7:02 A.M. June 28, Sunday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events: The Preliminaries for the Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League have concluded; 105 Trainers and their Pokemon have advanced from Bronze to Silver. The second day for the Summer Round Robin Cup, where the top of Kanto and Johto’s advancing Trainers will compete to be named Seasonal Best. Rhea started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 20 Days (19 officially; 20 since getting Maya and Nova).

Rhea’s lips parted with a quiet yawn as she shifted on one of the inflatable beds Silver had brought for all of them to sleep on after finishing up last night’s party; the warm pressure of her cousin’s arm was against hers.

Cracking open a blurry eye, she smiled at the blonde, mouth open a tad in a way that told her the woman was having a cozy dream. Excluding her mother, Sabin, and Katelin, they’d spent a good part of the previous evening as a family, much the same for Amira and Lori.

Careful to shift her bound hair, Rhea looked the opposite way to catch her two teammates on their own air mattresses, and a little surprisingly, Amira was still sound asleep in her mother’s arms; it melted Rhea’s heart to see the petite woman’s arm and body protectively draping over her redheaded daughter. Amber and Holly rested near the pair’s feet.

As could be expected, Lori’s blankets were thrown off, sprawled out with Miky on her bare belly and Roxie cuddled against her chest.

Smiling while doing her best not to shift too much and wake Bianca or Nova, currently attached to her leg, as usual, and Alice between her own breasts, Rhea let the warmth spread through her.

Alice’s fur and ears tickled a little, but looking at her adorable sleeping face made Rhea not want to disturb the Bunny Pokemon; she’d been a hyperactive energized rabbit with Nova, the social Butterfree, the other night. On the other hand, she noticed just how close the girl’s ears were to tickling her face, forcing her to lean back and look at the ceiling.

Rhea’s chest rose and fell, puffing out a long stream of air; the Plasma assassin felt like weeks ago with how much had happened since the event, and Rhea figured that was a part of the reason everyone kept smothering them with so much attention. It worked, and she was grateful.

Mya rustled within her pokeball. Morning … Shh, Alice, and Nova are still asleep.

Her Mawile yawned and seemed to do a few spiritual stretches while responding.

Mmh … What are we doing today … Heh, I have no clue. We were so tired after everything yesterday we all just crashed. Hmm … Yeah, we did lose yesterday. Are you sad for Alice?

Rhea's smile softened, trying to decipher the Pokemon’s feelings and thoughts. You’re right, winning would have been nice, but it’s not everything. Plus, Alice got stronger from the battle; we went in blind … Umm, hey, Mya, I was thinking something, actually … What do you think about swapping out of the Master Ball to an Ultra Ball when we can?

A hot puff of air shot through Rhea’s nose at Mya’s tentative answer. Not wrong … We will technically be weaker, but it’s just taking away the unfair advantage we had starting out. I mean, sure, we won our first match, but did we really win when we had such a heavy advantage, even in a three vs. two? I want to show that we’ve grown on our own.

Mya hummed, and Rhea could see her in her spirit, sitting down, arms crossed while staring at her comrades. After a second, she sighed and accepted the thought.

Heh, I’m not saying you weren’t amazing in that fight, but we both know the importance of energy management from that experience. We learned some valuable lessons, and now we should see what it’s like battling when restricted in our—

Alice stretched out, ears lightly pressing against her chin as she yawned; pink eyes opening, she sat up and scooted down to her belly to stand and grin. Heh, morning to you, too, Alice. Umm … I’d love to get up and take a shower, but I’ve got this ball and chain on my leg, she snickered, inching her leg to the left, only for the Eevee to clamp down on her ankle and pull it back in protest.

Hmm … Oh? Rhea’s gaze followed Alice’s to the closed door in the dark room, but the brightening light at the edges of the heavy curtains showed morning was coming on. Sabin, Kate, and my dad are out there? Eh … now that you mention it … Is Kate cooking?

