The New Normal - A Pokémon Elite 4 SI by CartecFF

Chapter 66: The New Normal – 11-18 – A Pre-Emptive Talk

Even though Karen's match was for the day after tomorrow, that didn't mean I had nothing to do when I woke up the next morning. In fact, practically as soon as I woke up, I had received a call from Daisy.

"Good morning, Daisy." I greeted, "How can I help?"

"Oh its nothing much, but I just wanted to ask you something." She said, "Did you tell a kid named Ash to ask my grandfather for trainer advice by any chance?"

"...Uh, yeah. I did." I replied, "Why?"

"Well apparently he's spoken to my little brother about it, and now the two of them are pestering gramps about every little thing!" She complained, "So you better get over here and sort it out! And besides, it's been a while since we trained together, and I have something to show you too!"

I stifled a chuckle. I was pretty sure that she actually just wanted to show off her training to me and was merely using Ash's 'constant questioning' as an excuse to get me to come over. But I didn't mind, as I had some free time anyways, and I did owe it to her to check up on her progress.

I had taken her under my wing, so to speak. So it was only right for me to ensure that she would be capable of flight.

"Okay, I'll be there in a moment." I said, "Stay right there."

I finished up my breakfast and headed straight over to Pallet Town again. As I landed, I noticed the huge difference between the sight that I saw now compared to what I saw right after the Cinnabar Island eruption.

Many of the emergency tents had been removed and taken down, since they were no longer needed. Likewise, the whole town had been cleaned up remarkably well, to the point where there were almost no traces of the temporary relocation. By all accounts, Pallet Town had returned to the sleepy little town that everyone knew and loved.

I soon arrived at the ranch, where I found Daisy already being accosted by both Gary and Ash. Oak didn't look like he was around at the moment.

"...No, they haven't evolved yet." I heard Daisy say irritably to an over-excited Ash, "I haven't got the money to buy a Moon Stone to evolve my Clefairy into a Clefable. Besides, I don't want to do that now. I prefer waiting until it gets more training first."

"Very prudent." I agreed, jumping into the conversation, "Best not rush into an evolution before you get the foundation down first, unless you know what you're doing."

"John!" Daisy exclaimed, briefly surprised but happy that I was here, "Look! I even caught a new Pokémon!"

She pointed to where a Ralts was being checked over by a curious Gary. It looked shy, but still comfortable in Gary's presence. And considering how small it was, it must have been a very new capture.

"Good work!" I praised, "But where did you find this?"

"I bought it with the money I made working for you!" She said happily, "Then it was just delivered over via the PSS system! It was a huge steal, you know? They sold it for so little!"

"Ah. Well it was a good purchase either way." I nodded. The low price was probably because Ralts weren't that rare, and demand wasn't super high since it wasn't near the start of the circuit yet.

"Mhm. And I wanted to make sure that my new Ralts would be trained well – until these two goobers showed up and decided to annoy me." She shot an ineffectual glare at both Ash and Gary, who completely ignored her. Instead, now that she had finished talking, they quickly jumped on me.

"John! John!" Gary excitedly approached me, "Are you sure that being a Fairy specialist will be strong in the future? My sister told me you encouraged her, but I think Fairy types are dumb. I know that I'll be much stronger than her once I go on my journey!"

"Me too!" Ash joined in.

"I've beaten you in all our battles ever since I got my Clefairy, Gary!" Daisy angrily reminded her brother, "So I don't want to hear any more about Fairy types being weak!"

"...And what kind of Pokémon trainers do you want to be?" I asked the two of them, ignoring their sibling argument, "Any particular Type you wanted to specialise in? Ash, I know I asked you to think about this."

"I want a Pikachu!" He told me eagerly, "It's fast! Powerful! And Electric types are really versatile attackers!"

Hearing his answer made me smile. It seemed that no matter how much things changed, some things still stayed the same.

