6:36 P.M. June 13, Sunday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events: The last day of battles for the First Preliminary Match Week in preparation for the Kanto & Johto Summer Indigo Cup. Many tourists are traveling through Pallet and Viridian to arrive at Silver City for the big tournament while also supporting the Summer Bronze League kick-off.

Rhea’s energy took a big hit from Nova’s transformation, but the match was simple afterward. The Glaceon’s Moves weren’t all that much more expensive than earlier; although, she had only utilized two arsenals in her kit. The experience increased Rhea’s confidence in the little girl, in any case. The proud little Eevee was more than a bit pleased with herself as she pranced around, soaking in the praise.

She was a little worried about Nova treating her like a delicate flower compared to Mya but could understand the caution she took in her matches. Nova also didn’t want to be the cause of more restrictions when things were looking up for them. Rhea thought of herself more as a Daylily, though; flood her, take away the water, and toss heaps of salt all over, she’d come back stronger.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she took the time to meet her opponent, Philip, while her two Pokémon talked amongst themselves within the bond they shared. The boy was walking around the right of the room with his teammates patting him on the back for encouragement; they all seemed a bit rueful at the loss, giving Nova curious glances.

“Thanks for the battle,” Rhea greeted first, giving them a soft smile.

Philip nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, it was pretty, umm … embarrassing, really,” he chuckled. “We went through a dozen strategies to try and take you down, but…”

“Yo,” his buddy had curious eyes on Nova, cutting him off while shaking his head, “I just don’t get it, though, Phil. Aye, Mack, ya ever seen an Eevee evolve into a Glaceon without an Ice Rock?”

Mack scratched his temple with a low hum. “Na … not really, dude. Just kind of came from left-field.”

Philip folded his arms. “Hmm … it is a bit odd. My cousin’s bred a few Eevee, but yeah … I mean, yours is pretty unique looking. What…”

Rhea was running through excuses in her head when the increased heat in her chest from Nova’s current evolution faded; she was drawing less energy than before.

Her gaze darted back with everyone else’s as a bright light filled the space, and Nova returned to a normal state, giving the ground in front of her a few shocked blinks, but Nova’s surprise was dwarfed by the onlookers.

Wait … can you only evolve for that short of a time?

Nova gave her a vague response; apparently, she had to practice, which was fine, but it just meant the gig was up. Her mother warned her about the effects being new.

Muk … it’s a lot shorter than I thought it’d be. If Nova randomly reverts in the middle of a match, it could cause a huge problem. I guess we’ve got a lot to work on.

Mumbles swiftly swept the throng as the news spread, and people were pushing closer to see; Nova still stood in the middle of the ring, chirping to Amber and Gables about the incident.

“... Did … that just happen?” Mack asked, unwilling to take his eyes off Nova.

Philip slowly shook his head. “Yo, uh … what’s going on?”

They turned to her with several people that were nearby. “Umm,” Rhea didn’t know how else to explain it other than to just give a reluctant smile. “I’m not … exactly sure how it works, but … yeah, my Eevee can transform for a bit.”

“Woah … wait, for real?” Philip asked, eyes growing wide. “What do ya mean … like, whenever you want?”

Rhea glanced around for support, but more people started to crowd her as whispers about her answer spread. Amira was busy talking with her grandfather, and Mallory was being swarmed by more people asking about her Pokémon.

Philip certainly wanted some more information, but he was soon overshadowed by a female team that appeared to have recently come in after hearing about her battle. Their faces were flushed with excitement while butting in between them.

“W-Wait! Are you … are you saying there’s a way to make an Eevee turn into other forms?”

“Yeah, we heard one of the guys say your Eevee can do that! Please tell us how; we all have Eevee, and that would be so awesome!”

The third was nodding, a bit shyer than the rest, but wanted to understand what they’d seen. “Mhm, mhm! We don’t know when they’ll evolve, but is there a way to change into all of them?”

Rhea held up her hands, giving the girls a forced smile while backing up a little into the ring; she hadn’t expected the sudden outburst. “S-Sorry, but my mom did it. I’m not sure how it all works. Nova’s just bred a special way. I’ve heard there are ways to make it easier to get an Eevee to evolve into a specific type, though.”

“Aww … c’mon, there’s gotta be something you know!” Another whined; she was drawing more and more people seeking any kind of news that might increase their chances.

“Is there an item? I wanna get an Eevee, but I’m scared it could change into a type I already have!”

Despite the pleas, Rhea couldn’t give them answers. The returning comments were just as varied as the number of people; some thought she was being secretive about the info, others questioned if what other people saw actually happened, and more were just trying to figure out the commotion.

However, the commotion swiftly died down as Giovanni’s massive 2-meter-tall frame took the stage. The crowd naturally parted for him and his gigantic Persian, allowing enough from for Amira and his assistant to comfortably walk beside him.

“Excuse me, Rhea, Mallory.” His powerful voice was calm and commanding, quickly retaking center stage; his towering frame and Pokémon also helped the throng to settle down by their sheer presence. “I must attend to some urgent business. My son and daughter-in-law will be outside to pick you up shortly. Once this is handled, I’ll get in touch.”

