John's Team

Tyrant - Slaking

Vordt - Ursaluna

Smough - Snorlax

Klee - Blissey

Port - Mantine

Zephyr - Pidgeot

Klaus - Wyrdeer

Luna - Clefable

Pixel - Porygon

The New Normal – 1-6 – Shipping with Karen

I quickly got a text back from Karen giving me her room number. Deciding that hanging out in her room was leagues better than staying alone in my own cramped room, I went to sought her out.

But before leaving, I quickly changed my clothes into something more suitable for the temperate and sunny Hoenn weather. I replaced my jacket with a thinner vest and donned a bucket hat. I also changed my shirt and trousers to their short variants. I went to check my appearance using the standing mirror, and a young, tall, teenager with black hair and brown eyes with a hint of baby face stared back at me. Over the years, I've accepted the fact that I basically look like a generic background character, fitting, considering my generic name. Combined with my new clothes, I looked like your standard Hoenn NPC tourist.

I felt that my new outfit was working rather well at disguising my identity as I wasn't accosted once as I walked past the many crowds on my way to Karen's room. Soon after, I had arrived at her room and was allowed to enter after a brief knock on her door.

I was immediately jealous that Karen's room was over twice the size of mine, and I also failed to hide that jealousy as I saw Karen giving me a smug smirk.

"Like what you see?" Karen grinned, and I wasn't sure if she was referring to herself or her room. Either way though, my answer was the same.

"Yes." I replied wryly, managing to somehow not blush at that.

Karen gave me a nice smile at my reply, before flicking her hair over her shoulder and gesturing for me to sit down on the cushioned chair near the table. She sat down opposite me on the edge of her bed.

"Say, Karen, why are you coming to Hoenn in the first place?" I asked, "I know Agatha wanted you to accompany me, but surely she couldn't have forced you to go to Hoenn against your will, right?"

"Yes, you're right that it was my own decision to come to Hoenn." Karen nodded, "You see, I'm a Dark type specialist, which I've never regretted, but I admit that finding new Dark type Pokémon to catch has been challenging." Karen admitted as she shuffled herself backwards so that she was leaning against the headboard.

She continued, "But, I did my research and found that there were plenty of Dark types in Hoenn that I've yet to catch. And so, I wanted to head over there and see if they'd be suitable for my team."

"Yeah I can relate to that," I agreed, "My typing doesn't have a lot of Pokémon suitable for high-level battling either."

She hummed appreciatively at that before asking a question of her own.

"How are you finding your new responsibilities as an Elite 4?" She inquired in a tone that was more serious than I was expecting, "Is it tough?" Her eyes suddenly widened as she facepalmed herself, "Wait, no, I'm being stupid. You've only been in the Elite 4 for less than a day. That was a dumb question."

Hearing how serious she was, I decided against mocking her and instead giving her an honest answer, "Mhm…as you say I've only been an Elite 4 for a day but, I can tell you that there's a lot more politicking involved than what the public might think." I answered while scratching my head.

Karen frowned at me, "What do you mean? You mean the stuff with Pryce that I overheard? And with you being sent to Hoenn?" She asked.

I shook my hand in the so-so gesture, "Well, yes, but there's more than just that. Once you enter the ranks of the Elite 4, you are forced to enter the world of politics whether you like it or not. People WILL try to use you for their own benefit and likely to your detriment. The stuff that you overheard between Pryce and I is just one element of that."

Karen listened and scowled with a serious expression on her face, and I wondered why she was so curious about this. Then I remembered that she would eventually join the Elite 4 and probably wanted to know more about it so that she could prepare for it.

"Hold on," I suddenly thought aloud, "Surely you could've asked Agatha about this? She's definitely more experienced than I am at being a member of the Elite 4."

Karen shook her head at that, "No, asking Agatha would've been pointless." She bit out with slight annoyance in her tone, "I may be her apprentice, but Agatha really just does her own thing and damns everyone else. She has her own way of dealing with things that I could never replicate, so asking her would not be useful."

I frowned at that, though considering my own interactions with Agatha I couldn't say that I found that overly surprising. She really was a prickly and ornery person.

"Besides, Agatha has the entirety of Lavender Town backing her up," Karen continued with a bitter tone, "So does Pryce, Lance, and Walker. They all come from important backgrounds that give them influence beyond their own as a member of the Elite 4. It's why I wanted to ask you, John, since you also come from nothing. I wanted to know about your experiences because I felt like I could relate to you the most."

I had to restrain my grimace at the reminder of my poorly past but acknowledged that she didn't mean it as an insult and instead found it relatable. Admittedly, it was weird to have someone sympathize with the fact that you used to be poor.

Perhaps it was because of that sympathy that led me to open up to her. "Yes, you're right. During the Indigo League, when I was close to reaching the finals, I realized that even if I won and was selected to join the Elite 4, I would still be a relatively unknown name with no influence beyond what being an Elite 4 gave me. The public still didn't really recognise me from my discoveries of Ursaluna and Wyrdeer. Thus, I feared that I would be side-lined as an Elite 4 or simply become a puppet for others to use."

