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 – 10-10 – The Beach Episode

Winning against Will meant that we had successfully managed to clear through the first round of the Tournament. And since we were one of the earlier fights to take place, it meant that we had some time off before our next battle. Plus, since we didn't even know who our next opponent would be yet, there was no point in doing any specialised training until then.

After the match ended, I did invite Roxanne for a celebratory meal to congratulate us passing through the first round, but Roxanne apologetically declined.

"I'm sorry, John, but I think I should spend some time with Flannery." She bowed her head, "She seemed upset at her loss–"

"Say no more." I cut her off, "I won't stop you from helping out a friend. Feel free to spend as much time with her as needed. Take your time. I'm sure I can find something else to do."

"Thank you John. Then I'll see you later." She gave me one last farewell wave before she ran off to find Flannery. I watched her slowly fade away into the distance before I also decided to make my way out of Ever Grande City.

Seeing that I had some free time, I thought I might as well make a call to a certain someone that I was dying to spend time with. But just before I could ring her up, I spotted a familiar pair of people chatting idly near the rushing waterfall of Ever Grande City, simply enjoying the early rays of the evening.

It was Giovanni and Norman.

"Hey there!" I greeted, turning their attention towards me, "Long time no see, Norman!"

He looked as stoic as usual, but I could see that his eyes were smiling, "John! It has been a while. And congratulations on your win." We quickly shook hands, "How have you been? I only really hear second hand accounts from your sister."

I rubbed my head sheepishly, "Sorry for not keeping in contact. I don't have any good excuses other than I was busy."

"It's fine, I understand. We all have our own lives to live." He said easily, "Anyways, what a coincidence it is to see you. Giovanni and I were just talking about you."

"Really?" I asked, staring at Giovanni with surprise, "What about me?"

"To be precise, we weren't talking about you specifically. We were actually just talking about, well…actually I was asking Norman about some parenting stuff." Giovanni explained. He tried to maintain his usual calm demeanour, but I could tell that he was a little embarrassed.

"Parenting stuff?" I asked, holding myself back from teasing him. "Are you asking about Silver?"

"He was, but as a fellow father myself I shouldn't say anymore than that." Norman interrupted, though I could tell that he was smiling under that stoic façade of his.

"No, it's fine, it's nothing that John doesn't know already." Giovanni allowed, "Norman just introduced me to his kids the other day since we were partnered up for the Tournament, and I couldn't help but compare them to Silver."

"I'm sure Silver has his own strengths." Norman reassured.

"He does, but he's also much more prone to rowdy behaviour. Your kids are extremely well behaved in comparison." Giovanni said, "And I'm not afraid to admit that Norman is the far better parent between the two of us."

"Whitney thinks your son is polite and well-mannered though." I added comfortingly, "And I don't think he's a troublemaker." Nowhere near his canon self, at least.

He rolled his eyes, "That's your sister's natural charm at work. I don't know how Whitney does it, but Silver is practically as docile as a Slakoth when she's around. Then when she's not there he's back to being a Mankey."

"Well surely he must be putting that energy to good use." I pointed out, "How's his training going?"

"He's really set on becoming a generalist, even though I've warned him how difficult it is." Giovanni said, "I think he got a little too inspired by Cynthia."

"Oh, same here!" Norman spoke up, "Both May and Max, those are my kids by the way, are also looking to become generalist trainers as well. They don't have the interest on being a Normal type trainer like their dad." He frowned playfully.

I grinned, "Well I'm sure Cynthia would be flattered to hear that." Because I was definitely going to tell her.

"I can't say it's a bad thing." Giovanni admitted, "I just hope that I can instil a proper sense of responsibility into Silver before he goes out on his journey. I don't want for him to assume that his father's success means he'll be able to do whatever he wants."

"Ah, that's something I've been drilling into my kids at a young age." Norman nodded, "I didn't really care if they were great trainers or not, though I would certainly hope they could be, but the most important thing for me was that my kids were humble and respectful. Everything else is far harder to teach."

"Mhm. That is very important." I agreed, "Being overly arrogant is a common reason why 'successful' trainers fail."

