The New Normal - 15-13

The New Normal – 15-13 – Planning the Future

The next few days flew past quickly.

Normally, the Leagues were known to be rather slow when it came to pushing anything through. However, with all of the excitement that had been generated from the announcement of the new Pokémon World Tournament, the Sinnoh League put all political matters aside for the moment as they placed all of their focus into organising and setting up this new Tournament.

The entire thing would take place in the new Battle Zone, in one of the newly built stadiums next to the Battle Frontier. Once tickets had been opened to the public, I was told that they had practically sold out in seconds. Not only were the arena seats themselves sold out, but the nearby hotels were also instantly fully booked up too.

The public were really excited about this.

Furthermore, we received confirmation from Unova that they would be arriving in Sinnoh sometime within the next week, which was a little earlier than expected. Therefore, it was also about time for us to depart from Indigo as well. But since there were no immediate pressing duties that needed our attention, Lance gave us the thumbs up to head to Sinnoh early as a sort of ‘mini-vacation’. Unfortunately, he himself could not enjoy this luxury as he was left behind and forced to continue his duties as Champion.

Oh the woes of being Champion.

We did feel a little guilty leaving him behind like that, though that didn’t stop us from heading over to Sinnoh as soon as we could. Because of this, we were actually far ahead of schedule, as Steven’s challenge hadn’t even concluded yet. He had just come off of a victory over Phoebe, and now was getting ready to challenge Glacia.

But that just gave us more time to ourselves.

Sadly, Cynthia had already informed me that her schedule was preoccupied with getting this Tournament organised, so for the time being I didn’t have the opportunity to spend time with her. But that was okay, as I had something I wanted to do that I had to do alone anyways.

So, as soon as I arrived in Sinnoh, I gave Cynthia a heads up about what I was doing before I made my way to Snowpoint Temple, now renamed to the Temple of the Titan. I had seen pictures of the reconstructed Temple online, but seeing it in person was completely different. Originally, the Snowpoint Temple only had vague references to Regigigas as it used to have the three Regi’s eyes etched onto the pillars. But now, those pillars had been redesigned to look like the three Regis in their entirety as the sculptures of them held up the Temple of the Titan with their arms.

Normally, it was a rule that members of the public weren’t allowed to enter into the Temple, with foreign Elite Four members being no exception. However, as the one who reawakened the Legendary Titan, I was exempt from this rule and was allowed free access into the Temple so long as I informed the guards of my presence.

It didn’t take long for me to make my way inside, where I had to descend down many flights of stairs, and many more layers of security, until I reached Regigigas’ resting place. The guards had escorted me down here, but left me alone as I reached the Legendary Titan itself, giving me my privacy.

I stared up at Regigigas’ slumbering form, the visions of our battle flashing through my mind as I recalled the moments where we fought side by side. I could still vividly recall every moment of that battle, and just how powerful the Legendary in front of me was. Despite this, there was still something I had to say.

“…Sorry that it took me so long to visit.” I apologised to the Legendary, unsure of whether it was actually able to hear me, “There’ve been many other matters on my mind, but I should have still taken the time to visit you earlier. So for that, I apologise.”

There was no response from the Titan, as I expected. Nevertheless, I kept going, “You know, I still think back on our fight together from time to time. As much as I would prefer to never be in that kind of situation ever again, I can’t deny the excitement and honour that I felt when I was able to fight alongside you. And, I haven’t forgotten about the promise I made. I’m working very hard to be instated as your ‘Guardian’, just like I said I would. I know it’s been some time since then, but we’ve been making good progress recently, so I’m confident that I’ll be able to honour my words soon.”

That actually caused the gemstones on Regigigas’ chest to shine, and through our shared connection, I could tell that it was listening to me and approved of what I was telling it. Emboldened and encouraged by this, I continued to speak.

“Furthermore, just to warn you, there’s this potential new threat that I’ve spotted. A different kind of madman to Cyrus, yet with similar tyrannical ambitions. While I’m confident that we’ll be able to take on the problem without your help, I’d just thought to let you know.”