The scent of eggs and meat were drifting into the room, making Rhea’s stomach growl and making Alice giggle as Mya’s wasn’t far behind; knowing her cousin, she figured Bianca wouldn’t sleep long given the appetizing smell—she was a heavy sleeper unless food was involved.

No, I think you’re right; Nova would love a warm morning shower and breakfast. Okay, let’s get up, girls! Alice hopped all the way off the mattress as Rhea used her core to lift herself up, reach down, and scoop a bewildered Nova into her arms to snuggle against her face as she sleepily chirped. Are you ready for a shower and a hot meal?

The Eevee’s pink eyes lit, tail wagging as Rhea gingerly pulled away from Bianca to crept between their air mattresses; Amira rustled a little, and she figured the redhead would be getting up soon, so she hurriedly grabbed the two towels, her pokeballs, and clothes she’d set out the night before and hurried to the bathroom.

Luckily, there’d likely be a buffer between her hot shower and Amira’s cold, so Lori would have plenty of warm water. Sabin glanced toward her as she eased the door shut, giving her a toothy grin and wave before returning to his conversation with her dad, blocked by the wall.

Returning the wave, she closed the bathroom door behind her and undressed from her bikini and bottoms; her Pokemon took turns to enjoy the warm spray with their Trainer, Nova helping Alice learn certain products before the Buneary rubbed the conditioner into the Eevee’s coat. Mya wanted to do everything herself, being the independent type, yet still offered advice to the rival bunny.

It touched Rhea to see her Pokemon getting along, and watching her two competitive Pokemon brought her mind back to Lori’s parents; the Grandmasters had chosen to get their own hotel room—in the singular—for obvious reasons, making Rhea blush and giggling a little at the thought.

She didn’t know when Sabin and Katelin got home last night, but her father used the sofa to sleep. Silver had to remain with his parents for business stuff, and all the Legends drifted off to do Legend stuff together; from the looks Ethan gave Red and Blue, the three were on their way to the Sinjoh Distortion or Mt. Silver to battle.

Bianca had been leery of Green but gave up when the girl offered the challenge and saw her husband’s eager look. She gave her consent for the two to go off and battle themselves. Considering they’d been gone since they got back to the lodge, Rhea figured the two were still fighting, which wasn’t uncommon for Trainers of their caliber.

Plus, Green wanted to enjoy herself, which meant pushing Hilbert as far as he could go, which was a very long way considering he was at Champion-tier. Rhea expected the two to be gone for several hours, at the soonest.

After finishing her shower, Alice returned to her pokeball since Mya let her sleep with Rhea; she dried off her Pokemon, prepared for the day, and joined her family in the living room with her damp fluffball and gleaming Mawile.

She expected Amira to jump in right after, but the door to the room remained closed as she exited the hallway. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“Yo, Sis, sleep well?”

“Hey, Rhea,” Kate greeted, bandana keeping her hair tied back and an apron on while browning the meat. “I’ll have your plate ready in a minute.”

Keith snickered, leaning back with his arms around the back of the sofa. “You should have seen Kate at the morning ‘mart, worrying what you girls would like.”

“C’mon, you don’t need to say that,” Katelin grumbled. “I know what devilish food Rhea likes, but I have no clue with the others, and neither of you was much help, might I add.”

Sabin grunted while moving over for Rhea to sit. “Heh-he, how should I know?”

“At least give me some suggestions—I just went with breakfast wraps and a more green dish if the others don’t like meat.”

Rhea giggled as Mya climbed onto an armchair, and Nova settled atop her skirt. “They definitely eat meat; it’s kind of expensive, though, so we haven’t bought much, uhh … What’s all of that—your gear?”

Everyone’s gaze went to the pile of boxes beside the sliding door, and her father chuckled. “No, Sabin and Kate spent last night shopping for some of you girls—if you plan on getting on the road again, you’ll need sleeping bags and stuff.”

Her eyes widened, moving to her brother’s grin. “You didn’t…”

“Of course! Heh, Kate went through all of your social media posts to see what brands and stuff you had and got as much as she could.”