Giovanni snorted, "I don't think the Blackthorns got that message." Then he sighed, "But I can see what you mean. I think I'll have to talk to Ariana and really start talking to Silver about this."

Norman patted Giovanni on the shoulder, "Chin up, Giovanni. I'm sure many people will be able to help you with Silver if you need it. And, in my eyes, you're already becoming a great parent. You care about Silver, and you want to help him be the best he could be. That's all that's necessary. If you need any more advice, even after this Tournament ends, feel free to call me. My wife and I will be happy to give you some tips."

I nodded, "He's right. And I'm you can always call for help if you need it, even if I'm not a parent myself. Or just call Whitney. She might be more useful." I grinned.

Giovanni smiled, "No offense, but when it comes to calming down my son I'll take your sister over you any day." I chuckled as he turned to Norman and gave off a slight bow, "Nonetheless, I appreciate the offer, and for your kind words. It gladdens me to hear that I'm not failing as a parent."

"It's something every parent worries about. I was no different when my kids were first born. It took my wife giving me a slap on the back for me to steady my nerves." Norman waved off, "Don't stress too much about it. You can always speak to your partner for advice. From my experience, they're always willing to give it."

Then he checked his watch, "Ah, seems like we've idled about for too long."

"Oh right, your match is soon isn't it?" I realised, and they both nodded, "Then I'll leave you to it. I have a call to make too."

"Thanks for coming over for a chat, John." Norman said as we exchanged our goodbyes, "Maybe we can talk more soon!"

I watched the two of them leave for a moment with a pleased smile on my face. Who knew that Giovanni would be talking to Norman about fatherhood of all things? It never failed to surprise me how much he's mellowed out since I first met him.

But now with Norman and Giovanni leaving, I returned to my original purpose and rang up Cynthia.

"Oh my, have you finally remembered me?" Her teasing voice came through the phone.

"Like I would ever forget you." I shot back, smiling as I heard the slight giggle from her, "How have you been? I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."

"No, just got out of a meeting with the other Champions. It wasn't anything important." She told me, "So are you calling to arrange a date? I saw you won with Roxanne. Good job on that."

"Thank you, and I am." I replied, "…It's no fun when you can predict me like this."

"If you had free time and DIDN'T arrange a date with me when we haven't seen each other in some time then I would have been seriously doubting your commitment to this relationship." She said dryly, "Luckily, you're meeting expectations right now."

"Only 'meeting expectations'?" I remarked amusedly with a raised eyebrow, "Surely I'm doing better than that."

"Well we'll have to see what you plan for tomorrow, don't we?" She chuckled, "Where would you like to take me?"

"Dewford Beach." I said immediately, "You snow-loving Sinnohnians need to appreciate something OTHER than the freezing climates you all somehow enjoy so much."

"…Are you sure you're inviting me there with such pure intentions?" She questioned playfully, "Methinks someone is getting a little too excited."

I didn't let her teasing get to me, "I'm not sure what kind of boyfriend I would be if I didn't want to take my girlfriend to the beach." I said boldly, "I might not have been attracted to you purely for your looks, but I'm still a guy. And you are very beautiful."

She broke out laughing, "Flatterer. Okay, you win this round. I thought you'd be more embarrassed."

"You're going to have to do a bit better than that." I grinned, "Anyways, I wasn't lying about wanting you to experience the beaches of Hoenn. I'm sure you will come to love it."

"I think so too." She agreed, "Then let's meet each other at noon tomorrow? I have some stuff to do in the mornings."

"That's fine." I nodded, "And make sure you try to disguise yourself a little. Not because I care about the rumours, but because we won't able to enjoy a private moment together if we get swarmed by reporters. Though, with everyone busy watching the Tournament, I'm confident there will be barely any people there. We'll probably be able to slip by unnoticed, and I'll go double check tomorrow to make sure that's the case."

"Urgh. I hope you're right about that." She grimaced, "Okay, I'll think of something appropriate. It's hard to balance out something inconspicuous while also looking good."

