John's Team

Tyrant - Slaking

Vordt - Ursaluna

Smough - Snorlax

Klee - Blissey

Port - Mantine

Zephyr - Pidgeot

Klaus - Wyrdeer

Luna - Clefable

Pixel - Porygon2

Euphie - Sylveon

Ornstein - Obstagoon

Wraith - H-Zoroark

The New Normal – 12-4 – A Willing Departure

"…So that's that then." Lorelei muttered aloud as Will's final Pokémon went down. "He's lost."

"A good fight; he did not lose shamefully." Lance nodded, "His comeback was most magnificent. He should be proud regardless."

"Hm, that's true, though its still cold comfort." Lorelei pointed out as she stood up, "But we should head down there to congratulate them."

We all nodded and made our way down to the arena, where we ignored the cheering crowd and approached the two trainers, who were deep in conversation with each other.

"Will, good job out there." I said to him, patting him on the shoulder, "That was an incredibly close battle. Very well fought."

"Thank you, John." He replied sincerely.

"I agree. You did well out there." Lance added, "However, if I may cut the compliments short – I would like to know about your future plans. Are you planning on making a rechallenge to try to reclaim your position in the Elite Four? I would like a heads up if you are, though you do not need to answer me now if you're not comfortable."

I felt Lorelei's stare intensify as she turned to Will, listening intently to his answer.

Will had fallen silent, and he closed his eyes as if deep in thought. Then he opened them up again and turned to Lorelei, "Lorelei, I think we should talk about something in private. Shall we?"

Understanding his intentions, Lorelei nodded and followed Will as they walked a short distance away, far enough that we couldn't hear them. However, I didn't need to overhear them to guess that what they were talking about likely revolved around a deal between the two of them.

Shaking myself of my curiosity, I turned my attention to Koga, "Sorry, I didn't mean to overlook you, Koga, but that was a good battle. I was really surprised by some of the tactics that you used."

It was incredible to see just how much Koga could accomplish with the necessary preparation time. His tactics would make him a deceptively tricky trainer to fight if any were to challenge him. Of course, there was only so much that tricks could make up for lack of strength, and any sufficiently powerful trainer could brute force his way through Koga's strategies.

But that was much easier said than done. If I were to battle him, who knows if he would pull off a whole new set of tricks to counter my own trio of bruisers?

He let out a chuckle which took me a little by surprise, "If I hadn't made use of everything that I could, I would have never been able to beat Will." He stated, "I am well aware that my Pokémon are not renowned for their strength. It would have been too much of an uphill battle if I were to try to fight him head on – his performance with his Xatu only proves my point. Will is far from the weak link in the Elite Four that the public like to portray him as."

I nodded, but seeing his unusually animated expressions was something I had to point out, "You seem a lot more enthusiastic than usual. I don't think I've seen you this expressive before, even when we invited you over to have dinner together. You were always quite stoic."

My comment practically caused him to wrench his expressions back, and a stoic mask quickly adorned his face one more, "…Ah, my apologies. That was unbecoming of me. It seems like I have lost myself in the heat of battle."

"No, it's fine." I waved him off amusedly, "In fact, I think your bouts of enthusiasm are quite interesting. I can't imagine how difficult it is to be stoic all the time."

He snorted, "Being stoic is part of the profession. Ninjas are not meant to be expressive, after all, so keeping a tight lid on my emotions was part of my training. Not that I can always successfully suppress them – a good fight often causes my inner trainer and excitement to burst out."

I nodded, "Whitney often says that Janine can be prone to bursts of enthusiasm." I chuckled, "I now see where it comes from."

Koga shrugged, "I'm not ashamed of it, even if it might contrast with the public's image of me. After all, it's how I met my wife. She certainly didn't marry me because of my roguish looks."

…Was that a joke? Shit, Koga had really loosened up after that intense fight against Will. Who knew that he had such humour within him?

I quite preferred it, actually.

"Well don't feel like you have to put on a serious face all the time for my sake." Lance said, "I may be your Champion, but I am not Pryce. There is no need to adhere to formalities when it's just between us."

"Nevertheless, congratulations for your victory, Koga." He continued, "I am very much pleased to welcome you into the ranks of the Elite Four. Your battling style is completely unique to our roster, and I think it will add a dash of contrast between our current members. At first, I had thought your reliance on poison would make your fights…boring, but I am glad to see that you have proven me wrong. Your decisiveness is something we should all strive to emulate."

