Normal POV

Dawn and Darien were currently sitting on a white leather couch in a sitting room within the Sinnoh royal palace. They were waiting for an audience with the queen.

Darien's sapphire blue hair was cropped a little shorter than his time as a Pokemon hunter and his Sinnoh travels, and his sapphire blue eyes were looking around at the sitting room decor. Since becoming a member of the Elite Four, Darien had taken to wearing a new outfit to fit with his new position. He wore a long sleeve dark gray shirt with three vertical dark blue stripes going down the front and back of it, with dark gray pants and dark blue boots. To top off his look, he wore a long, open black coat, like the one which he'd worn during his time as a Pokemon hunter.

"I can't believe that I'm sitting here in the Sinnoh royal palace. It feels kind of overwhelming." Darien said uncomfortably, and shifted on the couch.

"Well, I've been here many times. I guess the queen suspected that you'd be nervous and invited me here with you in order to be your support." Dawn replied.

Darien looked over at his sister. "Wait, you've been here before, Dawn?"

"Ever since Queen Salvia ascended to the throne, she's made an effort to become more involved in the Pokemon League and Grand Festival matters.

"Every year after the Sinnoh Pokemon League is over, she invites all of the Sinnoh gym leaders, Elite Four members, and the Pokemon Master - plus their husbands and wives - to a formal party here at the palace. It's a chance for us all to get together and relax after another year of work, spent battling trainers and each other. It also gives her a chance to socialize with us and hear firsthand how the League is doing. Ash and I have gone every year since he became the Pokemon Master. So yes, I've been here many times in my life.

"But contests have always been her passion and main interest. Every year after the Sinnoh Grand Festival is over, she invites all of the coordinators who competed to the palace for a formal party, but each coordinator can choose to bring along one friend if they want to. She always wanted to become a coordinator, but couldn't do it because of her position and royal duties. So she instead decided to do something nice each year for all of the coordinators who qualified for that year's Grand Festival.

"Anyway, I think that she invited you here to the palace because you're the newest and youngest member of the Sinnoh Elite Four, so you're the only member that she's never met. You've been a member for a few months, so I think she believes that you've had enough time to settle in and she wants to see how you're doing with it. She likely also didn't want to wait until the end-of-the-year party."

"That makes sense. So...do you two really look identical? Brittany told me the story that you told her, about when you and her switched places." Darien queried.

"Yes, we do. When I told you that she and I could be twins, I meant that literally. She looks even more like my twin than you do, Darien!" Dawn said in a playful tone. "And ever since that day when I was her and she was me, I've been her closest friend."

"Well, maybe that's another reason why she invited you. The newest Elite Four member is also the brother of her best friend." Darien said.

The door then opened and Salvia walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She wore a light blue silk blouse, a white pencil skirt, and black high heels. She had decided to dress more casual in order to make Darien feel more comfortable and welcomed. Her sapphire blue hair was down and pinned back from her face by a simple white headband and her sapphire blue eyes were looking at Dawn and Darien happily as she smiled a kind smile.

Darien stared in shock and thought to himself that Dawn wasn't kidding when she said that they were identical! They had the same long blue hair, blue eyes, skin tone, and even the same caring smile. Darien couldn't believe his eyes!

Salvia crossed the room and pulled Dawn into a warm hug, which she returned. "I'm always happy when you come to visit me." the queen said.

The two released one another and Dawn looked at Salvia, saying, "There's someone else who wants to see you."

Dawn removed a Pokeball and released Togekiss, who had once been Salvia's Pokemon.

"Oh, Togekiss!" Salvia exclaimed, kneeling down and embracing her former Pokemon, who, in turn, wrapped her wings around the queen.

After a few seconds, Salvia kissed Togekiss's head and stood up, turning to Dawn with a smile.

"Togekiss looks well. You've done a good job at raising her over the years, Dawn. I wouldn't have given Togekiss to you if I wasn't certain that you'd take care of her. And Togekiss, I'm so proud of you.

"Dawn, I've watched your contests over the years on TV and I've seen how happy Togekiss is while performing and living her dream. I knew that because of my royal position, I could never be a coordinator, but I wanted to give Togekiss the chance to do what she loved and not hold her back. That's why I let you take her. Thank you so much."