“Kate…”

“Don’t give me all the credit, Sabin—eh-heh-eh, I’m kind of hurting on credits right now, so … yeah, your brother’s the real hero for all of us! I’ve, eh, been mooching off of him.”

“I figured it was one and the same since we’re dating,” Sabin shrugged. “Although, yeah, Kate, you do need to watch that purse of yours.”

Kate lifted an eyebrow, the back of her hand sticking to her hip as she glared at Sabin. “How can you be so sweet and turn around and tease me at the same time?”

“What are boyfriends for? He-he, Rhea, let us know if anything’s missing; Kate got all the stuff I don’t have a clue about when it comes to girls and products.”

The woman’s expression brightened. “What are girlfriends for? Seriously, though, Rhea, if you need something, let me know!”

“Thanks,” Rhea choked, trying not to tear up. “Umm … I think we’ll probably collect everything we need beyond the necessities in Cerulean. Is … When you two disappeared last night, was it to shop for us?”

“Mhm,” her brother answered, leaning in to nudge her. “If you ever need us, Kate and I are here for you, Sis.”

“Don’t think we didn’t have a good time!” Kate assured with a wink. “Your brother even surprised me with earrings—oh, wanna see?!”

“Yes!” Rhea replied, reaching around her brother's broad shoulders to hug him. “Thanks, Bro … Really…”

He returned the embrace, hot air pressing against her ear as he whispered, “I’m with you, Rhea—I’ll always catch you.” Pulling away, he laughed as Kate bustled around to show off her deep ruby earrings. “I definitely didn’t do that, so she’d wear red lipstick more!”

“Sabin…” Katelin blushed, making Rhea and Keith giggle.

“They look so good on you, Kate! I do see the red lipstick, though, Sabin,” she mused. “Good taste!”

“It has to match … You’re so bad, Sabin,” she huffed, shooting a playful glare in his direction. “You could have told me what you like instead of playing all these games.”

“Oh? I have a sneaking suspicion you like it like this. Am I wrong?”

“Not a chance,” Kate snickered, cheeks darkening further with everyone watching.

Keith hummed, rubbing his chin as they turned to him. “I don’t know, Sabin—the red’s good, but I’ve always been more of a light pink fan myself.”

“Mom? Sure! Kate, though—nah, totally that blood color—heh, you don’t know how vicious this girl can be, Dad!”

“Lies! I’m very gentle—when I want to be,” Kate returned, wearing an innocent grin.

The door opened to reveal a sleepy Bianca wearing her Pikachu pajamas. “Ugh … Is something burning?”

“Oh, no!” Kate rushed back to the stove to finish up. “It’s fine—it’s not bad … just a few crispy parts for texture. Right? He-he-he…”

Bianca smiled. “Looks good to me. Oh, nice gifts—are those for Rhea and her team?”

Sabin gave her a thumbs up. “Yup. Should be set for the essentials.”

“How was your night, Bi?” Rhea asked, turning to the blonde as she took the chair beside Mya.

“It was good—heh, it’s been a while since we slept together; I forgot how quiet and still you are—I hope I didn’t punch you in the face—eh-he-he, did that to Hilbert one time.”

Rhea gestured at herself. “I don’t look black and blue. Right?”

Sabin smirked, looking away. “I mean, I just thought it was your normal morning look.”

“Sabin…” Rhea growled, hitting him with a throw pillow.

“He-he, yeah, yeah, you’re good, Bi—Rhea always has that ghostly look in the morning—probably something to do with Franky.”

Another pillow lifted itself up on the third sofa before blindsiding her brother, the Gengar’s dirty look aimed at a chuckling Sabin, making everyone laugh.

“I’m playing! I’m playing! Rhea looks as fluffy and cute as a Swablu.”

“Isn’t she adorable?” Bianca agreed, flashing her teeth. “Though, I swear, your Pokemon give you a battle for your credits, Cuz,” she muttered, reaching over to pet a happy Mya.

