah so so, my lovely daughter has me on a strict routine of rest and relaxation still for now"

The professor had been on a stint of researching Dragonspiral Tower, since Team Plasma incursions and it had been opened to the public he had led a crew of archeologists exploring it. Unfourtuantley he had a fall when excavating that was pretty nasty and with his age the recovery time was much longer than expected

"I see, well I'm sure you will be fighting fit in no time"

"Of course young man! Now what do I owe the pleasure?"

I gulp and pause for thoughts

"Professor, when you were in the midst of your research, did you ever feel like you didn't really know where you were going with anything?"

He stays silent so I continue

"Like I love Pokemon, I know that. Discovering new things about them, helping out connection with them as people and discovering new way to interact but I feel like I don't have any direction"

"WAHAHAHAHA!" comes a laugh causing me to jolt and almost drop my phone off the cliff face

"Young man, I've been a professor for double your life span and I still have no idea what direction I am going in!"

I baulk

"What do you mean? Of course you do, you have your research into Pokemon biology?"

"I only did that so I could have an excuse to travel the world!"

"Really?"

"Of course, there nothing like that will of adventure, the call to see everything and anything the world has to offer, it calls to me from my very core!"

"Wow that's pretty intense" I say with a laugh

"Its calling you too now young man"

"I'm not sure about that"

"Oh I am, we wouldn't be having this conversation if it wasn't"

I pause and think about it for a few minutes

"Time catches us up all in the end young man, for me my time draws closer to one of mid afternoon naps and cup of tea in my slippers!" He roars with a laugh

I smile and chuckle

"But for you young man, the world calls you. The endless possibilities, different Pokemon to meet, different people to help and knowledge to obtain. Young Joseph, my protege, for the both us, soar into the sun and find it!" He roars

I feel the emotion well in me and goosebumps rushes over my skin

"You're right professor, I will for the both of us!" I roar back to him

Nelly had been right all along but maybe not in the way she intended. While Dad was always good for advice but maybe not one to push me in the right direction. He had started this whole scenario by inviting me to do this drop as it wouldn't have set me down this path. For once I felt comfortable with my vision for what I wanted to do

"I'm sorry Callum but I've got my own path I have to follow"

His picture on the video phone shows him throw his head back slightly and sigh

"I can't say I'm not disappointed but, I understand. Joe chase that path buddy and good luck"

He clicks off and I look to the horizon. On that day my real journey began, one that would set me down a path for life. As the sun drops I feel a reinvigorating breeze hit me. The sunset near Levincia City is not just a moment in time; it's a gift of inspiration and renewal. It signifies the promise of a new day, full of adventure, possibilities, and endless wonders. The next day hits and due to the delay the cargo had been halved as some had spoilt meaning only Dads hangar was full, he does his last minute checks as Lewis walks up to me.

"Mr Lewis, the Pidgeot plane...do you have any use for it or will it just sit in the hangar?"

Lewis smirks

"No plans as of now, your Grandfather always wished for it to be passed down"

"How much for it?"

He waves his hand

"She is all yours young man, we always said we would keep it and look after it until one of you were ready for it"

"Sir I cannot just accept it"

"Don't worry I have a condition"

"Whats that?"

"Well you see, you want to build an airship around it yes?"

I nod

"Well I have two people who would be perfect to build it!"