The New Normal - 13-4

The New Normal – 13-4 – Opening Up

The Regional Union opening ceremony was here at last, and thus I took the opportunity to rest early for the night as I prepared for the flight to Sevii Islands.

Before I went to bed though, I did try to do some research on what Sevii Islands currently had available – as I had never been to the Islands previously just like most people from Indigo – and my research only confirmed my suspicions. To put things nicely, there just wasn’t anything to do on the Islands unless you were a resident there. Furthermore, the Sevii Islands were just a little too far away from the rest of Indigo, so many people, me included, just didn’t see the point of heading all the way there for little purpose.

I guess the beaches at the Islands were understandably pretty good, but there were other, more convenient, beach locations within Indigo – such as at Olivine or Vermillion. When I was younger, my family and I just didn’t have the resources to go vacationing on the Islands, and after I found success on my journey, I just didn’t see the point of going.

Still, even though I knew I was likely to be disappointed, I was a bit excited to see just how beautiful the Islands could be. And, I hoped that both myself and the rest of the public would actually visit the Islands more often once the Regional Union was properly set up there.

So I held onto that optimistic thought as I set off for the Islands on the next day. We actually had to set off pretty early as, despite Port’s above-average Flying speed, it wasn’t a short flight to get to the Islands. So it was by late morning that I managed to arrive on one the Islands – I didn’t know the Sevii Islands well enough to determine which one I had landed on.

The Islands really had to get more creative with their naming system. Who in Arceus calls their Islands ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’ etc. No wonder this place got no tourism.

My first impressions of the place were…a little lacklustre. Sure, the view was nice, but that was due to natural beauty of the surroundings. The Island, at least the one I was currently on, didn’t really have much there besides a small settlement that was quite faraway, but aside from that all I could see were League officials bustling about. There was not a single villager that I saw.

The huge amount of open space nearby didn’t help either, since it only made the Island seem like more of a ghost town. Though that was being changed soon, as a small building had already been hastily built up that would serve as the new Regional Union headquarters once the opening ceremony was finished.

The building was obviously very barebones right now, given that Lance had practically ordered the construction to be rushed through. But that was all that it needed to be right now – a building that had the symbol of the Regional Union on it. It was obviously not ideal, but right now, what was most important was cementing and formalising our international alliances. Making sure the building would actually look as prestigious as the organisation that it hosted could come later.

I did hope that all of the developments would come soon. I suspected that the surroundings were going to be very different from the empty plains that it was right now, and I looked forward to seeing the final result.

Though, with a bit more looking around, I at least found an interesting cave labelled the ‘Icefall Cave’, which was beginning to jog my memory on where we were.

However, before I could, I felt someone walking up to me. It was Lorelei.

“…Didn’t expect you to be arriving here so early.” She greeted me, “How are you finding this place?”

“Empty.” I replied truthfully, “I knew the Sevii Islands weren’t very popular, but I was expecting a little more than this. Can’t say I’m impressed.”

“That’s understandable. I felt the same when I first came here all those years ago. At least that’s going to change soon once the new Regional Union headquarters is built.” She responded, “I’m surprised that Lance even got this small building to be built in such a short time. Things must have really been rushed through.”

“He probably had this in the works even before approval was achieved, meaning that the workers probably have more time than we think to have this built.” I guessed, “He was probably confident that it would pass through – likely through his discussions with the other Champions – and we couldn’t have an opening ceremony of an organisation that didn’t have a building to be housed in.”

“In that case, I’m surprised my uncle didn’t mention that to me.” At my questioning look, she explained herself, “Pryce actually owns much of this Island, partially because of the Icefall cave. When he was younger, he thought that he could ensure access to the cave if he bought up most of the property here. A lot of his Ice types were captured here, but after he became Champion he mostly forgot about this place as it wasn’t very useful to him.”

She gave the surroundings a thoughtful look, “Did you know I was actually born here?”

My eyes widened, “No. I didn’t.”