"Your words honour me, Champion." Koga gave off a small bow, "I am very pleased to be able to join your ranks."

"Just know that your position is not secure." Lance reminded, "I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this – but understand that you will have challenges to fight in the future, as do all Elite Four. I hope you are prepared to handle them."

"I am fully aware of the possibility, but they will find me no easy opponent." Koga replied firmly, "They may know of my strategies now, but knowing and countering them will be two different things. I assure you that any challengers will find their Pokémon ravaged by my poisons all the same."

I agreed. With Will as a good example; he must have prepared and studies Koga's strategies extensively, yet he was still caught off-guard by them.

"Do you think any of your previous peers amongst the Gym Leaders will be eager to challenge you for your position?" I asked him.

"…No, I do not believe they will. At least, not without me making a blunder." He said after a moment, "Amongst the Kanto Gyms, I am confident that none will bother making the challenge as it is not in their interest to do so. Surge only challenged Lorelei because he believed her weak and because she was a Johtonian, none of which applies to me."

"As for the Johto Gyms, while I am not as familiar with them as with the Kanto Gyms, I do not believe they will be making a challenge towards me, or else they would have already done so against Will or Lorelei." He said, "Out of the Johto Gyms, only Clair and Pryce possess the necessary strength to make a reasonable challenge. And neither would be willing to enter the Elite Four."

I nodded at his words; they were about what I had expected as well.

"You think Giovanni won't make a challenge?" Lance asked.

""No."" Both Koga and I said at the same time, though I allowed him to speak, "I have known the man for many years. He is not interested in the Elite Four, and would much rather hold his position in Viridian."

A small smirk then broke through his stoic façade, "Besides, I believe the man to be quite occupied with child rearing nowadays. My daughter is friends with his son, and knowing the antics young Silver gets up to, I don't believe a change in environment and responsibilities will be very good for Giovanni's stress levels."

I grinned, "I imagine so." Silver was a handful.

"Well that's good. We really don't need more shuffling around in the Elite Four anytime soon, especially with Karen's challenge against Agatha coming up." Lance said, "I would much rather have a stable Elite Four."

"Then you will be glad to hear that we have come to an agreement." Will's voice caught all of our attentions as we turned to him, "I will not be making a challenge against Lorelei, and instead will be bowing out gracefully for newer pastures." Lorelei nodded in support.

Ah, so they did come to an agreement, "Does this have something to do with what you asked me for help before?" I asked him.

"It does indeed." He confirmed, "I will not be coy. I have accepted that there was a real possibility that I would lose my position in the Elite Four, and over the past few weeks I have been thinking of the necessary contingency plans about what I should do if I lost. And therefore, Champion Lance, I have a proposal I would like to make to you."

Will performed a small bow, "Please make me Gym Leader of Goldenrod. I believe that I have the necessary skills and experience to be an effective Gym Leader, and I promise I shall be a better Gym Leader than the temporary replacement you have sitting on the position now."

"I concur." Lorelei quickly jumped in with her support.

"Me too." I did the same. He would be far better than the political appointee that was currently running Goldenrod. While I might have only initially intended to support Will's contest performer goals, but I was equally as happy to see him as a Gym Leader. Better him than Jackson, at least.

Furthermore, there were no restrictions about the Gyms having to all be specialising in different Types – it was just ideal if they were. Yet that was not something that was realistically enforceable outside of the games. So there would be no issues with both the Saffron and Goldenrod Gyms being Psychic type.

Koga nodded too, "You could hardly be any worse. Jackson has done little to nothing since his appointment. The Gym Trainers are still practically running the Gym, as usual. It is almost as if we replaced Lewis with a younger, equally as 'useful', version of himself."

He looked over towards Lance, "That was a very wise decision from the Committee."

I snorted. I could taste the sarcasm.

Lance shrugged, "He was a compromise candidate that they chose to temporarily hold the position. He was never meant to last."

Then he turned back to Will, "Though…I am intrigued by this proposal. You must have thought over this for quite some time."

"It was why he spoke to me, asking for my support." Lorelei said, "He told me that, in exchange for my support in nominating him as a new Gym Leader, he would hold off from making a challenge against me."

"…But being a Gym Leader would still allow you to make a challenge to the Elite Four in the future." I realised.