A low moan came from the back room as the door opened to reveal a sleepy Amira and her bright-eyed mother.

Keeping her voice low yet somehow projecting the radiant energy the woman had by default, Lyra waved at Sabin and her. “Morning! I love waking up to laughter—our house can be so quiet, but you guys are so happy and loud; it’s a ray of sunshine to start my day.”

“Mhm…” Amira mumbled, bags under her eyes while Amber trudged after her Trainer to the bathroom; to contrast the pair, Holly was wrapped around Lyra’s head, chirping her own morning greeting.

“She okay?” Katelin asked, poking around the corner while wrapping a tortilla with the ingredients she’d prepared.

“He-he-he, Amira’s always a bit grumpy in the morning.”

“Am not,” she shot back through the closed door. “I just didn’t get a lot of sleep with you clinging all over me—how does Dad do it…”

“He loves me!”

“No other way he could handle it, I suppose.”

“Aww, isn’t she adorable?”

“Mgmgm-ha-ha-ha…”

Rhea liked the relationship the pair shared; someone might think they were fighting, but really it was just their thing.

Picking up Nova and scooting over for Lyra to join them, Rhea looked past the woman at the closed door. “Is Lori still sleeping?”

Lyra plopped down beside her, pulling her into a motherly hug that made Rhea’s mind blank for a second in surprise; she’d forgotten how touchy the former Champion was. “Mhm! She really does love her beauty sleep, but it seems to do wonders for her, so how can I hate? He-he, I just love the morning sun too much—but there is one thing I love more!”

A cat-like smile moved her lips as she glanced toward the bathroom. “I haven’t been able to smother Amira like that for years … Unfortunately, she gained that red-haired rebellious streak earlier than her father—she refused to sleep with me at five years old—such a sad day.”

“Rhea would never turn that offer down,” her dad mused, making Rhea’s gut tighten.

“Dad … I mean, yeah … no, I’d totally love it,” she sighed, forcing a smile. “I just can’t see it happening.”

Lyra winked. “Don’t be so sure; I mean, Amira would never admit it, but she loves it. When all of you went to bed, we stayed up and talked for a while—Mallory and you were out like a light!”

Sabin nodded. “Rhea’s never had trouble sleeping; she used to sneak into my bed when she was feeling lonely—ha-ha, it got pretty crowded when Franky and Atreyu would join.”

Rhea looked at the table and smiled, remembering her childhood. “I got scared sometimes when Mom and Dad were away during the Ultra War—all I had was Sabin and Bianca.”

“I loved babysitting, and we always slept together when I lived with you guys,” Bianca fondly commented. “Of course, my Pokemon can act as a blanket.”

“A sweatbox, you mean,” Rhea added. “Umm, so is there anything you guys had planned?”

Lyra’s pigtails weaved with her shaking head. “Not me! Amira wants to get back on the path but is scared to bring it up; she doesn’t know when will be the best time for you guys.”

The bedroom door opened up to reveal the final member of the party. “Mmgm … I’m good to go today—heh, I told my mom and dad to quit wasting time with me and go see Cass already. Oh, is all that for us?”

Rhea nodded, fire lighting inside her. “Yup! Kate and my brother got it for us last night. I’m ready to go today, too. Oh, umm—Dad, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“Uh, what would be the good in swapping Alice, Mya, and Nova to Ultra Balls when they’re energy self-sufficient?”

Alice, Mya, and Nova had talked about it during the shower, and they all came to accept it; now, she wanted her dad’s opinion before bringing it up with her mother.

“Ah, interesting that you mention it … I was thinking about it while watching Amira’s battle yesterday. My dad mentioned she was holding back on purpose to likely replicate the limit … Woah, you even sectioned it out for each of us—this is almost like my old comb—nice!”

Lyra hummed, brown irises drifting to the hallway door as her daughter started the shower. “She was, and doing a decent job at simulating it with a few minor fluctuations. Still, it’s impressive; I bet she’s been trying to test the difference between the two fortitude draws over the last few days. What do you think, Keith?”