"I'm sure you'll be beautiful no matter what you wear." I slid in smoothly.

"Since when were you such a charmer?" She laughed again, "You must be really looking forward to seeing me."

"Definitely. I'm practically counting down the moments." I replied.

"Then you'll just have to keep counting, because I have meetings tonight that I can't get out of." She told me, "But don't worry. You won't have to count for long; I'll definitely be there tomorrow."

"See you there!" I said to her as we hung up the call. As the call ended, all I could see was the reflection of me sporting a goofy smile staring back at me.

I had a date!

It very quickly turned to the afternoon of the next day and I was already at the beaches of Dewford, waiting for Cynthia to arrive. I had spent some effort on my own appearance, wearing a (what I hoped was) more stylish version of my old tourist getup that I had previously worn on my first trip to Hoenn, with a sleeveless blue jacket with a shirt, long but thin trousers, and a bucket hat.

I waited underneath one of the many umbrellas that the stores around the beach had set up, my eyes darting around as I tried to spot Cynthia. As I had hoped, the beaches of Dewford were practically empty. There was hardly anyone here, and many stores weren't even open today, which gave me confidence that we would be able to enjoy the afternoon sun on the beach in peace.

Looking back at my thoughts from last night in anticipation for this date, I couldn't help but chuckle at my own excitement. Man, I've really fallen for her, haven't I?

"…Aw, it's nice to hear you say that out loud." A beautiful voice came out from behind me, and I turned around to see the exact person I was thinking about standing behind me in a pretty light blue sundress and a large white sunhat with sunglasses perched on top of them. As if that wasn't enough, she was also carrying a yellow umbrella to block out more of the sun.

"I didn't mean to say that out loud, but now I'm glad I did." I smiled, "Also, is it me or does it seem like you've dressed up in a way that makes it look like you're allergic to the sun?"

"It's all part of the disguise; the umbrella helps block out unwanted looks. Or were you hoping to see me wearing a bit less? Sorry, but that isn't what I like to wear." She giggled, and while the thought DID tempt me, I managed to shake my head.

"No, I prefer it this way." I replied firmly and honestly, "Sometimes revealing too much makes you look crass. What you're doing right now is a perfect balance between the two."

I leaned forwards, kissing her briefly on the forehead as I whispered to her, "You look beautiful, Cynthia."

"…You say all the right things." She said, but I could see the slight tinge of red on her cheeks, "Anyways, enough of that. You were right, there really isn't anyone here. Let's walk around this beach that you've hyped up so much."

Her arm wrapped around mine as she pulled me along the beach. I happily let her drag me around.

"You don't have to be coy. We got lucky today – it's a beautiful day." I said as we left footprints in the sand, "Also, hope you're not overwhelmed by the heat. It must be very different from what you're used to."

"The heat can be a bit much. I definitely brought the wrong kind of pyjamas when I packed for Hoenn; that first night here nearly cooked me." She admitted, "But now, in this place? I can see why you like it so much. The bright sun, the beautiful waves, and the slight hint of the light breeze – all of it is just so relaxing."

"Much better than the biting cold of Snowpoint, don't you think?" I smirked, "You can admit to being wrong, you know. I won't hold it against you."

"Haha, very funny." She said dryly, "I admit that the cold is an acquired taste, but there's very much a natural beauty to it that never seems to get old."

"Oh I don't deny that." I replied, "But the inviting warmth of the sun is much easier to find appealing. You can't tell me shivering in the cold is better than this." I gestured to the picturesque scenery around us.

"Too much time in the sun gets you burnt though." Cynthia pointed out, "You don't have that problem with the cold – assuming you dress properly."

"Is that why you've put on as much shade as you can?" I asked, making a show of looking over her sunglasses, hat, and umbrella.

"I don't think being tan suits me." She smiled, "Unless you think otherwise?"

I shook my head, "No, I agree. I prefer how you look now."

"Aw, thanks." She covered her mouth with a hand as she laughed softly, "And likewise, please don't get tanned like those surfer dudes. I was never into that look."