She nodded, “My parents and I followed after our uncle and moved to Mahogany Town shortly after I was born, since there were far more opportunities for a budding trainer on the mainland. Considering my uncle’s growing success, and this was even before he became Champion, it only made sense for them to follow after him. But this is technically my hometown.”

I did not know that, but that was very interesting to know.

“Wow.” I said honestly, “That’s remarkable. So do you and him ever visit here?”

“Oh I’m half-convinced that my uncle has completely forgotten that he even owns the place with how little he visits. I don’t think he cares.” She chuckled, “As for me…I come here sometimes. Not as often as I probably should, but it’s always a nice bit of nostalgia for me. Life here is so much slower than on the mainland, and the people here are so distance from politics that it’s just so different. I sometimes wish what my life could be if I never actually left the Island.”

“Do you think you’re happier now?” I asked.

“Of course.” She replied easily, “I know I would have regretted it if I had stayed here. The residents here…they’re quite ignorant, if you could forgive me for saying that. Did you know that most of the residents here didn’t even know Pryce was Champion? That’s how separate these villagers are from the ongoings at Indigo. Arceus, if I didn’t consider myself to be a Johtonian, then I would be by far the most successful trainer to ever come from the Sevii Islands.”

“Ah, so that makes you our resident expert then.” A female voice spoke up from behind, and I turned around to see both Karen and Koga approaching us, “That’s good. You need to tell me all the interesting spots that are here, in case I come over to visit as a tourist.”

She turned to her companion, “Have you been here much before, Koga?”

“Not for some time.” He replied, “There is, regrettably, little to do here. I have better uses of my time.”

Our conversation continued on a similar note for a bit longer while we hung around for Lance to arrive, which he did just minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin. Besides him, I saw that there were a few delegates from Hoenn and Sinnoh who had also arrived, and a very official-looking table had been placed in front of the building as a symbolic gesture for the signing.

With Lance’s arrival, an air of seriousness set in for everyone as the ceremony was about to begin. All of the surrounding reporters had already prepped their cameras as they all aimed towards the new Regional Union building. On cue, the Elite Four and I made our way to Lance, standing behind him so that we could fit within the frame of the cameras.

Then, Lance banged a gavel on the table, signalling for silence as he began his speech.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Members of foreign delegations. Thank you for coming here today to celebrate the beginning of a new age for our world. A time of collective unity and strength, upheld and enforced by the very organisation that we are signing into creation today.”

“While we were once strangers – our regions have now grown closer and bonded together into one, harmonious whole. The creation of the Regional Union is the epitome of our joint alliance, the proof of our united efforts to bring our regions closer together. Now, we are finally gathered here today, and with the Regional Union’s articles in place and agreed upon by our respective regions, we will be formalising our bonds of friendship once in for all.”

He then went on to provide a summary of what the Regional Union was, what the articles were, and the possibility of adding further articles in the future.

“The building behind us, which will serve as the headquarters of the Regional Union from today onwards, is humble and simple, which is representative of the current state of the Regional Union. However, this is merely the beginning! Just like with the Regional Union itself, the building will be improved on, refined, and made more grand, growing alongside the institution it represents. Therefore, just like the building, the Regional Union will become more splendid and prestigious, until it becomes the unforgettable symbol of our regions’ unbreakable bonds of unity!”

His speech drew a polite round of applause from everyone there, and with a slight nod of the head, a single document was carefully brought out and placed onto the table. Lance carefully took out a pen, and signed his name on the document. Further representatives from both Hoenn and Sinnoh repeated the action, then he brought the document up for all to see.

That was it. The Regional Union was just formalised. We had done it.

==================

(Steven POV)

He really needed to do more cave diving in the future.

He knew that was an odd statement to make for someone as rich as he was. Most of his cohort would rather be found dead than explore the dingy, wet, and treacherous caves littered around the world. But as a hobbyist geologist, he never understood why so many lacked the sense of mystery and curiosity that he seemed to have.

Oh well, at least Bruno was enjoying himself as well, though for very different reasons than he was.

Before negotiations between himself and Byron were even finished, Bruno had immediately charged into the caves of Iron Island with his usual fervour, and he initially followed him, interested to see what the caves of Sinnoh were like. He also came just to make sure that his friend wouldn’t need any assistance, since they didn’t exactly know how strong the wild Pokémon there were.