The man’s left hand ran through his thick mane of pulled-back golden locks, a forced smile coming across his face. “Your mother was discussing it with me, and she feels that might have some benefits, yet also some unintended consequences. She wanted to run some numbers and reference some of the old research papers from the various criminal syndicates, but it is something she’s looking into—though, I doubt it after listening to her—I’d hold off until she talks to you about it.”

Satisfied with the answer, Rhea nodded. “Okay—I guess it will help us better manage our energy. Thanks, Dad. So…”

“Breakfast!” Katelin jumped in, bringing their focus to the wraps, hot coffee, and fruit yogurt dishes she’d prepared.

“It looks divine!” Lyra chimed, jumping up with the others. “How sweet, you even made some for all of our Pokemon—quite the feast you’ve whipped up for us.”

Rhea hadn’t noticed just how much the woman had worked because the island was filled with the dishes after she’d put everything in her large pots together. “Thanks, Kate.”

They settled around the space, taking some outside into the crisp morning air for the much larger Pokemon that wouldn’t fit inside the cabin; the group decided to take it to the deck outside, and half through transporting the goods, Amira exited the shower.

The redhead cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. “Rhea, Lori, I … I know it might be too soon, but…”

“No need to be like that, Red,” Lori grinned, pointing at Rhea. “Goldy and I are totally cool with getting back on the road today. We’re gonna win this League!”

“Red?”

“Goldy?”

Rhea and Amira glanced at each other in confusion.

“Ah, yeah, Gabs and I came up with it,” she laughed, yet the Frog crossed his arms in the negative from her shoulder. “I know it’s not super original, but I thought they’re pretty cool nicknames. Like it?”

“I’m fine with it,” Rhea shrugged, figuring it was better than the Swablu, which her family used as a pet name, and she figured Amira was thinking the same thing since she’d heard her family using Mew for her.

Amira hummed, concern and hesitation dropping after the declaration. “Red is a new one, but I’m fine with it. I saw the gear, too—I assume that was Katelin and Sabin. Thank you.”

Katelin hissed, leaning in to nudge her boyfriend. “I know you said red lipstick looks good on me, but look at her—full lips, natural plump to them—I don’t stand a chance.”

“Uh … Excuse me?” Amira tentatively asked, confused gaze drifting between Rhea’s chuckling family.

“She’s saying you’re beautiful—the lipstick part is kind of an inside joke,” Rhea explained.

“Oh, umm, thank you.”

“No, thank you for taking care of Rhea for us,” Sabin said, giving her a thumbs up. “I know she can be a handful, and I hear you’ve been keeping up on her bad eating habits.”

“Or lack thereof,” Kate interjected, dull eyes drifting to Rhea’s single wrap and a small plate of fruit.

“Mmgh, I eat fine…” Rhea groaned. “It’s everyone else that eats too much.”

“Think you’re alone on that hill, Darling,” Lyra giggled, her plate stacked with food. “The stronger you become as a Trainer, the more your food bill is going to increase—he-he, not including your Pokemon.”

Knowing it was a losing battle, Rhea relented. “I’m sure … Is there anything else, Amira?”

“Trying to get off the topic,” Amira mused, but her smile fell a tad, sober tone returning. “Actually, I wanted to run my new plan with the two of you.”

“I’m listenin’,” Lori said between bites, everyone else settling into their own little conversations or listening to them.

Amira took a second to collect her thoughts, looking down at Holly as she ate little bits of fruit on a plate beside her. “I’ve been thinking about the Bronze-tier Encrusted Challenge … Do you two know that the price per Encrusted Challenge goes up every badge you earn?”

Rhea’s eyes widened. “What? No, umm, I didn’t realize that.”

Lori nodded. “Mhm! Yeah, I was always over at Elesa’s Gym, so I know a lot of that stuff; I figured we were on a roll, so it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Not so,” Amira took a deep breath. “Expect things to become more expensive as we continue to travel … I think we should plan our route to our strengths now that we know our Pokemon. I don’t think Rhea should take on Misty’s Gym.”

