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 – 11-10 – Collecting Gym Leaders

Despite whatever feelings we had for each other, Pryce and I kept up the façade of being friends in front of the cameras for long enough to achieve our political objectives. After my conversation and 'photoshoot' with Pryce, I had gone to visit Giovanni to make sure that everything was in place for the announcement of my proposal.

He told me to make sure that Blaine and Clair would be on board and informed in advance, and also to ensure those visits were public enough so that the public would know that I was looking to obtain their support. But besides that, he relayed his own thoughts to me once last time.

"I truthfully do not believe that just by simply making Gym Leaders appointable from either Kanto or Johto will somehow override the many years of grudges that are ingrained within them." He stated to me, "However, after thinking things through carefully, I can agree that even foreign appointees wouldn't dare sabotage their own city just for some 'regional benefit'. No, they wouldn't dare do such a thing as they would never benefit from it. In that sense, I can trust in their self-interest to keep them from making a mess of things."

"Still, I will not allow my optimism to overcome my cautiousness. Whoever is appointed as the first foreign Gym Leader will be under intense scrutiny to ensure that they can live up to the very high standards expected of Gym Leaders. I will expect them to be indistinguishable from a regular Kanto Gym Leader." He continued, "It is going to be a long road before the idea of having a 'foreign' Gym Leader is normalised, even after the first one is appointed, so I hope for your sake that those foreign Gym Leaders that do get selected in the future are competent in their duties. We don't need a repeat of what happened to Flint. If not, well I fear that your project might be burned to the ground."

"And if I have the power to discuss the selection of future Gym Leaders, then I promise to keep that in mind." I nodded, "I know the risks."

"Good. Then you don't need to hear anymore from me." He stood up from his chair, "Now, let's make sure that the reporters get the photo we want to show them."

I smirked, and followed after him.

The next day, pictures of me shaking hands with both Giovanni and Pryce with smiling faces could be found all over the more political-focused news articles as they speculated about what my plans were for the future of Indigo. Obviously, many understood that I wasn't just running around the place for no reason – especially with someone that many saw was my 'former enemy' in Pryce.

Still, many praised what they deemed a 'reconciliation' between the two of us, as it was well-known that I had a big part to play in deposing Pryce from his position as Champion.

That clued people in that something was big in the works, and many in Indigo were holding their breath to see what I'd be coming up with. With that in mind, I didn't waste the opportunity that was presented to me. I quickly made visits to both Blaine and Clair at the Cinnabar and Blackthorn Gym respectively, obviously in full view of the public.

Since I knew Clair would be going on with my plans, my visit to her Gym was merely a formality and was mostly done for PR purposes. Lance had already confirmed that she was onboard with the idea, and I knew that she wouldn't gainsay his plans.

Still, I spent a little time to catch up with her, "You know, we haven't spoken much. Which is odd considering that I'm good friends with Lance."

She shrugged, "We just don't really see each other. Nothing more to it."

"I suppose so." I agreed, then something popped into my mind that I had to ask about, "Say – I've always been curious about something, and you don't have to answer it if you aren't comfortable, but why aren't you in the Elite Four? Or at least made the attempt to join it? With your strength, I'd say that your admittance would be a real possibility. Especially when Walker was still around."

"You had every chance to take him out and replace him, so I'm curious as to why you didn't." I asked, "But of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to—"

"It's fine, it's a good question." She waved me off, "And you're right – I certainly have the strength to blast away any of the Elite Four that stood in my way." I doubted that, but I knew Clair was prideful, so I kept my silence, "The simple answer is that it wasn't in the interests of the Blackthorn clan for me to join the Elite Four since Lance was, at the time, already a member of the Elite Four."

"But what about now?" I pressed, "Lance is Champion now. You could have taken up his old spot."

"True, but then it wouldn't be in my interest to do so." She responded, "I know the reputation that I have. That I am merely playing second fiddle to my more exceptional cousin. Truth be told, despite the common perception of Blackthorns and their pride, a Dragon knows when to bow to a superior Dragon. My cousin has proven himself to be the Dragon of the Blackthorn clan, and so it is only natural for me to submit to his authority."

"However, if I were to join the Elite Four, that would be all I could be – a subordinate of Lance, and nothing more." She continued, "Yet if I were to remain as a Gym Leader, I would still have my own autonomy – my own power – that would be separate from his. This way, our roles do not overlap, and we each have our own specialty."

"Ah, that makes sense. Thank you – that makes things much more clear." I nodded, "So you personally don't have a problem with what I'm proposing? With having Gym Leaders be appointable from either region?"

She snorted dismissively, "And since when do Dragons concern themselves with the affairs of others?" She crossed her arms, "My primary concern is with the Blackthorn clan and its Gym, and little else. Your proposal does not affect those interests, so I do not see why I should stand opposed against it when my cousin is supportive of it. Naturally, I will back him, and I am more concerned about maintaining my position as the strongest of the Gym Leaders."