Bruno could have likely handled himself, but it was better safe than sorry.

Turns out, he didn’t need to come at all. Both because the caves of Iron Island was completely bereft of anything archaeologically interesting, and because Bruno certainly didn’t need the help. During one of their breaks, a Golbat that they had missed had tried to swoop down and ambush the both of them. Then Bruno simply lunged forwards, somehow roundhouse kicked the Golbat in its wings, and proceeded to beat down the Golbat with his fists.

It was a very firm reminder that the only thing that needed protection here were the wild Pokémon.

Overall, the Pokémon around the caves weren’t very strong, but Bruno was interested in continuing to train in such tight and claustrophobic environments, so he reluctantly tagged along just to make sure his friend had some company.

To be fair, their usual spars became a lot more different when they had to take into account the cramped space of the cave, so he couldn’t say he got nothing out of these repeated trips.

However, something else had occurred that suddenly made their trips to the Iron Islands a lot more interesting.

During one of their first trips, they had coincidentally stumbled across a man while they were heading to the caves one day. He was dressed sharply in blue and black attire, and his confident gait marked him as someone that was certainly not a newbie when it came to battling.

Yet what was more interesting was his gaze had immediately locked onto Bruno the first time they had met, and refused to be shifted away from him. And though the three of them didn’t share a word, Steven had made a mental note of that.

They ended up meeting a few times after that, always as they were either entering or exiting the caves at Iron Island. Initially, Steven thought that the unknown man was simply using the caves as a training ground like they were, but every time they had met, the man had always given Bruno a certain look.

Steven couldn’t decipher what that look meant, but Bruno informed him that it didn’t feel hostile. Merely interested.

Either way, that still flared up Steven’s paranoia, and he was about to confront the man the next time they met about why he was showing such interest in Bruno. Without any insult meant, Bruno was definitely the less noteworthy of the two of them. Whenever they were previously recognised in public, it was because of his own fame as the heir to Devon Corp. Bruno unfortunately remained fairly unknown, which he admittedly hoped to change in the future.

Therefore, the fact that the man was so keen on observing Bruno was raising some serious alarm bells in his head. Especially as the man didn’t seem like he was a fan of Bruno’s.

However, the very next day that they met the man, Steven’s plans to confront him were interrupted when he saw that the man was carrying an incubator with him. And this time, the man was directly approaching Bruno.

“My greetings, Bruno, Steven.” The man greeted the two of them, uncaring of the defensive posture that Bruno took up as he stepped protectively in front of Steven, “This is the first time we have spoken, is it not?”

“It is.” Steven was the one to reply, “And you seem very keen on monitoring us. Should we be concerned?”

“I apologise for the scrutiny.” The man did have the decency to bow slightly as he said that, “However,  I had spotted something that initially caught my eye, and I was merely confirming the validity of my observations.”

“Oh – and forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Riley.” The man said, “I’m just a trainer.”

“No.” Bruno interrupted him, “You are not ‘just’ a trainer. Your strength cannot be hidden, nor your intentions. I have no mood for your word games. You say you have taken an interest in me, and I demand to know why.”

Despite the underlying threat in Bruno’s words, the man was hardly affected by them. In fact, he actually cracked a small smile at Bruno’s words.

“I’m glad you noticed it. That makes me more confident in my decision.” The man then handed over the incubator that he was holding, “Please, take this.”

“What is it?” Bruno asked bluntly, “Why offer this to me?”

“It is a Riolu egg.” Riley replied, “And as for the reason – I have judged you to be the right sort of character to raise a Riolu. I can sense that you have a strong and stalwart aura. You would make for a fine partner for a Lucario.”

…So the man was giving over a Riolu egg just because he thought that Bruno would be a good trainer for it? What? He couldn’t figure out the logic behind Riley’s actions and why the man was just handing over a Riolu to Bruno, but this wasn’t his decision to make. And he trusted Bruno’s instincts.

