Present Day
Johto,
Outskirts of New Bark Town
The Johto breeze was cool on Cassandra's skin, eliciting a relaxed sigh as she took in the sights around her. As usual, the Ranch was peaceful, even with a plethora of Pokémon of all sizes, types, and home regions from far away lumbering about. It was a harmonious place, where natural enemies saw one another as friends--for the most part--enjoyed each other's company and shared food and whatever it was Pokémon spoke about. It was a sight to behold, and she loved every moment of it. It was her little haven in a world fraught with danger wherever she went--at least, it certainly seemed that way. She dared to believe she was used to it at this point, what with her luck, but either way, it made her that much more grateful to have her sanctuary waiting for her whenever she came home.
And now, she wasn't alone.
The red headed young woman smiled as she watched her lover--her boyfriend, she giggled silently to herself--wrestling with his Charizard while her own female one watched with excitement. Leon, former Champion of Galar and now Battle Tower King on prolonged vacation--research, as he put it--was playing around without a care in the world, and she loved both it and him. Truly, having him come here was a blessing, and she felt foolish for ever being afraid he might have forgotten her. Long distance was never easy, but here he was a month since he first touched down at her Ranch that fateful day, and with no intention of leaving.
At least, not yet--and not to Galar.
Rather, another land neither of them had visited was calling their name. She had originally thought to have Leon take on the Indigo League first, but Professor Sycamore's request for help in a whole new region was too good an opportunity to pass up. Not to mention there was talk of trouble. It was like it was made for them, and she was just glad they were given some time before they had to leave. Sycamore was happy to allow them a month to prepare and get their affairs in order before heading over--the region was fairly far away, after all, situated closer to Unova and that had been nearly half a day's flight.
So they'd happily opted to get the Ranch squared away--her Pokémon and the land needed to be cared for after all--and gave them plenty of time to train the team members they were going to bring. It had ended up a good excuse to go visit Charizard Valley to impress Leon, who had never seen such large variants of his prized Pokémon. Her Chara had certainly been impressed, which had only fired up both fire-types up to train as hard as possible.
Now here they were, just about ready to go. They'd gathered their things, bought the supplies they needed, picked the Pokémon they planned to bring, and now all that was left was to enjoy their final days together with friends and family. Tonight, in fact.
"Leon!" she shouted at last, bringing a pause to her boyfriend's rough housing. Both trainer and Pokémon rolled back to their feet eagerly. The purple-haired young man took off at a light jog, while his Charizard remained behind to keep close to Chara, who she hadn't missed growing fond of her larger, male companion. It was amusing, in a way, and she wouldn't mind them becoming a pair--Charizard were notoriously picky about mates, which only added to their rarity.
"Hey!" the young man laughed, panting lightly as he bounded up the wooden steps of the lifted porch. He wasted no time swooping her up into his arms, cupping her rump so that she wrapped her legs around his broad chest while her hands tangled into his hair playfully. He flashed a wide grin, "Is it time for the party already?"
"Yep! Silver, his wife, and Lance shouldn't be too much longer--they're both known to be punctual. Lance may or may not be bringing his new girlfriend," she explained, stealing a quick kiss.
He relished in the affection, "Awesome. Your parents tomorrow still?"
"Uh-huh! They wanted to let all the 'kids' have fun tonight, and then they'll spoil us tomorrow before we head out. Silver's going to be too busy, otherwise he'd join."
"I still find it crazy he's your brother."
"Maybe not by blood, but he's family. Mom won't let him escape."
Leon laughed, "She's a feisty one! I see where you get it from--and why your dad fell for it."
"Naturally. Now, are you gonna put me back down so we can finish up dinner prep or just hold me up here like a dork all day? Not that I mind the view."
"Well, now that you've mentioned it...," he purred, squeezing her rump so she squeaked.
"Leon!" she laughed, lighting smacking his chest. She smirked in the next moment, voice a low purr as she added, "Save that for later, love."
"Oh Arceus, you know you can't do that to me--you know what it does," he groaned with a laugh, but he did let her slip back down to the ground.