I…very much doubt she was, but I definitely needed to keep my mouth shut about that.

"Of course, had you proposed this matter a year ago, then it would have been a different matter entirely as the elders still were in control of the Blackthorn clan." She then revealed a wry smirk, "In fact, I imagine that they would probably be screaming their heads off in rage once they heard of your proposal. For a Kantonian to be meddling in the affairs of Johto's Gyms, which they see as within their zone of influence, they would rage and shout like they did when you revealed the Fairy Type, and probably make a big mess of things like the fools that they are."

"However, Lance has them now cowed and silenced, and the direction of the clan has shifted drastically from what it used to be." She stated, "While I won't get into the affairs of the Blackthorn here, just know that whatever Lance says, they will begrudgingly follow."

There was definitely more of a story there, but I didn't feel like asking more since I had already asked quite a few personal questions already.

"I see, well I suppose that's just a good thing for me." I said, "Thanks again for your support. With you and Pryce on board, I'm confident things will turn out well."

With that, our meeting was wrapped up, and like I had done previously the two of us stepped out of the Gym and shook hands for the cameras before I was off once again to Cinnabar Island to visit Blaine.

As I arrived, Blaine and I spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries and catching up with each other before we dove into more serious topics.

"I see you've been heading around shaking hands with people in the news." He eyed me critically, "Normally, that's none of my business. But now you're here in front of me, and I can tell from your eyes that you want something from me. So – what do you want my help with that you'd even get Pryce to assist you with?"

"I have a proposal in the works, and I'm just making sure that I have the support necessary so that it passes. Since it involves the Gym Leaders directly, I've been gathering support." I explained.

"Hmph. And since you even went out of your way to speak with Pryce of all people, am I correct in saying that your ideas are going to be quite ambitious?" He asked.

"You'd be correct." I nodded, "I'm looking to have Gym Leaders be appointable from either region…" And I proceeded to lay out my plans to Blaine in full, including who I had already brought onboard to support this idea of mine.

"…And so, with all that in mind, there will likely be a vote that would involve all of the Gym Leaders, and I hope to have your vote when that happens." I finished.

"Eh, I don't particularly care either way." He exclaimed dismissively, "As long as your plans don't affect the budget I get for my research, or tell me what I can or cannot do as a Gym Leader, then I don't really care about what you end up proposing."

I nodded; that was about what I had expected and hoped Blaine's reaction would be. He always seemed to care more about his personal research than anything else. Honestly, the political back-and-forth between us was thankfully short, as Blaine didn't seem super interested in the politics behind it.

His sole concern was to ensure that the future foreign Gym Leader would meet the high standards expected of him, but I successfully reassured him that any future foreign appointments would be judged by his fellow Kanto Gym Leaders.

Of course, with the political discussion wrapped up, he was quick to badger me about his latest science project – which he was far more enthusiastic about.

Like we had agreed previously, once we had finished up on the Electirizer project, we had moved away with creating more evolution items like this. But knowing Blaine, he would just be moving on to his next project.

"I'm actually working with a few scientists from Sinnoh, and I don't mean Volkner." He told me, which took me by surprise, "It's been interesting working on something other than evolution items for once, as right now I'm currently focusing on seeing if I can help them rediscover any new Pokémon using your PIT Technique. You could say it really lit a flame in me. Hah!"

I groaned as he chuckled as his own joke.

"It's been unique working with archaeologists – it's nice to be able to have some idea and direction for where you want to go." He continued, "Having certain descriptions of Pokémon that used to exist in the past means that I'm not going into this completely blind when trying to see if a certain Pokémon has an alternate type or not."

"I assume you're focused on the Fire types?" I asked, "If you can say, what are you working towards at the moment?"

"Eh, it's hardly a secret anyways between you and me." He waved me off and gestured to a few plans that he had written on a whiteboard, "According to the descriptions that they provided, they believe that there was evidence that Growlithe used to exist in 'Hisuian' times. They weren't able to give complete descriptions, obviously, but there is some evidence to suggest that these Growlithe aren't like the Growlithe we have now."

"Dual type?" I suggested.

"Most likely so, and one part should be Fire type, since they were usually located around more volcanic regions." He confirmed, "Currently I'm working on a Rock and Fire type Growlithe because it seemed logical to me for volcanic rock to have an effect on Growlithe. I've already prepped an egg, though I can't show it to you."

Wow, he was on the right track already. How fortunate for him, "That's fine, you don't need to show me."

"That's not the only thing I've been working on." He added, "There are also other PIT techniques that I've been looking into simultaneously, though I've not made as much progress on those ones just yet. Oh, by the way, have you seen the sale numbers for the Magmarizers recently? They've been doing really well…"

Blaine and I chatted about a few more topics for a little while longer, but eventually I had to leave because I still had a few other Gym Leaders to speak with. Still, with Blaine's 'support', I had now secured another influential member amongst the Gym Leaders to back my new proposal.

