Chapter 5

For the first time in a while, Leaf was excited.

Not nervous-excited, like she was before her battle against Harris. Excited-excited. Today, she was getting her first true break. Today, she was going to Pallet Town to visit Mom and Dad.

Leaf last saw her parents before the Victory Tour. President Ken had allowed them to reunite briefly; she hadn't seen them since starting her journey. After the tour, her schedule had been so packed that she could only talk to her parents through video chat. So as soon as Leaf learned she would have zero commitments today, she called Mom and Dad.

Leaf tied her hair up and threw a baseball cap over it. Before stepping out of Viridian Tower, she put on a pair of black sunglasses. It wasn't that sunny outside. Leaf just didn't want any paparazzi recognizing her. Sometimes, they waited outside her apartment, hoping to snap candid shots of her. Covering herself up reduced the chances of them capturing her.

She called a taxi. Flying on Fearow would've been too conspicuous. It dropped her off at Pallet Town's entrance and for the first time in a year and a half, Leaf was home.

Pallet Town didn't really look different from before, but because Leaf spent much of the past year in cities, it felt even smaller than she remembered. Before her journey, Leaf found Pallet Town's smallness suffocating. Now, strolling along mostly empty roads, seeing people tending to their gardens, feeling the breeze brush her skin, she was at peace. Here, she wasn't Champion Leaf. She was just Leaf. It was strange how nice that was when just a few months ago, she wanted nothing more than to be Champion Leaf.

Leaf reached her house. She stopped for a moment to take in the sight of it before ringing the doorbell. As soon as the door opened, Leaf felt arms wrap tightly around her.

"Leaf," Mom said, squeezing her. "Welcome home."

Leaf hugged her back, surprised to feel tears pricking her eyes. "Hi, Mom."

Over Mom's shoulder, Leaf saw Dad leaning against the door with a wide smile. "My turn to hug her now, Katrina."

Mom hugged Leaf tighter. "Just another moment."

"Let's come inside, at least. Mrs. Earl is watching."

Leaf knew Mom was rolling her eyes now. Their elderly neighbor, Mrs. Earl, was extremely nosey. They went inside and Dad immediately pulled Leaf into him.

"We missed you."

"I missed you, too," Leaf replied.

"You may be Champion––and we're so proud of you for that––but you'll always be our baby bear."

"Alright," Mom said. "Dining room, now. Don't want the food to get cold."

Leaf's mouth watered when she saw what Mom had cooked. It was still morning, so on the table were her favorite breakfast foods: chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage. Leaf knew which plate was hers because it was the only one with a glass of milk next to it. The other two were flanked by coffee.

"I bought food and treats for your Pokemon, too, but unfortunately there isn't enough space to let them all out. You'll have to feed them outside," Mom said.

"That's fine. We can hang out in the backyard after this," Leaf replied as she sat down. She cut the pancakes into quarters, drizzled some syrup over them, and dug in.

Her parents laughed. "You eat at so many upscale restaurants now that I was worried you'd be unimpressed," Mom stated.

"Never. Your cooking is still the best."

She wasn't just saying that to make Mom happy. Leaf found fancy restaurants overrated. The food was either too bland or too rich, and the portions were ridiculously small. Only Mom's cooking could truly satisfy her.

"And I know you're also on that diet," Mom continued. Her face fell a bit when she said diet. "But you deserved a cheat day."

Leaf was so excited to be home that she'd forgotten about her diet. There was zero guilt. She did deserve a cheat day and besides, the pancakes were the only thing she wasn't allowed to eat.

"You've really transformed, though," Dad said. "We watched your battle last week and all I could think was, Leaf really looks like a Champion. Congrats on the win, by the way. Not that I expected the outcome to be different."

Leaf gave him a small smile. "Thanks." She wasn't in the mood to talk about Harris, so she changed the subject. "How have you two been?"

