Chapter 15

The Viridian Tower had a ballroom called the Evergreen Pavilion. It resembled the ballroom of an actual palace, with its intricately designed walls, chandeliers, and curtains, all of which were predominantly green. The Evergreen Pavilion was a popular location for events, hosted by Viridian Tower management, residents, and even outside people and organizations. Leaf, of course, had attended some of these events in the past, but tonight was the first time the space was booked purely for her.

It was her birthday. Her seventeenth, to be exact.

How does it feel to be seventeen? Her parents had asked when they called her this morning.

Chaos. It felt like chaos.

All day, final preparations had to be done for the big party. The sound and lights were tested multiple times. The tables were set, not just with utensils but also flowers and name cards. Green and white balloons were blown. Leaf had to rehearse her speech, and her waltz with President Ken at the end of the night. She was not looking forward to that.

At 6PM, the guests rolled in. They were all important figures: the Elite Four, the Gym Leaders, politicians, celebrities. Leaf could easily count the number of times she'd met most of them. They gave their gifts to a worker and wished her a happy birthday before sitting at their assigned tables.

Mom and Dad arrived. Mom wore the only formal dress she owned, a burgundy lace one with three tiers. Dad wore a black suit that Leaf was pretty sure he wore to important work meetings. Leaf gave them a big hug. When was the last time she'd done that?

"Happy Birthday again, my treasure," Mom said. "You look beautiful."

Leaf was wearing an emerald, strapless satin gown. It made her feel like she was wrapped in bedsheets, though not in a bad way. Her accessories, however, were very obviously chosen by Tasha. She wore a pearl necklace and pearl drop earrings; her hair was tied up to show them off. Those were fine, but she hated the white satin gloves that went up to her elbows. Tasha wanted Leaf to look like a princess, which was definitely achieved, but she felt ridiculous. At least her white heels weren't tall; Leaf wouldn't be able to dance otherwise.

Her parents went to their assigned table. They were going to sit with Professor Oak, Daisy, Ella, her coaches Eric and Ryan, and Bill McIntyre. Leaf had invited Mrs. Woods as well, but she understandably didn't want to appear at such a public event.

Professor Oak and Daisy arrived, with Blue right behind them. Daisy looked stunning in her long black dress. The cut was simple, but elegant.

"Happy Birthday, Leaf! You look so good!" Daisy squealed as she hugged Leaf.

"Happy Birthday!" Professor Oak said. "Seventeen's your last year as a kid. Make it count!"

It was Blue's turn now. He was wearing a navy suit. He gave Leaf a lazy smile. "Happy Birthday, Champ."

Leaf rolled her eyes. Of course Blue had to look cool even when wishing someone a happy birthday.

Ella came next. It was strange seeing her in a tailored pantsuit, instead of her usual scrubs. She handed Venusaur's PokeBall to Leaf. Her Pokemon were at a table next to Leaf's. The table was specially designed to accommodate everyone, including the giant Venusaur. The fact her starter could be at her party was the best gift Leaf could've received.

Of course, Dragonite wasn't allowed to be there. He had to stay at home. Leaf wondered what he was doing right now, all by himself. It pained her to imagine how lonely he must be feeling. She couldn't wait for the party to end, so that she and her other Pokemon could return to him.

President Ken arrived with Gary, June, and President Jeffries. Leaf would've been glad to see Gary and the Johto president, but President Ken's presence was too unsettling. His gunmetal suit looked sharp enough to puncture something.

President Ken shook Leaf's hand. Her skin crawled. "Happy Birthday, Leaf. I'm looking forward to dancing with you at the end of the night."

Leaf wanted to shoot herself.

The last person to come in was Bill. He was panting, face flushed. His tie was even loose. Leaf wondered how long he'd been running for. The train station wasn't far from the Viridian Tower, but it wasn't close either.

"Ha-happy Birth––"

"Thanks, Bill!" Leaf interrupted. She wanted to let the poor guy catch his breath.