"I do," she smirked with a wink, taking his hand, and heading towards the sliding doors of the main house. Dinner had been cooking for some time now, and the scents wafting through the air easily made one's mouth water. If all it went well, it would be a plentiful feast of traditional meals, mixed with beef and fish alike. There was something for everyone, including all the vegetables. She was grateful her mother's Machamp had come over to help, keeping an eye on the stew and chopping extra veggies as needed. He had always been good at helping take care of things--including her as a child.
She pat one of his arms, "How's it going, Champa?"
The fighter-type grunted in response and added in a nod, quickly dicing up a few carrots. She chuckled, patting him again, and then ventured over to the chabudai table where Leon had taken up putting out the dinner settings.
"I'll help," she hummed, taking some mats from him, and then picking up cushions to sit on.
"Thanks--I'm still not totally positive on how you set everything. Galar's so much easier."
"Ha! Y'all just never learned how to properly relax and enjoy a meal. We Johto-jin are all about the simple life--while also getting the best out of their food."
He snorted, "You just didn't stay long enough to see how we really live it up in Galar."
"I was there for almost four years!" she laughed, raising a brow.
"Most of which you spent in the mountains"
"I had dinner with your mother."
"That was a rushed meal. Trust me--when it's a real party, you have a good time. When we go back you'll see. We'll get together with our friends and show you what it's really like."
She giggled, bumping his hip playfully, "I look forward to it. I guess we'll have to drop by once we're done in Kalos."
"Definitely. It's closer to Galar than Johto, and I do need to get back to work for a bit before we go on any more adventures after," Leon grinned as he set the last cushion down.
"What? You already planning for more?" she laughed, plopping down onto one beneath her. She tapped the cushion beside her, a silent beckon. He chuckled as he did so, wrapping an arm around her waist to tug her close.
"Of course! Just coming here has been so exciting! The Ranch is incredible, and even just going to Cherrygrove was a lot of fun. Not to mention Charizard Valley! I've never seen so many Charizard in my life! Johto is so different but so amazing! I can't wait to take on the Gym Challenge here. Kalos first, though--so we can do our first one together where it's both new for us," he beamed, taking her hand to entwine their fingers.
She sighed softly with a grin, "You're so cheesy. I don't remember you being like that."
"Too distracted by my good looks?" he purred, leaning over with a cheeky grin. She put a finger to his lips.
"Well, they certainly didn't help. Good thing I like cheesy, though," she snickered and then leaned forward to leave a peck on his lips. "But put a pin on the sweet talk. We'll have guests soon, and you know how Silver gets."
"Yes, I do remember last we were in the same room. He didn't seem impressed."
"He's hard to--although he does respect you. He's just... not one to open up to people quickly and he's just naturally got a dick personality. If you met him when we're teens, you'd be surprised he even wanted to be part of my family," she laughed lightly. "Granted, my mom kinda of just... adopted him without asking and then he went along with it."
Leon hummed, rubbing her side, "Seems to me he found something he needed. Have to say I can relate."
"Hey--lay off the cheesy," Cassandra snickered, wrapping an arm around to hug him back. Her lover opened his mouth to reply but paused when a knock came at the door. Not even a second later, it opened, and in walked a familiar, red-haired young man. Right behind him was another familiar, more weathered face. The other redhead winked at her purple-haired companion, "Besides, our guests are here."
"Damn. We'll have to continue later," he winked back as he stood up and helped her up. She spared him another grin before trotting over to meet their guests, embracing her fellow redhead in a tight hug, which he returned.
"Glad you could make it! Where's the wife, though?" she inquired, glancing at the empty doorway before Lance shut the door behind him.
"She had some business to handle that's proving more difficult than we thought. She sends her apologies, and made me bring the good stuff," he half-snorted as he brought up a bottle of sake in his hand.
Her eyes sparkled, "Oooh... your boss is so good to us."
"Uh-huh," Silver sighed, rolling his eyes and brushing by to approach Leon with an outstretched hand. "Apologies for not meeting you sooner. I am glad to see you finally decided to make your way here, though--an impeccable feat if my sister's descriptions are anything to go by."