For the rest of the meal, Leaf felt as if she'd been transported back in time. Dad complained about how incompetent his new manager was. Mom talked about how she recently made bread from scratch for the first time and what their friends had been up to. The updates were so mundane that today could've been any day before Leaf's journey. Her parents were careful not to bring up anything Champion-related again, which Leaf greatly appreciated.

After they finished eating, they transitioned over to the backyard, where they had a lawn table and chairs. Her parents sat down while Leaf sent out her Pokemon. The backyard wasn't huge, so it was slightly cramped, but no one minded.

Mom and Dad gawked at Leaf's Pokemon. This was the first time they were meeting everyone in real life, Leaf realized. Until now, her parents had only seen her team through a screen. Leaf figured that was also the reason why her Pokemon simply gawked back at her parents.

Ninetales was the one who broke the awkwardness. She went up to Leaf's parents and brushed them with her tails.

"Oh, you're even more beautiful in person," Mom cooed, petting the fox's neck.

It was a domino effect. Gengar, jealous of the attention Ninetales was receiving, marched over with a cackle. Her parents jumped slightly, but quickly returned Gengar's wide grin. Fearow was next, perching herself on the table. Golduck then approached, greeting Mom and Dad with a quack. Venusaur, too large to move closer, rumbled.

Dragonite stayed by Leaf's side. He nodded at her parents in acknowledgement, but quickly looked down. Dragonite did alright at press events, where he didn't have to look at anyone in particular. Evidently, however, he was still on the shyer side, even if he was way more confident now than when Leaf first met him.

A shy dragon. Leaf's parents had seen Dragonite through a screen, but that didn't lessen the awe and bewilderment she saw in their eyes.

Leaf opened the box of treats and handed it to Mom. "Give everyone a treat while I fill their bowls."

From the corner of her eye, Leaf watched Mom passing around treats. She smiled when Dragonite bashfully accepted. Eventually, Dragonite and her parents would be just as comfortable with each other as they were with Leaf. For now, Leaf was just happy her parents finally got to meet her team.

Leaf set the bowls of food down. As her Pokemon feasted, Leaf told her parents stories. How Gengar made Tasha think her cellphone was possessed by taking it from her and running around invisible (Tasha absolutely hated Gengar afterwards). How Ninetales now had a beauty regimen that was even more intense than hers (lots of brushing and conditioning). How Fearow once raced Golduck to see if her flying was faster than his swimming (it was a tie). How berries were Venusaur's vice (he once ate so much, he got a stomach ache). How Dragonite once felt guilty about accidentally stepping on a flower (he'd been much more careful since).

Mom's eyes sparkled when she heard each story. Leaf couldn't help but remember how Mom used to be a trainer. What Pokemon did Mom even have? Where were they now? Leaf was scared to ask these questions. She didn't want to reopen any wounds.

Late in the afternoon, Mom had to start cooking dinner. When Leaf offered to help, she replied, "No need. Your father will help me. Why don't you go say hi to Professor Oak in the meantime? I'm sure he'd love to see your team."

It had been ages since Leaf talked with Professor Oak. She returned her Pokemon and headed over.

There was a slight bounce in her steps. Seeing her parents had made Leaf even happier than she'd expected. It was so freeing not needing to worry about how she looked and sounded. She was glad her Pokemon were able to relax as well. Today really couldn't have been better.

Leaf turned around a corner, passing a woman. Seconds later, she heard, "Leaf?"

Leaf stopped and turned. The woman was staring at Leaf, wide-eyed. She was around Mom's age. She had brown eyes and black hair tied into a bun. When Leaf recognized her, her mouth fell open.

Red's mom smiled. "It is you! How have you been? Congratulations on becoming Champion."

"Mrs. Woods, hi!" Leaf said, a little too sharply. "Thanks so much."

"Are you going to Professor Oak's lab? I'm guessing you just saw your parents." Mrs. Woods was still smiling, and speaking in the gentle tone that she always used. But her eyes were misty and her skin seemed duller than Leaf remembered. Although she wore a yellow shirt, it didn't feel as if Mrs. Woods had any color to her.