"It's a good choice." I said, "And Pikachu aren't too difficult to take care of too. I'm sure you will find one that will become your greatest friend and partner. Call it a gut feeling, Ash, but I know that you'll make it far with a Pikachu by your side."

"Mhm! It's also strong against Gary's Squirtle." Ash agreed.

"Oh? Is that what you've chosen?" I turned to Gary.

"Yeah. It was easy for me to get one, since grandpa always gets a few of the traditional Kanto starters to give out." He said, "And I've watched a lot of Drake's battles. His Blastoise is so powerful! I wanted to get as strong as him! But not as a Water or Dragon specialist, but like a generalist like Cynthia!"

"I bet you my Pikachu will still be stronger though!" Ash taunted, "I've done a lot of reading up!"

Ash then proceeded to practically vomit out everything he had researched in the short while since we had last spoken. Although his usual enthusiasm infected his research, and he seemed to tunnel focus on how strong his Pikachu would do against certain trainers, I couldn't fault his excitement.

From what I overheard, he had really taken my advice to speak to Oak to heart, and Oak was always patient enough to entertain their questions. I was confident he would be much better prepared when it came time for his journey.

"Grandfather is all too happy that Gary has someone to compare himself to." Daisy explained, "He thinks having rivals as a trainer helps you refine yourself, especially since they both mentioned they'd like to be generalists. Plus, Ash certainly has a lot of potential as a trainer."

"More than you?" I teased.

"Hmph. Of course not." She pouted, "My Fairy Types will blow them out of the water, as they're already doing now. They'll see."

Apparently, the boys heard that, and the two kids instantly broke out into their usual arguments once again about how they would be stronger than Daisy. However, that quickly turned into an argument about who was stronger between them, and the boys were quickly lost into their own world.

Daisy shook her head at their antics, "Sorry about that. You know how it gets."

"I don't mind. Whitney was like that too." I chuckled, "Anyways, you said you beat Gary in battles? What Pokémon does he use?"

"Oh, he doesn't actually 'own' any Pokémon yet; grandpa says he's still too young for that. But he does have a Squirtle that he favours and spends a lot of time with – that's why he wants it as a starter." She told me, "He usually fights with me using it, but he borrows other Pokémon from the ranch if he has grandpa's permission."

"I see. And now you're winning against him with your Clefairy?" I asked.

"Yep! I know my Clefairy isn't very strong now, but I've spent a lot of time training her up to make use of status moves to be able to bring down Gary's Pokémon." She explained cheerfully, "He's still too reliant on just attacking, so I'm glad I'm able to assert my big sister powers and win some battles. I just hope one day that my Clefairy will become as powerful as yours."

"I'm sure you'll get there one day." I grinned, "You have the potential and talent to do so. Now come on, time's a wasting. Let's see test out your status moves on my Blissey to see how potent they are. I think I can give you some pointers about how to improve them..."

Time flew by as the two of us continued training like this, and I did my best to share everything I knew about training up a powerful Clefairy and Ralts. Her status moves had really come along since we last trained together, and I encouraged her to keep that up as they would be a powerful bread-and-butter move for all her Fairy types in the future.

But eventually I had to head out and continue doing a few more PR activities for Lance. Before I left though, I remembered something.

"Also, that reminds me. If you want more advice about how to train up a Ralts, I can put you in touch with one of Whitney's friends – Sabrina. She's a Psychic specialist, and she's already hard at work training up her Kirlia. I think she'll be able to give you good advice, and perhaps will make a good 'rival' for yourself too."

"Oh, thanks!" Daisy said, "Let me write that down. I'll definitely put that to good use."

I hoped that introducing Daisy to my sister and her friends would eventually be the beginnings of a new friendship. Daisy was of similar age to them, and I think Whitney would appreciate having more friends.