"Oh my Arceus, Silver! I didn't say anything like that!" she snapped, sighing with exasperation and turned to Lance instead. At least her brother was allowing her boyfriend to touch him, even if only the hand, but still. Thankfully, the former Champion was far more jovial and embraced her warmly, "Aaaah it's good to see you again! I'm glad you could come before we left--I know how busy you've been with transitioning the new Champ."
"Oh, yes. But Blue is a good fit and he's supposedly 'done vacationing' with Red and Leaf, so he's ready to get to it."
"Pfft, sounds like him. Are the other two sticking around as well?" she inquired as she gestured for him to follow her towards the table.
"For now, at least. Leaf has been talking with Oak lately--she might be considering becoming a professor and Red might opt for a Gym Leader with his skills set, but then again, he could just fly off to Mt. Silver and stay there again. Blue's not exactly keen on giving good details," he chuckled, shaking his head.
Cassandra snorted, "Arceus, help us--I didn't believe it when you told me he was there the first time, but he literally was just on top of a mountain. I feel bad for Leaf--she's probably the only sane one of the three."
"Blue's not... too bad. He's just eccentric."
"If that's what you gotta tell yourself," she mused, brow raised, then frowned, "Oh, wait--where's your lovely lady, too. Samara, right?"
Lance chuckled as he sat down, "No. Sariah. She got called away to deal with some family business. It should be nothing, but she had to go be sure. She promised to come to the next dinner."
"Good. I wanna meet the lucky lady. Although, it's going to be a while. Kalos is a pretty big region. I expect we'll be there a month or two, maybe longer if we take our time."
"Sightseeing are we?" Silver piped up, sitting to her right while Leon returned to right beside her. His arm worked its way around her waist once more.
"Probably! I'd like to explore as much as I can personally. I want to show my followers Kalos, too--I don't think many get out to see other regions, so it'd be fun to let them in on the Challenge aspect of it," he grinned.
Lance hummed, "Oh? What a fun idea. True; most trainers don't go across multiple regions like Cassandra has. Then again, international travel has only recently increased within the last few years."
"Helps the immigration and customs process has started to be streamlined; they're also better about preventing invasive species, too. It's too late for Hoenn what with the Fairy-Type now bred into the native Pokémon, but they've been able to keep it under control elsewhere," Silver mused, gesturing with his hand.
"Think it's going to end up on the rest of the continent? We're not that far from Hoenn, but as far I know our Jigglypuffs and Granbulls are still Normal types right?"
"Yes; our science teams have yet to find any beyond Pokémon that are brought by trainers, and the threat of heavy fines or even jail time tends to keep people from 'losing track' of any wayward Pokémon of theirs. Now, that's not to say there isn't a chance a wild one might come here by chance, but, at the very least, it's under control," Lance shrugged.
Leon hummed thoughtfully, "It might just become inevitable; life is always growing and changing as new Pokémon come to be. Fairy-types are just the latest to be discovered. I guess whatever happens, happens, but Pokémon will always be Pokémon, and I know I'm looking forward to all the new things that will come about from it. Hopefully without too much trouble to the native species."
"Ha! Well said," the former Johto champ laughed and tapped the table. "I'd toast to that, but we have yet to have our sake poured."
"Oh! Right, my bad! Hang on!" Cassandra laughed, jumping up to go grab four shallow cups from an antique cabinet. She set them all down in front of everyone, opened the bottle Silver brought, and poured it out for each. The bottle set in the center; she lifted her cup up. "To new Pokémon, new adventurers, and having dinner with family and friends!"
"--and lovers," Leon added, much to Silver's disgust, shown clearly in the way his face scrunched.
"Don't," he groaned while Lance just laughed again.
"To a good last night together before you two go off to conquer yet another region!"
"I'll drink to that!" the redheaded woman snickered and downed hers in one go, gasping with delight as she put the cup down. Beside her, Leon struggled--just a little; coughing as the harsh, but sweet liquor traveled down his throat.
"Oh, wow. That's, ah--not like the ale back home," he grunted, much to her delight.
