John's Team
Tyrant - Slaking
Vordt - Ursaluna
Smough - Snorlax
Klee - Blissey
Port - Mantine
Zephyr - Pidgeot
Klaus - Wyrdeer
Luna - Clefable
Pixel - Porygon
Euphie - Eevee
Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
The New Normal – 4-12 – A New Champion
I watched as Lance posed proudly as the announcer finally declared his victory. His expression was one of proud triumph, but there was still a hint of arrogance in there as if he thought that his victory was an inevitability.
Though, anyone who had just watched the match would probably think that his arrogance was well-deserved.
Pryce looked the exact opposite. There was no sign of anger in his expression at his defeat, nor was there any bitterness. Rather, he had stood there blankly, looking like he was unable to comprehend the fact that he had lost both the battle and the title of Champion. Although, unlike with Walker, I didn't feel any pity for him.
He was a thoroughly self-absorbed man who could not even see beyond his own ego. He was generally unpleasant and condescending to everyone he spoke to and showed little regard for those he thought were beneath him, which was practically everyone. While I was not about to rub his loss in his face, the more vicious side of me was pleased with his defeat and that he was finally humbled.
Suddenly, the door to the VIP room opened and a League Official made his way inside. He briefly made a questioning glance to Karen's surprising presence before he addressed the other Elite Four members.
"Members of the Elite Four, would you please accompany me to the stage for the ceremony of our latest Champion?" He asked politely, but formally. It was kind of a rhetorical question since we didn't exactly have a choice.
"Oh, right, almost forgot about the pageantry." Agatha scoffed, before she carefully pulled herself up from the chair, bones creaking slightly. Karen went to help her, but Agatha waved her off and said that she was fine.
"Karen, you stay here for now while we handle this. Meet with me afterwards once we're done." Agatha said to her, and she nodded. The League Official wanted to protest having a non-VIP remain in a VIP area, but a sharp look from Agatha silenced him. The official turned to Walker and I for support, but Walker was likely too distracted to notice the implied question, and I simply shook my head at the official.
He sighed, realizing he would get no support, and simply began to escort the three of us out of the room as we made our way very slowly to the victor's podium. We walked as slowly as we did so that Agatha could catch up, but I was almost certain she was deliberately walking even slower than she had to just to mess with us.
Either way, we eventually made our way to the stage, where a grinning Lance welcomed us with wide arms. In the corner, Pryce seemed to have gotten out of his shock and was now glaring at everyone with open hatred. We of course, ignored Pryce.
"Welcome, everyone!" Lance greeted us with a smile, with the cameras pointed towards our group. "I hope you enjoyed the battle."
"Congratulations, Lance, it was a well fought battle." I praised, making sure that I tended to his ego. "You'll make a great Champion."
"Of course, of course, and I thank you for your words, Elite John." Lance easily replied, "We both know how much you have helped to get me where I am now, so you deserve some of the credit too." He said for the benefit of the cameras.
I realized that he was saying this to tell the world about our political ties, both to give me credit for aiding his victory, and to also make use of my currently excellent reputation to solidify the early days of his rule. That was fine, I expected it anyways.
Then the other two members of the Elite Four similarly gave their congratulations, though theirs were far more lukewarm than mine. Nonetheless, Lance was happy to accept them.
Afterwards, he was escorted onto the stage where he would be sworn in as Champion. A very senior looking League Official made his way on stage. He made a few choice, but ultimately meaningless, words about the importance of the title of Champion, and their responsibilities towards the continued protection and safety of Indigo.
Then, in something that I had completely forgotten about, he proceeded to invite both Lance and Pryce to the front so that Pryce may pass the title of Champion to Lance. That must have really been rubbing salt on the wound for Pryce.
In fact, when Pryce made his way to the front with a smug Lance, I had to hold in my laughter. His face screamed to the world that he wanted to be anywhere else but here, and his gait was no longer as steady as they used to be. In contrast, Lance just took it all with a smugly satisfied smile.
"Champion Pryce, as the leaving Champion, do you agree to pass down the position of Champion, and all of its associated responsibilities and power, to your successor, Lance?" The League Official began.
