Chapter 33

Strolling along Route 22 was a trip down memory lane. When she spotted a patch of tall grass, Leaf smiled and sent out Venusaur and Fearow.

"This was roughly where we met you, Fearow," Leaf said. "We were running away from a mob of Mankey and accidentally crashed into you. Do you remember that?"

Smirking, Venusaur patted Fearow with a vine. Fearow rolled her eyes and squawked. Leaf understood what the vulture meant. Bulbasaur had bested Spearow then, but things were different now. Fearow was the stronger Pokemon.

The vulture definitely had the type advantage, but Leaf couldn't say for sure who would win in battle. She never truly pitted her Pokemon against each other. Friendly rivalry could be good for growth, but she didn't want anyone worrying about being the weakest.

Something occurred to Leaf. Turning to Fearow, she asked, "Do you ever miss this place? Were you ever upset about being caught?"

Fearow was the only one of her Pokemon Leaf had truly captured. Everyone else had joined Leaf willingly. Well, Dragonite hadn't, but she'd unintentionally rescued him from Team Rocket. No one would argue he wasn't better off with Leaf. She didn't know what Fearow's life had been like before meeting her. The vulture could've been perfectly happy before suddenly finding herself on the road with some random human.

Fearow gently touched Leaf's shoulder with her beak and cooed. Leaf smiled and scratched Fearow's neck before returning her Pokemon.

The Indigo Plateau was how Leaf remembered it. Stone stairs and gold arches against a backdrop of mountains. Somewhere in those mountains was the tunnel system, Route 23. Since the wild Pokemon there were stronger than average, it was a popular training area for advanced trainers. With the creation of the Indigo League, Route 23 now served another purpose: to allow trainers to size up the competition. So many trainers had flooded into Route 23 that no one needed to battle the wild Pokemon anymore. They could just battle each other and calculate their chances against the Elite Four from there. As a result, Route 23 had unofficially become the final test for prospective league challengers. It was now starting to be called Victory Road.

Leaf had considered training on Victory Road, but she didn't like how close it was to well, everything. The Sevii Islands had been perfect because of how isolated they were. Thanks to her parents and the Pokemon Center TVs, Leaf roughly knew what was happening in Kanto-proper, but since she wasn't there physically, it was easier to disconnect herself mentally.

Not to say that it was actually easy. There were plenty of days when Leaf's mind clung onto certain events she'd rather forget. And it had taken a few months for Leaf to stop obsessively replaying her last conversation with Red, dissecting his words, his tone, his body language. Inevitably, that led her to analyzing every interaction they'd had since their journey began. Did Red decide at the Pokemon Tower that she wasn't a worthy trainer? Or did he do that much earlier, when she battled Blue for the first time? Perhaps it had been a gradual process. She struggled to recall a time when she didn't make a fool of herself in front of Red.

There were moments when Leaf would ruminate so intensely, she found herself unable to move. Her breaths would come sharp and quick, and she'd feel a strange weight on her chest. The first few times she'd felt that way, she thought she was getting a heart attack. So no, it hadn't been easy to let go. Far from it. Even now, she wasn't sure she had. But she knew that if she'd stayed on the mainland, she would have suffocated.

Maybe that was why Blue had trained on the Sevii Islands as well.

Leaf shoved the thought away and reached the top of the stairs.

The reception building's gold details and sky blue doors had impressed Leaf back then. They still impressed her today. She was sure the interior would be even more impressive. But when Leaf pushed the doors open, she was disappointed. There were a few chairs against the wall and a stand containing maps, which she suspected were for Victory Road. Ahead, a security guard was reading at a reception desk that stretched across the entire width of the room. Behind him were double doors. It made Leaf feel almost as if she was in the Saffron Police Department, not the Indigo League.

That feeling, however, quickly went away when Leaf approached the guard. Not looking up from his book, the guard said, "If you're wondering where the entrance to Route 23 is, step outside and head northeast."

Leaf took a deep breath. "I'm not here for Route 23. I'm here to challenge the Elite Four and Champion."

The guard looked up.

Although Leaf had told her team they were going to challenge the league, saying it right here, to this guard, was surreal. The words that had just left her mouth didn't seem like her own. Was it really her and not someone else registering for the Indigo League?

"Have you completed the Gym circuit?" The guard asked.

Leaf opened her satchel and showed the guard, pinned onto the inside of the flap, the eight badges. They were lined up in two rows of four.

The guard picked up a small flashlight and shone it over the badges, studying them carefully. Once he verified the badges were authentic, he asked for Leaf's personal information.

"Leaf Green. Sixteen. Pallet Town. Six Pokemon."

"ID, please."

Leaf pulled out her ID. She'd gotten it on her birthday. The photo of her was comically bad. Her hair was frizzy, her eyes and smile too wide. She looked absolutely unhinged. Her parents had laughed hysterically when they saw it. The guard had no reaction. He plucked it from her hand and examined it, ensuring the ID was real and its content matched the information Leaf provided.

