Chapter 3

"I've made a list of things you need to work on," Tasha said, handing Leaf her opened notepad.

They were on the train back to Kanto. It took a day to drive from Blackthorn to Goldenrod City. In Leaf's head, Johto was a wild region, so suddenly being back in the metropolis had given her whiplash. And even though she didn't have to stand in front of a crowd, she felt tense. The last time they were in Goldenrod, they stumbled upon protestors. There were none of those this time, but someone threw a vanilla milkshake at their car.

The Magnet Train Station had once again been closed off for them. Before they stepped onto the train, they said their goodbyes to President Jeffries.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," President Jeffries said as he shook Leaf's hand. "I hope to see you again soon."

President Jeffries looked so earnest that Leaf genuinely smiled. "Same here."

The smile went away when President Jeffries turned to President Ken and became much more formal. "Thomas, great seeing you as always. Let me know when you're safely back in Kanto."

President Ken nodded. "Great seeing you, too, Sebastian. We appreciate you bringing us around. I'll connect with you later about a few matters."

Leaf wasn't sure what the two presidents needed to discuss, but she figured it wasn't anything to be concerned over. They got on the train and not long after it departed, Tasha approached Leaf.

Leaf began to read the list when she realized Tasha was still talking.

"I've told you most of these already, but wanted to reiterate them," Tasha explained. "I'm sure you've heard the phrase, never judge a book by its cover. Believe me when I say that people don't operate that way. You will be judged. Everyone wants to know who the best trainer in the world is, beyond your battling technique. And their only access to you as a person is through the media, which can never paint the full picture. So if you want to leave a good impression, your presentation must be impeccable."

She cleared her throat. "Let's start with your appearance, since that's the first thing people will notice about you. No one expects you to be a fashionista. In fact, I haven't pushed you to wear dresses because I think you should look tough. But tough doesn't mean plain. You still need to be somewhat nice to look at. No one wants an ugly Champion."

Leaf had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. If someone were to ask her what she looked for in a Champion, attractiveness wouldn't even cross her mind. And not that Leaf cared too much, but it wasn't as if she looked like a troll.

"That's where makeup comes in. I know you're not a fan, but cameras these days capture everything. At the very least, you need to wear concealer. I've booked a spa day. You'll get your brows done, skin exfoliated, and more. Honestly, if there'd been time, I would've had you go before the tour. And I know I said earlier you don't need to be a fashionista, but you can't be unstylish either, so we'll get you new clothes."

"I have clothes at home," Leaf said. "I don't need new clothes."

Tasha shook her head. "If you want, we can go through your wardrobe and see if you own anything acceptable. But my gut tells me we'll still need to go on a shopping trip."

Leaf was wearing the outfit she wore throughout her journey: blue tank, red skirt, white hat. She always thought it was one of her nicer outfits, but now felt slightly self-conscious about it.

"Last thing about your appearance: you're going to start hitting the gym and watching your diet. You're already slim, which is good, but you don't quite have that toned look. You'll be working with Ryan Broderick. He was Red and Blue's health coach, but I can find a woman if you'd be more comfortable with that."

Tasha had been Red and Blue's PR manager as well. It suddenly occurred to Leaf that they must've heard a similar speech. She imagined that she and Red had a lot more to work on than Blue, who understood fashion and wellness more than the both of them combined.

"Now, onto your personality. You're not unlikable, but you're not memorable either. If I didn't know you were Champion, I wouldn't have had any impression of you from your interview with Whitney. I probably can't make you as charming as her, but you need to have a distinct voice. We'll lean hard into the fact that you're the first female Champion. You'll be the cool sister all girls wish they had, a role model, a symbol of female empowerment. I've reached out to a public speaking coach who will help you sound more confident. I'm also looking into women's organizations that you can collaborate with, but that won't be until later down the line."

As Tasha went on and on about all the things she needed to work on, all the events she'd attend, the shows she'd be on, Leaf's body felt heavy. It was as if Tasha's speech was a weight on her head, pushing her down. No, not the speech, really. The obligations. Leaf knew that she'd be making a lot of public appearances, but she didn't realize how much work there was behind the scenes. And on top of all that, she still needed to train to secure her title. She liked to spend entire days training. When was she going to find the time for that?

"Can we rethink some of these?" Leaf asked. "Or at least start small. Training takes up a lot of time."

"You'll have time to train," Tasha assured her. "And if we're being honest, you're probably not going to have many challengers anyway. You can focus on your image for now."

Leaf half-glanced at President Ken, who was reading the same book as before. She hoped the president would come to her defense, let Tasha know how obnoxious her plan was. But it seemed that he wasn't paying much, if any, attention to their conversation.

"I know it seems like a lot," Tasha said, in a tone that was genuinely meant to be comforting. "But with great power comes great responsibility. The hard work will be worth it. You'll see."

"Look, we're back in Kanto!" Gary suddenly said.

Leaf looked out the window, relieved for the interruption. Gary was right. They'd just passed Mount Silver, monstrous as always. Instead of open fields, Leaf's vision was filled with trees.

