Ethan looked at Erika.
"So..."
She looked back.
"So?"
He smiled innocently.
"Your family also makes perfume, right?"
Erika nodded.
"Yes."
Ethan tilted his head.
"So technically..."
"...your family business is making people stop and smell the flowers."
...
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Leafeon slowly opened one eye.
The Delta Bulbasaur blinked.
One of the Gloom looked offended.
Erika lowered her head.
"..."
Ethan took one careful step backward.
"...Erika?"
She slowly looked up.
She was smiling.
That somehow made it worse.
"Leafeon."
"Leaf."
"Gloom."
"Gloom."
"Weepinbell."
"Weeeep."
"Delta Bulbasaur."
"...Bulba."
Erika pointed at Ethan.
"Get him."
"..."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
He turned and bolted.
"I'M SORRY!"
Behind him—
"Razor Leaf."
Leaves shot through the air like emerald blades.
"Dazzling Gleam."
A rainbow flash exploded across the garden.
"Vine Whip."
"WAIT, WHY DOES EVERYONE KNOW RANGED ATTACKS?!"
Ethan zigzagged around trees, barely avoiding a barrage of glowing leaves.
"I TAKE IT BACK!"
Another Razor Leaf sliced past his head.
"I SAID I'M SORRY!"
The Delta Bulbasaur happily joined the chase, firing tiny bursts of sparkling Fairy energy with far more enthusiasm than accuracy.
"...Bulba!"
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY YOU'RE CHASING ME!"
Several hours later...
Asagi blinked as Ethan stumbled into the mansion.
His clothes were covered in leaves.
His hair had twigs sticking out of it.
There were several perfectly cut holes in his jacket.
"...Little brother."
Ethan looked up weakly.
"...Yeah?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"What happened to you?"
Before Ethan could answer—
Two hands gently covered his mouth from behind.
"Mmph?!"
Erika smiled sweetly at Asagi.
"Oh."
"Nothing happened."
"We were just... playing."
Asagi looked from Erika...
...to Ethan desperately trying to say something through her hand...
...then to the Razor Leaf-shaped cuts all over his clothes.
"...I see."
Erika's smile somehow became even brighter.
"Isn't that right, Ethan?"
"...Mmph."
Asagi nodded slowly.
"I have absolutely no idea what happened."
Erika removed her hand.
Ethan immediately took a deep breath.
"I made a perfume joke."
Asagi closed her eyes.
"..."
Then she looked at Ethan with complete sympathy.
"...You deserved it."
Ethan stared at his older sister in betrayal.
"You're supposed to defend me!"
Asagi shrugged.
"Not against your future wife."
"I know better than to get involved."
Behind them, Erika giggled.
Delta Bulbasaur proudly puffed out her chest as if she'd personally won the battle.
"...Bulba."
The next few days passed peacefully.
Well...
As peacefully as life inside the Hermonia Estate ever could.
Ethan and Kitsu continued their daily training, pushing both themselves and their Pokémon.
Scizor was adapting to his new body far faster than expected.
Steelix had become the family's newest geological hazard.
Gible still believed biting people was an acceptable greeting.
So, overall...
Normal.
During those quiet days, Ethan found himself thinking about one particular question.
'Who was the Gym Leader of Goldenrod before Whitney?'
His regression memories failed him.
He knew Whitney eventually became the Goldenrod Gym Leader.
He just had no idea who held the position before her.
One afternoon, while everyone was having tea, Ethan casually asked.
"Hey, Violet."
She looked up from her book.
"Yes?"
"Who was the Gym Leader of Goldenrod before Whitney?"
Violet answered without even looking up.
"Oh."
"It's Mom."
...
Silence.
...
Kitsu blinked.
Ethan blinked.
Their brains completely stopped working.
"...What?"
Violet finally looked up.
"Our mother."
"She's the current Goldenrod Gym Leader."
"..."
"..."
Ethan slowly turned toward Kitsu.
"You knew?"
Kitsu slowly turned toward Ethan.
"I thought you knew."
"I didn't!"
"I didn't either!"
It was one thing to grow up knowing their father had once been an Elite Four member.
That was already impressive.
Finding out their mother was currently one of Johto's eight Gym Leaders...
...was an entirely different level.
Violet simply took another sip of her tea.
"I assumed everyone knew."
"No one told us!" Ethan and Kitsu shouted together.
At roughly the same time...
News of Scizor spread across the world.
The discovery of an entirely new Pokémon evolution sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
As much as anything could in 1983.
News traveled mostly through newspapers, League reports, television broadcasts, and word of mouth rather than the modern internet.
Professor Elm Sr. became famous overnight for documenting the species.
The Hermonia family received countless requests from researchers.
And Ethan...
Received an official League reward.
It wasn't nearly as large as the one Midori had earned thirteen years earlier.
After all, Midori hadn't simply discovered Electivire.
