The New Normal - A Pokémon Elite 4 SI by CartecFF

Chapter 65: 251-252

The New Normal – 11-16 – Interlude – Karen

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

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

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

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

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

Her eyes widened. Now that was very surprising.

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

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

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

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

"Nor do you." She pointed out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The New Normal – 11-17 – Discussions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He would be sorely missed.

From what I saw, his reputation was actually boosted by his recent actions, which must have been nice for the man.

Still, his retirement meant that people all around Indigo were talking about who would replace him, and where the new Gym would be. This was a big deal for a lot of trainers, as many trainers had spent months, if not years, preparing to face Blaine during the circuit. But now, with a completely new Gym Leader, they would have to change up all of their strategies to accommodate for the new Gym Leader's team.

On my part, I was focused on thinking up a possible replacement for Blaine. I knew Agatha likely had her own candidate in mind, but despite being nominal allies, if I had my own legitimate suggestion then I wanted it to be reasonably considered. To my frustration, no one really came to mind for me.

My most obvious choice was Karen – but she wasn't interested in staying as a mere Gym Leader. I knew she had greater ambitions than that. Then I debated whether it would be worth trying to push Whitney for the position – just like she was Gym Leader of Goldenrod in canon – but I eventually considered it too early. She was far too young still, and she did not have the overwhelming talent like Tate and Liza did to become a Gym Leader at such a young age. Plus, I think it would be better for her development if she continued working with Sabrina at the Saffron Gym.

I even spoke to my friends, such as Giovanni, but they didn't really have an opinion on the matter either.

"I don't think anyone was expecting Blaine to announce his retirement." Giovanni had said to me, "I knew that being a Gym Leader chafed at him, but I thought he would hold on for at least a few more years."

"Do you have anyone you would put forward as a replacement?" I asked.

"No, not at the moment." He shook his head, "My attention was mainly on Lewis and possibly getting another replacement for him, and I certainly didn't expect that there would be another Gym Leader opening so soon."

That was about what I was expecting, though inwardly I chuckled at the thought that he might have offered to place either Petrel or Archer as possible suggestions. That wouldn't really have been feasible though, as their talents lied in the shadows and away from the spotlight.

Still, that left two Gym Leader positions unaccounted for, assuming Pryce and/or Clair didn't have someone lined up to replace Lewis already. I wondered if my other peers in the Elite Four had their own suggestions or not – otherwise, I suspected that Agatha would do everything she could to not only secure the new Gym's location in Lavender Town, but also appoint her own puppet to run it in her place.

That was what I expected from her. She would never pass up on any opportunity to secure the position of Lavender Town, and her influence within it.

It was ironic that she was unintentionally copying the actions of Giovanni to some degree.

For today though, I did my best to put aside all of the recent distractions out of my head and dedicated myself to a proper training session with my team. It had been some time since our last one, due to all of the events that happened since my second return from Sinnoh, and I really wanted to knuckle down and make sure that my team were all developing in the right direction.

I did not want any chance of stagnation to appear when there were so many challenges flying about. Between Koga's challenge against Will, Karen's almost guaranteed challenge against Agatha, all of the Gym Leaders' retirements, and the fact that a brand new circuit was starting up not too soon in the future, the battling scene was as volatile as ever.

I wanted to make sure my team was ready and prepared to handle whatever challenges we faced. Especially since Tyrant's public victory over Lance's Emperor – there would undoubtedly be those who saw Tyrant as the new 'Pokémon to beat'. I suspected there would be a lot more focus on Fighting types in the near future, and I would not be caught off-guard.

That was why I made sure to check up on Klaus' progress with Future Sight, which he had been training up in whatever free time he could. I knew he was becoming increasingly proficient with it, but today I really wanted to test out just how far he's come with the move.

So I pitted him against Vordt. Klaus' job was to do his best to fend off a charging Vordt by primarily using his Future Sights.

It would be a test of his Future Sight's speed and power. He had to be able to fire off as many as he could while also making sure they were powerful enough to deter a charging Vordt AND staying on the move at the same time, which relied on Klaus Teleporting around.

As soon as the spar began, Klaus immediately took to the air as he leapt from psychic platform to psychic platform; doing everything that he could to stay clear of Vordt's terrifying claws. As he did so, his eyes constantly flashed a bright blue as he set up trap after trap of concentrated Psychic energy.

But Vordt wasn't going to let Klaus get comfortable. With a roar, he shot forwards a storm of rocks at blistering speeds that ripped through whatever barriers that Klaus tried to create, forcing Klaus out of the sky.

However, the Future Sights were doing their job. Each time Vordt tried to rush forwards with a charge, he was met with a constant explosion of Psychic power that detonated right in his face. Vordt was too much of a tank to be taken down by this, yet the Future Sights were able to buy Klaus just enough time to scamper away before he got caught by Vordt's powerful claws and Teleport away, creating more distance between them.