With everyone seated, Leaf went to her Pokemon's table and released Venusaur. Seeing their friend, everyone made sounds of joy. Leaf gave Venusaur a kiss on his forehead before going to her table. She shared it with President Ken and June (Gary stood off to the side), President Jeffries, and the Elite Four. All the tables had green tablecloths and a bouquet of white flowers at the center. What distinguished Leaf's table from the others, other than being at the end of the ballroom and having the most important guests, was the gold arch adorned with flowers and balloons.

"Goooood evening, folks!" Scott Morey said into a microphone. Tasha had requested he be the MC. "We are here tonight for a very special occasion. It's Champion Leaf's SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAAAAY!"

Everyone clapped and cheered wildly. Why were they so excited? They barely knew her.

"Please help yourselves to the hors d'oeuvres our servers are bringing around, and drinks from the open bar. There will be activities soon!"

The Evergreen Pavilion was filled with the sounds of people chatting, pop music playing from the speakers, and waiters strolling about with platters of fancy snacks that didn't taste like anything. Glasses began to clink once everyone got their wine. Cameras snapped.

The people at other tables, from what Leaf could tell, were enjoying themselves enough. Tasha made sure to seat people who knew each other together. They laughed over things Leaf didn't know about.

Leaf's table, unfortunately, wasn't having as much fun.

Lorelei broke the silence. "So, Leaf, are you excited to be seventeen?"

Normally, Leaf would've been able to answer a simple question like that. But with President Ken right next to her, carefully listening to every word, Leaf found herself tongue tied.

"Well," Lorelei pushed on, clearly determined to lighten the mood. "I was very excited when I turned seventeen. I kept playing that one song on repeat. You know the song I'm referring to, right? Dan––"

"No one wants to hear you sing, Lorelei," Agatha interrupted.

Lorelei glared at Agatha. Not wanting a fight to break out, Leaf spoke up. "Yeah, I'm excited."

A waiter came by with meat on crackers. "Imitation Slowpoke tail."

Leaf plucked one off the platter, wondering why it was called that when the dish didn't look like a Slowpoke's tail at all. She couldn't identify the meat, either. It had the look and texture of beef tartare, but tasted weirdly like the ocean.

Leaf was mid-chew when she realized that only her and President Ken had taken a cracker. "It's not bad," Leaf said. "It's seafood, basically."

"I know," Bruno replied. Leaf didn't think she would ever get used to seeing him in a suit. "I hate seafood. I need real meat. Some people, however––" he gave Lorelei a smug look. "––have ethical reasons for not eating it."

"It's not a real Slowpoke tail," President Ken said. "No Slowpokes were harmed making these."

Lorelei shot an irritated glance at Bruno before responding to President Ken. "I know, so I have no problem with others eating it. I just don't want to eat it myself."

Leaf was so confused. "Wait, what's wrong with this Slowpoke tail thing?"

President Ken turned to Leaf and she suddenly felt as if she'd asked a stupid question. "Some people like to eat the tails of Slowpoke. It's considered a delicacy. There is a harmless way of harvesting them, but not everyone follows that method. So now, there's a boycott against the consumption of all Slowpoke tails, hence why we were served an imitation."

Leaf gawked at President Ken. Since becoming Champion, she'd dined at many restaurants that served the most exotic dishes, and not once had she heard of people eating Slowpoke tail. Her gaze flickered over to her Pokemon––Gengar was making goofy faces at Venusaur––and her stomach clenched. She couldn't explain why, but eating Pokemon felt wrong to her. It made sense why Lorelei didn't want to have even a fake version.

There was a screech of a microphone. Scott Morey announced, "Hope everyone is enjoying themselves so far! We'd like to temporarily interrupt your dining with a special video made for the birthday girl!"

A large projector was brought in. Celebratory music began to play and one of the party guests, some CEO whose name Leaf forgot, popped on screen.

"Happy Birthday, Leaf!"

One by one, each of the guests flashed by, wishing Leaf a happy birthday. Pretty much all of them said the same basic message in the same so-happy-it-felt-forced tone. They all blended together, ringing in Leaf's ears. She almost didn't hear the wishes by the people she actually knew.

"Happy Birthday, Champ!" Eric and Ryan said. Her coaches were apparently not deemed worthy enough to receive individual screen time.

"Happy Birthdaaay!" Scott sang.