"I'll do my best." I grinned, inwardly glad I put on sunscreen. But then I smelled something really good, "Hey, have you eaten yet? Should we get something to eat – unless you feel like playing around in the water?"

"I'm not dressed appropriately to get wet." She shook her head, "But yes, let's get some food. I'm pretty hungry too."

Since I was the less recognisable one between us, as Cynthia had a far more distinct look than I did, I went to order us both some food from the nearby store – who's delicious cooking had caught my nose. Turns out, it was one of the only few stores that were open today, and the single person running the store told me that many of the storeowners had rushed over to Ever Grande City to try their luck selling food there for the massive crowd of spectators. He was practically the only one left behind.

Once we got our food, which was a rather generous portion of grilled meats meant for sharing, we sat down at one of the empty tables near the waves, just far enough to be out of reach. There was no one around us.

Or at least…there were no humans around us. As a Psyduck waddled up to us with its head in its hands. It leaned forwards, looking like it was begging for food.

Cynthia immediately began cooing over it.

"Looks like a wild Psyduck to me." I said amusedly as Cynthia happily handed over some food. The Psyduck smiled wildly as it nibbled on its snack, "Wow, it really likes you."

The smile never left her mouth, "It's been like this since I was young. I have no idea why, but Psyduck seem to love me." She sniffed herself, "Is it the way I smell? But whatever it is – I seem to attract Psyduck like a magnet."

"Could be worse. At least the Psyduck are friendly to you. Better friendly than hostile." I said as I watched her continue to pet the Psyduck on the head. It seemed to love the attention.

"True, but I'm still curious as to why I seem to be so favoured by them." She sighed softly, "But I guess that's one of the many mysteries of life that will remain unanswered."

Then her eyes whirled onto mine, "Speaking of Pokémon, don't think I'm about to overlook the fact that your D-Linoone just evolved into a new form yesterday. What was that?!"

I chuckled, raising both arms in surrender. "It was a surprise for me too! I definitely didn't expect that to happen."

"Have you had an opportunity to test out its new capabilities?" She asked, returning to the academic that I knew she was. "Or at least, what's the name of your new evolution?"

"Not yet, my mind was on this date. But his new form is called an Obstagoon." I replied. "I already promised that I'll do more testing later on."

"Hmm…'Obstagoon'…another mystery to figure out." She hummed, "Let me know if you need my help with that. I always love examining new Pokémon."

I nodded, "Speaking of mysteries, you really have to join me and Drake down once we go cave diving in Sinnoh again." I said, "It wouldn't be the same without you."

She smiled, "I'll try, but I'm really not sure if I can make time for it." That was what she said, but her eyes told a different story. She was just as eager as I was.

"Then make time for it." I replied simply, pushing her just a little more, "Pass on the work to Lucian or something. He can handle it for a day or two."

The grin that appeared on her face told me that my persuasion worked, "What a wonderful suggestion. I forgot I could do that."

I chuckled, "What's the point of being Champion if you can't abuse your power for petty things like this from time to time?"

"Well I'd feel bad for Lucian if I did this too often, but I guess the slacking occasionally can't be that bad…" Then she gasped dramatically, "John! Are you corrupting me?!"

I raised my hands, "I'm just offering reasonable suggestions. It's up to you if you want to follow through with it."

Then I lowered my voice, "But don't let Lance hear about this. The last thing I want is for him to dump his work on me."

She smirked, "We'll see about that…though, speaking of Lance, aren't you planning on fighting him after the finals?"

"IF I reach it, yes, that's the plan." I confirmed.

She rolled her eyes, "You better get to those finals. I want you to beat Lance. It's about time that you prove to the world that you are a Champion in all but name."

"I think I already have that reputation." I replied, trying not to be too smug.

She nodded, "Yes, but a victory over Lance would confirm it." She placed on of her hands gently on my cheek, "And as your partner, why wouldn't I want you to be recognized like that? Let the world see you like I do."

"And it's not just that. If you do beat Lance, that would be an excellent moment to make a formal announcement of our relationship to the public." She added, "After all, with such a decisive achievement of strength, who would doubt you? Who would challenge you?"