"Yes, I was with them all day," Leaf answered. "My mom's cooking now, so I'm going to see Professor Oak."

"How nice. I'm sure your parents missed seeing you."

Leaf swallowed. "Y-Yeah. They did."

There was a pause. It wasn't particularly long, but Leaf knew what Mrs. Woods wanted to ask: have you heard anything about Red? And the answer was no. There hadn't been a single trace of Red. The only proof that he ever existed was their memories of him.

It suddenly hit Leaf how lonely Mrs. Woods must be. Her only child, gone like her husband. Leaf tried so hard not to think about Red the past few months, but now, for the first time, she was angry at him. How could he leave his mother all alone, knowing how it felt when his father had abandoned them? At least Mr. Woods sent money. Red lacked the courtesy to let his mom know he was even alive.

Leaf was opening her mouth when Mrs. Woods said, "Well, I don't want to take up all your time. It was nice seeing you, Leaf. I'll be cheering you on."

Leaf was taken aback. "Oh. Thank you, Mrs. Woods. It was nice seeing you, too."

Mrs. Woods began to leave. Leaf glanced back at her. She wanted to say something just now. Something supportive. But she realized that she didn't know what. Her mind scrambled to conjure anything. Nothing came to her and eventually, Mrs. Woods was too far away.

Professor Oak's lab was exactly how Leaf remembered. Crimson roof and sunny facades. Shining white floor and walls, cabinets and tables holding important-looking documents and equipment.

Well, almost exactly. Leaf also remembered men and women in white lab coats shuffling about, fervently writing in their notepads. There were still people in lab coats, but they stood like statues, gawking at her.

All of them had known Leaf since she was a child. Now that she was the Champion, she was apparently no longer the Leaf they knew.

Only Professor Oak treated her the same. He grinned when he saw her and spread his arms wide. Leaf nearly tackled into him.

"Leaf, it's good to see you!" Professor Oak exclaimed. "I know this is late, but congratulations on becoming Champion!"

Leaf pulled away. "Thank you! It's really been a long time."

"Yes, we have a lot to catch up on. Where do we even begin?"

"How about seeing my team? I know you'd like to."

Professor Oak's grin widened. "You read my mind. Let's go outside."

They went out to the backyard, where some of the lab's Pokemon were playing. They were all fairly common Pokemon: Rattata, Mankey, Nidoran. In the past, Leaf would've been amazed to see them up close. Now, she acknowledged them just as much as a stranger on the street.

Leaf sent out her Pokemon and Professor Oak's jaw fell open.

"Leaf," the professor began. He paused, his gaze shifting to each of her team members. "I could see on TV how strong your Pokemon were, but in real life, they're absolutely marvelous."

Leaf beamed. "You've met some of them before, but let me reintroduce you. Everyone, this is Professor Oak. He's the one who gave me what I needed to start my journey, including Bulbasaur. Professor Oak, this is Venusaur, Fearow, Golduck, Ninetales, Gengar, and Dragonite."

"Oh, Venusaur," Professor Oak said cheerily. "You've grown so much since leaving the lab. Literally. You used to be so small. I don't think you even stood up to my knees."

Leaf's Pokemon made sounds of amusement, except for Venusaur who huffed in mild embarrassment.

Professor Oak's gaze shifted to each of Leaf's team members before returning to her. "Do you mind if I…?"

"Go ahead."

Like the scientist he was, Professor Oak went up to her Pokemon and began to study them. He pet Ninetales. He sniffed the flower on Venusaur's back. He had Fearow and Dragonite show off their wingspan. He examined Golduck's webbed hands and feet. He cautiously checked if he could touch Gengar, eyes widening when his hand went through the ghost's forehead.

And he bombarded Leaf with questions. Questions about their diet, activity level, general behavior. Unsurprisingly, he seemed to be the most interested in Dragonite.

