PoV:
1. Rhea!
2. Lori!
Pokemon Map I Loosely Use For Visual Aid: The distance between areas might be different; some cities are somewhat incorrect, a few routes have been mislabeled, and some cities aren't listed, but it's the best I've found.
Google Document (In-line Comments)
--------------------
11:23 a.m., November 7th, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 151.
Events: Rhea and the girls are on a Badge Hunt, trying to get all the Kanto Encrusted Badges before time runs out! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the registration deadline for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (27 days away).
--------------------
Rhea let her heart get carried away in the clapping and whistles that followed Giovanni’s words. Unlike nearly every other major battle she’d been in at Gyms, her legs weren’t shaky. Sure, her mind was fuzzy, but she only had a minor amount of Fortitude-induced sweat.
Honestly, this was…so amazing, she internally sent to her team, seeing Amira’s grandfather, large as life, watching the reaction in silence. You hear them screaming for you guys? Was it supposed to feel this easy? Not easy—just…different.
Staring at the capsules holding her little girls, she chuckled. Lulu jumped onto her head, puffing up her chest and proclaiming her team’s victory, no doubt in her villainous role-playing.
Not that anyone could hear her over the noise of eighty thousand people.
“Neeee!”
“Yeah,” Rhea whispered, placing the Poke Balls of Shae and Nova into the transport device to the Gym’s Center for recovery. “We won.”
Spotlights on her, the broken stage began to repair with some help from Pokemon hidden underneath the stadium, using Ground Zone. Rhea was about to walk away when Giovanni’s smooth, deep voice cut through the swiftly quieting throng.
“What did you make of the battle, Rhea?”
Pausing half-turned, Rhea wasn’t caught off-guard as much as she thought she should feel, but it still took a moment for her to gather her thoughts. She took a deep breath, feeling Mya’s cheering from inside, speaking rapidly to Lulu through their bond.
She hummed, returning to the console to look across the stage again, reflecting as the battle played across her mind.
“…It was perfect.”
She looked up at him with a grateful smile through the lights, reaching back to adjust her hair.
“Every battle I’ve been in with Gym Leaders, I’ve grown and learned valuable lessons. It’s not just a challenge… It’s a test. And always, it was my battle to lose.”
Her gaze drifted across the crowd, her smile warming as she saw a large section of Rocket employees holding up signs and cheering on their team. Though most of them admittedly had her red-headed teammate on their banners.
“…Traveling with Amira, I heard so much about you. Your tactics. Little tricks I should look out for… And somehow, you countered every single piece of advice she gave. You gave me a puzzle to solve. My battle against Blaine earlier this week was flashy, pushing me to my limits until I passed out. This was a battle of humility… Restraint. And it was just what I needed.”
She flashed her teeth and giggled before asking pointedly, “What did you think of how I solved your test?”
Giovanni took an audible breath, the crowd holding their breath as he studied her from his high perch. Above, holograms of the battle replayed silently, showing where Nova and Shae ended the match in dazzling fashion.
“…Rhea, it is an uncomfortable subject, but not all people are created equal. Life is harsh. People are born into advantaged positions in all walks of life. You have biological and social benefits that few can grasp. That is undeniable. It will never change.”
His voice was definitive, leaving no room for interruption.
“No amount of envy. No amount of petitions. No vote. You have real power. To deny that or attempt to suppress it is more folly than just. No matter the intentions. Intentions are where stability and diffusion of responsibility go to die. Only outcomes matter.”
Rhea’s mouth dried at his blunt words, his hands held firmly behind his back, the former mob boss making eighty thousand people hold their breath.
“There is courage in this world, but it is burning like ash in the wind. Dark days will return. Rainbow Rocket will split the skies, and only those who have power can face that coming darkness. Every choice we make has consequences that affect more than oneself.”
Lulu tensed atop her head, the Cosmog knowing she was a big part of this conversation, yet Giovanni’s smile hadn’t faded.
“I have watched you girls closely since my granddaughter is affected by the path you walk, Rhea… Nothing goes as planned. Everything will break. And you will and have made mistakes. But those mistakes have led you to be the young woman standing victorious before me… And I couldn’t have asked for a better role model for Amira. That said…”
His head tilted to the side.
“What was the answer to my puzzle?”
Rhea’s pent-up air streamed out as he nodded, putting it back in her court. A chill ran down her spine. She didn’t answer immediately, despite the clock and other competitors waiting for their turn.