With those simple departing words, he turned and left.

Amira seemed sad at the news but used the distraction to gather the two of them together, motioning for their exit. Rhea gave the pushy, aggravated, and sorry girls another apologetic smile before joining her teammates. The groups mumbled to one another but didn’t pursue as she made it to Lori and Amira.

“... Wait,” Rhea asked, “so, umm … what’s going on?”

Amira folded her arms, wearing a small frown, while following her grandfather’s back. “He’s busy with things … my parents should be here soon.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Lori leaned in, nudging her while whispering. “Hehe, a lot of people are pretty nervous about facing you now; apparently, that last guy you fought was a big deal around here.”

“Is that right?” She brushed back her thick blonde hair, glancing at the groups. “I suppose trying to hide the secret wasn’t that realistic. They think I’m lying…”

She trailed off as two girls came closer. “Umm … sorry, ya know, to bug you … umm, I’m just a bit … is there a way you can help our Eevee evolve?”

“Yeah, please,” the other asked. “I’ve just never seen an Eevee return to … well, an Eevee, after evolving. I couldn’t find anything online, either.”

Nova was by her side, giving her a concerned look.

No, you didn’t do anything bad. She assured her with a strained smile. You’re just really special, and they want to know how to be like you.

Nova seemed to understand the sentiment with Gables and Amber’s comments, and Rhea sighed while turning back to the girls. “I’d love to tell you, but it’s…”

Amira cut her off. “My grandfather had an Eevee that was able to do it in the past. It’s possible, but the process is somewhat difficult to recreate, from what I understand.”

“O-Oh … I didn’t know…” The girl mumbled, and a few others gave each other conflicted gazes.

The other bit her lips, staring down at the ground. “Uh … so, maybe in the future?”

Amira shook her head. “Can’t say. Rocket has many projects its scientists work on for breakthrough technologies; perhaps, in time. The Eevee Evolution Lab has most of the new research, though. I’ve heard Rocket does help with their research from time to time, but if you want the most up-to-date data, I’d suggest calling their center for more advice.”

Rhea was thoroughly impressed by the recommendation and a direction for them to take, and so was everyone else.

“Yeah, okay … thanks.”

They smiled, took out their phones, and began looking up the website.

Rhea shut her mouth, brow furrowing as Amira motioned for her to follow.

“Good luck.”

Lori gave her a small smirk as they went to the elevator. “Nice redirect. Is that true, though?” She whispered.

Amira nodded once out of earshot, leaving the groups to mumble among themselves. “Apparently … he basically said your mother took the data from Rocket and perfected it.”

Rhea released a sad chuckle. “Yeah … sounds like something she’d do. Umm … should you have said it, though?” She asked as all the people searched online for any records of Eevee turning back into its base.

“Right?” Lori hummed thoughtfully. “Isn’t the stuff your grandpa does a secret?”

“Meh,” Amira replied, pressing the elevator to leave before anyone tried to stop them. “It’s enough bait to get them off our backs. The news will spread and possibly get people focused on the project again; I really didn’t say all that much, but it will be enough to stop further harassment once it hits the media. If your Eevee can do it, then it’s only a matter of time until other companies try, and with Rocket’s name involved, it’ll put less focus on you.”

“I didn’t think of that,” Rhea whispered, bending down to pet Nova as they started to rise. A smile came to her lips. “Thanks for helping me out, Amira.”

Amira didn’t look at her, arms folded as she looked away. “Yeah … no problem. So, umm … what do you guys want to eat? My parents will probably want to go someplace, but we’ll want to hit our spa before going out … I want to, at least.”

“I’d like that,” Rhea giggled, glancing down at their travel-worn appearance, “and Nova wants to try it, too! She was super jealous of all the other Pokémon getting to enjoy the Pallet spa.”

“Right … how are you feeling?” Amira whispered, putting her sunglasses back on while they exited.

Mallory’s eyes widened before following Amira’s example. “Oh, yeah! How was it? The whole evolution thing?”

Fumbling with her own glasses attached to her shirt, Rhea shrugged and trailed behind her two companions. “It wasn’t that bad. I mean, yeah, it’s really draining, don’t get me wrong, but I’m pretty sure I can do it once a day without trouble. So, one time for battle right now, and Nova can practice once just before bed.”

Nova gave a happy response while talking with Gables and Amber; they appeared to be getting to know each other now that the commotion was over.

The towering buildings came back into sight as Amira motioned them to the side of the building they stood outside of, sitting on a concrete rise while checking her phone. “I’ll let you two know when my parents are almost here. We can just chill until then.”

“Oh, I got some stuff I need to look up,” Mallory chuckled with a small smirk. Amira thought it was a little suspect by the gaze she gave the purple-haired girl, but she didn’t pursue the topic.

Their three Pokémon jumped up beside them to chat.

Rhea rubbed her phone between her fingers, lips pursed with both her teammates preoccupied; the city really did feel like it could collapse on her, which caused her stomach to churn a bit.

