The New Normal – 11-10 – Interlude – Koga
Pride and glory were normally concepts that he cared little for. He did not disdain or abhor them; they simply did not take up much of his own thoughts during his day-to-day life. He had taken up his duties as a Gym Leader because he saw it as his obligation to do so, not for any personal glory or sense of accomplishment.
However, he would be lying if he said that he was entirely devoid of pride or ambition.
Koga stared out of the window as he idly gazed at the sights of Fuschia. Its traditions. Its history. Its culture. Despite hardly being the most prosperous of all the cities in Kanto, Fuschia City had its own unique appeal in the fact that it was still one of the most traditional and culturally wealthy cities in the region. With Lavender Town being its only 'rival' in this respect.
Yet he had heard rumours that Lavender Town was going to be under new management soon, one that desired to revitalise the sleepy town into one with more modern aesthetics. For better and for worse.
Koga never considered himself to be one of those hardcore and stubborn traditionalists who would decry and denounce any attempt to change the status quo. No, he understood that change was an inevitable aspect of life, and there was no use trying to stubbornly refuse it.
At the same time, he was someone that still appreciated and loved many traditions of the past. He thought that there was a unique beauty in celebrating the past and preserving their culture, though not to the point of obsession.
Yet he understood that his perspective was one that was growing increasingly rare in this day and age. With the downfall of Pryce and his group of lackeys, and the collapse of the traditionalists in Sinnoh, it wasn't difficult to see why there were an increasing number of people that had taken to view anyone who considered themselves to be a 'traditionalist' in a negative light.
Nor did Koga blame them. He was also disgusted and frankly appalled at the sheer level of stupidity of the actions that were taken in the name of 'preserving their history', especially from Sinnoh. Who tries to stubbornly keep their own borders closed when it's clear that the public all want otherwise?
So it was no wonder that the public of Kanto and Johto – or perhaps it was Indigo nowadays – would be so taken with the successes that John had achieved. The changes that he introduced, and his willingness to embrace a more unified world, had been dazzling to many.
He didn't disagree, especially not after seeing the myriad of positive changes and benefits that these policies have blessed their region with. Koga knew that part of the reason why the other Gym Leaders didn't make a fuss with supporting John's new proposal was because they had been busy reaping the benefits of all his success.
After all, it was far easier to come across as a popular and well-liked Gym Leader if the economy was doing well.
However, it seemed like John's desire to create change and to craft the world of their vision had unintentionally created the side effect of leaving behind – or even bulldozing over – some of the more traditional aspects of their culture and society.
He could imagine the day that the Fushcia City that he knew from birth was renovated to become something like New Mauville – a modernised yet 'soulless' new shopping mall. The culture and rich history of his beloved city would be all but forgotten should that happen.
That thought unsettled him.
This was why he had been in talks with a few of his fellow Gym Leaders and other prominent individuals from Kanto and Johto alike. Most importantly, he had spoken with Gym Leader Erika and the Kimono Girls from Ecruteak City. The latter were a surprisingly outspoken political voice of Ecruteak, and were considered to be one of the major powers behind the running of the city.
They all shared his ideas of wanting to preserve the traditions and cultures of Indigo. Not to the point of stifling all further progress, but just enough so that the traditions of the past wouldn't be forgotten amidst all of the changes that were being implemented.
However, Koga knew that, from his position as a Gym Leader, he wouldn't have the influence or power necessary to ensure that his treasured traditions could be protected. He considered John a friend, especially thanks to his sister's closeness with his daughter, but purely soft power might not be enough.
No, he knew that if he wanted to make a difference – to prove to the world that not all traditionalists needed to be painted with the same negative brush – then he needed to be more than just a Gym Leader.
He needed to join the Elite Four.
But if he was going to challenge the Elite Four, he needed to be able to beat one of their members. Issuing an official challenge to John was obviously out of the question; there were easier ways to be humiliated in front of a massive crowd than to fight him.
He had heard that Agatha was on the way out. And considering that she had her apprentice tearing through the Indigo Conference, he could pretty much figure out her intentions. He respected her enough to not try to disrupt her plans; not that he realistically could.
So that just left Lorelei and Will. On paper, it would make more sense for him to challenge Lorelei. She was considered the weaker trainer, though he doubted that was still the case, and she didn't have such an obvious Type advantage against him.
However, Will was untested, and prone to arrogance. He knew that Will had tempered some of his showboating in recent times, but Koga knew as well as anyone did how difficult it was to change one's innate nature. Pride was a difficult thing to quash. And it was that innate pride that he intended to exploit.
Lorelei was naturally more cautious, and she might be more alert to the surprises that he had in mind.
It was unfortunate that Will was knocked out in the first round of the Tournament. Had he done better, Koga would have had more opportunities to properly study his team. Yet from what he saw from Will's performance, he knew that it would still be a difficult fight, but one that was very much winnable.
And in the worst case scenario, should he lose to Will, he still had another opportunity to challenge Lorelei in a few months' time as well. His plans were not so urgent that they needed to be enacted immediately.
Thinking about the future, Koga closed his eyes and let out a minute sigh. He knew that joining the Elite Four meant leaving the Gym to Janine's young hands. Obviously, she wouldn't be expected to handle the Gym alone, and he had a trusted group of subordinates that could basically run the Gym in his place and assist and support her in the case of his departure. She would not have to manage the Gym by herself.
However, had she been alone like she used to be a year ago, then he would have never considered leaving the Gym to her hands so quickly. Previously, he knew how much his daughter idolised him, and wished to follow in his footsteps – to the detriment of everything else. She was isolated and friendless, and he feared that making her a Gym Leader too soon would only further isolate her from forming potential friendships.
No father wanted that for their daughter.
Yet now, he had seen her friendships with Whitney and Sabrina. He had seen how close the trio were with each other, and how they always took some time at night to speak to each other. He had seen how the trio all worked together to push themselves and each other to become better. He had seen how his daughter smiled happily every time she spoke to him about her new friends.
No, she wasn't alone any longer. And even if she were to take up the reins of the Gym, those bonds of friendship would never be broken. She would not remain isolated and friendless as he once feared. Therefore, he felt confident that he could safely leave the Gym to her capable hands.
And allow him to focus on his ascension into the Elite Four.
A.N. We haven't had a Koga perspective before, but it's finally time for him to take the stage. He was an Elite Four in canon, and I wanted to underline a few of his inner thoughts about why he chose to join it. We have another challenger incoming! I hope you enjoyed!
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