She had invented the Electirizer itself, forever changing Pokémon evolution research.
Still...
Having your name attached to the discovery of Scizor at ten years old wasn't exactly a small accomplishment.
Later...
Ethan finally learned why his mother had become the Goldenrod Gym Leader.
He had expected Normal-types.
Maybe Kangaskhan.
Perhaps Tauros.
Even Snorlax.
Instead...
Erza's ace stepped onto the battlefield.
"Nidoking."
Ethan stared.
"..."
"...That's a Poison and Ground type."
Violet nodded.
"Yes."
"The Goldenrod Gym specializes in adaptable battle styles."
"Mother simply happens to use Normal-types..."
"...and one very angry Nidoking."
The battle lasted...
Approximately six minutes.
Lyra challenged Erza out of curiosity.
She left the battlefield in complete silence.
No dramatic speech.
No complaints.
No tears.
She simply walked back to her guest room.
Closed the door.
Locked it.
She didn't come out for two full days.
Whitney knocked once.
"...Lyra?"
"..."
"Are you okay?"
A weak voice came from inside.
"...I watched a Nidoking use Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Earthquake, and Surf."
Whitney blinked.
"...That's legal?"
From the hallway, Ethan quietly answered,
"Unfortunately...
"...yes."
He made a mental note.
'When Mom says she's a Normal-type Gym Leader...'
'Ask what her actual team is first.'
Kitsu just looked at her older sister. "Why a Ground Type?"
Whitney also nodded. "I would also like to know that?"
Violets answer. "Mother used a Loophole in the league system, she sees Normal Type team on Odd Number day, and Ground type team on Even number day's".
Everyone blinked.
Falkner looked out of frh window requesting his life.
Bugsy just held onto his larvesta in the incubator. "What?"
Violet took another calm sip of her tea before setting the cup onto its saucer.
"The League already knows it's a loophole," she said. "They're rewriting the regulations. Until Mother retires from the position... it's perfectly legal."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Kitsu slowly pointed toward herself.
"...So if I challenge the Goldenrod Gym tomorrow..."
"You might fight a Normal-type team," Violet answered.
Whitney raised another finger.
"...And if I challenge it the day after tomorrow?"
"You might fight a Ground-type team."
Bugsy blinked.
"...Those are two completely different Gyms."
"They are," Violet agreed.
Falkner stared out the window with hollow eyes.
"I suddenly appreciate Flying-types a lot more."
Lyra looked completely lost.
"Wait... hold on. Doesn't every Gym have to specialize in one type?"
"They do," Violet replied.
"Our mother specializes in Normal-types."
Everyone nodded.
"...And Ground-types."
Everyone stopped nodding.
Whitney frowned.
"Those two statements don't go together."
Violet smiled pleasantly.
"They do if you own enough paperwork."
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"'Own enough paperwork' sounds like something Father would say."
"It is," Violet admitted.
She reached into a folder beside her and pulled out a thin document.
"The League handbook defines a Gym's specialty as 'a battle style centered around one officially registered type.'"
She flipped the page.
"Mother registered her Ground team as an extension of her Normal-style training philosophy."
Bugsy's brain visibly crashed.
"...How?"
"Most Ground Pokémon rely on straightforward fundamentals. Positioning. Endurance. Timing. They teach the same battle principles she teaches with Normal-types."
Whitney stared.
"They... accepted that?"
"For about fifteen years."
"...WHAT?"
Violet nodded.
"The League assumed nobody else would be crazy enough to attempt it."
Falkner quietly muttered,
"They underestimated the Harmonia family."
"They really did," Ethan agreed.
Kitsu leaned back in her chair.
"So... every challenger has to check a calendar before entering the Gym?"
"Correct."
"And if you don't?"
"You find out when Mother throws out her first Pokémon."
Whitney imagined walking into the Gym expecting a Clefable...
...only for a Nidoking to appear.
She shuddered.
"...That's evil."
Violet smiled.
"Mother prefers the word educational."
Lyra looked horrified.
"So all those stories about Goldenrod being unpredictable..."
"Were completely true."
Bugsy hugged the incubator containing his Larvesta a little tighter.
"I suddenly feel much better about my master's Gym."
Falkner nodded immediately.
"So do I."
Ethan let out a long sigh.
"'Normal' really means 'whatever Mother feels like today,' doesn't it?"
Violet picked up her teacup again.
"Essentially."
She took another elegant sip before adding one final sentence.
"Oh... and one more thing."
Everyone looked at her.
"The League's new rule won't affect Mother."
"...Why?"
"Because by the time it takes effect..."
A small smile crossed Violet's face.
"...Whitney will have already inherited the Gym."
The room fell silent again.
Whitney slowly pointed at herself.
"...Thanks."
"...I think?"
Once that discussion was over...
Kitsu and Ethan looked at each other.
They nodded.