The gemstones on its chest flashed again, and this time I felt our mental connection intensify as Regigigas suddenly demanded answers for the threat.

I quickly replied, “Your direct intervention is not necessary at the moment. I am confident that we can handle it. We have learnt from our mistakes dealing with Cyrus, and this man is not as threatening as he was. Ideally, we will resolve this matter without needing your assistance.”

I understood that Regigigas was not one to casually interfere with the ongoings of us mortals. It may be our Guardian and protector of Order, but it was a proponent of free will. The Legendary Titan did not act to solve every conflict – only those that would threaten the very foundation of human society itself. And I knew that it would not be pleased if it was called upon for any other reason.

…Admittedly, I wasn’t sure if Ghetsis and his insane goals qualified or not. Cyrus’ certainly did, as his plan was to remake the world entirely. But Ghetsis’ was to merely rule over Unova as a tyrant, which might not necessarily be threatening enough for Regigigas to take action. Despite this, I still felt that it was right for Regigigas to at least be aware of the threat, even though I doubted anything could get past it.

And if the worst-case scenario happened and either Reshiram/Zekrom were awakened, then his strength would be necessary once again.

Fortunately, Regigigas seemed to accept that and trusted my judgment on the matter, though not without giving me one final reminder that it would provide assistance if need be. Otherwise, it would continue to rest for the time being.

And I hoped that it would never need to wake up once more, for I didn’t intend to allow Ghetsis to get anywhere close to achieving his plans.

After my ‘reunion’ with Regigigas was over, I left the Temple of the Titan behind. The guards that had been escorting me looked like they were torn between their duties and their curiosity to ask what exactly I had spoken with to the Legendary Titan, but they ultimately kept their silence and held back their questions.

With my conversation now done, I was about to start having lunch by myself when I suddenly received a call from Cynthia.

“Have you had lunch yet?” She asked me as I picked up.                                          

“No, not yet.” I replied, “Are you inviting me for lunch? I thought you had other plans.”

“One of my meetings was rescheduled and another got cancelled, so I ended up having the rest of the day free.” She told me, “So head over to Solaceon Town. I’ve found this really nice quiet café that I want you to try.”

Well, who was I to refuse?

It didn’t take me long to arrive at Solaceon Town, where I quickly met up with Cynthia. She brought me to this very nice corner café that was located right next to the large flower meadows that surrounded the small town.

“It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?” Cynthia asked as she took an elegant bite out of the sandwich she had ordered, “I always like to come here from time to time just to admire the scenery. Sometimes I think about what it’d be like to be able to see this view every day.”

“It is beautiful.” I agreed, “But I feel like the sight would get old if I visit too often.”

“Then I hope you don’t get sick of looking at me, since you spend so much time looking at me.” She teased.

My reply was instant.

“Never. Your beautiful visage will never be unwelcome in my eyes.” I flattered a little exaggeratedly, “And besides, I didn’t find you attractive solely because of your looks. Or did you forget that I found your character and ambitions beautiful as well?”

“Well… I didn’t forget, but it’s good to be reminded from time to time.” She chuckled, “Even a Champion likes the occasional compliment every once in a while.”

I pretended to frown, “I’m not sure if I’ve given a compliment to Lance anytime recently. Maybe I could call him up and say that the swishing of his cape looks extra dramatic today. He might appreciate that.”

My girlfriend laughed, “Please don’t. If you actually said that to his face he might get self-conscious and decide to ditch the cape, which is going to be so weird. I’ve gotten so used to seeing him with a cape on that I literally can’t imagine him without one. He’d look underdressed. That cape is part of his identity now.”

I laughed alongside her. Yes, I couldn’t imagine what Lance would be like without a cape either. He was still the only person I knew that could wear a cape without it looking tacky.