"Where did you meet him?" He asked, glancing at Dragonite, who shyly looked down.

Leaf told him what she told everyone else. "He's a rescue. He was one of the many Pokemon Team Rocket trafficked."

Professor Oak shook his head. "I can't imagine what he must've gone through."

It wasn't that Leaf didn't trust Professor Oak with the truth, which was that she essentially gambled for Dragonite. She didn't trust the other scientists. They were all watching them from the window. Leaf didn't blame them. She would do the same in their shoes. But she knew if she said or did anything wrong, they would tell others.

"How was your journey?" Professor Oak asked. "Any highlights?"

"Leaf!" A feathery, but clear voice said. Leaf knew who it belonged to before turning around.

Daisy Oak, Professor Oak's granddaughter and Blue's older sister, approached them. The twenty-six-year-old was the most perfect person ever. She could easily be a model, with her willowy figure and ideally shaped features. Her long, silky auburn hair was pushed back by a headband that matched her emerald eyes. Despite just wearing a plain white tee tucked into high-waisted shorts, Daisy was the most beautiful woman Leaf had ever seen.

And she wasn't only beautiful on the outside. She was so naturally kind and charming that she could melt the iciest hearts. She was smart, too. Everyone always said Daisy could do great things, make it big. To this day, they were still confused why she chose to stay in Pallet Town and become a baker.

Leaf knew why. Daisy wanted to be with Blue and Professor Oak, the only family she had left. And baking was her passion. Leaf's mouth always watered whenever she thought of the cookies Daisy would bake for her, Red, and Blue.

Daisy wrapped her arms around Leaf. She smelled like vanilla. "I saw Mrs. Woods just now. She told me you were here, so I had to come over. Congrats on becoming Champion!"

Leaf hugged Daisy back, briefly wondering how that conversation with Mrs. Woods went. "Thanks, Daisy! It's been a while."

"Too long." Daisy pulled away and her eyes widened. "This is your team?"

"Yeah!" Leaf quickly introduced them. Her Pokemons' eyes were just as wide as Daisy's. No doubt, they were captivated by Daisy like everyone was.

"You arrived just in time," Professor Oak remarked. "I was just asking Leaf about her journey."

Daisy clapped her hands. "Perfect! Start from the beginning. I want to know everything that happened."

Leaf scratched her head. "The beginning? Well, uh––"

"Professor?" A young man, who Leaf figured was an intern by the hesitancy in his tone, came up to them. He quickly looked away from Leaf, then flushed when his gaze landed on Daisy. "D-Dr. Lee needs you to look at something for her."

"Alright." Professor Oak glanced apologetically at Leaf. "I'll be back soon."

When the two men left, Daisy turned to Leaf. "Is this your first time back in Pallet Town?"

Leaf nodded. "I've been so busy since becoming Champion."

"I can imagine. Hopefully once you're no longer the new Champion, your schedule will clear up a bit."

"That's what I'm hoping for, too. I'd love to visit my parents more often. And of course, you and Professor Oak."

"Yes! I always love seeing you." Daisy's face brightened. "And don't forget Blue! I'm sure he'd love to catch up with you, too."

If Leaf was drinking something, she would've spit it out. "W-What?"

"If you find some free time, you and Blue should grab a meal! I bet it's also been a while since you've seen him."

Daisy had to be missing a screw. "Uh, yeah. The last time I saw him was when I took the Champion title from him. I highly doubt he wants to catch up with me."

Daisy shook her head. "He wouldn't hold that against you."

Yeah right. "I'll see when I have some free time."

"Yes, of course!" Daisy's face fell. "I know you and Blue aren't as close as before, but with Red gone…I think it'd be good if you at least had each other. Gramps and I are worried about you two."

Leaf's stomach twisted. "Yeah, I mean, it was weird hearing the news. I hope Red is safe and comes back soon. But you don't need to worry about us."