"Indeed it would." Will nodded, "And hence why I wanted the position. I admit to having become attached to my position in the Elite Four, and I would hate it if I lost the ability to fight back for the position. However, now that I have lost, I am able to acknowledge that this may be an opportunity for me to explore other pursuits outside of the Elite Four."

He smiled softly, "I wanted to try my hand at being a contest performer as well. And if I was to become a Gym Leader, I could mimic the actions of the Cerulean sisters and handle both simultaneously. Likewise, as a Gym Leader, I would always be able to make a challenge to re-enter the Elite Four, should I choose to. Ultimately, I think being in the Elite Four is where I am meant to be, but I can see this departure as taking a 'prolonged break' from being in the Elite Four, and then joining back when I feel I am ready."

As he said that, his soft smile faded away, replaced by steely determination, "And I can assure you that I will be ready to earn back my rightful position."

"As you should be." Lance agreed approvingly, "I have always found you to be a competent and valued member of the Elite Four, Will, so I am sad to see you go. However, should you be able to maintain your strength and political insight, then I shall always be happy to welcome you back with open arms."

"…Does that mean I get the position of Gym Leader?" He asked.

"It's not going to be up to me – the Committee will still have to vote on it. I can't just wave my hands and give you the position." Lance shook his head, "That being said, I am happy to also recommend you for the position, though I doubt you'd need it. It will be a test of your popularity and reputation to see if they will nominate you, but from everything you have achieved in the Elite Four, I'm sure the Committee will have no problems accepting your appointment."

"I agree with that assessment." Koga nodded, "Will, I would also be more than happy to provide any assistance as necessary to help you find your footing once you take up your new position as Gym Leader. You have proven yourself to be a worthy rival, and I shall eagerly await our rematch."

Will's smile was all teeth, "Don't get too excited there. Because I'm not about to let you win twice in a row."

Koga smiled back, the familiar excitement rushing back into his eyes, "Then stop me."

Despite losing a valued member of the Elite Four, the overall mood was a happy one. Even Will himself didn't look too dejected with his departure from the Elite Four, probably because he knew that he had a easy way back in the future.

I really liked the way that he took his loss, and I felt my respect for him grow. It was good that he wasn't overly bitter about his defeat and still had his head on straight to continue marching forwards even despite it.

I would miss the guy; I had grown far fonder of him than I would have expected from our initial meeting. But I also thought he was going to be a great Gym Leader, and an even better contest performer, and I made sure to tell him that I truly wished him all the best in whatever endeavours he ended up pursuing.

"…I look forward to the day you end up back in the Elite Four." I said to him, before breaking out into a cheeky smile. "Just so long as you don't decide to challenge me. I quite like my position and would hate to lose it."

He laughed, "I might! If you ever slip up, John, then I'm going to be hunting you like a Carvanha. So you better stay as the best of us."

"Speaking of Carvanha, I think those reporters over there are starving for that interview." Lorelei pointed out with a frown, "Sorry that you have to deal with this, Will. Their mockery is never fun."

He let out a sigh, "It's alright. Being in the Elite Four has taught me to grow a thicker skin. I won't let their comments bother me. In fact, I'll wait patiently for the moment where I can turn things around on them. Once I make it back to the Elite Four, they won't be laughing at me any more."

"I will put in a good word on your behalf. You do not deserve to be mocked for a good fight like that." Koga said, with Lorelei and I nodding in agreement, "Besides, they likely will be more interested in my politics."

"Ah, we should really talk about that." Lance said, "But yes, that could be left for later. I'm sure after your battle and the interview, you are probably looking to get some rest instead of diving headfirst into politics. We can have our discussion tomorrow."

It took some time for the post-match interviews to conclude, especially with all of the questions that the reporters were hoping to have answered. In these interviews, it was common for the winner to outline their plans for the future, but this time it was the loser that did so first.

Will took the initiative to explain that he wouldn't be re-challenging anyone for the position in the Elite Four. Not only that, but he also outlined his intentions for becoming a contest performer and also put forwards his own nomination to become the Gym Leader of Goldenrod, citing his previous achievements for why he would be a good fit for the role. The rest of the Elite Four, and Lance, also expressed our support.

That was quite the shocking announcement. Yet it also demonstrated the reputation that Will had managed to cultivate amongst the public. Because once they recovered from the shock of the announcement, the crowd cheered loudly in eager support as they expressed their excitement and approval at seeing Will as a Gym Leader.