"I'm glad that you trusted me enough to care for Togekiss. I wouldn't have been as successful through my coordinator years without her. And I'd never let a friend down, especially one so important as you, Salvia." Dawn said in a caring tone. "Plus, every time that you invite me here, I always bring Togekiss for a visit, since I know that she was your Pokemon too, and you're still close to her."

Salvia then turned to Darien, who was quick to bow before her.

"You don't need to be so formal, it's just you and Dawn with me. You're not just an Elite Four member, you're also my best friend's twin brother, so that makes you a friend, too. Besides, this isn't a formal visit. I just wanted to meet the newest Elite Four member." Salvia explained.

She is so kind, despite my past. She considers me a friend despite everything, because of my relation to Dawn. She truly is like my sister...in more ways than one. Darien thought, but still looked uneasy.

"I understand that many people are nervous when meeting royalty for the first time. That's why I invited Dawn here, to ease your worries, and so you wouldn't be alone. I also wanted to try and make you feel more comfortable around me, so I dressed more casual." Salvia said in a considerate tone.

"Thank you for your concern." said Darien. "You have a kind heart, much like Dawn. In fact, you're both so much alike that is it possible that our mother is hiding the fact that Dawn and I aren't twins...but actually triplets with you?"

The three of them shared a laugh.

"No, it isn't possible." Salvia said.

"Yeah, even though it's a fun joke." Dawn added.

"Our mothers did meet once when they were younger, though." Salvia said.

"Yeah. I know this because when I returned home after my first Pokemon journey across Sinnoh was over, I told my mom all about my adventure, including when I switched places with Salvia. That's when she told me about the time that she met Salvia's mom, who was the princess at the time that Mom was a coordinator." Dawn added.

"I've never heard that story." Darien said.

"Well...my mother, like me, was also a huge fan of contests and Johanna was her favorite coordinator. So when Johanna won the Sinnoh Ribbon Cup when she was young and still traveling and competing, my mother - who was the princess at the time - invited Johanna to the palace to congratulate her on her success." Salvia explained.

"When I told Mom about the time I switched places with Salvia, she told me the story of when she met Salvia's mother. So like how Salvia's mom loved contests and admired Mom for her talents as a coordinator, Salvia admired me for the very same reasons." Dawn added.

"Unlike my mother, I was able to live out my dream and compete in a contest, even if it was just for one day. It was short, but it was one of the best experiences in my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. And I owe it all to Dawn for agreeing to be the princess for the day and giving me an encouraging speech during the contest, which gave me the courage to not give up!" Salvia finished.

"Well, I can't say that I'm not surprised by all of this. But I'm glad that our mothers met all those years ago and that you and Dawn met. It seems like you've remained good friends." said Darien.

"It was contests that brought us together, both us and our moms. It's almost like fate." said Dawn.

Salvia motioned to the wall, showing a picture of their moms standing together on the day they'd met one another. Darien could see that his mom was the girl with the sapphire blue hair. But he was shocked at the appearance of Salvia's mother, who had dark brown hair and green eyes.

"How can you and Dawn look identical when our mothers look nothing alike?" he asked.

"It's a mystery about myself that I've never been able to solve. I look nothing like my mother or father. Neither of them had blue hair or blue eyes. I have no similar traits with them and was instead born looking like Dawn's doppelganger. In fact, the three of us were all born on the very same day!" Salvia declared.

"It's all too big of a coincidence to just be a coincidence, but none of us can come up with any explanation about this mystery." Dawn said, confused.

"Anyway, we can think about that later. For now, we should get down to business and discuss why I invited you both here. Specifically, Darien." Salvia said, after a moment of silence.

The three sat down on the couches, with Salvia sitting in front of the siblings. Dawn returned Togekiss to her Pokeball.

"Each Elite Four member has to focus on training and battling with one specific type of Pokemon. I want to know which type of Pokemon you have chosen to focus on. Only the Regional Champion is allowed to focus on multiple types of Pokemon." Salvia questioned.

"I've decided to choose Dragon Pokemon, like Lance has in Kanto. I decided to choose Dragon types because my Hydreigon is my strongest Pokemon. In the months since I became a member of the Elite Four, I've already caught a Dragonair, a Shelgon, a Noivern, and a Druddigon to go with my Hydreigon. I'm also raising an Axew to become a Haxorus someday." Darien responded.