"Then what did you do-"

"Therefore, I decided to meet with Giovanni after the ceremony." I continued past her interruption, "I won't announce exactly what we discussed, but I have tentatively gained his support and friendship, meaning that I at least have some political influence to make use of."

Karen got a thoughtful look in her eyes, "And you intend to make use of that relationship to grow your influence even further by making use of Giovanni's own connections."

"Exactly." I confirmed with a nod. "Hopefully, I would be able to build enough personal influence to solidify my position in the Elite 4 for the future. I know many hate politicians for how they act, but as a member of the Elite 4 you HAVE to act like one in order to be successful."

I got a considering look from Karen as she took in my words and plan. I could tell that she was out of her element; many Pokémon trainers are unfamiliar with politicking. Admittedly, I would be as lost as she was if not for my past life's knowledge.

Honestly, joining the Indigo Elite 4 was like making a job application. You needed to have at least 8 badges, and you needed to win the Indigo Conference. Then, you were allowed to challenge a specific Elite 4 of your choice, and if you won, you would replace them and join the Elite 4.

However, if there is a free spot in the Elite 4 available like I had with Blaine's retirement, then a selection committee consisting of the Champion and other senior League officials would have the discretion to choose the next Elite 4. They could select anyone they like, but an unpopular choice would spark public outrage, so they often chose the Indigo Conference winner or someone with equal achievements.

We both sat there in silence as I allowed her to contemplate and think about what I just told her. A few minutes passed before she turned to me and gave me a small smile.

"Thank you, John." She said gratefully, "You have given me much to think about...I assume you've probably guessed by now that I also want to join the Elite 4, probably after Walker inevitably gets kicked out. Would you mind if I asked you more questions like this in the future?"

"Of course." I answered immediately, "Feel free to ask whatever you'd like. I'll be happy to answer." I gave her a goofy thumbs up to lighten the mood.

She chuckled at my gesture before checking the time. I copied her and not only noticed that it was lunch, but that the ship had already begun its journey to Hoenn without me noticing.

I asked Karen if she wanted to have lunch, since I was starting to feel hungry, and we both made our way to the crowded dining area to pick up some food.

Nearly half an hour later pushing past the many passengers, we both managed to abscond with a sandwich and a bottle of water each and made our way back to her room to eat.

As we munched on our sandwiches, I noticed that Karen was eating with a slight scowl and that she was thinking deeply about something. For some reason, I instinctively felt like I should cheer her up, so I decided to ask her a question to distract her.

"So, Karen, how did you and your starter meet? What is your starter anyways?"

"Hmm?" She mumbled distractedly, before visibly brightening as she processed my question. "Oh! Yes, my sweet little Murkrow." She instinctively reached for her Pokéball but then frowned and stopped herself as she remembered that she wasn't allowed to release Pokémon on the ship.

She turned back to me before continuing, "I found Murkrow badly hurt on the outskirts of Saffron City, around Route 7, and I rushed her back to the Pokémon Center to be healed. I stayed while she was being healed and I fed her after it was done being healed and made sure she was nice and full. Then, I carried her to release her back into the wild. But she wouldn't leave and kept following me around!" Karen exclaimed with a fond smile as her eyes glazed over in reminiscence.

She shook her head to snap herself out of her memories, "Eventually, I understood what she wanted and went to the Pokémart and spent all of my pocket money to buy a Pokéball to capture her in. We've been partners ever since." Karen sat there with a fond smile as she finished her recollection, and I couldn't help but find her smile mesmerizing.

"What about you?" She asked back, "How did you meet your starter? Isn't it your Slakoth?"

"Yes, my Slakoth." I affirmed, "I'll be honest. My family barely had any money, and we definitely had no influence to get sponsorships, so for the longest time I thought I would likely have to settle for one of the common Kanto Pokémon like Pidgey, Rattata, or Caterpie for a starter. I thought that, maybe if I was lucky, I would be allowed to capture one of the Miltank or Tauros that we had around the farm. But my family probably couldn't afford for me to do so."

I could still distinctly remember the despair and anger I felt at that time. I remembered raging about the unfairness of being reborn into the world of Pokémon, yet not having the money necessary to go on a journey or even capture a starter.

Karen was giving me a look of sympathy as she heard this, and I gave her a smile in return before continuing, "One day our distributor came by with his cart that unknowingly had a Slakoth that had climbed onboard his cart sometime during his trip in Hoenn. The distributor didn't realize he had picked up another passenger as he ignorantly ferried the Slakoth all the way to our farm. I only noticed him when I was helping my dad pack things onto the cart that I saw the lazy thing sleeping in the corner. The moment I saw it, I knew that this was a gift from Arceus. And as luck would have it, Slakoth also seemed to react well to my presence and allowed me to carry it off the cart. When the distributor saw it, he laughed and said that I could keep him if I wanted to. Despite not having enough money for a Pokéball, Slakoth was willing to hang around me until I was able to afford one. And I'll always be grateful for his dedication."