He might have lost, but only a blind person would be unable to acknowledge his prowess. He was certainly stronger of a Psychic specialist than Samson, and he certainly had the political credentials to handle the role of Gym Leader.

Furthermore, the public's visible support of him, alongside ours, would make it much easier for his appointment to pass through the Committee.

And that led us to today, where I was sitting patiently with the other Elite Four members, including Koga and Agatha this time, as we waited for the Committee meeting to start. Today would be Koga's proper introduction, where he would be expected to speak to the Committee and outline his short-term political goals.

But since Lance had yet to arrive, the Elite Four and I spent the time making some small talk.

"You know I didn't think you had it in you to enter the Elite Four." Agatha smirked, "I thought you were like Giovanni, content to remain and laze around as a Gym Leader."

"Circumstances change." Koga replied calmly, but then he deliberately turned his head towards Agatha, "I did not think you were one to pick up an apprentice either, with how confident you were in your own strength and legacy. But here you are."

Oh shit. He was firing back.

Agatha snorted, seemingly unbothered by the comment as she continued to needle Koga, "And you left your young daughter to be Gym Leader? That's hardly responsible."

"She has my confidence to succeed." He said simply, "Does your apprentice have yours?"

Agatha crossed her arms, "Did you think I would have approved of her plan if I wasn't confident?"

"Then there's little else to say." Koga nodded slowly, "I wish you all the best in your upcoming challenge. After all that you have done for Indigo, you deserve the retirement. I look forward to seeing you lose."

Oh fuck. Lorelei and I shared a look of surprise at the fact that someone actually managed to push back against Agatha's taunting, and the fact that he was actually getting under her skin a little. That might be more impressive than winning against Will!

I was fully content with letting this play out, since watching Agatha lose her composure was a rare sight, and because I could tell that there was no real hostility between him and Agatha. Unfortunately, Lorelei decided to play peacemaker.

"Your daughter must be happy for you, right?" She said to Koga, blatantly changing the topic, "I hope you guys had a good celebration."

"We had a simple one." Koga replied, "We had other commitments on our time. But I intend to have something more elaborate to celebrate her ascension as Gym Leader, even if it is only in name. She will still have a regent overseeing her, after all. But thank you for asking."

"Did your Gym Leader colleagues congratulate you as well?" Lorelei also asked.

"Many did; more than I was expecting." He admitted, "Though perhaps I should have expected the response. My ascension also bodes well for them, as it shows that being a Gym Leader doesn't mean you are inferior to the Elite Four in terms of strength. In a way, my victory is a good thing for their image."

He snorted, "It's probably why I received so many compliments in the first place."

Lance then walked into the room, but what was surprising was that Will was next to him. Giving us a cheerful wave, he sat down next to us.

I felt that it was only natural that he did so.

"I think you've sat down in the wrong area." Agatha taunted, probably trying to regain some of her lost pride after that exchange with Koga, "This is for the Elite Four only."

"Mhm. And this will be the final time I'm here for the foreseeable future. Apologies if I take liberties." Will smiled back as he brushed off her taunts.

He turned to stare at the rest of the Committee, "Ah, I definitely won't miss these."

"I thought you enjoyed being in these meetings." Lorelei raised an eyebrow, "You certainly pay more attention than the rest of us."

"Well, it's no different than the usual business meetings I'm used to. But all this bickering does wear down even my patience." He admitted, "I'll be glad to be free of these ones. At least when I'm Gym Leader I'll only have to handle meetings with those that work for me."

"Oh? You sound confident that you'd be selected." Agatha began.

"—The Committee would be foolish to not vote for him." Koga interrupted, "The public would denounce them if they ever passed on Will just to keep Jackson in the position."

I nodded in agreement. Will really didn't have to do ANY persuading. With his popularity, the Committee members would be committing political suicide if they DIDN'T vote for him. His appearance today was more of a formality than anything else.

Our conversation came to an end as Lance began his speech, "Ladies and Gentlemen, today we welcome the new Elite Koga into the ranks of the Elite Four. Please give a huge round of applause for Koga and his magnificent victory to earn his place into our ranks!"

The applause was appropriately polite as Koga performed a short bow to everyone.