The guard returned her ID and typed a few things on his computer. Looking back at her, he said, "We don't have any challenges scheduled now, so you can battle as early as next Monday. Before you select a date, I must explain the rules to you, as they will likely affect your decision."

Leaf already knew the rules, but nodded anyway.

"Your challenge will take up to eleven days. On the first day, you will battle Lorelei. If you win, you'll have the remainder of the day to rest. You'll battle Bruno on the second day and if you win again, you'll battle Agatha on the third. Defeat her, and you'll battle Lance on the fourth. If you can beat him, you have up to a week to rest before challenging the Champion. Is that clear?"

Leaf swallowed and nodded. It made perfect sense why the guard was required to remind her of these rules. The reason why so many challengers lost was because with less than a day's rest between battles, their Pokemon often weren't healed enough to fight properly. If they were facing regular trainers, that might've been fine, but they were battling the Elite Four. Consistently, the trainers who managed to get past Lorelei were too beaten up to do much against Bruno.

A week, however, was given before the Champion battle to make the match more equal. In theory, that should've been plenty of time to rest, especially since the Indigo Plateau's Pokemon Center was supposed to be the best in the region. But since the Champions so far had been Red and Blue, a week was nothing. Even a month wouldn't have been enough.

"When would you like to schedule your challenge?"

Leaf took another deep breath. "Next Monday."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." As intimidating as the challenge was, Leaf couldn't stall it any longer. She would go crazy waiting.

"Very well, then." The guard typed some more things. "Since your challenge is so soon, you can move into the Challengers' Village now. First, I'll need to inspect your bag for any illegal items."

Leaf handed her satchel to the guard. He opened and thoroughly checked it. Once he was satisfied, he said, "Come with me."

The guard opened a gate that took up half the desk and then pushed one of the doors behind him. Leaf passed through the gate and followed him outside.

There was a cable car going up the mountain. Leaf spotted another uniformed man operating it in a booth. A third man was chatting with him from outside the booth. Upon noticing them, the third man turned and slid the cable car door open, gesturing for Leaf to board.

"Good luck," the guard said.

The third man tried making small talk with Leaf as the cable car slowly, and sometimes with a bang, brought them up the mountain. She barely responded. Her gaze was fixed on Mount Silver, so massive that it looked closer than it actually was. She wondered what it would be like to train on that behemoth. Supposedly, it was home to the most dangerous wild Pokemon and was so cold at the top that there was snow all year round. If Leaf had spent the past year on Mount Silver, the Indigo League would be a walk in a park.

The cable car reached the peak and with a screech, began to descend. It was then that something in Leaf's peripheral peeled her attention away from Mount Silver.

They were going down to a huge clearing in the plateau. What had caught Leaf's eye took up a majority of the space. An indigo oval structure that was open at the center, revealing a wide dirt field. The Indigo Stadium. That was where Leaf would battle the Elite Four and Blue.

Off to the side of the Indigo Stadium was a cluster of buildings, the Challengers' Village. That was where she'd reside during her challenge. The cable car stopped yards away from it. Another guard was waiting for them, along with a young blonde woman in a red pantsuit.

It was the woman who addressed Leaf. Her voice was so cheerful, it sounded fake. "Hello, Leaf! My name is Kelly. I'll be your guide during your stay at the Challengers' Village! Let's get you to your room and then I'll show you around."

The village mostly consisted of cabins, each of which had a bed and bathroom. Leaf doubted that there were enough challengers at a time to fill all the cabins. She suspected they were typically occupied by reporters, who were the league's main spectators. The average person wasn't going to hike all the way up here to watch battles that ended in minutes. Red and Blue were the only exceptions. Leaf remembered, at the Three Island Pokemon Center, seeing a trainer huddled over a computer, waiting for the tickets to come on sale. As soon as they were, he refreshed the page, only to discover with great devastation that they were already sold out and he was placed on a waitlist. She doubted he made it off. Who in their right mind would give up the chance to witness history? The Indigo Stadium had been so crowded, it looked like some people were sitting on top of each other.

Leaf's cabin was right by the Pokemon Center. A young man in a hoodie stepped out, eye bags so dark he resembled a raccoon. He gave Leaf a sullen look before heading towards the cable car.

"That's Calvin, our most recent challenger," Kelly explained. "He was much more pleasant when he first arrived."

Leaf could believe the Indigo Plateau Pokemon Center was the best. Although it didn't look too different from the others, something about the floors and walls, the furniture, the equipment felt so new and modern. She hoped she wouldn't become too familiar with it. Beyond the Pokemon Center were some chain restaurants and a training facility. The facility reminded Leaf of the Vermilion Gym, with all the various obstacle courses. But like the Pokemon Center, it seemed to have come from the future. The facility was split into sections and if Leaf wanted to, she could change the terrain of each one.

"You have a few days before your challenge, so this is the perfect place to get some last minute training!"