She’d given him an answer, which wasn’t wrong…
He just wanted more.
“…Your puzzle wasn’t about the Moves, or even the Abilities, though they played a minor role.”
Rhea looked up at Alice’s desperate fight, silently replaying as Alpha dominated the early battle. She reached up to pull Lulu off her head and hug the little cotton cosmic ball to her chest.
“At first, you put Gold-tier Pokemon against me in a Silver-tier battle… You were baiting me into using all my talents and power. Just as I showed against Blaine and started this whole backlash against my team’s unfair advantage… My mom. Me…”
Her soft-blue eyes fell to the sharply dressed man. “But as I said, it wasn’t power you wanted to see from me. I became sure that if I chose Lulu to replace Alice, we would not have won, even if I used every unfair advantage I have. You didn’t want to see my power.
“You wanted to see restraint…adapting with the many amazing tools my mother gifted me with my unique Pokemon… Even if that meant using a baby Pokemon when there was a Gold-tier competitor on the field. And Shae, a Bronze-tier Ralts, beat a Gold-tier perma-stall Quagsire…”
Rhea looked at the cameras, then the crowd. “Yes. I will not pretend all my blessings are fair… I will not pretend I do not cry and have felt hopeless at times. Where, even with all my talents, I wavered and failed… I lost my first Gym Battle. I’m not perfect. And life is not fair. And I won’t apologize for it,” she whispered, gaze falling to her Cosmog.
“We all have our own struggles. I will help others where I can. I will live how I want to. And if people hate me for that… I have to accept that. I cannot hide who I am or be someone else. Thank you, Gym Leader Giovanni,” she said, looking up at the man, “for giving me a stage to show everyone who I am.”
Silence filled the stadium after her words faded. Giovanni’s focus moved to his Persian, and he reached down to scratch his ear before saying, “It’s a cold and lonely road to the top… I am glad to see you will attempt to change that motto, as have the Legends before you. Push forward with that, and be well, until I see you again… Stay humble.”
With that, her stage fell to the floor and the exit ramp, leaving Rhea feeling something she hadn’t expected…validation.
I’ll take everyone I can to the top with me…
* — * — *
Lori was standing—there was no way she could sit—her dress rising slightly and falling with her anxious hops as she watched Rhea.
“Shae?!” she screamed, the girls in the locker room squealing at the baby’s appearance, mixed with a lot of worry. “There’s no way she’s ready to fight a Gold-tier—huh?”
Her jaw slackened as Giovanni revealed a boreline Silver-tier Alpha Diglett.
“Oh! Oh! Did the match score drop from Gold back to Silver? Rhea, you sly little Vespiquen! You forced the battle back into the bracket. Amira, Amira, that’s brilliant!”
Their redhead showed a smile that was obviously forced; clearly, her stomach was doing knots. Lori was sure Amira would have an ulcer by the end of this.
“Yeah… My grandfather isn’t even using that many Ground Moves. And a Super Cheer Diglett? I didn’t even consider that. Hmm… How does she force the Protect to get Veevee Volley in? Shae’s status effects won’t affect a Gold-tier opponent unless her matrix is extremely weak, which…is practically impossible against a perma-stall Pokemon…”
“Have a little faith in our honeypot!” Lori defended. “Shae’s young, but she’s a monster at support. Right, Terri?”
Her Kubfu jumped up to smack her hand, cute performing jabs in the air beside Gables as they watched. Lori kept a side-eye on Amber, who was far easier to read than her well-mannered Trainer. The Braixen’s flaming ears were low, playing with her shiny, purple fluff. Her ruby eyes kept drifting to Amira.
You’ve got this… She seems a little off, though? Did something happen to her when she slipped out?
She debated nudging her friend, but quickly backed down.
That’s Rhea’s department. And not like I can talk… I haven’t been vulnerable with her yet. Muk, I need to grow some berries. Maybe after this. Before I fly out to Cerulean.
Her attention was swiftly snatched back by the television as the announcers went crazy.
One of the women in their late thirties gasped, sounding breathless; her little girl was with her, watching their blonde as if she were a star.
“…Wait, you can do that?” the woman mumbled. “A Ralts can steal an Ability and then give that stolen Ability to an opponent with Skill Swap? That’s amazing…”
“Mom! Mom! What did she do? Can you get a black-and-white Ralts? She’s so cute!”