Before, it had been manageable since she wasn’t looking up or paying too much attention to the insanely designed buildings, but now that she was focusing on all the unique things, it was a bit overwhelming.

People moved between buildings with the giant lifts, crowds filed down the sidewalks with an apparent unspoken directional flow to each sidewalk that kept the sea of bodies in motion, and hundreds of various Pokémon moved along with it as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Trainers and their Pokémon worked jobs. A Trainer might have their Pokémon deliver hand mail; although, that was becoming very outdated, which moved onto other tasks, such as sanitation and many other labor fields that allowed a Trainer to get a bit extra monthly credit flow for expenses.

Her eyes lifted to the tall structures overhead to see dozens of Pokémon about their business in the air; it was heavily regulated by the VPD, and only authorized Pokémon were allowed to operate within the city airspace to keep everything in motion.

Shuddering a little, Rhea turned her focus back to her phone to check out the past match she had; honestly, she wasn’t really paying attention when she accepted the last three battles, which was kind of stupid of her. Her lips bunched to the side upon reading the resulting information of each, but the last one was the biggest eye-opener.

Philip Alexander - 11W - 1L

Battle Tier: Bronze 1

Kanto Battle Rating: 693 (-9)

Kanto Battle Rank: 18,426,134

Region: Kanto

Daily Battles: 5

Bet: 500 Credits

Result: Loser

Vs.

Rhea (Hidden) - 4W - 0L

Battle Tier: Bronze 1

Kanto Battle Rating: 573 (+23)

Kanto Battle Rank: 20,353,194

Region: Kanto

Daily Battles: 3

Bet: 500 Credits

Result: Winner

Rhea was a little taken aback; the past two matches she went up against were of similar ranking to the Kalos girls Amira and Lori had faced the day before, but Philip and his team were probably one of the higher-ranked Bronze 1 contenders, and it had undoubtedly been for a reason.

His Glameow was way stronger than I thought … he was on a winning streak and would have steamrolled right over Nova and me had she not evolved. If I’m honest … he really should have won.

She kept her internal dialog private, finding it easier after being bonded with her two Pokémon for a few days. Nova had done her best, but her past two matches returned with a sharp stabbing realization.

We need a lot of work. Amira had strategies she went over with Amber … I’ve just been telling Nova to be careful and watch out for fundamental things. She does need that help, but … I didn’t know Glameow had Fake Out … I mean, it’s a known flow disruptor that can really ruin starting momentum, which is why Nova began to panic. She never expected to get hit, and then she naturally used Detect after, which was a good scout Move. No … I’m the one that needs to work harder.

Pulling up the Move list her mother sent on Nova, she released a low groan; there was a lot, and some were new to her. She watched many Master-tier battles, but all the Masters didn’t need to commentate since they knew what was happening at a glance; she just observed for the enjoyment.

She had trouble watching Franky at his best because of how strong the energies were for Grandmaster matches, but she could still weather them at a distance. Lila, her aunt’s Spiritomb, had been a reminder of how massive a gap there was between Grandmaster and Legendary. She really needed to do better, and if Nova wanted to try out in a Contest, which she was sure the little girl did, they had to go over her Moves.

The list was long, but Rhea took careful note to memorize them and look up the few she didn’t know. All of them were useful for something, but only a few caught her immediate interest.

Detect

Growth

Natural Gift

Synchronoise

Wish

Yawn

Veevee Volley

Nova naturally used Yawn and Detect in our matches today; she even used Yawn instead of evolving, which worked in the end. It might have taken a while to come into effect, but it did make the Shellos sleepy. She just really doesn’t want to get dirty … which could be an issue in some battles. Maybe it’s my lousy influence; I kept showing her off to people, which has turned into an expectation…

Her eyes centered on Natural Gift with a slight frown.

Amira talked about using berries in matches … her grandpa even grows them outside the city for Trainers to use against his Gym. Nova can actually turn those berries into powerful damage Moves with the reduced cost of energy … although, a one time use Move is a gamble if they dodge it.

Wish was what Amber and Amira used… She growled a bit, scratching her scalp. It’s one of the more expensive ones, though. A lot easier for me to do than them, but at the cost of a chunk of my energy.

She adjusted her skirt while eyeballing the last three Moves. Veevee Volley was a specialty Move that was actually pretty shocking her Eevee knew at all; according to the Eevee Research Center, it was one of the strongest physical-type Moves Eevee could learn but required a close bond to bring out its full potential.

Rhea had a lot of her energy available for use by her Pokémon, but the Master Ball didn’t strengthen that friendship bond; it might help, though.

Growth plus Synchronoise was a killer combo, but the cost was similar to Mya’s Swords Dance or Psyche Up with Sucker Punch, like a desert soaking up water. Synchronoise mixed with one of Nova’s other forms would be quite the shock to their opponents, though.

In the end, she put the list away, returning to PikaBook.

A smile brightened her glum lips while watching Len and Jason messing around on the trail. The two were having mock battles while on the road, which apparently was something her grandfather had suggested.