"If we're already here..."
"...might as well ask."
A few minutes later...
They found their mother in one of the estate's indoor battle arenas, calmly polishing one of her Poké Balls.
Ethan raised a hand.
"Mom?"
Erza looked over with a smile.
"Yes?"
"I want to challenge you."
Kitsu nodded immediately.
"Me too."
Erza blinked.
Then...
She laughed.
Not a mocking laugh.
Just genuine amusement.
"My children..."
She stood and walked over, gently placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
"I would love to battle both of you."
Both siblings brightened.
Then Erza continued.
"At full strength."
"..."
"..."
"Come back after you've earned seven Gym Badges."
Silence.
Ethan slowly counted on his fingers.
"...I have two."
Kitsu looked even more defeated.
"...I have one."
Erza nodded cheerfully.
"Exactly."
Ethan sighed.
"So we're... disqualified."
"For now."
Kitsu crossed her arms.
"Couldn't you just use fewer Pokémon?"
Erza smiled.
"I could."
"But I won't."
"Why?"
"Because if I battle either of you..."
"I want to battle you as trainers worthy of standing before me."
She gently tapped Ethan's forehead.
"You don't grow by climbing halfway up a mountain."
"You grow by reaching the summit."
Whitney, who had been quietly listening nearby, slowly raised her hand.
"...Hypothetically..."
"If I asked for a battle?"
Erza smiled at her just as warmly.
"Seven Badges."
Bugsy poked his head through the doorway.
"...Me?"
"Seven Badges."
Falkner, passing by entirely by accident, froze.
"...I'm asking out of curiosity."
"Seven Badges."
He immediately nodded.
"Understandable."
Even Violet, who had wandered in carrying another cup of tea, looked at her mother.
"...May I?"
Erza looked at her eldest daughter.
"You already know the answer."
Violet smiled.
"I do."
She took a sip of tea.
"The answer is eight."
Erza nodded proudly.
"Correct."
The room fell silent.
Bugsy looked around in disbelief.
"...Does your family make every conversation feel like an exam?"
Ethan sighed.
"Eventually, you stop questioning it."
From somewhere deeper inside the mansion, Outa's voice echoed down the hallway.
"And if you somehow beat Mom..."
A pause.
"...Dad asks for the rematch."
Bugsy's face lost all color.
"..."
"I think..."
"...I'll stay in Azalea."
No one blamed him.
Later that evening...
The younger generation had gathered in Ethan's room.
Kitsu.
Falkner.
Bugsy.
Erika.
Lyra.
Whitney.
Sabrina.
The room was filled with maps, Poké Balls, notebooks, and enough snacks that Bugsy had quietly claimed one corner for himself.
Kitsu finished adjusting her Pokégear before clipping it back onto her belt.
"I think we've rested long enough."
Ethan stretched his arms over his head.
"Yeah."
He grinned.
"Tomorrow, we're back on the road."
Kitsu's grin became even wider.
"And we're restarting where it all began."
She pointed directly at Falkner.
"Your town."
Falkner folded his arms.
"So..."
"You've come back for a rematch with my dad."
Kitsu grabbed one of her Poké Balls confidently.
"Oh, absolutely."
"My team's completely different now."
She began counting on her fingers.
"Torrent."
"Ember."
"Godzilla."
"Shimo."
She nodded proudly.
"This time..."
"We're winning."
Sabrina looked up from the strategy notebook she had been reading.
"Including your starter, that gives you four Pokémon."
Kitsu blinked.
"...Yes?"
"The Gym battle is six-on-six."
Silence.
Kitsu counted again.
"...One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
"Four..."
She frowned.
"...Huh."
Whitney couldn't hold it in anymore.
"You forgot you only have four Pokémon!"
"I did not!"
"You literally counted them out loud!"
"I was... counting confidently."
Bugsy laughed.
"That's certainly one way to describe it."
Ethan chuckled.
"You've got two empty slots."
Kitsu crossed her arms.
"I'll catch two more."
"By tomorrow?"
"I'll be efficient."
Lyra tilted her head.
"...That's not how catching Pokémon usually works."
Kitsu shrugged.
"It has worked so far."
Everyone remembered the Bagon.
Bugsy slowly nodded.
"...Fair point."
Falkner smirked.
"Even if you somehow fill those two slots..."
"My dad won't go easy on you."
"I know."
"He remembers every battle."
"I know."
"And he'll definitely remember the first one."
Kitsu smiled.
"Good."
"Then he'll remember losing the second."
Falkner laughed.
"Now that's the attitude of a challenger."
Ethan stood and picked up his backpack.
"Looks like tomorrow..."
"...the journey starts again."
Everyone nodded.
Outside the window, the lights of Violet City shimmered beneath the evening sky.
Tomorrow, they would leave the comfort of the Hermonia Estate.
Once again...
The road awaited.
To be continue
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