Since it was late by the time I left Blaine's, I waited until the next day before I returned to my support gathering. I started early in the morning, and I made sure to visit every single Gym, even those who I knew were unlikely to accept my proposal, just to make sure it didn't look like I was neglecting everyone.

Such as Surge, who remained polite with me, but admitted to me that he found it difficult to accept Johto Gym Leaders in Kanto.

"I know you mean well by it, son, but it just doesn't sit right with me." He told me with a frown, "I've not been blind to your achievements, but you gotta understand that there's history between our two regions that isn't so easily washed over. I ain't saying you're wrong to push for this, and I trust you have our best interests at heart, but my instincts can't agree with your proposal."

I nodded understandingly; Surge had unconsciously mirrored exactly what Giovanni warned me about how some might feel. That was fine, I knew I would never get an unanimous agreement.

Yet, when I spoke to the other Gym Leaders, I realised that many of them didn't have any particularly strong feelings one way or the other. Of course, that didn't mean they had no concerns, and a few had asked me why I was so insistent on going down this path of change and reform.

I gave them all the same answer, "It is because I've come to know Gym Leaders to be good people. To be leaders that are worthy of the public's trust and respect. Even if there are the rare bad apple amongst you, such as with Flint, I am confident that most of you are responsible and well-meaning enough to pick up the slack."

"And you've proven your determination and sense of responsibility time and time again. When Team Rocket momentarily terrorised our region, did you not step up to help where you could? When the PSS crisis happened, did the Gym Leaders not all put in tireless hours and offer aid beyond their own cities to ensure that order was reinstalled as quickly as possible? When the Circuit comes around, do you not put in extra effort to ensure that your Gym is as prepared as it could be, just to give all those young trainers the best experience possible?"

"It is because of your previous actions that have given me the confidence to push this proposal through. Gym Leaders in Indigo have proven to live up to their lofty titles, and so I feel that, even if a foreign Gym Leader were to become a Gym Leader, it would not cause any harm. Because, even in the worst case, I trust that you will be able to police your own."

That statement of trust got me a few thankful smiles, and combined with the public agreement of Blaine, Clair, Pryce, and Giovanni, that had swayed many to agree to this test run.

Of course, I didn't just chat politics with all of them, and I made sure to use the opportunity to catch up with the Gym Leaders that I was close with.

"If you want our support, then you need to participate in another one of our water shows in the future!" Daisy Waterflower jokingly told me, "You've only performed the once! The more the better!"

"…Surely there are others more suited than me." I chuckled awkwardly, "I don't think I have the talent for this."

"Eh, it's all about showing off the unity of Cerulean." Daisy said, "The more events we do with you, the more the public can see that the leadership of Cerulean City is of one mind and is friendly with each other. It's good for everyone."

"Don't say that like you thought of it, sis." Violet teased, "You're just repeating what Petrel told you."

"Shut up!" She blushed, which got a chuckle from me.

"Well I can't deny that." I nodded with a smile, "I'm going to be busy for a bit, but I'll promise I'll get back to you on that."

"Please let us try something with your Zoroark." Violet pleaded, "Could you imagine just how useful having illusions would be in our performances?"

"We once experimented with Kecleon, but it's just not the same since it can only change its own colour." Lily nodded, "But we saw your Zoroark in action – it can form illusions of more than it just itself. It's practically the perfect Pokémon to create a dazzling performance."

"I…never thought of it like that. I only really cared about the battling implications." I admitted, "But I can see why he'd be so desired."

"Yeah, and this would be the perfect opportunity to show off the beauty of fossils as well." Daisy added.

"…Wait, fossils? Do you have one on you?" I asked confusedly.

"Yep! Drake got us one as a gift! Check it out!" She tossed out a Pokéball to reveal a Kabuto. "Drake said it was a reward for our hard work in the Tournament. We insisted that he didn't need to, but he was too stubborn."

Heh. Even under all that gruff, Drake couldn't hide his niceness.

"That's very nice of him." I said, smiling.

"It was! We wanted to get him something back but we didn't know what to get him." Daisy frowned, "He already told us he wouldn't want to receive another Pokémon because he doesn't have time to train up another with his new Gible, so we're kinda lost on what we should gift him."

"Then perhaps all he wants is your friendship." I suggested, "Despite how he is, I know he'd appreciate if you stayed in contact with him. That might be enough for now, and if you ever think of a proper gift for him then you could get that for him as well."

"…Yeah, that might be all we can do for now." The trio of sisters nodded, "Misty did say that she wanted to visit Drake in Hoenn after he left – so maybe we can make a trip of that in the future."