Setting down her wrap, Rhea’s eyebrows pulled together. “You … don’t think I’ll win?”

Katelin leaned forward. “That’s not what she’s saying; she wants to minimize the risk of running short on funds, which is something most Bronze-tier Trainers don’t consider.”

“Right,” Sabin whispered, pulling Rhea’s focus. “Kate and I almost didn’t make it on our Bronze Encrusted Challenge because we got stuck on Sabrina and Surge—we battled a ton of other Bronze Trainers, but there’s a limited pool of credits in circulation between Bronze contenders in an area … Bronze-tier is meant to be a rookie crusher to weed out the flock.”

Rhea’s lips became a line. “I didn’t know it was so close for you guys—it was all happy messages home when I called.”

“He didn’t want to worry you,” Kate explained. “We got through it, but only because of other tough Trainers with a large amount of money came into Saffron as we were almost out of credits. It was smooth after that but taught us a lesson.”

“Some of us a lesson,” Sabin smirked.

“Buying TMs is different; my team needed it!”

“Mhm. In any case, Amira’s got a head on her—so, what’s your plan?”

Everyone centered on Amira as she took out the replacement phone Christie had given her, pulling up the projection technology to show some website she added the Gyms to and their Pokemon.

“A part of being a Trainer is planning and strategy, and given our team’s Typing and Moveset, we need to plot a path we can all succeed in; it’s not a personal effort, but a team exercise, as well.

“Lori and I already have the Boulder Badge, which gives us one out of four that we need to skip the preliminaries and enter the main conference. Going for all eight Encrusted just isn’t practical; in fact, the money risk would be better utilized for TMs, travel, and pushing ourselves. There is plenty of high Bronze-tier or even Low Silver areas where we can find wild Pokemon willing to challenge Trainers.”

Mallory folded her arms across the table, leaning forward to follow Amira’s hands as she pulled their Pokemon to various Gyms. “So, select the ones we best type against? I mean, Forrest showed us that even Type advantage isn’t a guarantee.”

“Right, which is why we need to utilize it to the best of our ability. To make matters worse, our powerful Pokemon for our Tier are actually a handicap during Gym Challenges since they raise the difficulty to our current Pokemon’s level, as Rhea showed in her Sandstorm match—this will not be easy.”

Rhea’s throat became sticky while centering on Forrest’s handsome photo. “No, I get where you’re going … I still want him to be our last battle, though—Mya and I will win this time.”

“That’s fine—it’s an advantage, and you’ll be more experienced when that time comes. My thoughts … We need four primary ones—well, Lori and I three—and then a backup for if we fail one of those on our journey—five for you, Rhea, including Forrest, just in case one proves too challenging.”

“Hm-hmm … I like it,” Lyra said, resting her cheek against her knuckles. “So, who will fight who?”

“Ahem,” Lori’s focus went to her devilish Pokemon, looking between the screen and his Trainer. “I promised Miky that he’d fight Misty … Does that work?”

Amira hissed out a puff of air. “It’s … not your best match up—even with Gables; naturally, a Water Specialist as proficient and experienced as Misty is not going to lose a mirror battle … We’re not going to out-water Misty, but … I do understand how our Pokemon feel, as well,” her red irises drifted to Serenity, floating nearby. “My unsure pick will be Misty, and you can do that, too, Lori.”

“And me?” Rhea whispered. “When do we get our next Gym battle?”

“You can still reject my proposal,” Amira muttered.

Her golden bun shook with her head’s motion. “We’re a team, and I said I trusted your judgment; we just want to know when and why you think we should go after our next badge.”

The redhead’s gaze drifted between the colorful badges and Gym Leaders. “Right now, we’re going to Cerulean City, and you can battle people there to keep our funds up, but I think we should go to Saffron City next for Lori, then Celadon City—passing through Sable City … We can skip the kayak ride and take the Commerce City route for Lori.”