However, a further update caught her attention; Bianca was still home alone, searching for a suitable flying Pokémon in the surrounding mountains to act as her messenger for groceries after Sabin’s suggestion. Rhea had just expected her cousin to have already dismissed the option for some reason, but apparently, no one had even thought of bringing it up for the past few years.

Hilbert isn’t back yet, which means…

Finding her cousin’s husband on her phone, she dialed the number.

It rang a few times until his bright voice answered on the other end. “Ah, Rhea! Yo, what’s up?”

Mallory and Amira gave her a questioning look as she made it voice only since they were so open in public.

“Hilbert, hey, umm … so, I just made it to Viridian like … forty-five minutes ago. You’re around, right? I mean, my mom and dad should be in the city, too.”

“Oh, for real?” He sounded truly surprised by the information. “Uh … I’ve been a bit busy training recently … gotta get stronger to beat Iris, but she keeps just getting stronger. Hehe, uh … let’s see … I was with Gold on Mt. Silver two days ago, but something’s got him in a restless mood in Viridian. I’ve just been walkin’ around the last few days, video chatting with Bianca. What’re your folks doing here?”

Rhea shrugged as if he could see her. “I couldn’t say. Something’s happening that needs her scientific background. I thought you’d know since you’re … well, you,” she chuckled.

“Bah … I’ve been so out of touch,” he moaned, probably running his hands through his hair. “Me and my crew were just climbing so fast before, but lately … it feels like we’re just hitting a wall, and I’m doing everything I can to break past it. Ethan’s talking about maybe shooting up to the Sinjoh Desolation, and uh … ya know, I’m kind of nervous,” he sighed. “I wasn’t there during The War … it’s a pretty intense place, I hear, even for Champion-tier.”

She’d heard about the insane devastation that took place between Sinnoh and Kanto with all the crazy Ultra Wormhole business and Legendary Pokémon battles; it was basically a place where standard physics and space-time took a significant hit.

“Uh, I’m sure you’ll do fine,” she rolled her eyes, “and you’ll have Gold there with you. Umm … so, anyways, you got time to hang out tomorrow? I’m pretty sure my parents are going to call to set something up.”

“Yeah, that sounds fun! Umm … I thought Bianca said something about keeping you on the low, though?”

“Oh, yeah, my parents said they’ve got that covered.”

“Sweet! Yeah, sure, it’d be nice to catch up. Wait, hold up … uh … yo, Rhea, Gold’s calling me. Mind if I text you later?”

“Sounds good,” Rhea replied, hanging up.

Hilbert was a good man, and Bianca wouldn’t allow anyone to say otherwise. Hilda, N, and Cheren had been the big rivals that had continued to push him into the Master-tier.

Cheren petered out near the High Master-tier, choosing to take on the more stationary approach as a Gym Leader while Hilda and Hilbert went at it for years in the League; N and Bianca always cheered them on in the sidelines, but then an underdog swept up with a roar that had caught both of them by surprise.

Rhea sat back, closing her eyes to the passing fancy cars and disinterested locals going about their daily lives to calm her heart from the raging city around her. She used the chance of seeing her cousin’s husband to wash the noise away, reflecting on the incident that sent Unova into a frenzy.

As a criminal enterprise, Plasma had been all but dismantled by Hilbert, Bianca, Hilda, N, his supporters, and the rest of the League. It was a time of celebration with peace returning to the region that had long dealt with opposing factions of royalty.

The whole League had worked hard to accomplish the task, and they were excited to start really getting into the big rivalry between Hilda and Hilbert. It was becoming somewhat of a yearly event; the challenge would come, and everyone would wait for the Elite 4’s announcement on who the winner would be.

However, a day before Hilda’s expected arrival to challenge Hilbert, Alder arrived with news that would shake the world and send her cousin’s adorably clumsy husband into a headspin. She remembered that televised announcement; he’d prepared the entire exchange, walking right into the Elite 4’s chambers with the Champion during their scheduled block, as was his right.

He had a broad smile on his large face; the man was as imposing as her grandfather at that moment, a mane of flashy red hair pulled back into a braid. She could still hear his booming voice. “Boy … I’ve waited a long time for this.”

Hilbert’s confused expression shifted between each of the E4 members that seemed somewhat confused about the action; Rhea doubted any of the current members knew what was going on since all of them had replaced the previous Old Guard, and many of those had been beaten by those before. Alder had stood in his spot for generations.

“Alder … what’s going on?” Hilbert said, looking somewhat flustered by the News stations silently watching behind him.

With a boisterous laugh, he said, “Do you know why I’ve stood at the peak of the Unova League for over seventy-two years as a recommendation?”

All League members silently shook their heads, excluding Caitlin; it was far before their time, and none of the current could beat the giant. Of course, it was said if the psychic was a bit more proactive she’d easily take the Champion seat herself, but it was only fan-speculation.