I said my goodbyes shortly after that, and returned to doing my promised PR activities. But to be honest, there wasn't much for me to do. Like the other members of the Elite Four, I was mostly asked to show my faces around Pokémon Centers to show the evacuees that they hadn't just been dumped into a Pokémon Center and then promptly forgotten about. All in all, if it would help reassure the public, then I didn't mind doing it.

However, I didn't have to do that for very long when I received a call from Lance.

"John, would you be free to head to my office in an hour or so?" He asked.

"Uh...yes, I can do." I replied, "Why? What's the matter?"

"I just received quite an unexpected call from Koga." He explained, "Apparently he intends to speak with us so that he may discuss his future plans with us in case he defeats Will. He said that he didn't want to surprise us with his proposals, should he win."

"Oh. Huh. That's definitely a surprise, but not an unwelcome one." I responded, "Sure, I'll come over. Who else will be there? Is Will coming?"

"I already called Will and he said he isn't. Apparently he wanted to spend more time training, which is understandable." Lance replied, "So it'll just be you and me. Agatha isn't coming and Lorelei is still in Sinnoh, though I have informed her that she will be able to head back soon."

"...Of course Agatha isn't coming." I chuckled with a shake of my head, "Okay, I'll meet you both tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know."

I headed there straight away, arriving at Lance's office shortly after. Inside, I found that Koga had already arrived and was sipping idly on some tea.

"Hello, John." He greeted me without turning around, "Lance has just stepped out."

"I see." I nodded as I sat down next to him, "Anyways, it's good to see you again, Koga. It seems like you've been quite busy."

"I have been more active than I usually would be." He agreed, "But I assure you that I am working within my limits."

He let out a small smile, "It has been a long time since I've really needed to push myself like this."

"...Will Janine be fine on her own if you win?" I had to ask, "Because she'll be stepping up to your place as Gym Leader if you do win, even if she will have a regent. And while I don't mean anything rude by it, she is quite young."

"No, that is a fair point to make." He allowed, "I did not make this decision lightly, and have agonised over it for some time. It is true that I would have liked for more time for Janine to develop before I handed over my position to her, but I am confident that she would have sufficient help to aid her with the running of the Gym. I have left many competent assistants in my place to serve as regent, and I trust them wholeheartedly to be able to support my daughter in running the Gym."

"I see." I nodded.

"It also helps that I know that she has good friends to call on if she needs the help." A small smile broke out on his face, "I know that – should Janine ask for it – both Sabrina and your sister would come rushing to help. And I'm sure you would too, if your sister were to ask for your help. The same goes for Sabrina's parents. With all these friendly faces around her, I can at least be reassured that she won't be left to fend for herself, whether that be on matters involving the Gym or otherwise."

I was about to speak more about this, but then the door swung open again as Lance stepped in, "Oh, you're both here. Okay, then we can get started."

He sat down, and the two of us straightened, "So, Koga, what did you want to speak about? You said you wanted to discuss something related to your potential future proposals?"

"Hm, I did. I thought it would be prudent to at least provide a summary of what I hope to achieve with my challenge, in the event of my victory." He said, "I have no intention of creating any unpleasantness through any political disagreements, so please do not interpret my words as a slight against you or your leadership – I have great respect for what you both have accomplished. I am merely here to clear the air in advance; to pave the way for a cooperative working relationship."

"Very respectable." Lance nodded as he gestured for Koga to go ahead.

"Firstly, I must clarify that my policies are not merely my own, but are actually something that I have been discussing with Gym Leader Erika and the Kimono Girls from Ecruteak for some time." He began, and I was surprised at the fact that those two were also involved, "We have seen the path that your leadership has taken us, and we noticed that much of it revolved around taking steps away from the old ways in favour of more modern, and more inclusive, policies."

"We did not have a problem with this; in fact, we were pleased to see how your policies have helped shape our region for the better." He said, "From that perspective, we have no intention of challenging how you have been running things so far."

