The New Normal - A Pokémon Elite 4 SI by CartecFF

Chapter 65: 251-252

Chapter 65: 251-252

The New Normal – 11-16 – Interlude – Karen

"You look like you just won the lottery. What's gone into you?" She asked the old hag as the latter returned home with an unmistakable smile on her face. She looked tired, as most people did after the unfortunate events at Cinnabar, though obviously Agatha was excluded from the more physical elements of the evacuation.

"Also, rub that smile off your face." She added, "You look extra creepy when you're smiling."

"Bah, you'd be smiling too if you were in my place." The hag scoffed, "I guess you haven't heard about the good news."

"What is it?" Now she was curious. What could get the hag so happy?

"The eruption has destroyed the Cinnabar Gym, and it is going to need to be rebuilt." Agatha explained, "However, I think I can convince the Blackthorn to have it rebuilt in Lavender Town instead."

Her eyes widened. Now that was very surprising.

"Wait, how? Wouldn't Blaine insist that it remain in Cinnabar? If only to spite you?" She was fully aware of the animosity that existed between both parties. It wasn't as if Agatha and Blaine hated the other, but they just could not work alongside each other. They were like Seviper and Zangoose.

But then Agatha grinned, "That's the thing. Blaine's stepping down as Gym Leader – he instead wants to pursue his 'dream' of being a full-time scientist and possibly become a Professor. What an idiot. But if he's going to hand me such a gift on a silver platter, then I'm not going to refuse."

She was shocked, "...Blaine's retiring? I thought he handled himself really well during the eruption. And didn't he just become Gym Leader not too long ago?"

"He must have hated the role as much as I expected him to." Agatha shrugged, "I've always thought that he was never fit to be a Gym Leader, and I told him as much when he first accepted the position. I'm honestly more surprised that he took this long to step down. He doesn't have the patience for it."

"Nor do you." She pointed out.

"That's why I dumped it all on you. Proving once again that I am wiser than Blaine." Agatha nodded smugly as Karen rolled her eyes, "But we're getting off topic. If I can persuade Lance to have the new Gym be set up in Lavender Town, that would be a huge boon for us. Now we just need to make sure that a suitable Gym Leader can take up the post, and I already have a candidate in mind. I just have to make sure that the others will agree with my choice."

"With you in the Elite Four alongside me, and the new Gym set up, I would fear for nothing for the safety of Lavender Town." Agatha added, "And—"

"We probably aren't going to be in the Elite Four together." She interrupted, finally deciding that now was the time to come clean, "I intend to be challenging you for your position in the Elite Four once I win the Indigo Conference."

After her admission, she expected a variety of emotions from Agatha – ranging from betrayal, to anger, to amusement.

Yet instead of that, all she got was calm acceptance as Agatha simply nodded her head, "...And is the path you've chosen to go down?"

She blinked, a little taken aback by Agatha's calm response.

"...You know, a part of me expected you to have predicted this, but I'm still surprised at your lack of shock." She said, "I thought you'd be a little hurt, since I know how much you planned around me challenging Will. Assuming that he doesn't lose to Koga, that is."

To be fair, she wasn't certain about Will's chances against Koga, but now wasn't the time to discuss that.

"Foolish girl. My plans were for you to succeed me in the Elite Four. I couldn't care less who you challenged so long as you got in." Agatha scoffed, "Nor am I surprised to hear about your challenge against me. This is something you've been planning to do for some time now, right?"

"...How did you know?" She asked curiously.

"Bah! You think me blind?" Agatha rolled her eyes, "Or do you think I wasn't around to oversee your training specifically to counter Ghost types? Unless you've forgotten, this is my house. I see all, I know all."

"More like you stalk all." She shot back, "But if you knew, why didn't you say anything? I thought you'd be more upset."

"I'd only be upset if you lost." Agatha shook her head, "If you win, then I'm satisfied either way."