That’s Rhea, Lori snickered to herself, glancing at the pair as the mother managed her energetic six-year-old. Making every one of our Pokemon twice as popular with just a color mutation. Artists are already flipping colors, deepfakes of mail-order adoptions are circulating, and other random Muk is happening. We’ve shaken up the scene!
Lori’s grin widened as chaos erupted on screen.
“Misty Terrain! She’s blocking Rest and Deep Sleep!”
“The stall strat is on death’s door, folks!”
“Rhea better watch it, though!”
“Tyrone rushes in to counter it with Stabilize Plus!”
“Nova isn’t going to let that happen!”
Amira leaned forward, fingers white-knuckled on her knees as she tried to stretch and unwind. “That’s… That’s actually going to work, Red. If Kestel can’t Rest, and she’s already taken chip damage from the Poison and Burn… Ooh. The Mist? It’s countered!
“But Muk, your grandfather looks impressed,” Lori noted, hopping closer to nudge her with a wink. “Is that a smile? I think that’s a smile.”
“That’s his ‘Can she handle the next change of tempo’ face.” Amira’s forced smile became more neutral. “Rhea’s answering his puzzle. I didn’t see this strategy… Hmm.”
The mother beside them gasped as Nova launched Tyrone skyward, dirt and roots trailing behind him like a comet’s tail.
“Mommy, what’s under the big Diglett?!”
“I…nobody knows, sweetie.”
“Oh. That’s so much dirt! I want a Diglett to play in the mud. Daddy said he might get one!”
“Yes, sweetie… Maybe your dad will bring one home tomorrow since he got that job in the mines…”
Lori cackled at the woman’s grimace. Apparently, she was not a fan of him getting a Diglett. Something told her the mother would want to invest in a Water Pokemon.
A sudden shift in the battle made her double over.
“Okay, Amira, you have to admit that was hilarious. Eject+ is such a troll Move. It sucks, it’s so rare in real battles. Imagine a mass punting match!”
Terri mimicked the Diglett’s shocked expression, earning giggles from the little girl. Gables just shook his head, arms crossed, watching the screen with analytical intensity. He was just on edge because his girlfriend was; he couldn’t be having fun with Amira freaking out inside and Amber trying to comfort her Trainer.
The battle accelerated. Will-O-Wisp. Smog stacking. Kestel’s matrix dropping. Tyrone’s desperate attempts to disrupt the Terrain failed as Nova and Shae played keep-away with Ally Switch.
“Rhea’s really in sync with them,” Amira breathed. “Shae is doing far better than I thought. That has to be Nova and Rhea’s guidance… Did Grandpa know about all of Shae’s Abilities? Did Christie give the League their information?”
Lori saw the redhead twisting her Ferroseed’s Poke Ball between her fingers, probably considering her own strategies. But if Lori had learned anything from this battle, it was that planning only helped a little. Giovanni had an agenda. What would her puzzle be?
“Those genetic Pokemon are something else,” one of the other waiting challengers muttered—a woman in her twenties with a nervous, newly evolved Houndoom at her side. “How is that baby Ralts so versatile? How many Abilities and Moves does she have?”
Lori felt a twinge of something she quickly suppressed.
Hopefully, we won’t get more hate after this. We get enough of it online without Rhea feeling it seep into our everyday lives. If they knew the whole part about Rhea being genetically engineered…
She shook it off.
Yeah, let’s not go there!
The screen flashed.
“What is Nova and Shae cooking?”
“Kestel’s going defensive?”
“Rhea isn’t—” Amira’s hand flew to her mouth.
Golden light erupted from Nova, stars twinkling around her.
The locker room went silent.
“Veevee Volley,” Amira whispered. “But she has Protect, Rhea? It won’t work.”
Every eye locked onto the screen, gasps heard as Nova transformed into a comet. But Shae—tiny, baby Shae—was moving too, ghostly energy flowing from her body toward Kestel that Lori immediately latched onto. One of her big sister’s favorite Moves.
“Destiny Bond! It connected!”
The explosion blinded the cameras as Amira shook her head, ashen-faced, rising to her feet. “Why Kestel? If Nova takes her out, Shae goes—unless… Rhea, that’s genius.”
When they recovered, the arena looked like a meteor had struck it. A forty-meter trench carved through solid stone. Tyrone was unconscious at the starting point. Kestel and Shae tangled together at the center.
Lori blinked. “Huh? Why is Shae…
“Ally Swap at the last second,” Amira mumbled in shock.