Daisy smiled sympathetically. "Both of you are tough. If you need to talk to someone though, we're here."

"Yeah, thanks." Leaf looked down and shifted her feet. She suddenly needed to be alone. "Where's the bathroom again?"

"Go straight down, then take a right."

"Thanks." Leaf walked briskly back inside, ignoring the scientists who were still watching her. She knew Daisy meant well, so she wasn't upset with her. But today was supposed to be happy and fun and relaxing. She didn't want to think about anything remotely negative.

Leaf entered the bathroom, closed her eyes, and took deep breaths. She opened her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror. For the first time, Leaf really noticed her, as Dad put it, transformation. Her hair was glossy. Her skin, bright and smooth. Her brows were more sculpted. Months of rigorous dieting and exercising had sharpened her features. All these subtle changes combined made Leaf look more mature. Prettier.

Leaf shook her head hard. Once she felt better, she stepped out and made her way back to Daisy. She must've still been slightly dazed, because as she turned left, she nearly bumped into someone.

"Sorr––" Leaf froze when her mind registered the person: a boy her age with amber eyes, spiky auburn hair, and an air of arrogance.

"Hey, Champion," Blue said flatly. "Long time no see."

Leaf felt as if she was suffering from epileptic shock. So many thoughts ran through her that there seemed to be none. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of anything to say.

Blue rolled his eyes. "Why're you looking at me like I have six heads? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to––"

"W-What are you doing here?" Leaf blurted out. In addition to epileptic shock, she was suffering from the worst case of deja vu.

"Before you rudely interrupted me, I was just about to say I'm getting test tubes for Dr. Coleman."

Though Leaf still couldn't believe Blue was standing before her, she calmed down enough to notice he was wearing a lab coat. "You…work here now?"

"Yeah, I'm a lab assistant," Blue replied matter-of-factly. "I mostly just clean and organize stuff. It's boring, but Gramps thought I needed something to do."

Leaf briefly looked away. She knew what the unspoken words were. Something to do now that I'm no longer Champion. "It's nice of you to help out."

"Not like I had much of a choice. I should really be asking you why you're here, though. Don't you have Champion duties to fulfill? Like powdering your face, or whatever beauty routine Tasha has you on?"

Despite her awkwardness, Leaf giggled. "Tasha made you powder your face?"

"More than once, unfortunately."

"Well, miraculously, Tasha didn't need me to do anything today, so I'm here visiting my parents. Thought it'd be nice to stop by here, too. How did I not see you earlier?" Leaf hadn't meant to ask that question. She was just saying whatever thought her mind grasped.

"I was cleaning the fridge. I knew something was up. Everyone was gawking at the windows like they were at a zoo."

Leaf's cheeks were hot. "It's stupid. They've known me for years."

"You mean they've known Leaf for years. They don't know the Champion."

"I'm still Leaf."

"Not since the moment you became Champion. I mean, I've known these people even longer than you have, and they still act weird around me sometimes."

Leaf didn't know how to reply. Blue continued, still without much emotion, "By the way, congrats on winning your first battle. Now you're the Champion for real."

It seemed the elephant in the room wasn't going to be addressed. "Thanks," Leaf mumbled. She crossed her arms. Bumping into Blue was uncomfortable enough. Now, she had to also think about her battle against Harris.

Winning her first battle as Champion, so smoothly, should've made her proud. But she was so underwhelmed in that moment that it left a bad taste. It was stupid, but she wished the battle had been more challenging.

Leaf didn't know if she imagined it, but something stirred in Blue's eyes. "I should get going. Dr. Coleman really needs those test tubes. Smell ya later."

As Blue walked away, Leaf remembered how Daisy wanted them to grab food some time. No way in hell was that ever going to happen.

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Some old characters have returned (missed writing Leaf and Blue's interactions) and we have a couple new ones too. Thanks for reading and would love to hear your thoughts on part 2 so far!