"…I agree." Pryce bit out reluctantly, but there was something else in his tone that I couldn't quite place.
"Lance, do you accept the position of Champion, understanding the necessary responsibilities and duties that comes along with the position?" The official asked Lance.
"I accept this duty." Lance said solemnly, though his eyes gleamed with pride and eagerness. To Lance's credit, he was doing a good job not acknowledging whatever look that Pryce was giving him.
"Then, congratulations, Champion Lance! You are the newest Champion of Indigo!" The official declared, and crowd went wild with applause and cheers. Some had even unrolled banners that said "CHAMPION LANCE!" to show their support; I casually wondered if they were members of the Blackthorn Clan.
The official allowed the crowd to cheer for a little while before he interrupted them. "Normally, we would move straight into the interview, but a surprise guest wanted to speak a few words to you, Champion Lance, if you were to allow it."
Lance looked surprised for a brief moment, but then recomposed himself. "Oh? Well, certainly. I would love to speak to whoever this is."
The official nodded, looking a little bit relieved that Lance didn't decline, which only stoked my curiosity further about who this individual was. Especially one that was influential enough to disrupt such a momentous occasion. Soon enough, I realized what the fuss was about when a very familiar looking person made his way on stage. The cameras flashed rapidly as they took pictures of the newcomer.
My jaw nearly dropped when I saw who it was.
"Hello, Champion Lance, it's a pleasure to meet you like this. Congratulations on your win." said a smiling Professor Oak, walking onto the stage donning his usual lab coat. He looked like he had just come down straight from his laboratory, and he certainly wasn't dressed for such a formal occasion. But seeing the sheer surprise in everyone's faces, including mine, I didn't think anyone cared to mention it.
"…oh, uh, yes, it's an honour, Champion Oak." Lance stuttered out, genuinely surprised at Oak's appearance. "And thank you very much for your words. I am undeserving of the honour." He said as he bowed in deference, which caused my eyes to nearly pop out.
I never knew that Lance had the ability to be deferential.
But then I noticed that the other members of the Elite Four, including Pryce, were all bowing slightly in respect to Oak, and I quickly followed suit despite not fully understanding why.
"Ah, you don't need to use that title anymore. I retired from that position a long time ago." Oak said humbly while scratching his head, "I'm just here to congratulate you on your successes and to say a few words of advice, to the both of you, if you want to hear them."
"Of course, Champion, I mean, sir. Please, go ahead. I'm honoured to listen." Lance said respectfully.
"I'm sure you are very excited to be the newest Champion of Indigo, but remember that all power corrupts eventually, and it is an eternal struggle for those in power to fend off the darker temptations that are inherent to all positions of power." Oak advised with a calm smile, "If you don't, you may find yourself lost to that obsession." He glanced towards a surprised Pryce, who seemed to have been shocked out of his anger.
"Of course, sir. Thank you for your advice." Lance replied, understanding the warning that Oak had given.
"Good…good. I would hate to see the latest generation repeat the mistakes of the past." He said pointedly, before turning his full attention towards Pryce.
"Pryce, do you still remember what you were like when you were chosen to be my successor?" He asked, and Pryce seemed taken aback for a moment before he gave a small nod. "Do you remember how bright-eyed you were, how excited and honoured you were to continue my actions as Champion?" Another hesitant nod, one that had a mixture of bitterness and nostalgia. "Well, you may have lost your way in the past few years, but I believe that you will be able to return to that bright-eyed successor that I had personally chosen. Do not hold on to your bitterness, and I'm sure you'll be able to return to being the great man that you once were."
The two of them shared a meaningful look for a moment, one that must have held a plethora of different emotions for Pryce. The silence extended for some time, with none daring to break it.
Eventually, Pryce nodded, concluding whatever silent conversation took place between the two of them. Oak smiled, and patted Pryce on the shoulder. Then he began to address the rest of the Elite Four.
"And to the rest of the Elite Four, I look forward to seeing all of you continue your good works. You have the potential to do great things! And I wish you the best in all your endeavours. And Agatha, good to see that you're still doing so well in your advanced age." He said jokingly, and to my further surprise, Agatha didn't even respond with her signature cutting tongue.