“Mu—sorry!” she cut off upon seeing the little girl’s squeals.
“Start the count!”
“One!”
The six-year-old’s fists were balled, jumping with Lori as the screen split between the three Pokemon. The Eevee was down, inside the crater.
“Get up, Nova,” the girl cried, breathing hard. “Get up…”
As if caught in the wind of a storm, amidst the wreckage, the small, salt-and-pepper Eevee’s shaky legs pushed—she faltered.
“No!”
“Get up.”
“She’ll make it!”
“Two!”
Nova twitched, every woman glued to the camera, and Lori mirrored the child, tears forming in her eyes.
Nova’s legs firmed, and she stood tall, golden light fading from her fur.
“Pwe.”
Screams overtook the locker room, drowning out whatever the announcers yelled. Lori took the six-year-old by the hands, jumping with her.
“Ahhh!”
“She did it! She did it!”
Her mother was laughing and crying at the same time. The Houndoom trainer was shaking her head in disbelief. Even Gables allowed himself a small nod and confident thumbs up at Amber, who smiled at him—Giovanni, the impossible wall, had been beaten for the first time this season.
Lori grabbed Amira’s shoulders.
“She did it, Red! Our blonde bombshell did it!”
Amira’s eyes were actually wet as she stood, hands shaking at her front. “He’s smiling. Rhea truly is a trailblazer.”
“First loss this season in Silver-tier!” one of the announcers was screaming. “History, folks! Our Champion has got to be watching!”
Giovanni’s slow clap echoed through the speakers. The locker room hushed as his voice carried. Lori listened to the exchange closely—Rhea’s reflection on the battle, Giovanni’s blunt philosophy about power and inequality, the Rainbow Rocket warning that made Amira’s face go pale.
Lori frowned at her teammate’s reaction.
That’s weird… Amira knows that. When she left…she had to have seen her grandfather. There’s something new in there.
She turned back to the screen, mouth tightening.
“Dark days will return,” he said. “Rainbow Rocket will split the skies.”
Amira’s hands were shaking again. Lori reached over and squeezed one without comment, offering an encouraging smile.
Yeah, something crazy, because Amira doesn’t act like this… Ever. Not since Rhea was almost shot, saving her from that Plasma grunt.
When Rhea gave her answer—about restraint, about not apologizing for her blessings, about taking everyone to the top with her—Lori felt her chest tighten.
That’s our sunshine.
“Stay humble,” Giovanni finished.
Amira exhaled slowly. “Wow. She won.”
“Was there any doubt?” Lori chimed. “It’s Rhea we’re talking about,”
“With my grandfather?” Amira asked with a weak laugh. “Always.”
The screen showed Rhea’s platform descending. A coordinator’s voice came over the locker room speakers.
“Next challenger: Yuki Tanaka. Please proceed to the staging area.”
The Houndoom trainer stood, rolling her shoulders. “That’s me. Wish me luck following that. Ugh… Puzzles. Puzzles… I really should have gotten a berry for my Pokemon.”
“You’ll do great,” her teammate cheered. “Just do your best.”
“To throw up on stage? Yeah, I did that enough against Janine last month. Uck…”
“Good luck!” the little girl chirped, bounding over to her and offering her Houndoom a candy from her dress pocket before he returned to his ball. “I’ll be cheering for you. Do you want my lucky bracelet? I’ll let you use it.”
“Aww. Thanks,” she smiled, patting the girl’s head and giving the mother a thumbs-up for having an amazing kid. “Sure. I’ll give it back after…ugh—hehe, after I win. Just trying not to throw up.”
Lori gave her a thumbs-up after the woman quieted the girl’s worries about her feeling sick. “Give him a dance he’ll never forget!”
“Thanks, but I’ll settle for not tripping on my face.”
As Yuki departed, the door to the locker room swung open.
Rhea walked in.
She looked…like a woman. Not exhausted like after Blaine. Not shaky. Just calm. Centered. Lulu was nestled in her arms, and her eyes found hers and Amira’s immediately, slightly red but brimming with confidence and love.
“Hey. I won.”
Amira smoothly crossed the room with Lori, but the redhead got to Rhea before her, pulling their troublesome blonde into a tight hug.
“You absolute menace,” Amira mumbled into Rhea’s shoulder. “You made my grandfather admit he lost… I’m so proud. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“…For giving me courage. For more than I can say.”