Alder rubbed his chin with a large smirk, studying the blonde-haired girl before turning his passionate red eyes on Hilbert. “Hehe, it’s ‘cause I’m just that good, and I thought the little girlie and ya would have a good tug-o-war battle, but yer takin’ too long, my boy. I’ve found something special in a little person that’s made me rethink everything.”

“Uh … what are you getting at?” Grimsley asked, glancing at Caitlin.

The girl whose blonde hair put both Rhea and her aunt’s to shame responded with an amused tone, light blue eyes glowing with an inner light as usual. “I wondered if this was a dream or reality.”

The long, red-haired man just chuckled at her statement. “I always liked you, Caitlin; if only ya’d get off your tiny butt ta challenge me, then maybe you’d be the one ta settle things.”

Her smile fell a little with a long yawn. “That … was not a comment I was looking forward to hearing. I’m tired … can you hurry it up, Alder?

Mallory’s sister was just taking notes, probably for some kind of scene she’d write later, and Marshal just wanted someone to get to the point.

“Alright, my little lass,” Alder pointed right at Hilbert and said, “Hilbert, my boy, I bring a challenge of competence ta ya.”

It was a stunning revelation; the challenge wasn’t a typical request and could be issued at any time, but it was seen as very rude and disruptive, which was exactly what the former Champion wanted.

“I’ll see ya at the Western Bronx Desert tonight!” He stated. “After I win, I’ll let ya know why I’ve taken back the reins.”

With that, he’d left the News and League in shambles; Caitlin promptly went to bed so she’d have enough energy to watch the fight unfold.

It was incredibly embarrassing to Hilbert, and worse, Alder hadn’t used his full strength to face him before. Hilda watched the battle, and parts of the southwestern desert rose out of the sea from the earth-based Moves the red-haired figure’s Pokémon used. Hilbert gave a tough match, and he wouldn’t have stood a chance when he’d first faced the man, but even with the strength he’d gained, he was forcefully removed as the Unova Champion.

Alder appeared on all News stations with every E4 Active Member confirming the results; he was once again the Active Champion of Unova.

Hilbert was forced to recover with his Pokémon after the match, which meant the Champion battle to face him would take place in turns. Hilda was a little intimidated by the show of hidden power the elderly man held, and Rhea could imagine it would be like her grandfather rising back up to test the new generation to see if they had the grit to handle the region’s future.

Hilda fought Alder’s team two weeks later with the same results; even after witnessing the match between Hilbert and him, she still couldn’t overcome his far greater experience and even more powerful Pokémon.

That left him to deliver his last statement; he’d soundly defeated the previous two Champions within two weeks of each other.

Taking a deep breath, he smiled at the cameras and said. “I don’t wanna put any disrespect on yer former Champions, Unova. Hilbert and Hilda are phenomenal Trainers, and I think they’ll go far, but … there’s a hidden gem in this region that I haven’t seen since Cynthia.”

The name-drop had caused all ears to tune in. “There’s a rising generation of fine Trainers, but only a few reach that pinnacle, and I was lucky enough to watch her reach for the stars.”

He came from the time of Rhea’s grandparents, which was a time of many conflicts. Her aunt and grandparents knew something had been up when he stepped onto the League floor to reclaim his spot from Hilbert; most thought it was to humor an old man one last time, but that obviously wasn’t the case.

“I’ve met Hilbert and Hilda at their best, and they were unable to defeat me as I stand at the top. I issue a Champion’s Challenge to one hidden gem that’s been kept from me by the Dragon Community for years. Iris Monroe, show me how much you believe in your Pokémon because I believe you have what it takes to stand next to the likes of Legends.”

Everyone was stunned. Iris, the Master-tier 18-year-old Trainer that occasionally stood in for High Master Drayden, Mayor of Opelucid City and Gym Leader of its gym? Rhea knew Iris’ parents had died shortly after her birth, but little was known other than Drayden took her in as his granddaughter.

Rhea had heard her grandfather rave about her talent, but that was the first time anyone had spoken about her being Legendary-tier, but apparently, Alder had gained the information that she had what it took if pushed by Cynthia herself. Many in the Dragon Community didn’t think Iris was ready with her wild tactics and undisciplined Pokémon; she’d been in a part of the region that allowed Trainers to bond at a young age since the Dragon Clans had their own sovereign territory.

Iris couldn’t really refuse the summons, and it was obvious that her fortitudes were extremely high by just looking at the girl; she looked to be in her very early to even pre-teens by her looks at the age of 18.

The girl jumped at the opportunity to show her stuff, something the Dragon Elders believed required more Training, and apparently, adapted in the fight to outclass Alder’s tactics that had blocked both previous Champions. Her primary team’s hidden potential far outstripped the High Master-tier she’d been stuck at by the Elders.

Even more, her Pokémon grew mid-battle against Alder’s Pokémon to stand victorious after a savage battle that left her Haxorus vs. his Volcarona, both nearly out of all energy. Iris came out on top.

The new Champion had only grown since the encounter, putting Hilbert and Hilda in a frenzy to get stronger as they both bashed their head against the insanely powerful Dragon prodigy that was Iris; she was the ultimate boss they saw in front of them that blocked their path to advancing, but her grandfather didn’t praise the savage Trainer for nothing.