"What did I tell you? We Johto-jin know how to drink it up," she snickered, nudging him playfully. She regarded their companions next, "So. How have things been? Service was shit in Charizard Valley, so I've only kept up with what's on the news and League emails."
"Same old, really; you know about my retirement, which has really been the biggest thing. Johto's been safe ever since you and Silver took down the remains of Rocket a decade ago and all, and with Team Rescue it's peaceful as can be. Kanto's more or less the same, although I think SILPH CO. is trying to invent a proper teleportation system based off the one in their building."
"Still? Hasn't it been like, uh... like twenty years in the making?"
Silver shrugged, "It's a tricky process, supposedly. My Team certainly wouldn't mind its usage, but I'm better off just having my Alakazam and other Psychic types Teleport. Sure, commercializing would be beneficial, but it's becoming too costly."
"Oh, wow... teleporting. That's crazy. You even have that insane bullet train. Galar feels so much slower," Leon snickered.
"I doubt that--last I went was quite the adventure... ah, aren't you in charge now? I admit I haven't kept up well, but you're a prominent position despite no longer being Champion?" the dragon master inquired.
Her lover waved his hand, "No, not really. Or sort of. I'm more involved than before, but I'm still essentially just the Battle Tower. The League is still looking for a Chairman replacement now that things are fully back to normal after we rooted out the corrupted people from Sordward and Shieldbert."
"Are you considering it then?" Cassandra inquired, brow raised, and Leon rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm not sure, to be honest. It's... a big role, and I'm not exactly... Fond of who was there before."
"Ah--you don't want it because it's associated with this person still?" Silver inquired, and the young man nodded, surprise clear in his features. "I understand; but sometimes taking it up and changing it is the best way to overcome it."
The redheaded woman smiled, "Silver basically did that when he took over Team Rocket from his own father, remember?"
"Right... well, it's still something I'm just considering. Maybe once back from Kalos I'll think about it more. Some worldly experience would be good for that position anyways, right?" he chuckled as he pulled out his phone, checking a message that came in. He perked up, "Oh! Lance!"
The man in question nodded, "Yes?"
"Sorry if this is weird or a bit much, but would it be alright if a friend of mine talked to you? He's a big fan, actually--he won't admit it--but he was super jealous when I said you'd be joining us for dinner!"
"Oh really?" Lance laughed, glancing at Cassandra.
She smirked, "It's Raihan."
"Raihan? He's... oh! The Hammerlock Gym Leader! I remember him from when we were in Galar helping. He was an interesting fellow, although seemed a bit shy? He did remind me of his predecessor. Your Garrus was an incredible dragon trainer. I learned so much during my time there training, and, I admit, I couldn't resist borrowing the aesthetic."
"Ha! Trust me, Raihan never lets me forget when he talks about you. Do you mind saying hi?"
"Of course not! I'm always happy to converse with fellow dragon tamers anyways."
"Do we really need to?" Silver scoffed; elbow propped on the table as he rolled his eyes. Cassandra promptly smacked his knee. He huffed, "What?"
"You can be nice for one night you little shit," she hissed in kind. "Or do you not want dinner? I was kind enough to prepare your favorite you know!"
"...The Krabby sashimi?"
"Yes. With your favorite sauce. Be good or you get nothing. And I'll tell mom and your wife, too."
He glared, "You're a cold woman."
"And you're an insufferable brat."
"Should never have let Mom adopt me."
"Bitch, she wouldn't let you go even if you tried."
"As much as I enjoy watching kids fight--mind toning it down so we can actually hear everyone else in the room?"
Cassandra flinched, cheeks flaring as she turned back toward the two former Champions, and on his Rotom's screen was none other than Raihan, brow raised and a shit-eating smirk on his face. Well, that wasn't embarrassing at all.
"Oh, shut up. Not like you haven't fought like that with Leon before."
"Truuuue... but not with an important guest around."
"Oh my Arceus, you kiss ass," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
Lance smirked, "Oh, I don't know. I don't think it's too bad."