"...Are you sure you wouldn't have any regrets if I do win?" She had to ask, "Because if you say the word, then I'll stick with our original plan to challenge Will. Or someone else."

Despite her earlier words, if Agatha truly didn't want to lose her position, then she would respect it. Agatha's feelings mattered more than her own plans.

Fortunately, Agatha responded to that with another sneer, "You think I actually want to spend more time listening to idiots prattle about Arceus knows what for hours on end? Unless you've forgotten, I've only got a few years left with me, and I'd rather not turn the Committee room into my final resting spot. That would be taking being 'bored to death' a bit too literally."

"No, girl, I don't have any problem with you replacing me. All the better, actually, assuming you do win. But I'm telling you now, if you intend to challenge me, I will not take it easy on you just because you're my apprentice and successor." Agatha warned firmly, "The public will know if either of us try to sandbag, and you won't earn any respect if you faked your win. No, the battle will require both of us to perform at our bests – the public and your future peers will accept nothing less."

"Yes, I knew that already. I'm going into this with both eyes open." She nodded, "I just wanted to give you a heads up before I do so. I was afraid that your heart wouldn't be able to handle the shock of my sudden announcement—"

"Save your jokes for later." Agatha interrupted, uncharacteristically serious for once. "Karen. It's my turn to ask. Are you sure you want to go through with this? A loss will be quite painful for your reputation, and would kill most of the momentum that you would have earned for winning the Indigo Conference. I am not doubting you – I know you are strong, but so am I. I just want to make sure you're absolutely certain with this course of action. I only want the best for you."

"I am." Karen nodded firmly, doing her best to ignore the feelings that arose from her last few words, "I will defeat you, Agatha. I will prove to the world that you have raised me correctly; that you are more than just a grumpy old hag. You will have a successor worthy of the name – that there will be someone else carrying the torch of Lavender Town for you. I will do all I can to allow for the continued prosperity of our shared home."

"And...once you lose, then you'll have all the time in the world to manage the new Gym in Lavender Town." She continued, trying to keep her voice level despite the emotions welling up within her as she poured out what she had always wanted to say, "...Lavender Town will grow...to become as prosperous as...I know it to be in your dreams."

Tears were running down her face now, but she forced her last few words out, "...And...with my victory...you can finally rest, mother...and I...will do you proud...in your place."

Despite her unsightly display, she kept her teary eyes focused on her mother. Agatha stared back at her with a small, but proud smile on her face.

"...Of course you will, Karen." Agatha said softly, placing a reassuring hand on her own, "I have never thought otherwise, my daughter."

The New Normal – 11-17 – Discussions

The uproar and panic after the eruption gradually calmed down as the days passed. With most if not all of the evacuees relocated to proper housing into various Pokémon Centers and similar housing facilities around Indigo, their discontent settled as they were provided with food, shelter, and comfort. And, most importantly, were reunited with their loved ones and Pokémon.

Of course, they couldn't reside in there forever. The Pokémon Centers were only as free as they were right now because the circuit hadn't started yet. Once the circuit started up again, the Pokémon Centers would need to be freed up in order to accommodate the next wave of trainers looking to set off on their journey.

However, Lance remained confident that they could clear up Cinnabar Island and construct temporary housing facilities there in time for the start of the circuit. Or, at the very least, alternative but suitable long-term housing could be set up in other areas in time. Time will tell if that prediction proves true.

Aside from the eruption, the other topic of discussion that dominated the headlines was talk of Blaine. Right after the eruption happened, the news and the media were merciless in their hunt to search for who to 'blame' for the large amounts of damage resulting from the eruption.

However, Blaine took control of the narrative and volunteered for the blame to be placed on him. Yet in his speech, he wisely did not focus on what he did or didn't do. Instead, he thanked all those who had helped support the evacuation efforts in Cinnabar Island and for stepping up when the region needed them the most.