Her grandfather’s stories returned with the thoughts; Iris had been told to harness, compress, and use caution with her innate power. Of course, that had never been in her grandfather’s vocabulary, and the constant restraint was hurting her, in his opinion, because the elders were frightened of her potential.

Iris’ release from the Dragon Homeland had made her more than a little dangerous in battle, according to Hilbert’s complaints, but it’s that unreasonable, raw, passionate determination to win that Drake felt was needed for a Trainer to reach Legendary-tier. A confident, focused, strong-willed drive that fueled an inferno inside their core to succeed. It was a thrilling pulse that crossed into the borders of insanity.

Iris was a whole lot more fun than Ethan or Gold, though, and she really liked the girl the handful of times she’d met her since her ascension to the top of Unova. Of course, she’d heard her battle attitude was something else entirely from her usual countenance.

Reflecting on the incident with her Pokémon bubbling inside to push themselves harder made Rhea realize there might be something to the determination that fueled all high-tier Masters. Each of them took their own routes but eventually stopped at some point.

Rhea had never thought about such an insane drive to win before bonding with her Pokémon, and maybe their intense emotions were affecting her, which could be a byproduct of the crazy amount of breeding and genetic manipulation that had been done to them.

All in all, she was beginning to realize a growing passion in her that made her want to do better, not only for herself. Opening her eyes, she noticed Amira writing a message to someone.

Figuring her parents would probably be arriving shortly, Rhea was a little surprised that they weren’t actually drawing the attention she expected. The immense throng of busy people didn’t have time for someone so low-tier as her, and Amira was probably a common sight around Viridian since she’d grown up here. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if they wanted to get away from them; too much attention could draw Giovanni’s eye, and she was learning how protective the man was.

Swiftly moving into a private message to her grandfather’s phone, more than a few thoughts were bouncing around in her head, ideas that hadn’t even crossed her mind until she’d met her first friend and began pondering all the layers of hidden information she was privy to.

6:58 P.M. Rhea: Hey, Grandpa. Umm, I had a question! How trapped are people into their fortitudes and Pokémon? I’ve been thinking about some friends I’ve made and about Iris, Hilbert, and Hilda’s whole thing. I know people get stronger if they’re around powerful Pokémon, which is why Dragon Trainers, like you, are pretty strong, but how does it all work exactly?

The response was swift and in the form of a phone call; she suspected he just wanted to hear her voice. Keeping it on voice only, she answered.

“My lil’ Swwabbbluuu! Are ya gettin’ in the gutter ‘bout takin’ trainin’ seriously?” He asked in an enthusiastic tone.

Her grandfather’s unusual voice when he spoke to her had been funny since she was a child. “I’m thinking about it,” she chuckled.

Nova and Mya swapped their attention to her as she spoke, and her two companions did the same.

“Mmh, okay … thinkin’ ‘bout Iris, too, huh? Hehe. The lil’ dragon’s a good one to model after, I tell ya; like a second granddaughter ta me! Hmm…”

His tone took on a brooding tone as he pondered her question; if anyone knew, it would be him or her great-grandparents. “I’ve seen a lot in mi days; ya heard many of mi stories, but … it do be difficult for Trainers to rise past their limitations. We be born with talents, see, and Bianca be a blazin’ star of em!”

“Mmh,” Rhea nodded with a frown. “Yeah, but she doesn’t really take it seriously.”

“Aye, which is no big fuss!” He defended with a soft huff. “She be doin’ her own bits like mi girl Chrisi. Eh … it be possible, yes, but requires a great deal o’ work. Red and the Yellow lass did a good ol’ job eh provin’ the likes. Lyra … ya know the lass; she be settin’ her own pace, as well.

“There do be a point many Trainers just … feel like stoppin’. Don’t be askin’ your dirty ol’ gramps why people be feelin’ the way,” he mumbled while scratching his head. “... Oy, Fitz, pull her right, mi lad; we be headin’ south!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

A hail of voices rolled around the background with more shouts.

Figuring her grandfather was back on his second love, his trusty old ship that he’d built from scratch as a boy, she released a soft hum. “It’s possible, though?”

“Aye, it be possible,” he replied with a loud laugh, “but ye gotta av’ ah fine layer of blood pumpin’ in yer veins; the past generations build on the next! At some point, every Trainer be haven’ a family member that boosts ‘em up, but if they be lazin’ about, then it is what it is. Strap down, and buckle in! Pushin’ be the best way, in the end; ain’t that right, Fitz?”

“Aye, it be, Captain! To the south, men! To the south; put yer backs in it, ye Yampers!”

“Hehe, aye; if ya wanna get tougher, mi girl, then push harder. Innate talent and abilities be gettin’ ya started, but yer effort is where the value rises! Be crazier than yer competition, and think outside the ship; ya think yer gran and I’d be here taday if we’d done whatever we’re told?”

Mya and Nova cheered at his response, feeling her grandfather’s boisterous energy through the call.