"Because he's your sycophant. I heard you were the attention hog in your youth, but to think now that you're an old man--," Silver scoffed.
"--who can still whoop your ass like I did the last two times, whipper snapper."
"So this is fun," Leon laughed, grinning at the woman beside him.
"Damn, should have come with you guys. Seems pretty lit," Raihan laughed. "So Lance! Heard you're retiring! Gotta say, as your biggest fan, I'm a little hurt."
"Oh, are you?" the man laughed. "Don't worry--I'm always happy to come and show you what a real Dragon Trainer can do any time you'd like. I'll have all the time in the world once I'm officially retired."
"Ha! You're on, old man! My own thought highly of you, and I'm sure Leon ratted me out, but there's nothing like beating your hero."
"Oh, ho ho--Cassandra, you didn't tell me he was quite the braggart! Here I thought he was shy all this time."
"Look that's on you--you never asked," she smirked.
"I'm full of surprises--just ask those two. I keep 'em on their toes. Could probably cur--."
"AH HA yes you're hilarious, Raihan," Leon barked, shoving the phone down. "Hey, babe, is dinner ready yet?"
She had to work hard to stifle her laughter, "Hold on, I'll check. Machamp? Where we at?"
The multi-armed Pokémon turned around to make an "OK" gesture with his fingers and a grin. Cassandra grinned back as she stood up. Leon made to follow suit, but Silver raised a hand as he moved up from his spot.
"I'll help. I don't think I can stand listening to that man for too long," he sighed with full exasperation.
"Yeah love you too. Man, guess 'Cas got all the nice genes in the family."
"He's adopted!" she laughed as she trotted over to the kitchen, her brother on her heels as he rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's see if we can't get everything in one go. And Silver?"
"Hm?" he inquired, coming over to pick up a few plates just as Machamp was doing the same, balancing them well.
"Thanks for coming--and being nice. It's silly, but I'm glad you shook his hand."
He shrugged, "He's a good man--and he makes you happy. Considering what all happened..."
"Ha! Yeah. He really is. And I am sorry I took so long to sit down and talk about it."
"I admit I'm still upset about it, but... the important thing is you finally talked to me--and to Mom and Dad. You've been a lot better for it. You were already before Leon came, and seeing you now... he's good for you. Going to Galar in general was, I see now--you've made good friends there," he replied, his free hand coming over to rest on her shoulder and squeeze. She met his red-colored eyes, watching them as he spoke. Her smile was soft and small as she reached up to squeeze his hand back.
"I did. Not as good as my brother, of course."
"Don't be a suck up."
"To you? Never. But thank-you--again. Really. I'm lucky to call you my brother--and my best friend."
"I said don't suck up--I'm still not going to be nice to Raihan."
"Oh my Arceus, why not? He's funny! And a good guy!"
"He's insufferable, and only a Gym Leader."
"The eighth Gym Leader."
"Please, Clair is better, and that's not saying much."
"What the hell--you're such an ass!" she laughed, grabbing another plate.
"And you're still as stubborn and accepting as ever," he quipped in kind, a smirk playing on his face as he filled his arms and headed back to the table where Raihan and Lance still conversed, Leon adding in his own commentary. There were plenty of laughs and Cassandra was glad to see even Silver was "behaving". It was a glorious sight to behold; the people in her life all getting along. She would never have thought it possible to have such a scene, and it made her all the more grateful.
Beside her, Machamp made a low, curious rumble; nudging her gently.
"What?" she snickered, but the Pokémon only gave her a knowing look and a smile. He always knew how she was feeling--even without being a Psychic type. She supposed it came with having been her babysitter all her childhood, and especially when her mother couldn't handle her wild self anymore. Cassandra could only grin at the memories, tap his shoulder with her head in silent thanks, and helped bring the rest of the dishes over to the table. Machamp was gentle as he set everything down and then bowed politely before making his way out to head back home. He'd done what he needed--the "kids" could take it from here.
"I'm still always amazed how your Machamp is. Bruno's is refined, yes, but not like that," Lance chuckled, filling his plate with the sizzling meal.