“Dodrio!” Lori chirped, pressing in to wrap her long arms around Rhea and lifting them both into a triple hug before shaking the giggling girls with affection. “I wouldn’t settle for nothing less! How are you feeling?”
Rhea laughed—a real, warm laugh.
“Good. I’m good, Lori! Thanks for worrying about me, guys.”
Terri tugged at her dress, making an impatient noise as she let them down.
Yeah, yeah. Our turn’s coming. I know you want to battle again. We’ll see.
“So,” Lori drawled, hands on her hips and giving the blonde a play-glare. “Bronze-tier Ralts beats Gold-tier wall. That’s going to break the internet.”
Rhea’s smile turned sheepish. “I was…a little scared, to tell you the truth. I was ready to surrender if it looked dangerous. Shae was incredible, though. I’m really going to have to spoil her today.”
“Uh-huh. And Nova with that Veevee Volley timing? Chef’s kiss! Muah!” she made a three-fingered gesture away from her lips. “The Ally Switch into the Destiny Bond-Memento combo? My big sis would be squealing! Then the Super Cheer heist? Girl!”
Rhea’s cheeks darkened slightly, and her grin widened at the look Lori gave her.
“Stop. You’re hyping me up too much.”
“Oh, just Rhea doing Rhea things,” Lori confirmed, shaking her head and threatening to mess up her hair—that had the blonde bouncing away defensively as she giggled. Lulu put her fluff up, ready for a fight. “You’re ridiculous. In the best way.”
The coordinator’s voice crackled again. “Battle in progress. Estimated time: twelve minutes. Following challengers, please prepare in order.”
Lori glanced at the screen. Yuki was already on the field, her Houndoom squaring off against a different team—it looked like Giovanni had swapped to a more standard lineup after Rhea’s upset. She gulped as a cute Phanpy came out.
Good luck, girl.
Sadly, Yuki lost—Giovanni’s following Hippopotas doing crazy work.
They comforted the woman when she returned, shoulders low but taking it on the chin.
Three more challengers before Lori’s name in the lineup, her stomach did a flip.
“You okay?” Rhea asked from beside her on the bench, carbing up after that fight with a bar from the vending machine.
“Fine! Great! Why? You sneaking a peek at my Aura?” she asked with a suspicious smirk that made the blonde look away. “Mhm!”
“Sorry. It just happens sometimes.”
“Oh, how could I be mad at a cute thing like you?” she whispered, leaning over to bump shoulders with her a few times. “Just, you know, when we first met, I thought you were the most adorable, Teddiursa-huggable, innocent girl in the world with that heart of yours… You’re the best.”
Rhea’s sky-blue eyes drifted to the side. “I…don’t know how to respond to that.”
“With a death hug!”
Amira suppressed a snort as Lori fought to squeeze the squeaking blonde to death; Lulu’s puffy arms jabbed her cheek, squishing her face as she tried to fight her off of her Trainer.
“I can’t wait to see you dance on stage…literally…again.”
“Oh, girl,” Lori grinned, allowing Rhea to retreat to turn her death hug on the redhead, “do you know how viral that Blaine dance-off went? If I can get your grandpa to dance with me. Over! The internet dies that day!”
“That…will never happen. Why are you so strong?” she gasped.
“Size and muscles with a dash of Fortitude, baby! Blame Dawn’s training.”
Something in Lori’s chest loosened as she bantered with her teammates, even as the suppressed flames under the skin on her back started to tingle.
Life is good… Just please, don’t flare up. Mukin’ stress!
“…Thanks, Honeypot, Red.”
“Anytime.”
“Of course.”
Two more challengers went.
One barely…lost—barely.
That was wince-worthy, the whole crowd devastated for the boy.
The next lost—decisively.
Then the coordinator’s voice:
“Next challenger: Lori Medina. Please proceed to the staging area.”
Terri was already bouncing. Gables cracked his knuckles. Melon…sleeping, naturally. Zyra, a flurry of black-feathered anticipation. And Roxie? Well, Lori’s eyes were on the clock—this would be Midday Form.
Lori took a deep breath.
“Okay. Okay. I’ve got this. I’ve got this,” she mumbled, rising and checking her dress, hair, and accessories.
“You’ve got this,” Rhea and Amira said in unison, showing her the best smiles.
I can’t feel my heartbeat, all of a sudden… Normal? Yeah. Totally normal.
She walked toward the tunnel, the roar of the crowd growing louder with every step.
“It’s showtime!”
------------------