For once, Leaf didn't plan on training. She wanted her Pokemon to be well-rested and she didn't believe a few days in the facility would make much difference anyways. At this point, her team was either ready or not ready. And she believed full-heartedly that they were ready.

The rest of the week seemed to move so slowly, as if weighed down by a ball and chain. But on Sunday night, Leaf suddenly felt that it had flashed by with a snap of a finger. As she tossed and turned in bed, she ruminated over every possible, awful scenario. What if her breakfast gave her diarrhea? What if she had a sore throat and couldn't clearly give commands? What if she couldn't defeat even one of Lorelei's Pokemon? What if the past year had been for nothing?

Leaf doubted she got any sleep, but she wasn't the least bit tired on Monday morning. Her brain was on overdrive. Sounds were too loud, objects were too colorful, the sun was too bright. When she looked in the mirror, she could see each individual strand of her brown hair, each small bump and mark on her skin. This is what being on drugs must feel like.

Kelly tried to hype Leaf up as they headed towards the Indigo Stadium. Her voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Leaf zoned her out as best as she could. A few reporters––they'd been gradually moving into the village––came up and tried to ask Leaf questions, but Kelly did a surprisingly good job at warding them off. Leaf liked Kelly a lot more after that.

She knew the Indigo Stadium was huge. When they reached it, however, Leaf felt dizzy looking at it. A portly man in a brown suit was waiting for them. Two guards stood behind him.

The man shook Leaf's hand. "Hello, Leaf. I'm Scott Morey, the head of the Indigo League. I'm looking forward to watching your challenge today!"

Leaf recognized Scott Morey. She'd seen him on TV. He seemed nice enough, but she could tell whatever he said and would say had been practiced many, many times.

"Right this way, please."

They walked into a tunnel. Leaf nearly sighed in relief over being out of the sun. Scott Morey tried asking Leaf about herself, but it was difficult to come up with anything other than one-word responses. All she could register was the end of the tunnel, where there was an opening to the battlefield.

"I saw you're from Pallet Town. Did you know Red or Blue?"

Leaf flinched. Not once had anyone made a connection between her and the boys. She didn't realize until now how wonderful that had been.

"Sort of. We were in the same class at school. I wasn't close with them."

"What were they like?" Scott Morey asked eagerly. It'd probably been a while since a challenger piqued his interest. When Leaf didn't answer, his face fell slightly and he asked, "Your challenge will begin soon. How are you feeling?"

Like I need to puke. "Nervous and excited."

Scott Morey flashed Leaf an encouraging smile. "You'll do fine. Good luck, Leaf!"

Leaf noticed the smile disappear as soon as he began to leave. She knew he wasn't expecting much from her. She didn't care.

After ten excruciating minutes, Leaf heard Scott Morey's voice through the stadium speakers. He gave the same speech he always gave before a challenge. What the Indigo League stood for, what the rules were, what it took for a trainer to win.

"Our challenger today is Leaf Green of Pallet Town!"

"Good luck!" Kelly loudly whispered.

Leaf barely heard Kelly over her thundering heart. This was it. The moment she'd been dreaming of since she started her journey. She couldn't believe it was happening. Her legs felt like jello as she stepped out the tunnel. The sunlight seemed to be pointing directly at her face. Leaf squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, her jaw went slack.

The Indigo Stadium somehow seemed even bigger inside. She nearly lost her balance as she took in the whole thing. What a huge waste of money and resources, Leaf couldn't help but think. There were some reporters and cameramen scattered across the seats. To her left, Scott Morey was situated on a balcony. But the vast majority of the seats were empty, waiting for spectators who would never come. They might as well just battle on any random field, though that wouldn't look as impressive on TV.

Leaf was perfectly fine with the emptiness. Happy, even. Her challenge would eventually appear on TV, but right now, she could tell herself only a handful of people were watching. That helped her breathe easier. She had no idea how Red and Blue could appear so calm battling in a packed stadium.

"She'll be facing the first of our Elite Four, Lorelei Rivers!"

On the opposite side of the stadium, a figure emerged from a tunnel: a tall, curvy woman who had long red hair and wore thin glasses over brown eyes. Lorelei. The Ice Queen. When she reached her side of the field, she placed a hand on her hip and smiled at Leaf.

"No one can best Lorelei when it comes to ice-type Pokemon. Countless trainers have been at her mercy."

At the corner of eye, Leaf spotted the referee, standing off to the side with his hands behind his back. His presence was a formality, if anything. No one really needed to be informed their Pokemon had fainted.

"We need a battlefield that's as cool as her!"

There was a rumble as the dirt battlefield sank into the ground. Leaf could see metal on the sides. After a moment, a new field rose: icy platforms scattered over a dark pool.

"Trainers may send out their Pokemon now. May the best one win!"

Next chapter: Leaf vs. Lorelei!

Thanks for reading and as always, appreciate any feedback.