Besides the Waterflower sisters, I had also chatted with Brock and caught up with him. Honestly, I had heard quite a bit from Karen already during our casual conversations, but it was nice to see that he was doing much better. He had told me that he was still receiving quite a lot of informal support from Karen and Agatha, but he was doing his best to not be dependent on them.

Still, while I didn't say this out loud, my recent repeated mentions of Flint as the 'bad example' of a Gym Leader reminded me that the bastard was still hiding away from his family, and I considered for a moment if I should ask Brock if he wanted his father found, but ultimately chose to keep my silence.

This was none of my business, and it wasn't my place to ask. I just trusted that Brock would resolve things himself.

With all of the politicking done, I returned home and spoke with Lance and confirmed that I had received the support from a majority of the Gym Leaders. With that, he told me he'd be making preparations to put the proposal before the Committee as soon as possible.

"Needless to say, you've already done most of the hard work after convincing most of the Gym Leaders to join your side." He explained to me, "The news is already bursting with anticipation about what you're going to be announcing. I don't think there will be a better moment than this."

So I left him with the preparations as I intended to relax for the night. However, just before dinner began with my parents, there was a knock on the door. Someone had delivered a package – and I suspect I knew who.

This was my girlfriend's mysterious gift to me, and it was large box with the word 'Fragile' stamped onto it.

Under the watchful eyes of my parents, I carefully unwrapped and opened up the box, and my eyes widened as I saw what was within. Or rather, the many things that were within.

First and foremost was a large certificate that labelled me as an honorary member and explorer of the Celestic Town Research Centre, with a badge containing the same qualification. There was also a letter included which explained that, in light of my aid in helping the Research Centre with making some significant discoveries, they wanted to award this to me as thanks for my contributions. The letter also explained that this was a decision made unanimously by the many researchers and explorers working there, and not a decision made unilaterally by Cynthia.

That was touching. Previously, I relied on my connection with Cynthia to even stay at the Research Centre. But now, this was proof that I had made some friends amongst the people there, and despite not being there for a very long time, I had earned their respect and trust. They said that they were always willing to have me over if I ever came to Sinnoh.

In practical terms, that meant that I was allowed free reign to stay at their facilities – even without Cynthia's invitation. Not that I would stay there without telling her, but it was the thought that counted. I was also allowed to delve into their caves independently, though they still recommended that I bring a group just in case.

And, more importantly for my parents, I had gotten my own title – 'Honorary Explorer'. For someone that didn't have much of a formal education in my youth due to my parents' poverty, this was very meaningful for them. As parents, I knew that academic recognition was something they valued, and this was practically that, even if it was mostly ceremonial. It obviously wasn't as important as me getting into the Elite Four, but I could feel their proud and relieved gazes on me when they stared at the certificate.

"If you ever step down from the Elite Four, maybe you could work there as a backup." My dad jokingly said to me, "That is, if you don't want to immediately join up with the family business."

"I don't have any plans on stepping down anytime soon, but it's nice to have that option open." I agreed.

Other than that, the box also contained a framed photograph of me at the forward base speaking with a few of the scientists during our expedition to find the Icicle Plate. Drake was also in the photo, though he was in the background. The back of the photo was signed by a lot of people who were also a part of that expedition, with more words of thanks for helping them find the Icicle Plate.

I had insisted to them at the time that it was a team effort, but I guess they still wanted to show their appreciation.

Still, with my parents' insistence, the certificate was immediately hung straight in the middle of our living room, next to all the other memorable photos that we had taken. It was placed next to the photo of me at my swearing in ceremony when I had first become an Elite Four. The other photo with me talking to the scientists was kept in my room. The fact that it was signed made it more personal.

So as I laid down in bed that day, I made sure to thank Cynthia and tell her to pass on my appreciation to all those people the Research Centre for the wonderful gift. I also sent her some money for her to buy a crate of alcohol on my behalf for everyone as a sort of 'late celebration' gift for finding the Icicle Plate.

That got a few laughs out of her, as she promised that she'd make sure that no one got too blackout drunk.

All this was just a reminder that, despite all of the politics that I was doing where I was trying to shape the future of Indigo, sometimes the small things mattered too. Yes, I had helped the people at the Research Centre make some big discoveries, but if I had been rude or had lorded my status over them during my time there, or had I ignored them completely in favour of Cynthia, I doubt they would have taken the time to put together this heartfelt gift.

And that meant just as much as my new proposal did.

A.N. A very heavy conversation based chapter, but I wanted to make sure I properly laid down the foundations for such a big policy being implemented. It also serves as a catching up with a few Gym Leaders.

At the same time, despite all of the politics, I wanted to highlight that interpersonal relationships and just being a nice and friendly person to people who might not be 'politically important' can mean just as much. Like I mentioned in the chapter, despite all his big goals, I'm sure that John values the gift that he got just as much.

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!