"Happy Birthday, Leaf!" Bill said. "Hope your seventeenth is filled with fun adventures and discoveries!"

President Jeffries' wish felt surprisingly genuine. "Happy Birthday, Leaf! May this year be the best one yet!"

Professor Oak and Daisy were next. "Happy Birthday, Leaf! Hope it's a good one, you deserve it!"

All the Gym Leaders appeared on screen. Leaf's eyes zeroed in on Blue. "Happy Birthday, Leaf!"

The Elite Four gave their wishes individually. Unsurprisingly, Lorelei and Bruno were warm in their delivery. Agatha and Lance didn't bother to fake enthusiasm.

Her parents, especially Dad, looked a tad awkward on screen. The paparazzi, fortunately, had not bothered her parents too much, so neither of them were used to being recorded yet. Leaf hoped it stayed that way. "Happy Birthday, Leaf. We are so proud of you and love you so much."

The video cut to President Ken, sitting at his desk with his hands folded, as if about to announce a regional crisis. "Happy Birthday, Leaf. I'm looking forward to seeing what seventeen has in store for you."

The video ended with a collage of Leaf's baby pictures. Everyone clapped politely.

"Now, time for the main course!" Scott exclaimed.

The main course was steak, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. It was objectively one of the best steaks Leaf ever had, but she didn't have much appetite. She managed to finish half her plate before giving it to a waiter.

Tasha hovered around her. "I think it's time to check in on your guests."

Leaf did as she was told. She stood and walked over to the nearest table. The most powerful people in Kanto, other than President Ken, were seated there: politicians, CEOs. The only one who stood out to Leaf was Howard Wright, the Silph Co. CEO. It didn't seem like he remembered her being at Silph Co. when Team Rocket attacked. Why would he? Red was the one who saved him and since then, Leaf had gotten a makeover.

After exchanging pleasantries, Leaf made her way to the table where the celebrities sat. Next was the journalists' table. Katherine Cleaver, editor-in-chief of the Kanto Post, was friendly enough, but Leaf was wary around her. After all, she approved the publishing of the op-ed that demanded Leaf's resignation.

"This celebration is lovely," Katherine crooned. Her sharp features, made more noticeable from her silver pixie cut, gave her an aristocratic look. "Was it all your idea or someone else's?"

Leaf didn't know if there was a correct answer. "Tasha handled basically everything. She's a rockstar."

Katherine nodded as if Leaf's response was interesting. Leaf hoped it wouldn't get twisted in a weird way.

At the Gym Leaders' table, Leaf received another glimpse into everyone's dynamic. Understandably, they formed groups based on age. Blaine, Koga, and Lieutenant Surge were one group. The other was Brock, Misty, Erika, Sabrina and Blue. Leaf didn't notice before, but Misty and Erika reminded her of the popular girls in school. Just something about how they talked and giggled with one another. Brock was the guy who groveled at their feet. He was ignored in favor of Blue. Of course Blue had to be the popular guy even among the Gym Leaders.

"Hey, birthday girl!" Misty chirped. "How's it going? You having fun?"

Leaf smiled and nodded. "Loads of fun."

"Good! We're having a great time, too. The food's delicious."

"Yeah, you're going to have to tell me who cooked this steak so I can hire him myself!" Lieutenant Surge barked.

As Leaf chatted with the Gym Leaders, she found herself avoiding eye contact with Blue, who remained silent. Maybe because they only recently became on good terms again, but it felt awkward to publicly acknowledge him.

Eventually, she reached the table where her parents, Professor Oak, and Daisy sat. Daisy was next to Bill and conversing with him. Leaf almost laughed when she noticed Bill's tomato-red cheeks and wide-eyed gaze that made him look like his brain was malfunctioning. Daisy always had that effect on men.

Mom immediately stood and hugged Leaf. "I know I already told you this, but you look so beautiful tonight. Are you having a good time?"

Leaf could be more honest with Mom. "The food's really good. I'm tired though."

"I bet you are. Tasha's had you working all day. When is this party supposed to end?"

It was about 8:30 now. "Probably around 11, but you can and Dad can leave earlier."