"Thank you, Champion Oak. Your words do me a great kindness." She bowed deeply, and I had to force myself not to react. Oak just smiled in response.
"Please, Agatha, you don't need to do this. But I think I've wasted enough of everyone's time. Thank you very much for allowing this washed-up old man to say a few words." He turned to Lance. "Champion Lance, I hope you do your new position proud, and that you continue to uphold the oaths that you once gave." He said that friendly, but in his tone was a forceful reminder of his newfound responsibilities. Lance nodded firmly.
"Then I'll be off. Thanks for having me!" Before anyone could stop him, he released an Alakazam onto the field. And then, with a quick explosion of powerful Psychic power, he was swiftly teleported out of the arena.
Oak's abrupt exit left us all still in various states of confusion and awe, though as Elite trainers, we all recovered very quickly. The League Official coughed to grab our attention.
"Champion Lance, if you could please make your way onto the interview podium right now. I'm sure you would appreciate the opportunity to answer some questions." The official gestured to a lectern with multiple attached microphones, and Lance made his way there. The rest of the Elite Four stood to the side just in case any reporters wanted to ask us any questions. I sincerely hoped not.
"…Thank you all very much for bestowing the honour of becoming the newest Champion of Indigo. As I have previously vowed, I swear to work hard for the continued prosperity and safety of our two regions, and to work hard to bolster the unity and friendship between us. Also, I would like to thank Champion Oak for his kind words and wish him the best in his retirement. I will now open the floor to questions." As soon as he finished speaking the reporters were finally let in and they surged in like they had just bypassed an open dam, hungry to question the new Champion.
"Champion Lance! How are you feeling right now?! Do you feel happy that you've beaten Champion Pryce?!" The first of many reporters asked.
"Of course, I am feeling very proud of my achievement. Becoming Champion is no easy feat, and I'm very thankful and proud of my Pokémon for being able to carry me to where I am today." Lance replied, "As for Pryce, any issues that I had with him was purely political and had nothing to do with my personal opinion of the man. Champion Pryce was a great man, and someone who had led Indigo for many years. Despite our recent disagreements in his choice of policy, I still remain very much honoured to follow his footsteps and to fill his shoes."
"And how do you think you will stop yourself from making the same mistakes that you claimed Champion Pryce made?" Another reporter questioned the moment Lance finish speaking.
"That's a great question. And I'm glad someone asked that." Lance commended, "Well, I initially intended to tell the other Elite Four members about this privately, however, this is as good as an opportunity as any. To ensure that I will not be repeating the same mistakes as Pryce, I will be inviting the other Elite Four members to listen in on any proposals that I may have during the early periods of my new reign as Champion. That way, I hope that by opening up discussions and increasing transparency, I will stop myself from being blinded by overconfidence until I can properly get a handle on things."
I was not particularly surprised by this announcement; truthfully, I had expected Lance to do something like this to differentiate himself from Pryce. It's no good calling someone out for being a corrupt dictator when you proceed to just do the same thing as they did. This way he gets to preach about his transparency and how he's making changes compared to what Pryce did. A smart move.
"Does that mean you'll be excluding the Elite Four from future discussions after you get a hang of being Champion?" A different reporter inquired.
"No, and do not twist my words." Lance answered firmly, glaring at the reporter. "I will always welcome any solid advice from my Elite Four. It's just that, during the earlier periods of my new reign, I will be more open to advice until I can get the hang of things. I would NEVER exclude the opinions of the Elite Four. And, who knows, if I find that the Elite Four give me prudent and reasonable advice, then I may maintain this transparency for the entirety of my time as Champion."
"Do you have any new proposals in the works that you would like to announce right now?" Someone else asked.
"Yes, but I'm not willing to announce anything right now until I've conferred with the other members of the Elite Four and the Committee. I believe it would be overly hasty do make an announcement now without checking on its feasibility. Rest assured that announcements will be made relatively shortly." Lance declared.
Of course, the fact that Lance had something in the works spawned a swarm of questions all asking about what it was, but Lance simply said he wasn't going to talk about it and to switch to a different topic. Eventually, the reporters complied.