Cynthia shook her head, “Anyways, I did have something I wanted to do with you now that I have the rest of the day free. And since you’re going to be here in Sinnoh for the next few weeks, I was thinking that we might as well get started on looking into a house together – unless you think that this is too premature…?”

I was a little stunned by what she was saying, but then a small smile appeared on my face, “No, no. Why would I be offended when we’ve already spoken about it before? I’d love to get a start on it too.”

She smiled back, “Then do you remember where I once told you about where I wanted our dream house to be in?”

“Of course. You said you wanted it in Sandgem, right? I remember.” I said.

“How nice of you to pay attention. Good to know that my boyfriend is such a good listener.” She giggled, “But yes, I still feel like we should get a place in Sandgem. I know we only have the rest of the afternoon, but do you at least want to head there and take a look? We could look around and see what would be nice.”

“Yes, let’s do that.” And so we quickly finished off our lunches and headed over to Sandgem Town.

We swiftly arrived there and began walking around hand-in-hand, with her head leaning comfortably on my shoulder. Fortunately, there were very little people around, and so even though we had done nothing to disguise our identities, no one really bothered us.

Actually, Professor Rowan did spot us as he was heading back to his lab from one of the shops, but he must have recognised that we were on a date and so merely greeted us with a friendly nod of the head before walking back to his lab.

As we took a quick wander around the town to see if there was anything to our liking, I quickly realised that Sandgem Town was actually pretty empty. I mean, I knew that in the games it only really had the Pokémon Lab as the only place of interest, but seeing it in person really demonstrated just how empty this place was. There was literally nothing here other than the lab, a few shops, and a few more houses.

Not that it was necessarily a bad thing since it meant that we were guaranteed to have peace and quiet, but it also meant that there were not a lot for us to look at.

“…What do you think about this place in general, John?” My girlfriend asked me, “I know I said that I wanted to live here, but that’s only if you agree. I can compromise with a different location if you don’t like it.”

I hummed thoughtfully, “…So far I think I’m okay with it.”

She turned her eyes to me, “’Okay’ means that it isn’t perfect.” She pointed out, “What do you not like about it? Tell me so that we can discuss things through together.”

I obeyed, “Okay, so I like the fact that it’s quite quiet and peaceful. I also enjoy that you can feel the pleasant sea breeze from the neighbouring Route 220. However, if I’m not mistaken, then doesn’t Sandgem Town attract a lot of foot traffic during the earlier days of the Circuit, because of the Pokémon Research Lab here? So wouldn’t there be a lot of new trainers here – trainers that would, undoubtedly, try to bother a Champion in their home if it was too close by? I just feel like that might be a problem.”

She frowned, “…I didn’t consider that, but you’re correct. I’m so used to visiting Sandgem during its more quiet periods that I’ve forgotten about the rush at the start of the Circuit.” She rubbed the sides of her head, “I can’t believe I forgot about that. I even knew that Professor Rowan is always particularly busy during the periods leading up to the beginning of the Circuit as well. So if we came here a week or two later, I doubt Sandgem Town would be as quiet as it is now.”

“Exactly.” I nodded, “I mean, my family and I got lucky that our family home is just far enough from Cerulean that it’s inconvenient for trainers to visit, so we’re able to maintain our privacy. However, let’s say we buy a house in one of these streets. Once the media finds out about it – and it won’t be hard for them to do so – our new house will be swarming with overeager new trainers who think that they should be allowed to challenge us just because they now have their very first Pokémon. You know how these new trainers can get when they get their very first Pokémon. So ideally our home should be in a place that’s a little further away from Sandgem Town.”

Fortunately, the people of this world tended to be far more respecting of one’s privacy, perhaps due to a difference in culture. Even reporters were more respectful of one’s privacy than I was expecting, as I rarely had any reporters camping outside of my house just for the chance to interview me. And the same went for my peers too.

Therefore, so long as our house wasn’t too close to the locations with heavy foot traffic, we should be able to maintain our privacy.