I placed my hand on top of the one touching my cheek as I gently caressed her smooth hands, "…I actually had a similar thought. Plus, it would be even better if we made the announcement together, after you ALSO win against the remaining candidates of the Top 3. Our double victory will serve as the momentum for the announcement."

A joint announcement on the back of convincing victories like that, and on top of Cynthia's newest ascension to Champion, was a powerful show of force to win public opinion to our side. Of course we would have to do more than just that to show the public that we weren't letting our relationship get in the way of our duties, but it would be a great start to having our relationship be accepted by the public.

After all, strength spoke volumes in our society.

"Speaking of which, this can't be something you drop on the Sinnoh Elite Four out of the blue." I pointed out, "They will have to be informed about this too."

"I will speak to Lucian first." She confirmed, "We'll hash out the details between us to 'keep things fair' regarding our relationship, so to speak. Although, I already have an idea on what to propose to him…"

Cynthia then explained her plans to me, which mirrored my own arrangement with Lance. As Champion, she would be voluntarily limiting her own voting power when it came to bilateral deals with Indigo to that of an Elite Four. Therefore, she would still have voting power, but she couldn't dominate the vote like she usually would as a Champion.

In essence, the Sinnoh Elite Four would serve as a judge of her objectiveness for any deals regarding Indigo. So if there was a situation where she was obviously biased, she couldn't force the League into going through with a deal that they didn't want as the Elite Four would cancel out her vote. However, so long as the Elite Four remained supportive of her position, then deals could still easily pass through the Committee as the Elite Four would vote alongside her.

It was a sacrifice, but one she told me she was happily willing to make for our relationship to work – echoing her previous words to me when we exchanged confessions. However, she reassured me that the sacrifice wasn't as big as it may first seem, because she was confident that she could keep the Elite Four on her side, nullifying any drawbacks of her reduced voting power for bilateral Indigo-related proposals.

I approved of her ideas, even if it wasn't a foolproof solution. Yet, since there had never been a cross-region relationship between two high-ranking members of the League, there was no precedent for what needed to be done when one happened.

I hoped that, on top of my own announcement that I wouldn't be participating in votes regarding Sinnoh, we could get the drop on any accusations of bias before they could begin.

Cynthia and I agreed that it was vital for us to set the tone for our relationship to the public. The benefit of this succeeding was that it paved the way for other cross-regional relationships between high-ranking public officials to occur, potentially leading to future relationships like ours to crop up as well.

Of course, a lot of this hinged on our abilities to keep up our reputation and our favourability in the public's eye. We needed to remain competent, strong, and effective in our positions DESPITE our relationship.

It wasn't going to be easy, but that didn't mean we wouldn't damn well try. I still held firmly onto that promise in Sinnoh that we would both do everything to make this work – and Cynthia clearly was no different.

And our double victory in the Tournament would go a long way in helping that.

"Then I guess I just have to win, don't I?" I said with a smirk, and she grinned along with me.

Her smile was stunning. And our eyes met each other's once again as the gentle, seaside winds caressed our faces.

Before I knew it, all I could see and feel were Cynthia's beautiful grey eyes staring into mine, and how beautiful her hair seemed to frame her face.

My hands moved on their own accord, grabbing her lightly by the shoulders and pulling her into me. She allowed it, leaning into me as she guided our lips together. And then I was overwhelmed with that sensually soft sensation of her lips on mine.

It was all I could feel. Not the breezy winds of Dewford, not the inviting seas, not even the sounds of the nearby squawks and cries of a few wild Pokémon. Just her lips.

Her words of encouragement and her faith in me never failed to stir up my attraction to her. This kiss was meant to be for her sake – but right now, I wasn't sure who the reward was supposed to be for.

We stayed like that for a moment with our lips clasped together. But all moments, no matter how beautiful, had to come to an end. And our lips eventually broke apart.

I stared at Cynthia, who was still smiling softly with a faint blush on her cheeks, "…Let's keep walking around before we draw too many prying eyes." The beach might be mostly empty, but I'd rather not take too many risks with our romantic displays of affection – especially now that we had a plan on how we would be publicly revealing our relationship.