Leaf leaned back. As beautiful as Johto was, it warmed her to be back in the region she grew up in. The region that didn't heckle or protest or ignore her. No matter what Tasha said about publicity, Leaf knew that Kanto would respect and accept her.

The weight lifted from Leaf's body. She'll see the coaches Tasha hired, of course. She didn't think she could wiggle out of that. But she wouldn't have to meet with them forever. Once she finished her sessions, she could completely focus on training and battling.

She'll be a better Champion than both Red and Blue.

They reached Saffron at noon. Lunch was eaten at a high-end restaurant near the station. The food came from a region called Kalos. Leaf had always been told that Kalos cuisine was the finest, but other than the pastries, she didn't eat anything that remarkable.

President Ken stuck to his schedule strictly. When they finished, there was no lingering. He shook Leaf's hand and said, "It was nice getting to know you the past couple weeks. I look forward to meeting you again and seeing what you will achieve as Champion."

"Same here," Leaf replied.

Her brain scrambled to come up with something impressive to say, but President Ken didn't grant her the time. "Get home safe and have a wonderful rest of your day."

He turned and got into his car, with Gary waving Leaf goodbye and June not acknowledging her as usual. At first, Leaf found it strange that they'd separate here in Saffron. She'd assumed they would give her a ride home.

Tasha answered her question. "You're coming with me!"

Leaf didn't want to be alone with Tasha, but the drive seemed like it was going to be alright. For the first time since they'd met, Tasha made an effort to get to know Leaf.

"So, what do you like to do for fun, Leaf?"

It was a simple question, but Leaf was struggling to think of an answer. She realized then that she didn't really have hobbies and was going to sound very boring. "Well, now I mostly just hang out with my Pokemon, but in the past, I liked to watch TV, go on walks, and swim in the ocean. And of course, spend time with family and friends."

"Is it just you and your parents? Do you have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child."

"That must've been lonely. I have two sisters and I can't imagine growing up without them."

"It was fine. I like my parents and I had close friends."

"Who are your friends?"

Leaf hesitated. There were girls at school she was friendly with, but the only actual friends she had growing up were Red and Blue. Since her friendship with Blue ended in middle school and Red was gone from the face of the Earth, she essentially didn't have any friends anymore.

Tasha redirected the conversation. "You got your starter from Professor Oak. Did you know Blue and Red?"

Tasha's tone was so casual, it seemed forced. Leaf's hands balled into fists. So that was the purpose of this conversation. Her PR manager just wanted new material. Even though she was just doing her job, Leaf was bothered for reasons she couldn't quite articulate.

"Did you know them?" Tasha asked again.

"Sort of," Leaf answered coolly. "We went to school together."

"What were they like?"

"What you'd expect. Red was quiet and Blue was pretty popular."

"You know," Tasha said carefully. "I read somewhere that Red and Blue were childhood friends. They were a part of a trio. The third person was a girl."

Why did Tasha need to hear Leaf say she used to be close to them? And why couldn't Leaf bring herself to admit it?

"Who was the girl?" Tasha pressed.

"I gotta use the bathroom," Leaf blurted out.

"Oh. You can hold it, right? We're almost there."

"Yeah, I can hold it." Leaf looked out the window. Already, they were in Viridian City. Compared to Johto, Kanto felt so tiny.

When they turned left onto the street where the Pokemon Center was, Leaf glanced at Tasha in confusion. "This isn't the way to Pallet Town."

"We're not going to Pallet Town," Tasha said lightly.

Leaf couldn't have been more confused. "Where are we going then?"

Tasha's smile was coy. "You'll see soon."

They parked in front of Viridian Tower, a luxury condo that Pallet Town residents dreamed of living in but could never afford. Leaf still had no idea what was going on, but was excited to see the interior. Unsurprisingly, it was very chic with its marble floor and abstract light fixtures. Tasha had Leaf go to the bathroom while she spoke to the receptionist. If Leaf had to guess, they were visiting someone important, maybe one of her new coaches. When Leaf returned to the lobby, Tasha waved at her to come over. Together, they walked to the elevators. The Viridian Tower was so tall that each elevator was assigned specific floors. They stepped into the one that led to the highest floors; Tasha pressed 50, the very top.

Her PR manager still had that coy smile on her face. Leaf's curiosity was almost too much to contain. Tasha tapped a keycard at room 504 and flung the door open with a "Voila!"

It was a spacious area, with the living room and kitchen separated only by a dining table. The living room had a fluffy rug over the wood floor. A big couch faced a flatscreen TV that hung over a fireplace. On the glass coffee table was a Pokemon photography book. Whoever owned this place didn't seem to be much of a reader though, because the bookshelves surrounding the TV were empty. The kitchen had a white marble island and stainless steel appliances.

Sunlight poured in through the window walls. Leaf stepped towards it to view Viridian City from above. It was definitely a good view. She could see the city center and even Pallet Town in the distance.

"So, what do you think?" Tasha asked.

"Uh, it's cool."

"If there's anything you don't like, just let me know and I'll have someone take care of it."

Leaf turned to Tasha, realizing she still wasn't sure why they were here. "What do you mean?"

Tasha's grin was wide. "I mean, don't you want your new home to be perfect?"