"Could you end it earlier? You should get some rest if you're tired."

Leaf half-smiled. "I don't think I can, actually." Even though it's supposed to be my birthday.

"Then sleep in tomorrow. Tasha didn't schedule anything the day after your birthday, right?" When Leaf shook her head, Mom smiled. "You better not wake up before 9AM tomorrow. Promise?"

"I promise."

"We'll stay until the end, Leaf, so you won't be stuck with all these geezers by yourself," Dad said with a wink.

"Hey, did you forget I'm right here?" Professor Oak asked, trying to sound offended.

The last table was her Pokemon's table. They all perked up upon seeing her. Leaf pet Venusaur's head and surveyed their (mostly empty) plates. The dishes they were served weren't standard Pokemon food. Fearow and Golduck were given salmon. Ninetales had baked chicken. Venusaur had a garden salad. Since Gengar didn't eat, it was given slime to play with. Leaf felt a stab in her heart when she realized Gengar had made the slime resemble Dragonite.

The lights dimmed, signaling Leaf to stand in the center of the dance floor. Everyone sang Happy Birthday as a mint three-tier birthday cake was carted in. Seventeen candles glowed at the top. Leaf closed her eyes to think of a wish before blowing them out. I wish for peace this year. For myself and my Pokemon, especially Dragonite. Leaf cut herself a slice of cake and took a bite. It was chocolate with vanilla icing; her favorite.

After everyone received a slice, the gifts were brought to Leaf. They were mostly designer clothes, shoes, jewelry, and bags. President Ken's gift was a gold watch. Interestingly, the gift the Gym Leaders settled on was an all-inclusive resort trip to One Island. The Elite Four got Leaf a special training outfit. Daisy baked Leaf six cupcakes, each resembling a member of her team. Her parents gave her an album, half-filled with photos from her childhood ("We hope you'll have more treasured memories to fill this album."). Leaf momentarily froze when she saw a picture of her, Red, and Blue as kids. She didn't know exactly how old they were, but it was definitely before Blue's parents died. Blue was in the middle, throwing his arms around them with a huge grin. Red's smile showed his shyness in front of a camera, mixed with the happiness of being with friends.

The gift that stood out to Leaf the most was Professor Oak's. Inside the box was a Pokedex.

"It's a new model," Professor Oak explained. "It can identify Pokemon not just from Kanto, but around the whole world. The next time you visit, I can transfer the data from your current one."

It was a good gift. Leaf would've loved to receive it during her journey. She wasn't sure how much she'd be able to use it now.

The gifts were taken away to be brought up to Leaf's unit. Scott handed the microphone to her.

"Thank you everyone for coming out tonight!" Leaf internally winced at how fake she sounded. "I'm so grateful to be celebrating my seventeenth with an amazing group of people. It's my first birthday as Champion, too, which makes it even more special…"

Why did she have to do all this? Was it really necessary that she give this speech, even have this party in the first place?

People cheered when Leaf finished her speech. Soft, classical music began to play and Leaf felt a pit in her stomach. It was time for her dance with President Ken.

President Ken stood and faced Leaf. The height difference was very noticeable. Leaf felt tiny. She began to sweat when President Ken placed one hand on her hip and took her hand with the other.

Leaf had spent hours earlier today rehearsing with a coach. She knew all the steps then but now that she was actually dancing with President Ken, she found herself stepping on his feet. She even stumbled once even though her heels weren't that tall.

"Just follow my lead," he said in a low voice.

President Ken got whatever he asked for. Although Leaf was still shaky, she managed not to fumble the rest of the waltz. She had to stifle a sigh of relief when they finished.

The speakers began playing pop music again. As if on cue, everyone flooded the dance floor, twirling and shimmying. One of the CEOs grabbed Leaf's hand and began trying to dance with her.

"Hey, it's my turn!" Another CEO cried and pulled Leaf to him.

"Now it's my turn!"

Leaf was dizzy as everyone passed her around like a cigarette. All she could see was the faces of countless people who might as well be strangers, and the countless camera lenses pointed at her. She thought she could hear Mom and Dad's voices, pleading with the crowd to let them through, but no one seemed to be listening to them.