"However, we fear that, in your haste and enthusiasm to make changes, the Indigo League may be heading in a direction that unintentionally leaves behind much of our prized traditions and cultures." He explained, "As you know, not all traditions are necessarily bad ones, and there are many that we believe are worth preserving."

"As merely Gym Leaders, we are cognizant of the fact that our voices will not be easily heard within the confines of the Committee. Which is why we decided on our current course of action; to elevate myself into the Elite Four so that our voice may be heard – and that the appropriate old traditions of Indigo may be preserved."

Lance and I sat in silence as we processed his words. The fact that he had been working and discussing things in tandem with Erika and the Kimono Girls meant that his sentiments were echoed by more than just himself. It demonstrated that a notable minority were genuinely concerned that we were moving too fast and abandoning their traditions behind.

It was a very different concern from those who just wanted to maintain the status quo at all costs.

I could understand that. I was just relieved that it seemed like Koga didn't hold our previous decisions against us. From what he said, it sounded like he was more taking action as a precaution rather than due to any dissatisfaction. Lance and I shared a common look for a moment before responding.

"...Thank you for telling us. Is there anything you wanted us to address specifically or are particularly concerned about?" Lance asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing so urgent that requires any immediate attention, though you can expect me to push forwards measures to ensure the protection of important cultural sites. As I said, we are only making this challenge as a precautionary measure to ensure that not all of traditions will be replaced by modern alternatives."

"No, that makes sense." Lance replied, "You have a point. We HAVE been overlooking the traditional aspect of things, and we would welcome any advice that would help create a better Indigo for everyone."

"Actually, if I may..." I interrupted, "Why did you choose to challenge Will instead of Lorelei? I would have thought that Lorelei would be a better match against you, compared to a Psychic specialist like Will. Is it because he's more inexperienced since he's been in less official battles?"

"That is partially the reason, and I believe I can exploit his natural pride against him." He admits, "But my reasons to challenge Will over Lorelei were more due to political considerations than anything else."

We both shot him puzzled looks, which prompted him to explain further, "First, I ruled out both you and Agatha as potential challenge targets – as it would be wholly unrealistic of me to believe I could defeat either of you without some serious luck. Therefore, that left Lorelei and Will as my remaining options, and I judge them both to be about equivalent in strength. But Lorelei has the advantage in experience, though admittedly it is a minor thing."

I agreed – having been both a challenger and the challenged, Lorelei already had some idea of what to expect and would be more emotionally steady. While I was sure that Will had been through many high level battles before, from what I knew of Koga, he seemed to be able to exploit even the slightest hint of hesitation.

"Thus, I focused more on their respective political positions and judged Lorelei to be easier to work with." Koga explained, "I judged that her work with the International Police and the IRS will continue to grow so long as she is able to remain in power, and I wholeheartedly support her efforts there. That is not to say I undervalue Will's own achievements – and I do think he is a great man who has grown significantly ever since he joined the Elite Four – his talents are simply more...replaceable, if I could put it crudely."

"...That's a little harsh." I couldn't help but say. I wanted to defend Will a bit.

"My apologies. Like I said, I do not mean any insult, as I do acknowledge his excellent talents for business and natural charisma." He shook his head, "I was merely trying to explain the cold calculus that led me to this decision. Ultimately, I only want the best for Indigo, and I believe that Lorelei simply has more potential to better our region should she remain in the Elite Four. Of course, should I lose to Will, then I will challenge Lorelei next regardless, so I suppose I will admit to a little hypocrisy. Nor am I entirely devoid of ambition."

"If it were possible, I would keep them both." He said ruefully, "But alas, that is not possible, nor am I willing to give up on our shared ambitions."

Then a small, excited smile broke out on Koga's face, "So it shall be a test of wills – to be settled via a single battle – to see who is more deserving of the title of Elite Four."

Lance chuckled, "An admirable sentiment, and one I like to hear." He stood up from his seat, "In any case, thank you again for letting us know of your plans in advance. It was very honourable of you to do so."