I patted Tyrant's Pokéball affectionately with a smile as I ended my story. My journey to the Elite 4 had not always been smooth sailing, but Tyrant stood by me as we overcame the many challenges together. I turned that smile to Karen as I saw her watching me with a smile of her own.

"You know, John, I think you've done very well for yourself." Karen complimented, "Hearing about your struggles in your youth, I'm honestly amazed that you managed to become as successful as you were. It's rare for those without sponsors to make it to anywhere close to the Elite 4, let alone joining it."

I blushed heavily at that, but still managed to mumble out a "Thank you." Wanting to avoid further embarrassment, I quickly changed the topic.

"Say, why do you want to become an Elite 4 anyways? Do you just want to follow in Agatha's footsteps, or do you have something to prove?"

Karen grinned mischievously as I changed the topic but didn't comment on it. Instead, she pondered for a bit before replying.

"It's a bit of both," she admitted, "I do want to make Agatha proud. I do find her to be a pain sometimes, but I do still care about her and want to prove to her that her efforts haven't been wasted. But more importantly, I want to show the world the power of Dark type Pokémon."

I nodded with sympathy, I also found that people tended to underestimate and looked down upon Normal types during my own journey.

"So, if I make it to the Elite 4 with my Dark types, I'd prove to Indigo that this 'new' type isn't as weak as people believe. I want to prove that Dark types are more useful than just to counter Psychic and Ghosts types! They have such a varied move-set that allows for unusual styles of fighting that can be extremely effective! The haters are just using it wrong!" Karen passionately declared.

I stared entranced by Karen as she passionately began to list out the many strengths of Dark type Pokémon. I felt increasingly that, more than her appearance, it was her personality that I found the most attractive.

I quickly refocused my attention back onto what Karen was saying before she could catch me staring; I didn't want to be teased by her if she had noticed.

"…Don't you agree, John? Don't you think Dark types are cool?!" Karen excitedly asked with an intense gleam in her eyes.

"Yes, of course." I immediately agreed without thinking, though luckily, I said the right thing. "Although my team often relies on brute strength and simple fighting styles to achieve victory, I have members like my Blissey and Clefable that use more 'intelligent' ways to win. So, I can understand that brute strength isn't everything." Although my Pokémon were definitely very good at it, especially my three big boys.

"Mhm, you get it!" Karen nodded sagely, "Isn't it satisfying when you beat a trainer who relies entirely on brute strength alone? Watching them seethe as their much stronger Pokémon is slowly worn down without them being able to do anything about it? It's amazing." She cackled in a familiar way that reminded me that she was undoubtedly Agatha's apprentice. They even had the same cadence.

"Although, I do admit that Dark types aren't very good in a straight up fight." Karen admitted sadly, "I currently don't have anyone on my team that can actually win a straight fight against another Elite level Pokémon with no tricks involved. I do have a Pupitar, but I feel like it's a while away from becoming a Tyranitar, and I'm not confident in my training methods to help it with its raw strength."

I almost choked when I heard that she had a Pupitar, though in hindsight that wasn't very surprising as Tyranitar was the only currently discovered Dark types that actually had brute strength and good durability.

"…Maybe I could ask Flint about how to train a defensive Rock type, I'm sure he knows-"

"I can help you," I quickly interrupted. I felt oddly possessive and didn't want Karen asking others for help for some reason. I wanted her to rely on me. "I'm confident that my experiences with my Ground type Ursaluna will be useful for training your Pupitar. I'll help them train together when we get to Hoenn."

Karen gave me a teasing smile at my quick interruption, and I quickly realized that I had fallen into her trap. She never intended to ask Flint; she just wanted me to offer my help. I sighed as I realized this, which only caused her to break out in laughter.

"Ah you're adorable, John." She wiped her eyes, "But thank you, I do appreciate the assistance." Karen's smile was more sincere now, and I felt that I didn't mind being teased if this was my reward.

We devolved into happily talking about more mundane topics as we travelled slowly to Hoenn. If this had been a proper diplomatic trip, I would have spent time tidying up my appearance and being lectured by the League officials to not embarrass Indigo and to maintain proper decorum.

However, since the whole reason for the trip was to side-line me anyways and they decided to send me there alone, I decided not to worry about it. I was mostly done being annoyed, so I might as well just enjoy my time there.

Who knows, maybe I'll meet some new people and get to make new discoveries? Maybe I'll find some way of getting back at Pryce while I'm there? Or, more importantly, maybe I'll be able to spend more time around Karen.

As I was a teenager again, I couldn't help but think that the last point was the most important.

We talked for many hours before she eventually got hungry again and decided to head down to the canteen to grab more food. I was feeling pretty tired myself, and not wanting to head down to my room again, I just decided to take a quick nap on the chair.

I told myself that it was just a quick nap, and that Karen would bound to wake me up soon. Sadly, I ended up sleeping until we arrived at Hoenn.

A.N This is the final chapter of the Introductory Arc, next chapter will be the beginning of the Hoenn arc. Thank you all very much for the support and comments.