Bruno simply stared at Riley for a moment before he spoke, “I challenge you to a fight, Riley. Prove your intentions with your strength.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” Riley chuckled, “How are we doing this? A 1v1? Or—”

“One strike from your Lucario.” Bruno interrupted him, “I will use my Machamp. One strike. Prove your strength.”

Then without warning, Bruno immediately threw out a Pokéball and released his starter to the world. Riley mirrored his actions, releasing his own Lucario.

Steven could immediately tell that it was strong.

Both trainers didn’t say anything as their Pokémon wasted no time in charging towards each other; their fists both glowing intensely with power as they smashed against each other. Their fists collided, causing a powerful shockwave to erupt out from the point of impact. The stone beneath them cracked slightly, and both Pokémon visibly winced from the power of the blow.

Aside from a show of strength, Steven had no idea what that accomplished, though he had long since abandoned trying to understand the thoughts of his friend – he knew that Bruno operated on a completely different level of understanding that he did. Still, whatever it was that his friend saw, he must have been satisfied with it as he gave off a nod and withdrew his starter back into its Pokéball.

“Admirable strength, backed up with impressive technique..” Bruno complimented, “It only confirms my suspicions. You are a fighter yourself. A practitioner.”

“I am just a humble trainer.” Riley denied, “Although Byron may have offered me to be a Gym Leader once, I declined. It was not my calling.”

“That is obvious.” Bruno said with his usual bluntness, somehow gaining an understanding of the man that Steven couldn’t follow, “Fine. I accept your gift of a Riolu egg. Thank you for it.”

Riley smiled, evidently pleased at Bruno’s acceptance as he handed over the egg, “My thanks. I know you will treat it well.”

Then he immediately turned around and proceed to leave, “May we meet again someday.”

Steven stared blankly and confusedly as he watched the strange man leave, replaying the entire encounter in his head. There were so many questions that he had that he wanted answered, but he knew that the answers wouldn’t be forthcoming.

Instead, he simply placed his trust in Bruno like he always did, “Are you happy about this?”

“I am surprised.” With the way Bruno said it, you couldn’t tell that he was actually emoting. He was as blank-faced as he usually was, “I had not expected to be handed over an egg.”

“Do you…know how to raise a Pokémon egg?” Steven checked. His friend was many things, but he wasn’t sure if he had actually raised a Pokémon from an egg before.

“I do not.” He admitted, “I will require your assistance.”

Steven chuckled, “That’s fine. I’ll help out. Speaking of which, you do know that a Lucario is a Fighting and Steel type, right? It’s not a pure Fighting type like the rest of your team.”

“I know.” Bruno nodded, “I thought about it before accepting. You were right; perhaps it is about time that I branch out with different Types. I had always considered whether to begin training up a Lucario, but it seems the choice has been made for me.”

“Well, knowing you, I’m sure you will turn it into an absolute powerhouse for your team.” Steven smiled, “If anything, I’m jealous you got handed one. I’d like a Lucario for my own team too! You know I don’t have a Fighting type!”

Bruno actually chuckled at his words, “Must be strange for you. Often you are the one being showered with gifts, but it seems like our positions are reversed today.”

Steven pretended to grumble at that, but the two of them decided to retire for the day as they went to sort out how they would be handling Bruno’s newest egg. While they were at it, Steven had done his best to search up who Riley was, but he couldn’t find much from a general search over the Pokénet. The man had no notable achievements to his name. Still, Bruno trusted the guy enough to accept the egg from him. So he supposed that was enough.

And then, only a day later, Byron finally got back to him. His terms were accepted. They would join forces to uncover the Iron Plate.

A.N. A split chapter this time, with lots of stuff being set up for the rest of the arc. I didn’t want the Regional Union part to take up the entirety of the chapter, and there was a character I wanted to introduce with Steven that I felt would be pretty interesting. Also, I like writing Bruno as he’s a different character to the others around him. And I hope you guys find him as interesting as I do.

Not only that, I also wanted to give a little backstory for Lorelei, just like I did with Karen in the previous chapters. Hope you enjoyed!