Leaf was so taken aback that her mind went blank. "Huh?"

"You'll have to be at the Indigo Plateau a lot, so you get an apartment here in Viridian, subsidized by the government," Tasha explained. "Red and Blue lived here during their time."

Leaf didn't feel any less confused. "What about my parents?"

"We already contacted them about it. Since you're a minor, we needed their written consent."

"My parents agreed to this?"

"I'll admit, they weren't pleased, but after we explained it to them, they understood. Why are you so surprised, anyway? Didn't they let you backpack the whole region alone?"

"Yeah, but that's different," Leaf said. When Tasha raised an eyebrow, she explained, "I was going to come back home eventually."

"But think about it, Leaf. With this apartment, you're closer to where you work. More importantly, it offers you and your family privacy. No paparazzi has access to this room and your parents' house won't be swarmed because you don't live there."

Leaf didn't have a response. Tasha had actually made a great point. She hadn't thought about how her new fame could affect her parents.

"Your parents can still see you, of course," Tasha added. "Again, you're still a minor, so they'll receive keycards. And I'm not sure if you know how to cook, but your meals at select Viridian Tower restaurants will be comped. The gym is also free. You'll have to pay for the spa, though."

When Leaf still didn't say anything, Tasha said excitedly, "I'll show you the rest of the place, then!"

There were two bathrooms, with toilets that had controls for seat temperature and even sprayed water to clean the user. Only one of the bathrooms had a shower. Waterfall shower, Tasha called it, because the way the water rushed directly over you made you feel like you were standing under a waterfall.

On opposite ends of the apartment were two bedrooms. Both rooms had TVs, walk-in closets, and artwork hanging over the queen-sized beds. The main difference was that the bedroom on the right end, intended for Leaf, was a little bigger. Leaf's stomach squirmed when Tasha told her that. This bedroom was obviously fancier than the one she had growing up, but it was devoid of personality. Where were her posters? Her Jigglypuff clock? Her blue covers with a cloud pattern on it?

Next to her bedroom was a nook where the washer and dryer were. After Tasha pointed that out, the tour was over and they migrated over to the dining table.

"See, this place is nice, right?" Tasha asked cheerily.

Leaf couldn't deny that. "Yeah, it is."

"If you want to move anything from your old room to here, that can be arranged, too."

"Sure. I'll think about it."

Tasha handed the keycard to Leaf and beamed. "Welcome to your crib!"

"Thanks," Leaf mumbled. Her mind was still struggling to fully grasp the situation.

"Anyways, now that that's done––" Tasha reached into her purse and pulled out a folded sheet of notepad paper. She slid it over to Leaf. "––here's your schedule for the rest of this month and the next. I mentioned it on the train, but wanted you to have a record. I'll make a nicer version at my office."

Leaf had hoped that since she'd been on the road for most of the month, she'd get a break. But in just a week, Leaf had to appear on a talk show. When did Tasha schedule all of this? Leaf didn't recall her booking anything during the Victory Tour. Then again, Tasha practically spent the entire tour on her phone.

"We don't have to go over everything right now," Tasha said. "My office is nearby, so I'll be meeting with you regularly. Tomorrow, we start your beautification process! Any questions?"

Somewhere in Leaf's head, there were a million questions, but she was too tired to bring them to surface. She shook her head.

"Great!" Tasha went through her purse again and pulled out a black cellphone. She placed it on the table. "This was Red and Blue's. Now it's yours. I have to go debrief with the PR team, so I'll see you later. Call if you need anything, alright?"

Leaf nodded, though she didn't think she would be calling Tasha anytime soon.

After Tasha left, Leaf sat down on the couch, unsure of what to do next. She went through her new phone. Tasha had said it previously belonged to Red and Blue; there were zero traces of them. There wasn't much in the phone in general. It just had the default apps and the contact information of everyone Leaf would be working with, including, surprisingly, the Elite Four. It was crazy to think that she could text any of them whenever she wanted. Her parents' number had also been added. Leaf decided she would call them after dinner. But it wasn't even 4PM, so she had a lot of time to kill.

Leaf detached the PokeBalls from her belt and tossed all of them. The apartment was big enough for each of her Pokemon to sit down, but not enough that Leaf could let them wander about.

"This is our new home." It felt strange on her tongue to say it. "It's for the Champion."

Leaf wasn't sure how she expected her team to react, but they made sounds of excitement. She smiled. Her happiness over becoming Champion was compounded by her Pokemon's happiness.

"I've said this before, but I'm so proud of you guys," Leaf said. "You all worked hard and battled beautifully. And you looked so dignified throughout the tour. I seriously wouldn't have made it without any of you."

More gleeful sounds. Ninetales leaped onto the couch and snuggled against Leaf. The air conditioner in the apartment was strong, so the fox's warmth was more than welcomed. Leaf studied the faces of her Pokemon, brimming with affection, pride, and joy. All she could think about was how lucky she was to have them by her side.

More lowkey chapter, but I hope you guys like it!

For those of you who've seen The Boys, when I write about Tasha I can't help but picture Ashley. I promise this fic isn't gonna be so graphic haha.

Thanks for reading and appreciate any feedback!