Cynthia agreed and paused to think, “…Then how about we check out the nearby Route 221? Maybe that’d be better?”

“Sure, lead the way.” I said, and we proceeded to do just that.

As we arrived in Route 221, I noticed that the Pal Park hadn’t been constructed yet, meaning that the Route was practically empty. All there was were trees and shrubbery, and there wasn’t a hint of any human habitation or construction anywhere along this Route – it was like the Route had been forgotten about entirely. When I realised this, an idea suddenly sprung to my mind.

Cynthia and I were both rather wealthy individuals, or at least, it wouldn’t be difficult for either of us to earn money if we really wanted to. Therefore, between us, it wouldn’t be impossible for us to buy up the nearby land on Route 221 and make this ours. If we did that, not only would we be able to construct a house in a place that would be devoid of neighbours, but we’d also be able to make use of all the empty land to build whatever we wanted here – since there was just so much free space!

I said as much to my girlfriend, who nodded agreeingly, “It does sound appealing. It is a little far from the shops, but I guess with our Pokémon that really isn’t too much of an issue. And we’d be able to stay far away from nosy visitors since this place is so isolated from everything else. I see why you like the place so much, especially your point about having so much free space to ourselves.”

“Is it going to be expensive if we buy up the land here, though?” I had to ask, “I’m not aware of the land market in Sinnoh.”

“Neither am I.” Cynthia admitted, “But it’ll be easy for me to ask around and find out. I doubt it’d be anything too pricey, considering that we seem to be the first people in a long time to even come to Route 221 in the first place.”

She made a point of looking around, finding not a single person around this place, “We’ve really abandoned this place, haven’t we? This might be the most neglected Route in the entirety of Sinnoh.”

That was probably the case, as even the nearby Route 220 was pretty devoid of trainers too outside of the few swimmers that we saw, and that was only in the area that was close to Sandgem. Though that only reinforced the idea that Route 221 would be the ideal place for our dream house. My mind was still awhirl with thoughts about what else we could build in this Route, and my girlfriend must have saw that as she lightly tapped me on the head.

“Silly guy, don’t think too far into the future. We haven’t even purchased the land yet or built our house. Save that thinking for when its actually relevant, okay?” She lightly admonished, but then her lips curled up into a smile, “But I can’t deny that it’s touching that you’re putting so much thought into our future together. It’s always nice to see that you care.”

“Well of course I do.” I replied, “This is likely going to be the home that we’re going to spend our future together in. Why wouldn’t do all that I can to make sure that it’s as perfect as possible?”

“So you think that this place is suitable for our future home?” She looked to confirm.

“Yes.” I nodded, “Honestly, now that I’m here, I really can’t think of anywhere else that’s better. Maybe we can have other vacation homes in the future – maybe somewhere in Unova or something – but for now, I feel like our main home together should be here.”

“Okay, I agree. I like this place a lot too.” She said as she took another look around, “If we do end up buying up all this land, maybe we can decorate this place so that it could look like those flower meadows in Solaceon Town too. I think that’s be good.”

“Maybe we could have a ranch be built here too?” I suggested, “There’s plenty of space for our Pokémon to train here as well.”

“Yes, definitely.” She agreed, “And we could also start our own berry farm if you feel like we have the time for it…”

Despite her earlier words about not needing to think too far into the future, Cynthia and I completely ignored that as we continued making suggestions together about what we wanted our new home to look like.

We knew that not everything could be implemented, but the feeling of planning out your future dream home with your partner… it was unforgettable.

And I was pretty sure I was smiling the entire time.

A.N. I read through your comments, and I knew that many of you wanted more Cynthia and John interactions that’s more than just the occasional bits and pieces. And I also thought it was about time where I started following through on their past plans. So I hope you enjoyed the discussion between Cynthia and John about the location of their future home.

As John is slowly making his dream a reality, I wanted to describe just how their future would actually look like. I thought Route 221 would be an excellent place for a home, for the reasons stated in the chapter. Hope you enjoyed!