The battle quickly turned into a game of Persian and Rattata, where Klaus would constantly try to harass Vordt and bait him into a minefield of Future Sights that would slowly wear him down. But I noticed that the Future Sights weren't really strong enough to do much damage against really tough Pokémon like Vordt, and were mostly used as a distraction for bigger attacks.

Something to keep a note of for the future.

But at least Klaus's Psychic abilities had grown even further, as he wasn't completely drained of energy despite throwing out so many Future Sights so rapidly. He was also crucially able to maintain his fast Teleports, which was essential for keeping himself away from Vordt's deadly claws.

Overall, with the restrictions that I had placed on him, Klaus held on for some time, but he was unable to bring down Vordt before the exhaustion caught up to him from the overuse of his Psychic abilities. Still, I never expected for Klaus to be able to defeat Vordt in a one on one anyways, and I was very pleased with how long he held out for.

My fights against Cynthia's Lucario and Bruno's Primeape taught me a lesson or two about how best to utilise Klaus. Future Fighting Types will learn to be wary of approaching Klaus so easily. If he could also combine Future Sights with his own physical and other special attacks, it would make Klaus a surprisingly difficult and tricky opponent for those Fighting types.

Of course, my focus wasn't entirely on Klaus. While he rested, I shifted my attention to Ornstein.

With his new evolution into an Obstagoon, he was surprisingly an excellent counter to most Fighting types – which was ironic considering that he was 4x weak to the Type. Obstruct was an excellent defensive move that I wanted to train up in combination with his natural close combat abilities, so that he could actually counter the Fighting types that he was supposed to be weak against.

After all, landing a Mega Kick or a Take Down on a Pokémon that just had its Defenses sharply reduced was going to be an unpleasant surprise for most Pokémon. It made him the perfect bait for Fighting types, who would go into the fight thinking that they had a huge advantage due to the Type matchup, only for a powerful reversal to turn the tides on them.

In these kinds of battles, it only took one mistake for the fight to be decided.

That was why I wanted to make sure Ornstein's use of Obstruct was perfect. He needed to be able to block ANY kind of Fighting type attack that would come his way before he actually got hit by it. It would be a very high risk, high reward strategy.

Fortunately, all of the training that he was doing with Smough was paying off, especially considering their old rivalry only encouraged the both of them to push themselves even harder during their training. Plus, I was confident that Smough's level of strength would be realistically comparable to the toughest of threats that Ornstein would ever need to face.

So long as he could consistently train himself to use Obstruct to perfectly block Smough's attacks, then he would be able to counter any Fighting type that he would encounter in the future. Besides that, I had him also make sure his elemental punches were as powerful as they could be, using Smough as target practice, for I intended for Ornstein to live up to the dragon slaying name.

I looked forward to seeing the reversal play in out in an actual battle, whether against a Fighting or Dragon type. There were bound to be some shocked looks there.

Last, but certainly not least, I turned my attention to Euphie and her development as a Sylveon. It had been some time since the Fairy Type was revealed, so she was no longer the only Sylveon in existence. All the other trainers sought Sylveon out for their impressive supportive capabilities, paired up with Sylveon's sufficiently high Special Attack that allowed it to also dish out powerful hits if needed.

However, for me, I chose to instead focus entirely on her Special Attacks – using her as a more offensive version of Luna. The reality of the situation was that Luna just didn't hit hard enough to bring down the more powerful of threats, but Euphie didn't have that problem.

So I prioritised making sure that Euphie's Hyper Voices – boosted by her Pixilate ability – were so formidable that they would be able to deal serious damage against even the strongest of Fighting Type threats. To accomplish this, I paired up Euphie with Pixel and Tyrant so that they all could get as much practice in with their Special Attacks as possible.

Ideally, I would like for both Euphie and Pixel to be able to fire off Hyper Beams without becoming exhausted afterwards. That would be especially powerful for Euphie, since her Hyper Beams would be boosted to new heights with Pixilate. Most Fighting types were not yet trained to properly resist Fairy type moves, so perhaps a Pixilate-boosted Hyper Beam could secure a clean knockout.

I was confident that it was only a matter of time before they could achieve this.

As our training session continued and the sun slowly fell out of the sky, I received a call from Cynthia during one of our short breaks.

"Hey, have I caught you at a bad time?" She asked.

"Nope. I was just training with my Pokémon." I replied.

"Oh, I'd have thought you were still dealing with the eruption. How are things going over there?" She asked.

"Things are settling down..." I said as I gave her a summary of everything that had happened. I knew she had been communicating with Lance about any potential assistance that she could provide, so I tried to focus on my own experiences instead of talking about the bigger picture. I also talked about all of the gossip about the changing of the Gym Leaders and Blaine's retirement.

She waited for me to finish before speaking up, "Seems like things are really heating up there in Indigo. Which actually segues pretty well to what I wanted to say – I wanted to give an update on what's happening with Galactic Company."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She pouted, "So you forgot."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I nodded, "And how did that go?"

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

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

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

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

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