Lance then proceeded to answer similar questions about his new Championship. I almost began to tune everything out before a reporter went up to Pryce and started asking him a few questions.
"Ex-Champion Pryce, I'm sorry for your loss." The reporter said unsympathetically, clearly not caring for Pryce. "How do you feel right now? I'm sure you must be devastated with the loss of your position."
Wow, I had to hold actually force my mouth to remain closed at the sheer disrespectfulness of that question. That was like twisting the knife that was already stabbed into Pryce. Suddenly, Walker, who had been silent and morose this entire time, spoke up to defend Pryce.
"That's a very disrespectful way of addressing the recent Champion, sir." Walker stated firmly, walking up to the reporter. "Being a reporter does not mean you get to forget your courtesies, so I demand that you apologize to Pryce for your malicious words or to leave this venue entirely."
Walker's demand seemed to draw the attention of all the reporters in the area, even Lance stopped answering his question and nodded in support of Walker's words. The reporter, suddenly the center of attention, quickly grew flustered and stammered out an apology, before fleeing the scene.
I heard Pryce mutter a very quiet "thank you" to Walker, which he accepted with a small smile and a shrug. I smiled too, mostly for Walker's sake. As much as I thought he was unsuited for the role of Elite Four, I didn't hate him, and was happy for him that a small spark of his previous friendship with Pryce still remained.
After that interruption, the questions resumed. Pryce was interviewed a few more times, this time far more politely, and one of the questions that caught my attention was that they asked where he was going to go now that he was no longer Champion.
He spoke out about returning to his hometown of Mahogany, and perhaps being an advisor to the Gym for some time. He gave no further details than that, but I thought that if he could finally get his head out of his arse then he would make a great and experienced advisor for Lorelei.
Then the reporters began to hound us three members of the Elite Four. They generally asked us the same few questions, mostly inquiring about our thoughts on Lance as a Champion, and what we thought of the battle. We mostly gave similar answers; that we thought that Lance had great potential to be a Champion and that we wished him the best, and we thought the battle was well-deserving of a challenge for the title of Champion.
However, they singled me out in particular and asked me a few more detailed questions because of my explicit support for Lance to become the next Champion.
"Elite John, what made you support Lance in the first place? How did you and Lance decide to join forces as you did?" They asked me.
"Well, I had just returned from my forced visit to Hoenn, and I was displeased with many aspects of Pryce's leadership." I explained, "I spoke to Pryce about them, but then realized that he was not able to assuage my concerns. This led me to speak with Lance, who also shared my displeasure with many elements of Pryce's time as Champion, and we both felt that the only path forwards was to replace Pryce as Champion with Lance. We got to discussing on the details after that."
"Then why did you not offer to become Champion yourself? You did defeat Drake after all, so it's not like your strength was in question. And you seem to be doing a great job at handling the politics of Indigo, despite your age, so why did you not nominate yourself?" They pushed.
"Strength isn't everything." I quickly answered. "And I certainly feel, even now, that making a play to become the next Champion at my age would be far too soon. I have only been a member of the Elite Four for a few months, which would not reassure many that I am ready to become the next Champion. Moreover, I definitely have no intention of becoming the Champion, and I'm more than content with remaining as a member of the Elite Four." I remained very careful with my words to not accidentally frighten Lance with the impression that I'd be looking to replace him soon. I wasn't and had no plans to do so.
"Does that mean you might change your mind in the future?" They kept asking, perhaps trying to generate some scandal or some gossip.
"I cannot answer that, because I could not possibly know about the thoughts of my future self." I answered dryly, resisting the temptation to be sarcastic. "I will say that I am more than happy to see Lance become the next Champion, and I look forward to working with him productively in the future."
The reporters left, seeming satisfied with my answers even if they didn't get the juicy scandal that they likely hoped for.
The interview eventually wrapped up after a final question where a reporter asked who would be replacing Lance in the Elite Four. It was a very good question, and one that Lance truthfully didn't have an answer to. He said that this would be one of those topics that he will bring up with the Elite Four and the committee, and that they'll make an announcement when a decision has been made.
Lance then ended the interview after that, refusing to answer any more questions and leaving the stage. Before we were allowed to leave though, a League Official told us to all to shake hands with Pryce as a gesture of farewell before we were all led backstage together and back to the VIP room.