Something wrapped around Leaf's arm. Everyone magically stepped aside as Venusaur's vine pulled Leaf towards him. They laughed and began to dance with each other.

Leaf couldn't have been more grateful for her starter. She finally let out the sigh she'd been holding in. "Thank you!"

Her other Pokemon formed a circle around her and snuggled against her. Leaf closed her eyes, taking them all in.

Click.

Leaf opened her eyes and did her best not to make a face at the photographer snapping them like his life depended on it. Which she supposed it did, since it was his stupid job.

"Leaf!" Mom and Dad rushed over to her. "Are you alright? It was unacceptable how everyone was grabbing you."

Leaf suddenly had an intense desire to be alone. "Yes, I'm fine. I need to go to the bathroom."

She speed-walked out of the Evergreen Pavilion. The sounds of music, laughter, and cheers were muffled in a very satisfying way when she shut the door behind her. She turned and headed towards the bathroom.

When Leaf entered the bathroom, she was surprised to see Lorelei. Lorelei whirled around as if she hadn't expected anyone to come in, and for not the first time, Leaf had a moment of being taken aback by her beauty. Somehow, under the dim bathroom lighting, the shine of her blue dress made Lorelei look as if she was wearing ice.

Then, Leaf noticed that Lorelei was holding a cellphone to her ear.

Lorelei gave Leaf a polite smile before walking out. As the bathroom door closed, Lorelei began speaking into her cellphone again. Leaf couldn't quite hear what was being said, but she could hear Lorelei's distressed tone. Whatever was going on, Leaf hoped it wasn't serious.

Leaf shut herself in a stall and took deep breaths. Stumbling upon Lorelei had apparently sobered Leaf a bit, because she soon found herself ready to face the crowd again.

When Leaf returned to the Evergreen Pavilion, a few things caught her eye. One was that Lorelei was back as well, chatting with Lance as if nothing had happened. Another was that Daisy and Bill were dancing with each other. Third was that Professor Oak and Agatha were talking to each other, with Professor Oak looking uncharacteristically tense. The final thing was that Blue was with her Pokemon.

Blue smirked at Leaf when she went up to him. "Nice speech and dance."

"Did you have to do them for your birthday, too?" Blue's birthday was in January, so he had one celebration as Champion.

"The speech, yes, but not the dance. Can you imagine me waltzing with President Ken?"

Leaf couldn't help but laugh. "I'd pay to see that."

"No amount of money would convince me." Blue gestured at Venusaur's brace. "How's his leg?"

"Better. His PT says he'll be battling again in no time."

Blue nodded. "That's good. It looked pretty bad when it happened."

Leaf blinked. "You watched that battle?"

"Yeah, on TV." Blue didn't elaborate further. Leaf wanted to ask how many of her battles he'd seen, but was afraid to. Did he watch all of hers, like she practically watched all of his and Red's when they were Champion?

Leaf stared at everyone on the dance floor. Red's birthday was in September, so he too had a huge birthday bash. Other than the Victory Tour, that had to have been Red's first major event as Champion. He must've realized then how big of a mistake he made.

It was past midnight when the party finally ended. Leaf's cheeks hurt from smiling when she went through yet another round of everyone wishing her a happy birthday.

President Ken was the last to do so. He gave Leaf a firm handshake. "Happy Birthday, Leaf. It was a pleasure dancing with you."

Leaf hoped her smile didn't look too ingenuine. "It was a pleasure dancing with you, too."

After everyone left, Leaf took the elevator to her unit with all her Pokemon except Venusaur, who had to return to the Pokemon Center. She'd nearly cried when she said goodbye to him. She couldn't wait for the day he'd return home to her.

Dragonite was in his reclining chair, eyes wide open. Leaf wondered how long he'd been trying and failing to sleep. His face lit up when he saw them. Leaf threw her arms around him and hugged him for a long time.

Life's been pretty hectic since the last update. I traveled, went to a friend's wedding, and moved to a new city. Things have finally calmed down so I found time to write! This chapter was a little longer than anticipated, which just goes to show how extra this birthday party was.

Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts on Part 2 so far!