"How are you adjusting to the new job? How do you feel about it? Are you up to the task? It is affecting your family, with you being away so often?"

"I'm adjusting to the position and job well. I feel like I finally have a purpose in life and can be the man that my daughter, Brittany, is proud to have as her father. I know that I'm up to the task, too. I'm looking forward to battling trainers who are attempting to achieve their dreams. I also look forward to the day when I battle my nephew, Adam. It's hard to be away from Brittany, since I was there with her twenty-four-seven in my hunter days, but I still get to talk to her. I call her every night and hear about her day."

Salvia nodded her head. "I'm impressed by how much you've accomplished so far, and the type of Pokemon you have chosen to specialize in. Dragons aren't easy to catch or train."

Megan's POV

After three long weeks of traveling from Petalburg City, we finally reached Rustboro City!

"I hope to win the contest this time." I said as we walked towards the Pokemon Center.

"Have you decided which Pokemon you'll use?" Adam asked.

"I know that I'm using Kirlia, but I don't know if I should use her for the appeals or for the battles. If I have to battle Christina and her Seviper, Kirlia would be the ideal choice, but she's a good performer, too."

"I'll be battling Roxanne before Adam does, since he already has one badge." Jason said.

"That's fine. It doesn't matter who goes first, since we're both getting a badge." Adam replied.

We eventually found the Pokemon Center and I saw a poster posted on the wall outside about the upcoming contest.

"The contest is next week, so I have plenty of time to prepare. That's perfect! Now I can figure out just which round will work best for Kirlia." I said.

As we walked into the Pokemon Center, we saw a group of people watching the nearby TV. We walked over to see what had everyone's attention.

On the screen, we saw that it was a recap showing Master Ketchum's recent battles against the Hoenn Elite Four. He had beaten all of them, including the Regional Champion, only losing three of his six Pokemon in each battle except one, where he had lost four Pokemon.

Adam smiled and sighed. "I still love seeing my dad compete, even though I've seen him battle lots of times over the course of my life. He's always learning something new and using it to win his battles. I hope to be that great of a trainer one day. My dad did a great job this time around and so did his Pokemon. I know that he was training a lot for these battles, like he always does." Adam proudly said.

As the program finished, people began to disperse. I saw Jason nudge Adam and he looked over at where Jason had motioned. There were two people still lingering in the crowd that had been gathered. They must have known who those two were, but I had never met them.

"Trevor! Laura!" Adam called out, causing the two of them to turn around.

The boy, Trevor, looked to be Adam and Jason's age, so he had to about twelve. He had dark red hair that fell into his dark green eyes and he was tanned. He wore a pair of black cargo pants, a purple tank top, a black and gray jacket over it that was open, and gray sneakers.

The girl looked about a year older than me, so she had to be eleven. She had dirty blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail. She was wearing a pair of blue shorts, a red tank top, and sneakers.

"Megan, this is Laura and Trevor." Jason introduced.

"What are you doing in Hoenn?" Adam asked.

"Traveling across Hoenn and battling to earn gym badges. I'm hoping to qualify for the Hoenn League." Laura said.

"I'm aiming for the Hoenn League, too. It's about time that I win one, since you two have won the Kanto and Johto League." Trevor said.

"Looks like we're all rivals again." Adam stated.

The four of them nodded their heads.

"What have you been up to since the last time that I saw you? Trevor, I haven't seen you since my Kanto journey." Adam asked.

"My whole family had a party for my sister Nikki after she came home to Neon Town after winning the Johto Grand Festival. Her quest is over, now that she's achieved her goal of becoming a Top Coordinator, but it's driven me to train and try even harder to reach my own goal!" said Trevor.

"After the defeat of Team Rocket, my brother, Ryan, and my older best friend, Danielle, and I went back to Blackthorn City to make sure that our moms were okay and to tell them that Ryan and Danielle had finally become a couple. Their reactions were about the same as mine: 'It's about time!' We all knew how they felt about each other and were waiting for them to admit their feelings. Danielle decided to take some time off from traveling and spend some time with Ryan instead. She's helping out at the Charicific Valley with Mom and Ryan." Laura explained.