"Let this be yet another reminder that a spot is always available to you in the Elite Four so long as you are able and willing to fight for it. So for the other Gym Leaders, do not hesitate to make a challenge if you believe that you have the strength to ascend to the Elite Four – we look forward to seeing you at your greatest!" Lance stated, "However, today is the day for Koga, and I shall now give him the floor to explain his future plans and proposals."

Koga began after giving a quick thanks to Lance, "…Now that we have formed the new region of Indigo, combining both Kanto and Johto together, it is especially important that we ensure that the storied pasts of our regions are not forgotten amidst the tide of reform and change, and that our rich history is to be preserved and protected for the generations to come…" He then went on to explain the same things as he had previously explained to Lance and I, with how he wanted to ensure the protection of the important cultures of our region.

Overall, it wasn't something overly exciting to the Committee, though his namedrop of his collaboration with both Gym Leader Erika and the Kimono Girls got a few surprised gasps from the Committee. Beyond that, he basically laid out his first proposal to ensure the preservation and protection of certain cultural landmarks within Indigo, and how he wanted to give power to the cities to nominate a specific building or landmark with sufficient cultural significance that they wished to have preserved. Then, the Committee would vote on whether to approve its preservation.

Given that I already knew what to expect from Koga, I had nothing to really be concerned about with what he was proposing – they didn't affect my political interests. I was mostly just thinking about what kinds of cultural landmarks or buildings, if any, that Cerulean City had that needed to be preserved.

I was coming up a little blank…would the contest halls count? Eh, that was probably something to discuss with mayor Henry.

Sure enough, after Koga was done with his speech, and after the Committee were allowed their 'discussions', the vote took place straight away and ended up passing it through. Like I had suspected, the traditionalists were happy to support such a policy, and it was inoffensive enough that the others didn't mind.

Plus, it was very rare for the first proposal of an Elite Four to be rejected, since everyone wanted to build a good rapport with the incoming member.

Seeing his proposal pass, Koga nodded and then followed up with a proposal made on behalf of Ecruteak City, "…Following the passing of my proposal, Ecruteak City has already nominated for Burned Tower to be preserved in its current state. In their place, I wish to place this matter to the Committee to vote upon immediately."

"Wait, so they wish for Burned Tower to remain burned down?" Someone asked confusedly.

"That is right." Koga confirmed, "The tower being burnt is an important historical event and deserves to be preserved. Therefore, the goal is to make sure that the Burned Tower is acknowledged as an important cultural site throughout Indigo, and that it retains the relevant legal protections to prevent its demolishment or alteration from its current burned state. Hence why we are also going to ensure that it stays structurally sound."

No one really had a problem with that, and it was swiftly approved. Plus, it probably also helped that the Burned Tower was one of the most significant cultural landmarks in Johto. Its approval was likely a no-brainer. Other proposals might not be so smooth sailing.

After that was done, it was Will's turn. He reiterated his desire to become a Gym Leader, and he listed out all of his many positive traits that would make him a good one. Seeing him making a speech like that, standing confidently in front of the Committee, caused a pang of melancholy to shoot through me.

As much as I knew he would succeed as a Gym Leader, I would have still wanted him to stay if it was possible. I obviously didn't blame Koga for replacing him, but I would have loved it if we could have both simultaneously.

Overall, like I suspected, his acceptance was a mere formality, and he was soon appointed to become the new Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, to the cheers of all of us from the Elite Four. Even Agatha clapped politely for him.

"Better him than the useless waste of space that we have currently taking the spot." She said, though I could tell she also approved of Will – if begrudgingly.

As we all clapped, I stared at Will's smiling face as he basked in the applause. Despite my earlier melancholy, I still shot him an approving smile.

He might be leaving, but I knew he would be back one day – stronger than ever before.

A.N. Yes, Will has now become Gym Leader of Goldenrod! I know many were disappointed with his loss to Koga, but I would never allow Will to simply fade out into nothing. I was very glad to see that many were rooting for Will, and I very much wanted him to stay relevant to this story as a recurring side character.

Like it was mentioned many times in the chapter, Will being a Gym Leader is basically giving him the opportunity to explore new things, while also retaining his ability to rechallenge into the Elite Four whenever he wants. He will be back one day! Hope you enjoyed the direction that I've taken him!

And with Koga, I wanted to highlight a different aspect of his personality rather than just 'cool ninja'. In the games, he's actually quite expressive in his dialogue, and I wanted to show that off more. So expect to see a slightly more casual and expressive side to Koga, who doesn't always have to be super stoic.

And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!