“Not for a second, Grandpa,” she replied with a smile.

“Aye, we’ll be leavin’ port soon, mi Swablu; if ye got any more hooks on yer brain, then throw em at yer ol’ seadog!”

“Thanks, Grandpa,” she giggled, cutting off the call to his raucous laughter. “Hmm…”

She stared down at Nova, settling in by her side, and Mya by her heart within her pokéball. Tomorrow would be the day she’d try to keep both out; she’d made up her mind.

Alright, well, girls, how would you two like it if we really got into training?

Nova hopped up with an excited chirp, followed by Mya.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her two waiting friends. Amira looked a bit happy, but Malory had a brooding expression on her normally cheerful face.

“Umm, what’s up?” Rhea asked.

Amira’s left eye narrowed. “What was all that about; setting up some plans?”

“Ah,” she nodded. “Eh, yeah … I just thought it’d be nice to see if my cousin-in-law could make some plans to meet up with my parents and us. Oh, and the last one was my grandpa,” she chuckled sheepishly. “I just wanted to know if Sam and the others could get stronger or if all Trainers are stuck where they’re at.”

“Mmh,” Amira’s eyebrows drew together on the question, lips tucking to the side. “I’ve heard conflicting data, personally. Family lineage does play a role, but how much compared to effort is disputed.”

Rhea noticed Mallory playing with her phone again, leaning back to allow the two to face each other without her chest, hair, or head blocking the view. “Erm … yeah, he said talent gets you started, but effort is what will push you beyond, and genetics can be wasted.”

“Interesting,” Amira hummed, “but I think there needs to be more study done. Fortitude investigations and cataloging have only really started being documented by companies and the League for the past ten years after the whole age thing was discovered. I’m not saying he’s wrong, but … how much can be attributed to effort has yet to be seen.”

Rhea shrugged, happy with her grandfather’s response; she took a picture with her team, Mallory giving a convincing fake smile before sending it to her friends. Adding a swift message on PikaBook, she sent it.

7:08 Rhea: Yo, we finished our daily battles; now chilling in Viridian! What’s up with you guys?

7:09 Sam: Hey! We’re still hiking; we promised our Pokémon we’d make it to the middle point today, and we’re doin’ it! Umm … should be like another hour and a half of hiking, but then we make camp, eat, wash up, and the like.

7:09 Sam: Wait … this isn’t a private message … ugh, I’m so embarrassed!

7:09 Auntie Cynthia: Yo, girls! Hehe, no need to be embarrassed, sweetie. All girls sweat, but we still look fabulous while doing it! ;)

7:09 Bianca: Uh … Mom, I think we live in different worlds…

7:09 Bianca: Oh, hey, Rhea! If you’re in Viridian, then you can meet up with Hilbert!

7:10 Dad: Hey, we got a whole group goin’! How’s it happenin’? Yeah, we got a bunch of stuff going on here in the city. Uh … where are you guys right now, Rhea?

7:10 Auntie Cynthia: Keith … that’s not your good text voice. What’s happening?

7:10 Dad: Text voice O_o what’s that?

7:11 Grandma Glacia: Hmm … I agree. Have things turned out as we feared?

7:11 Auntie Cynthia: Appears so.

7:11 Bianca: ← Lost, please find.

7:11 Rhea: ← Lost, too, please find.

7:11 Sam: Uh … can I be lost?

7:11 Rhea: ^ Sam’s lost, too! Find!

7:12 Dad: Well … yes, and no, Cindy. Not as bad, but bad.

Rhea glanced up with a soft frown while watching Amira motion to them, apparently watching the text feed on her own device. She noticed a sleek car show up that fit five passengers.

Releasing a short groan, she swapped back to her App after throwing on her backpack, reading the few messages she missed.

7:12 Auntie Cynthia: There’s going to be trouble in Viridian, then. Plans?

7:12 Dad: Where are you right now, Rhea?

7:12 Rhea: You guys are taking too long >=( Amira’s parents just showed up.

7:12 Dad: Good, stay with them tonight. We’ll be by to pick you up for some fun tomorrow! Oh, Hilbert will be with us, too, Bianca! Well, I think he will?

7:13: Hilbert: Yup, I’ll be there. Gold just filled me in … seems he’ll be busy for another day or two.

Mallory motioned to them as they moved to open the door. “My dad just texted me some data; apparently, Skull’s taking over Viridian if Plasma isn’t thrown out.”

“What?” Amira seemed stunned at the news, fingers halting on the door. “When did this happen?”

Lori motioned for them to get in; Amira took the left door, Lori in the middle, and Rhea on the right.

“Hey, girls!” Lyra cheered, bending around to grin at them, but her smile fell a bit at Amira’s scowl. “Umm … oh, uh … what’s up? Did I do something wrong?” She asked with a worried look at Silver. “Oh, no, were we too late? There was a bit of traffic, and your grandfather called…”

“So … you do know about Skull threatening Viridian?” Amira asked, arms folded at her front. “What’s the deal?”