By focusing more on the positives and achievements of those who bravely aided with the evacuation, coupled with the fact that Blaine's own conduct was exemplary during the crisis itself, and the fact that he volunteered to take the blame – most of the public felt that Blaine was simply being dutiful in accepting responsibility when it wasn't really his fault.

Which was why, when Blaine announced his retirement from his position as Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, he was not met with boos and jeers. Instead, from what I saw on the Pokénet, a majority of the commenters expressed their regret for his retirement – with many praising his ability to juggle both his work as a Gym Leader and his work as a renowned scientist.

He would be sorely missed.

I nodded and allowed her to continue, "Although our progress have been somewhat stonewalled by the pushback from those that have aligned themselves with Galactic Company, their silence and inability to explain the discrepancies in their finances have hurt their image in the public's eye. We've also been careful to push that narrative in the news, just to have a constant reminder for the public about their alleged wrongdoing."

"Still, I've deliberately not allowed the situation to escalate further with raids or in-person investigation into Galactic Company, because I don't want them for them to be able to claim that we were unable to find anything." She explained, "We're working on other avenues to undermine Cyrus' influence at the moment, such as trying to convert other businesses to our side. As long as the matter doesn't disappear from the public eye, we will have Cyrus on the ropes."

"You're playing this quite safe." I pointed out, not that I disagreed.

"We have to." Cynthia replied, "We can't be seen to be lashing out against a company as large and as trusted as Galactic Company. By doing it this way, we've been eroding at their support base slowly and surely. Lucian and Lorelei both tell me that they're sure that Galactic Company is bleeding cash right now, so they'd have to be worried."

"Each day that they continue to fail to provide a reasonable explanation for their discrepancies is another step into the grave that they have dug for themselves." She finished.

"But if they're backed into a corner like this, they might lash out." I warned.

"That's what we're hoping for." She agreed, "As callous as this sounds – we need them to make the first move. We might be winning the war of public opinion right now, but any rash actions from either side could flip the situation around very quickly. We need THEM to be the ones to slip up, and then we'll catch them in the act."

"Plus, Aaron has assured me that the Sinnoh Police are receiving enough support and funding for them to operate at full efficiency." She added, "So I'm confident that we're ready for them."

"That's reassuring to hear." I said, "Just let us know if you need anything from us and I'll see what I can do."

"Speaking of that, I had something else I wanted to bring up too." She said, "I've been speaking to Wallace recently about the feasibility of my Regional Union idea; that's the one where all of the regions get together to create a political entity that aims to foster cooperation between all the regions."

"I remember." I nodded, "How's that coming along?"

"Wallace was instantly on board." She explained, "He said that he'd been thinking along similar lines as well, hence why he suggested the Tournament to begin with, and that he was glad to hear that others were thinking the same."

"That's good news!" I exclaimed, "So what're you planning now?"

"I was initially hesitant on splitting my attention between this project and our 'war' with Galactic Company, but Lucian has advised me that this would be a great thing to generate more support from the populace and bring them to our side." She said, "So we're looking to begin discussions now and start gathering the political support necessary to pass this through."

"...Might have to hold on those discussions with Lance." I advised, "I know he's still swamped with work from the eruption. He might not want to deal with foreign politics right now."

"Very understandable." She nodded, "But that actually also segues into my next point quite well. It wasn't on my initial plans, but since I'm planning on turning the Regional Union into a reality, Bertha actually told me that it would best if the wider public of Indigo gets to know our friendly faces – which means a visit to Indigo wouldn't be amiss."

My eyes widened immediately, and I dropped the most important question, "Are you going to be coming over?"

"That I'm not sure about. I might be coming with an Elite Four member, or maybe I'll just send them instead." She admitted, "But if I do come over, it would be purely as a diplomatic venture. I wouldn't really get much free time like you did when you came over. I'd be doing a lot of schmoozing, interviews, and getting to know people – so that the news agencies can get their articles about me and to lay the foundations for the Regional Union. Still, that doesn't mean I won't have my own free time."