Cynthia nodded and allowed me to drag her around the beach. Neither of us talked, simply enjoying the presence of the other as we walked around the beach hand-in-hand.

It was only after a moment that Cynthia spoke up again, "So do you have any plans on how to beat Lance's Emperor? Can you even plan around such a beast?"

"Tyrant isn't much of a cunning fighter, even if he can be quite versatile." I replied, "But I know our battle is going to be down to a brawl."

She nodded in agreement, "I don't see how it would play out any other way with the two of you. But…"

"Go on. I'm listening." I encouraged.

"Well…if I were you, then I would try to get in Lance's head. Everyone knows he's very reliant on outpowering his opponent, so is there a way you can use that against him? Or would it best to try to match that strength? If the fight is going to end up being a brawl, then is there any way for you to try to swing that brawl into your favour? Is there any strategy that Lance likes to use that you can turn around on him? Those are just some of the questions I'd think about."

I already thought of that, but I appreciated her words nonetheless, "Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind." I said to her.

"…Though, I actually thought you were about to ask me to fight you again." I smirked.

"Not today." She shook her head, "Besides, we might get the opportunity after your battle against Lance, should you win."

"Hopefully," I nodded, "Oh, now that we're on the topic, do you think you could beat Lance in a fight?"

"6v6 or ace vs ace?" Cynthia asked.

"Either or." I replied.

She took a moment to think, "…From what I've seen of him, I think I do have a chance to win in a 6v6 fight. It definitely won't be easy though." She explained, "But if it's a duel between starters, then I most likely lose."

"My Garchomp may be many things, but Lance has taken the idea of 'brute strength' to a completely different level." Cynthia muttered, "It's the same as your Slaking. I don't have any intention on pitting my Pokémon against either of your two monsters. My only chance of winning would be to wear them down slowly overtime and fight very smartly..."

"Do you think you could do it?" I asked.

"…Maybe, but it'd be a very narrow thing." She answered slowly, "Garchomp might be faster than your Slaking or Lance's Dragonite, but my Garchomp is definitely not as strong. One mistake, and I lose. And that doesn't include any other tricks you both might pull out."

"Still, that doesn't mean I will lose outright." Her eyes gleamed with that familiar sense of competitive conviction, "If you end up beating Lance, then there should be no reason why I couldn't either."

"Glad to hear it." I said with a proud smile. I always loved hearing that determination in her voice.

It was then that I realized, as we were distracted by the conversation, we ended up wandering close to the bright blue ocean. I watched as the waves extended close to our legs – without Cynthia noticing – before receding away.

A playful idea came to my head. While Cynthia remained distracted, I waited carefully for the tide to come in once again before I suddenly yanked Cynthia right into the oncoming waves.

"…H-Hey! What are you-WOAH!" Cynthia exclaimed in surprise as I dragged the two of us in the water, our feet making a splash for each step we took into the ocean.

"I'm not dressed for this!" She complained while inspecting her now soaked sundress. Her eyes whirled tome as she glared, but there was no heat in it.

I just laughed, "What kind of person doesn't enter the water when they go to the beach?" I cupped a handful of water and splashed her again, eliciting a loud shriek from her, "You should have known this from the start!" To add insult to injury I splashed her again.

"–YOU! That's it." She kneeled into the water, ignoring how that only caused her dress to become more soaked, "You asked for it!" Then she hurled a large handful of water at me.

But she didn't stop there, ignoring all sense of dignity as she her hands continued to fling more and more water at me. The water soaked me from head to toe, but I didn't mind it one bit. Cynthia's wide smile told me everything I needed to know.

And as I took a glimpse of my own reflection in the clear blue seas, as the afternoon sun shone over our heads, I could see that I was smiling too.

A.N. This chapter was a long time coming. With Cynthia and John finally having some free time to spend together, it was only natural that they would go on a date. I also wanted to make use of this opportunity to discuss how their relationship would go moving forwards. I hope you enjoyed the interactions!

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!