I nodded, "I may not be rooting for or against you, Koga, but I would be happy to work with you in the future."

"Likewise." Koga replied, "And I look forward to working with you in the future."

===========

?(Vettel POV)

He let out a proud smile as he stared at the Pokémon that were gathered before him. His team – the Pokémon that he had hand-picked to earn him the position of Elite Four – were just one battle away from proving their dominance over everyone in the Indigo Conference. He had just earned his position as one of the two finalists after stomping his previous opponent into a quick defeat.

And Karen would not be able to stand in his way, no matter how much people praised her so-called 'powerful' Dark Types.

After all, compared to him and his team? Which consisted of a Dragonite, Tyranitar, Togekiss, Metagross, Salamence, and a Ditto? He was fully assured of his ability to win. There was no need to worry about being a 'type specialist' when you simply had the resources to obtain the perfect Pokémon that would bring you victory.

Every single one of his Pokémon were custom picked for both their rarity and strength, and were trained by not only himself, but a team of experienced trainers that he had paid to assist him whenever possible. Not only that, his Pokémon were also placed under a training schedule that had been planned incredibly meticulously to maximize their training along tried and true methods, as proven by many renowned experts. If that wasn't enough, his Pokémon were also pampered, treated, and fed with the finest of treatments and supplements to ensure that they would grow to be as perfect as possible.

Literally every single aspect of his custom team had been optimised to perfection to ensure that they would grow and train to be as strong as theoretically possible.

And that was why he knew he was destined to be one of the future members of the Elite Four. Because at the end of the day, hard work and talent could bring you far, but that was nothing compared to the specialised amount of resources that money could buy you. And as the scion of a bloodline that was as wealthy as they were noble, with access to resources as befits his status, it only made sense that his team would be unbeatable.

He never understood why his counterpart in Steven Stone chose to restrict himself to only the Steel Type when he could have easily obtained any powerful Pokémon that he wanted considering the resources the man had at his disposal. In his eyes, only Steven's Metagross was a worthy addition to his team, the rest should have been replaced by Pokémon that were far stronger and rarer.

Out of the current Indigo League, the only person who he could actually respect was Lance, who had the right idea to fill his entire team with rare and powerful Dragons. He still felt that the Champion could have used his resources to add a bit of variety to his roster, since having three Dragonites was a little stale, but that was the failings of an inflexible mind that the Blackthorns unfortunately possessed.

Likewise, the only two Pokémon on Karen's team that he was actually worried about was her Spiritomb and Tyranitar. The latter for obvious reasons, but the former was a Pokémon that he still wasn't able to buy. He had previously made overtures to Agatha and many other Ghost specialists to acquire such a rare Pokémon for him, but he was rudely refused and was even mocked by Agatha for even making the request.

'You are as intelligent as you are humble.' She had written to him. At first he had thought it was a compliment, though his advisors had later explained to him otherwise.

After learning this, he had still not forgiven her for that insult.

That aside, he knew better than to be blinded by arrogance, or by the need to take revenge on her so-called 'apprentice'. Despite the perfection that was his team, he had suffered a few unfortunate knockouts during his current Indigo Conference run, with a few trainers previously able to surprise him and take down a few of his Pokémon with unusual tactics.

He wasn't bothered by that; the less fortunate were always able to scrounge up some unique tactic to make up for their lack of resources. It was their way of proving themselves despite their disadvantages, and he respected their determination. Yet at the end of the day, he knew he would come out on top as always.

It wouldn't matter how much training Karen had done, nor would it matter if she pulled out some kind of 'unusual' trick in a desperate last attempt to overpower his superior Pokémon. It didn't matter to him that she managed to defeat that other Dark specialist from Hoenn, for they did not have the resources he had to train up a perfect team. Ultimately, the winner of the Indigo Conference was going to be him.

And the world would soon learn that perfection is truly unbeatable.

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