Lyra made a forced oh face while chuckling. “Well … it’s a bit complicated. Your grandfather just had to take care of it; you know how these things can get.”

“It’s only Skull, though,” Amira huffed, seemingly not happy about her home city being invaded. “It could hurt a lot of small businesses that I like. What if they go wild and start burning things? They wouldn’t, would they?”

Rhea was a bit surprised at that direction.

“No need to worry!” Lyra reassured with a confident smile. “Nothing bad is going to happen to Viridian.”

Mallory spoke up, reading the data on her crazy looking App. “It’s about Lusamine, right? That one lady that helped seal the Ultra Wormholes and was absorbed by one of the creatures?”

Silver spoke up from the driver’s seat, gazing back at them through the rearview mirror. “There was an attempt on her life, but as Lyra said, everything is being handled; there isn’t anything that the three of you can do, and I’m sure each of your parents would feel safer if you stayed with us tonight.”

Lyra’s brown eyes lit up at the fantasies rolling through her head. “Oh, oh, like the times’ Kris and I would spend time with each other; it’ll be so much fun! Amira said some time at the spa … oh, and I’ll cook dinner, we can watch some movies! Silver will be our serving boy!”

“Eh … I suppose I will,” Silver mumbled with a forced chuckle while pulling out into traffic.

Rhea thought the experience could be kind of nice, but she could see why Amira was frustrated something terrible was happening to her city.

“I’m just saying,” Amira sighed, scratching her collar bone, “it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if Grandpa was here, which means … there is a real threat something could happen, and the way you and Rhea’s family are acting … you can’t tell me it’s not bad.”

“No … maybe not,” Lyra mumbled, “but it will all work out! Your grandfather always finds a way to make things work in Viridian’s favor, and there’s a lot of people working with him. You don’t need to worry.”

Rhea didn’t want to say it, but Amira didn’t seem shy with her parents. “So … shut-up and let the grown-ups handle it…”

“No, not like that,” Lyra said with a pout. “We’re gonna have a fun time! There’s no reason to get all twisted over it.”

“... Ahem, Lyra…” Silver asked as beeping sounded from the front.

“Mmh?” She turned to her husband with a bright smile.

“Your seat belt.”

“Oh, right, right … blast, I never ride in these things,” she mumbled, fiddling with the straps.”

Rhea spent a healthy part of an hour and a half at their family’s private spa in Rocket Tower, where high-end staff nearby were on call. PikaSprings had been impressive, but this blew that out of the water.

Lyra promised that they’d go shopping tomorrow and would have loved to meet up with her parents for dinner; Rhea was interested in checking out some of the dresses Amira talked about.

The Rocket girl was a bit preoccupied with the news when she turned it on, but her mother quickly redirected her attention; she was impressed by the new phone Rhea’s mom gifted them.

Once finished with the spa, they took the private tunnel under Rocket Tower to Lyra and Silver’s personal residence just outside the city in Mintale Town. The area was relatively new property when they’d bought it, which was all they could afford at the time since most of their money went into TMs, among many other Trainer cash sinks.

It was a cozy three-bedroom house in the suburbs of Viridian, a bit to the northeast of Route 2, which was very modest for someone working as an Executive for Rocket, but much of their money went to other things since they weren’t a very showy type of family, even Silver’s car was company-owned.

To the south was Cobalt Coast, running along the right side of Viridian Bay and Springleaf Fields north of Mintale. Lyra had way more things planned for them than they could possibly ever accomplish in the day Amira said they had her, which shared time with Rhea’s parents. Lyra just invited herself to tomorrow’s dinner with Rhea’s parents, and once making it to their house, the woman made a delicious home-made meal.

Rhea was a little surprised that Lyra brought down her own PJs for them to use, which the small woman had to go back a few times for with Mallory’s much more shapely figure. Silver quickly ushered her back when she came running out with excitement about finding some old Rocket uniform. When he returned, his face was slightly flushed with Lyra teasing her husband about something.

Popcorn and movies finished the night, and Rhea found the sleepover surprisingly therapeutic with her two Pokémon. Mya took over for Nova as the night was drawing to a close, much to the little Eevee’s dislike; still, she stayed up longer than she was apparently supposed to with Mya’s slight frustration that she wasn’t conforming to the schedule, but she mediated, saying it was a special occasion.

After a scary movie that had Amira surprisingly jumpy and embarrassed, they went to bed, sleeping on mats Lyra laid out for them on Amira’s floor.

“Night, girls,” she cooed, turning off the light.

“Mom … I’m not twelve,” Amira mumbled, snuggling further into bed with red cheeks.

“Oh, you’ll always be my little girl!” She snickered.

Mallory seemed to really enjoy being fussed over by the hyper-active woman, and they went to sleep after a short talk about how nice Amira’s mother was.

Amira went to bed with a low mumble, but Rhea suspected she was smiling with her back turned to them. “Nice … she’s smothering … I do love her, though…”

Slowly they drifted off to sleep, hoping nothing bad would happen in the morning to disrupt their day.