"Same for Bea; hers is pretty calm, but I don't think the big guy could cut and make food like this," Leon added, scarfing down a piece of sushi with a happy rumble.
Cassandra snickered as she grabbed some skewers, "He has had a lot of practice with me. I was a lot to handle even being an only child, but my parents were new to it and all. Machamp helped keep me from being too crazy."'
"You make it sound like you still weren't when you were a teen," Silver mused from behind his cup.
"You're just mad I always kicked your ass. Which I still can," she snorted back.
Raihan laughed, "Oooooooooh buuuurn!"
"Man, I still have so many more stories to hear about you--this is wild!" Leon laughed, shaking his head.
"Oh, indeed. She could go all night about them," Lance chuckled before popping a rice ball into his mouth.
"Let's hear the embarrassing ones!" the Galarian Gym Leader crowed, cheeky as ever.
Cassandra hissed, "No! Don't you dare! Do not give him material to roast me with! Besides, you all have plenty to talk about as well. So we definitely don't need to talk about my embarrassing ones."
Her lover nudged her, "But I'd love to hear about them and the rest of yours--all of you. Like your journeys to become Champion, Lance. And Silver, how you managed to turn one of the greatest evil syndicates in the world into Team Rescue--one of the best things to come to Galar."
"Now, now," the young man chuckled, "flattery will only get you everywhere. But I suppose I can indulge."
"Oh great, now that swelled head of his is gunna be that much worse," Raihan scoffed, rolling his eyes although his smirk was practically carved into his visage.
"Shut up, Gym Leader."
"And proud of it! Fight me, ginger bitch!"
"Gladly--."
"Okay, you two, I think that's enough," Lance coughed loudly, nudging the phone away and gesturing for Silver to sit back down, the young man having leaned forward in his ire.
"Please. Let's not start a fight over the phone in my house, thanks," Cassandra sighed, shaking her head, but then laughed a moment later. "Because I don't know about you lot, but I hope to have a good, long, fun night together with my friends."
"I can toast to that," Leon snickered, picking up his cup again. Lance and Silver did the same, and even Raihan hooted as he held up a beer bottle on his head. "To good friends, good memories, and to making new ones."
Yeah, they could toast to that, and the resounding clack of their glasses together a second time was a testament to that.
--------------------
"Ah, now that was a good get together. I don't remember the last time I spent hours just drinking and talking about the good old days," Lance laughed as he stepped out into the cool air with Cassandra right behind him and then by his side. Like him, her gaze wandered to further ahead where Leon and Silver were talking happily, discussing something to do with their Charizard and Feraligator. It was probably about their strength levels, and no doubt her boyfriend wanted to battle her brother one day, but for now it was kept jovial, even as their Pokémon sized one another up. Frankly, she was just glad to still see them getting along, but a hearty meal and good drink always helped with that.
"Same. I missed our talks we used to have. By the way, are you good to fly home?" she inquired, handing him his cape, which he took.
He nodded, "Yes. I didn't drink too much, and the food staved off the effects. Dragonite would catch me if I fell anyways. Speaking of... come on out, old friend."
Plucking the ball from his belt, the massive, towering, yellow-skinned dragon emerged with a soft cry. He flapped his wings gently before turning to his trainer and then leaned down to nuzzle Cassandra. She giggled as she pet him thoroughly, rubbing under his chin.
"Always so affectionate. Take care of your trainer, y'hear?" she inquired, and the Pokémon nodded fervently. "Good. Thanks for coming, by the way. I'm glad you got to meet Leon properly, too, and see us before we left."
"Of course; you're a dear friend to me, Cassandra, and it's been an honor watching you--and your brother--grow into fine young adults. And I admit... I was worried when we reunited in Galar. You were not yourself, but... I can see now you're back to who you were before."
"So I'm reminded a lot," she sighed. "I guess I didn't ever hide it as well as I tried."
"It's because we know you so well. You forget how many peoples' lives you've had some influence on, both great and small. You've saved many lives in your journey--more than you know," he smiled and pulled her into an embrace, which she returned. "I'm just relieved you found someone you could finally put your faith in, too. You've spent too long being that person for everyone else."