"The thing holding me back from instantly agreeing to come over is the fact that Cyrus is still a threat back in Sinnoh." She added, "But Flint and Aaron have both assured me that even if I choose to come over, Sinnoh will remain safe in their hands. If anything, it might bait Cyrus to act more recklessly with my absence, which could be a good thing."

Fucking Cyrus. Why did he have to be so annoying?

"Well if you do come, you're always welcome at my house." I replied immediately, a grin forming on my face, "I'll make sure my home is ready to welcome you."

"Thank you. I look forward to your hospitality." She chuckled, "Anyways, if I do come, I'm holding you to that promise about that fight between us. And I mean a real and proper fight, like the one you did against Lance."

"I'm always up for that." I smiled, "But let's table that discussion for later – assuming you get here. Tell me if there're any updates on it."

"Will do." She said, and the two of us fell into more casual conversation topics as we talked into the late evening. Most of our conversation revolved around our Pokémon, as it usually did, and how our training was coming. After I gave her a summary of where my team and I were, she did the same for hers. She especially talked about the improvements that she had made with her new Kleavor, and expressed excitement over having a new Type combination to work with in her team.

Eventually, we both had talked for long enough, and I wrapped up the training session with my Pokémon as I headed on home. Of course, I didn't forget to call Lance and ask if there was anything he urgent regarding Cinnabar Island that I could if help with, but there wasn't. It was all down to the administrators and the clean-up team now.

There were a few other PR events that I could help with, but nothing that I needed to do today – though I promised to help out tomorrow.

When I got home, I found that my parents had already set out dinner, and Karen was there to join us today.

"Hey, John, I saw you training out there when I flew over." She greeted me, "Everything good?"

"Yea, I'm pleased with their progress." I replied, "What's up with you?"

She pouted, "So you forgot."

I blinked, "Uh...I might have done." I admitted, "Could you clarify what exactly have I forgotten? I might have been busy with the eruption, amongst other things."

My mom chided me, "You can't forget these kinds of things, John! This is a big moment for your friend!"

My mind twisted in confusion as I tried to wrack my head for what exactly I've been forgetting. Until eventually it hit me, and a look of realisation appeared on my face.

Karen giggled at my expression, "I don't blame you for forgetting, considering all of the stuff that you've been dealing with recently. But yes, my time in the Indigo Conference is coming to an end in two days. The final battle is here. The other finalist will be decided tomorrow."

Ah. "Shit, I missed many of your previous battles." I rubbed my head sheepishly, "I hope there were no close calls."

"No, there weren't." She replied, "Honestly, I don't blame you for not watching those battles. I don't even think the old hag did. Even as one of the participants, I don't think I'm being arrogant when I say that I pretty handedly dismantled their teams. There wasn't really much to watch."

That wasn't surprising to me. She did beat Sidney, after all.

"You've been on quite the spree." My mom agreed.

"Mhm. All that's left now is to take no risks, secure the victory, and focus on my main goal. There's only one opponent left in my way, after all." She nodded as she gave me a knowing look, "I've already spoken to her."

I nodded, "And how did that go?"

"I'm pretty sure she expected it – or at least made plans for such a possibility." She said, "The hag got me worked up for nothing." She grumbled, but I knew she didn't mean it.

I didn't fail to spot the slight emotion in her eyes as she said it, and I suspected the conversation was much longer than her description of it, but I didn't point it out.

"Don't think about anything else for now." I reminded her, "Just get through the Indigo Conference tomorrow to secure your ability to challenge the Elite Four for the next three years. Everything else can come afterwards. Use tomorrow to relax, get yourself and your Pokémon ready, and make sure to sweep through that other finalist. I look forward to seeing you win."

Karen smiled at my words, "Thank you, John. But don't you worry me about me; I'll be fine. Just make sure you have that spot in the Elite Four ready and waiting for me."

"I'll be joining you up there soon enough."