"The Hoenn League isn't the only reason why I'm here in Hoenn. There's another reason. I heard recently that Team Rocket has been spotted in the region and I've been hoping for a chance to take them down for good and get revenge on Hunter Michael for what he did to Nikki and my best friend!" Trevor declared.

I saw Adam and Jason frown, but I was confused and Laura looked confused, too.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

Trevor went on to explain what had happened to his best friend and sister. Both had been taken advantage of by this 'Hunter Michael' and his sister had survived, but had been traumatized. But his best friend had been murdered.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The anger and hatred that Trevor had towards Team Rocket was clear. But the pain was still clear, too. As Trevor finished, I could see the rage in him. I couldn't believe that this was something that had happened.

Adam and Jason had been witnesses to the horrors of Team Rocket. I thought that I knew everything, but this was a dark secret that only a few needed to know of. I felt sick and afraid at this new information about a hunter of Team Rocket. What would happen to me if I ran into him? I wouldn't be safe!

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Losing your best friend and your sister being a victim..." I trailed off.

"Trevor, be careful. Don't let revenge fuel you when it comes to Team Rocket. You don't need to lose your way and fall back to how you used to be. Don't let the hate take control." Adam said evenly.

"I won't be like how I was before. I was once angry and spiteful to everyone to hide the grief that I was feeling for not being strong enough to save my friend. By taking revenge on Team Rocket, I'll avenge her death and Nikki's violation. Unlike before, my anger isn't directed at anyone else except Team Rocket this time." Trevor defended.

"Okay, but you still need to be careful and don't go at it alone. Remember last time? You didn't think clearly after finding out about Nikki. You need to have backup if you encounter Team Rocket. You can't take them on by yourself."

With that, Trevor and Laura decided to leave, but not together.

"We're going to be battling Roxanne tomorrow and the following day." Laura told us.

As they left, another boy walked up to us. He appeared to be Adam's age with fair skin, burgundy hair, and brown eyes. He was wearing blue sneakers, grey cargo pants, a burgundy T-shirt, and a sleeveless green jacket.

"What did you think of your dad's battles? At least my dad gave him a run for his money, huh?" he asked.

"Wait, your dad's a member of the Hoenn Elite Four?" Adam asked.

"Yeah. Our dads actually met when your dad first challenged the Hoenn League. Your dad battled my mom in that tournament too, and managed to beat her. But then he lost to my dad, who went on to win the whole tournament. My dad had been a trainer for several years at that point and he said that your dad was a strong trainer, despite being so young. He battled my dad all the way down to his last Pokemon in that tournament."

A look of realization came over Adam's face. "Wait...your dad is Tyson?"

"That's right! He's a member of the Hoenn Elite Four. My mom is the gym leader in Mauville City, which is where we live. She became the gym leader after Wattson died. I'm a trainer competing for gym badges, following in their footsteps. My name is Chris."

"Well, I'm glad to have met another kid of the people that my dad knew. Like me, you have a legacy to live up to, with your dad being an Elite Four member and your mom a gym leader."

Chris walked away and I looked at the boys, asking them, "How do you feel about having three new rivals to compete with, who are also aiming to enter the Hoenn League this year?"

"Now it's even more of a challenge than the previous years have been." Jason said.

"But we're up for the challenge. It's never been easy." Adam added.

"Anyway, we have more important things to worry about right now, like the contest and battles with Roxanne." Jason said.

Adam and I nodded our heads.

"So what now?"

"I'm going to go train for my gym battle." Jason said.

"I'm tired from walking all day, so I'm going to get a room here for us and take a nap." Adam said.

"I'm going to call my mom and let her know that we made it here to Rustboro City safely, then I'll take a walk around and explore the city." I said.

Adam let out a small laugh. "You really are as curious and adventurous as your mom."

I responded by playfully shoving Adam's arm and laughing along.

The boys went their separate ways and I headed to the video phones to call my mom.

"Hey, Mom!" I said when she picked up.

"Hey, sweetie."

"We made it Rustboro City safely. I also caught a Kirlia and have a week to prepare for the upcoming contest."

"That's great, sweetie! Good luck in the contest and train hard."

"What's been going on at home since I left?"

"Well, after you told me about Christina's hatred towards me and your father, I was able to discover who her parents are."

"Who are they?"