It was a long while before Cassandra could think of anything to say, and in the end it was no more than a "yeah". She didn't expect the words to hit as hard as they did, but they struck her to the core. Was she really that? Or had been? It didn't feel like it, but then again--she had always faced the trials of her journey like an expectation, hadn't she? Perhaps that was why she'd fallen so far before; how she never knew how to take an outstretched hand.
Or rather, she never had someone who would just take hold of her hand instead and not let go.
She hadn't had Leon.
And he'd only been the first. Now there were so many hands she hadn't seen before. No, that wasn't right. They'd always been there, hadn't they? She just hadn't looked for them.
Cassandra chuckled softly, watching as Leon suddenly pulled Silver into a headlock, of which he did not appreciate, but she knew, at the very least, he didn't entirely mind. It made her smile and fill her heart with warmth. Really, that Leon. He always could worm his way into anyone's good graces.
"You chose a good man, too. He's got a good head and good heart. Just make sure to remember what you're feeling when the hard part comes."
She frowned, turning to face him, "What do you mean?"
"Every relationship has struggles--one that make us forget what we loved in the first place. So remember these days and how they came to be," he mused, grasping her shoulder. "Just some advice from an old man who was once very, very, very, very stupid and foolish and almost missed his chance."
"I'll... keep it in mind. Now, get on home, you. I'm sure Sariah is mad you're not back yet."
"Maybe, but she knows this was an important day. Be sure to let me know when you return from Kalos--I'd love to hear what you think of the trainers there."
"Will do. See you 'round, Lance--probably when Leon comes to whoop Blue's ass," she laughed as the former Champion climbed onto his Dragonite's lower back.
He laughed in kind, saluting, "I look forward to it. Alright, let's go, Dragonite!"
With a cry, the dragon shot off into the night sky, disappearing into the dark. Sighing softly and his words weighing on her mind, she made her way towards the two young men who had returned their Pokémon and chatted normally. Alakazam appeared a moment later as she reached them.
"Whelp, heading home to the missus?" she inquired, arms opening to embrace him. He met her halfway and then stepped back with a nod.
"It's late, and I do have some work in the morning. It was good to see you and our parents... and, yes, it was good to meet you properly, too, Leon," Silver chuckled, not missing the pout the former Galarian Champion had on his face. "Not your friend, though. Kindly tell that Raihan of yours to watch himself or I'll be taking an impromptu vacation to remind him of his place as a trainer."
"Silver, please, stop, oh my Arceus," the redhead sighed, pinching her brow. "Alakazam, take him home now, please."
"Really? Are you serious? You heard him! He was an insufferably, uncouth, incorrigible, un--," her brother began, but, to her relief, his Pokémon listened, and just as he began another insult the average person would require a thesaurus and dictionary to understand, he and his Pokémon vanished; teleported back home.
"Your brother really is something!" Leon bellowed with laughter, clutching his stomach. "I swear--him and Raihan were about to freaking punch each other out! Arceus, that was hilarious. I'm so glad I had him join in. Hoo boy."
"Okay, it was pretty funny!" she giggled, then squeaked when Leon suddenly scooped her up into his arms. "Well, hello there, handsome."
"Hello there, beautiful. You ready to get some sleep and finally head to the airport tomorrow to begin our amazing new adventure together?" he beamed as he walked back towards the house.
"Yep! I'm honestly excited--this will be my first journey with someone and not on my own."
"Then I'm honored! I can't wait to see it! I practically never got to travel as a kid--at most Hoenn when we went to that hot spring, but otherwise I was always so busy. I'm really looking forward to it."
"Good! Aaaand you can get another Champion title under your belt, too. Almost as many as me," she snickered, tapping his nose playfully.
"Hey now, don't rub it in--I'll catch up soon enough, you'll see!" he laughed, stealing a kiss, which she gladly gave. He set her down after, having reached the door. She took his hand, much to his delight, as she led him inside to the now cleaned up house. Meeting his gaze, hazel eyes unwavering in the wake of shining gold, she grinned.
"I can't wait."