As we entered the VIP room, Karen greeted all of us with a very formal bow, and introduced herself as Agatha's apprentice, while thanking her with the opportunity to stay in the room and witness the match from here.
Pryce frowned, but surprisingly kept silent. Lance gave her an inspecting look, then smiled knowingly at me and Agatha before he went and greeted Karen politely and said that he was looking forwards to seeing more of her battles in the future. Karen was momentarily flustered, but quickly recovered her composure and thanked Lance for his kind words, before congratulating him once again for becoming Champion.
Walker of course made no comment either way, content to just grab his briefcase before getting ready to leave. Agatha in the meanwhile slumped into a chair, obviously tired from all that standing around. I gave Karen a smile as well before I went to grab a bite to eat, since they had restocked some of the food and I was starving.
Pryce then spoke up, "I understand that I am unwelcome, so I'll be making my leave now." He then was about to leave before he abruptly stopped and turned around, "Walker, thanks for speaking up. I hope to see you again soon." Walker actually smiled at that, and Pryce finally left the room.
Lance waited for a few moments for Pryce to leave the room before he spoke up, "Right, Karen, I'm sorry, but I'm going to be discussing a few things with the Elite Four at the moment, and you can't be here. Remind me next time to invite Clair to these VIP rooms, I keep forgetting I could have done that now that since Pryce wasn't here." He muttered that last part to himself.
Karen understood and quickly left the room after whispering a few words to Agatha and getting a nod in return. With one last wave to me, she left the room.
"Okay, well now that the ceremony is over with and that I'm the Champion, I'll be looking for someone to take up my spot in the Elite Four." Lance explained, "I believe that the Committee is looking for a Johtonian to replace me, so that we would have a good balance within the Elite Four, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. Otherwise, like I said in the interview, I am openly inviting all of you to sit in on the discussions that the committee will be having so that you can provide input as well. You won't get any votes though."
The three of us all nodded, and Lance looked around to see if we had any suggestions.
"And who are the committee going to suggest?" Agatha asked, "Or are we going in blind?"
Lance shrugged, "I don't know either. So yes, we'll find out on the day or close to that. I'll be using my own resources to see if I can find out earlier." Agatha muttered something indecipherable but was probably rude, but Lance pretended he didn't hear anything and looked around to see if we had anything else to say.
Seeing that we all remained silent, he clapped his hands. "Well then, seeing as no one has anything else to say…then you're free to leave. We'll be discussing any future policies that I will be making in the future, but I have taken up enough of your time today with the whole challenge as well, so I'll not hold you any longer. I will be seeing you all later."
As soon as he finished speaking, Agatha released a Gengar and quickly teleported out of the room, with the chair. I shook my head at Agatha's antics and left the room with Walker, Lance staying behind for some reason.
Walker surprisingly spoke up as the two of us were leaving the building.
"John, I would like to apologize to you for your forced exile into Hoenn. It was not my idea, though I will not excuse myself for my complicity, but it was unfair of Pryce to have done so." I raised my eyebrow questioningly, and he continued. "I am not saying this as a last-ditch opportunity to win you over, but simply because I understand that my time in the Elite Four is likely rapidly coming to an end, and I would just like to make amends before that happens." He said solemnly.
I thought over his words for a moment before responding, "…well, thank you for giving an apology, Walker. For what it's worth, I never hated you either. We were just on different political sides, and I understood that whatever animosity was between us wasn't personal. So, thanks again for apologizing, and I am sorry that your time in the Elite Four might be coming to an end. Even if it does, I wish you all best in whatever you end up doing."
He nodded and we remained silent again. We both understood that while I may have forgiven him for his complicity, that doesn't mean that I was about to do anything to stop him from being kicked out. And he understood that too.
Eventually we went our separate ways, and I flew back on Port to make my way home. With Lance now replacing Pryce as Champion, I felt that we had entered a new era for Indigo.
Hopefully one for the better.
A.N. A cameo appearance from Oak! Hope you liked his personality and his reputation. Now that Lance is Champion, we'll be exploring how his leadership will change Indigo.
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