“Thank you!” Lori puffed out a relieved sigh. “I’ll probably be rattled for a while after that…”

“Sorry…”

“All good! So, uh, Rhea’s first Gym will be this Erika Gym Leader?”

Rhea’s attention moved to Nova, listening intently beside her. “Glaceon … Right?”

“Yes. I mean, a lot can change, depending on what forms Nova can take—not that I’m trying to put pressure on you, Nova,” she added as the Eevee’s expression saddened. “Basically, our path from Cerulean to Celadon will be used to help you master your transformation.”

Giving her Eevee an encouraging spiritual nudge, Rhea grinned. “I’m sure she’ll dazzle us! Plus, it means we’ll be able to do more site-seeing as Amira and Lori get ready for their Gym battles.”

Her Pokemon smiled at the prospect; Alice and Mya challenged each other to have more victories before then. Nova was still nervous but took strength from them.

Lori stole everyone’s eye soon after. “Eh-he-he, uh, Red … Are you saying I should face that Sabrina woman—the one that’s ranked second as the Rookie Crusher in Kanto Leaderboards behind your grandfather?”

Amira’s confidence returned while centering on the shaky Impidimp. “Miky is a Dark-Fairy Type; he is immune to Psychic Moves. He has the best shot at completely shutting Sabrina down out of all our Pokemon—excluding Nova as an Umbreon. Psychic Pokemon don’t get too many varied Moves at this Tier. Be careful, of course, but I’m most confident about that battle so far.”

Pondering her direction, Rhea saw everyone’s impressed nods and asked, “Are … we skipping Vermilion since Surge’s Gym is in a volatile state right now, and in the next few days it could turn into a Fairy Gym or remain as an Electric, depending on the High-Master Match at the League?”

“Correct … We can mold this plan as we go, but currently, this is how I see it. Janine is another good option for Mya as a Steel Type, and we can go to Fuchsia after that. In addition, Vermillion is on the sea, which means we can bounce between Fuchsia, Cinnabar’s newly rebuilt city, or cut over to Vermilion on a ship if needed.”

“Solid plan,” Keith complemented, yet his tone change brought Amira’s eyes. “I will caution against being too serious … Sure, plan your route, but have fun—this should feel like an adventure, not a job.”

“I totally agree, Keith!” Lyra chimed, hugging her daughter closer. “A major advantage of going for the Encrusted Challenge is that it gives you more time to explore—you don’t need to be concerned all the time about going to a Gym the moment you enter a city.”

Rhea took a deep breath and puffed it out. “I’m really looking forward to it. So, should we get ready after this and hit the road? It will take us three days to get to Cerulean City from Rifure … Is that right?” she asked, glancing at her map app.

“Yup,” Katelin confirmed. “Travel between Pallet, Pewter, and Apple City has become super easy because of Rocket’s construction work building a path, but not everywhere has the same straight paths. Oh, and look out for berry trees in Blue Forest; they have a unique taste to them! So good!”

“Too sweet for me,” Sabin chuckled. “Still, we shouldn’t hold you guys up.”

“Hey, I still need to shower,” Lori said, carefully stretching out and yawning; she’d thrown on some gym shorts and a tank top her father seemed to have left for her. “It shouldn’t take long—so, we gonna go through those goodies the lovebirds got us?”

Sabin and Katelin laughed.

Rhea got up and threw her arms over her head, arching her back and groaning with the burn. “Let’s do it! I can’t wait to see Cerulean—the city of water! Maybe while you guys are registering and doing all the Gym stuff, I do some site-seeing with my Pokemon.”

“Sounds good,” Lori called back, already moving to the bathroom. “Thanks again, guys!”

Rhea followed the Unova girl inside and dug into her packages with Kate and Sabin watching; the blue-haired woman added comments about where she had the inspiration to buy each from their social media pictures or messages.

After Lori finished getting ready, they packed everything into their new bags, waved off their family, and marched back into their Bronze Journey; her journey was only just beginning.