"Christina's mom is someone I've never met before and I have no connections to. Her name doesn't ring any bells. As for the allegations about your father spending time with her and possibly seeing her? I have no way of proving that to be true or not. So I still can't fully trust him.

"But Christina's father is someone I'm very familiar with. He's had a bone to pick with me since my younger days as a coordinator. Her dad is Harley."

Well, it all made sense now.

"But why does Harley hate you so much?" I asked. "You've talked about him before, but never mentioned his reasons."

"I can't remember ever doing anything to him to make him mad."

"What about before you began your journey? Did you ever meet him before that and did something to him then?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"Hmm...I might have to ask Christina herself for the reason why."

My mom then changed the subject, saying that Ash told her about our group's run-in with Team Rocket.

I was worried, hearing about that. I was nervous about my mom possibly wanting me to stay out of trouble and travel alone, knowing that I would be at risk while traveling with Adam. If Team Rocket was coming after him, they'd be coming after me too, if I was with him. Even though I wanted to stay with the boys and Adam had agreed to let me stay, my mom did have the final word on this matter. Still, I kept quiet and let my mom talk.

"I'm shocked that you stepped up to help battle Team Rocket and was unafraid. That isn't like you, Megan. April is the braver and more headstrong one while you're the kindhearted, curious, and adventurous one."

"Well, I knew that I had to be brave and step up to the challenge. Adam and Jason help me bring out my inner bravery when I need it and I know that I'm safe with them."

I then paused and sadly asked, "Do you want me to leave Adam and Jason and travel alone, since Team Rocket will likely target me if I travel with the boys?"

"No, you can stay with them if you want. I trust you to be safe, regardless of the danger. After all, I was safe when I traveled with Ash, so I know you'll be safe while traveling with Adam, who is just like his father. Also, because you stood up to Team Rocket, it seems that you're growing up and becoming a little more brave with help from Adam and Jason."

I sighed in relief and smiled brightly at my mom. "Thank you! I've only been traveling with them for a few weeks, but I've already grown so close to them and it would hurt me if we had to part ways so soon. I'm also glad that they're giving me the courage to stand up for myself and for others when I'm in the face of hardships or danger."

"I know that by the time your journey ends, you'll be more mature and different from the little girl that left home. And I know how you feel about Adam and Jason. Ash had a similar effect on my life when I was traveling with him. He made me feel brave and helped me when times were tough."

"I'm going to go explore the city now and register for the contest. I'll talk to you again, Mom. Love you!"

"Love you too, sweetie! Be safe and have fun."

I ended the call and left the Pokemon Center with Eevee happily trotting along beside me. I was glad that I had a mom that I could talk to about anything and everything, good or bad.

Author's Note: Dawn and Darien visit the Sinnoh royal palace and meet Queen Salvia, who is also one of Dawn's friends. They also learn more about how Darien has taken to his new job as a member of the Elite Four, as well as some backstory about their mothers. Plus, Salvia reveals that she has no similar physical features with either of her parents and instead is Dawn's doppelganger. She even shares the same birthday with Dawn and Darien!

Meanwhile, Adam and his friends reach Rustboro City, the site of the next gym and contest. Upon arriving, they meet Trevor and Laura, two old rivals of the boys. Trevor also reveals his wish to find Team Rocket and make them pay for what happened to his sister and best friend in the first story of this series. They also find a new rival in Chris, who is the son of Tyson, the young man who defeated Ash in the Hoenn League as a kid. They also learn that Tyson is a member of the Hoenn Elite Four, his wife is the gym leader in Mauville City, and she also battled Ash in the Hoenn League when he was young.

Megan also learns from her mom that Christina's dad is Harley. He's held a grudge against May for years, but she's never known why. Megan will have to ask Christina herself the reason why when she sees her again.

Is it too big of a coincidence that Dawn and Salvia look identical and were born on the same day?

After all, why does Salvia have no similar physical traits with either of her parents and looks like Dawn instead, despite them not being twins/triplets?

Who is Tyson's wife and the current gym leader in Mauville City?

What is Harley's deep reason for disliking May? From where did it originate?

Does he have something to do with May's marriage crisis?

Let us know if you have any guesses/answers for any of these questions and stay tuned for the next chapter of Pokemon NG!