The next morning, Eric woke up in his plush bed at the Saffron Grand Hotel, feeling more refreshed than he had in weeks.
He reached over to the nightstand, grabbing his smartphone. The screen immediately lit up, bombarded by an endless stream of notifications.
"What the--"
Eric blinked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He opened the messaging app to see that he had been added to a newly created group chat.
The group name was: The Gossip Club
Eric stared at the screen, utterly deadpan. He checked the member list. It consisted of him, Green, Red, Blue, Iris, Belle, and Blaire.
He scrolled up to the beginning of the notification flood to see what on earth was going on.
Blue: "What are you upto Green? Why did you add me in this?"
Green: "Oh lighten up, Blue. This is why you can never beat Red~"
Blue: "What does that have to do with this? And our record is tied!"
Red: "..."
Belle: "Is this the new secret headquarters for the Great Belle Pirates?!"
Green: "Welcome aboard, Captain! And to answer Mr. Grumpy, I created this group because we are all prodigies who survived a warzone together. It's only right we keep in touch and share valuable information. (And juicy gossip)."
Iris: "I don't have time for gossip. I am muting this chat for my training."
Green: "Oh, don't be so stiff, Iris! You're going to miss out on all the fun."
Blaire: "Speaking of the island. I still haven't formally compensated you guys for the whole... apocalyptic invasion thing."
Green: "Perfect timing! Let's gather for a celebratory dinner tonight! Saffron City is the most central for everyone right now. My treat! (Blaire pays)."
Eric watched the messages roll in. He was about to follow Iris's lead and hit the mute button, but the mention of a free, high-end meal in Saffron City gave him pause. His inner foodie easily overpowered his inner introvert.
Eric: "I'm in. Send the location."
---
Later that evening, the private VIP dining room of one of Saffron City's most exclusive restaurants was lively, chaotic, and incredibly loud.
Eric was already seated when the others arrived, casually working his way through a massive plate full of BBQ skewers.
"Slow down, cutie pie, leave some for the rest of us," Green teased, sliding into the seat next to him. She was wearing her usual black dress and boots, her brown eyes scanning the room with a sharp, mischievous glint.
"First come, first served," Eric replied, grabbing another skewer.
Soon, the rest of the group settled in. Blue and Red sat opposite each other, the competitive tension between them so thick you could cut it with a knife. Every time Red reached for a piece of food, Blue made sure to grab the exact same piece just a millisecond faster. Red didn't say a word, simply shifting his hand to the next plate, but the silent glare he shot Blue spoke volumes.
Blue was never this childishly petty. But ever since Red caught up with him, his pride couldn't accept it!
Iris sat quietly, eating her meal with disciplined, aristocratic elegance, though she occasionally threw a glance at Eric.
"This is the best! Big Sis Blaire, can we order more desserts?" Belle cheered, sitting at the head of the table. Her Pikachu, Captain Sparky, and her Pichu, Sparkles, were currently enjoying a bowl of sweet Poké Puffs.
"Order whatever you want, kid," Blaire smiled, leaning back in her chair. She wore her signature spiked leather jacket and cat-eye sunglasses. She looked completely relaxed, projecting an aura of effortless confidence.
But Eric, watching her from the corner of his eye, knew better. The grief of losing her father was still there, buried deep beneath her cool exterior.
Once the main courses were cleared, Blaire reached into her leather duffel bag and pulled out several sleek, polished wooden boxes.
"Alright, down to business," Blaire said, sliding a box to each of them. "The League has officially wrapped up their investigation of the island. As the host, the Williams family is compensating everyone involved. Consider this a token of our appreciation for fighting back."
Green picked up her box. "Oh, Blaire, you really shouldn't have! We were just protecting ourselves. I couldn't possibly accept--"
Before she even finished her sentence, the box was already kept in her spatial device.
Blue rolled his eyes. "You're shameless."
Eric opened his box. The moment the latch clicked, a dense, intoxicating wave of energy washed over him.
Sitting on a velvet cushion were two items.
The first was a pitch-black crystal, swirling with a thick, ominous purple mist inside. A Tier-3 Ghost Crystal.
The second was a brilliantly glowing, flawless orange stone. A top-quality Fire Stone.
Eric's breath hitched. A single Tier-3 crystal was worth upwards of fifteen million Pokédollars. A top-quality evolution stone without any impurities was literally priceless, completely unavailable on the open market.
"Blaire," Eric said, his brow furrowing. He looked at the staggering wealth sitting in his hands, then looked up at her. "Are you giving resources like this to everyone who attended?"
"I appreciate the compensation," Eric continued, his voice serious. "But with Seth... with your father gone, the Williams family must be facing an immense amount of pressure from the other aristocratic families and the League. Giving away assets of this magnitude to dozens of people... isn't this too much of a burden?"
Eric wasn't one to reject free resources, but he wasn't heartless either. Blaire had a massive target on her back now. Spending so much just to pay off whiny aristocrats was a terrible strategic move.
Blaire stared at him for a second, then let out a sharp, genuine laugh.
She pushed her dark sunglasses down the bridge of her nose, her eyes flashing with a cunning, completely unapologetic light.
"Please, Eric. Do I look like an idiot to you?" Blaire smirked, crossing her arms. "Those aristocratic vultures who spent the entire invasion cowering behind their bodyguards? I gave them the bared minimum. You lot are different. You didn't cower and fought valiantly. My old man always valued true strength over empty titles, and I'm not any different."
She leaned forward, "Besides, even if I did, this amount isn't enough to put a big strain on me. I can even afford it just based on my own income, let alone the William family's assets."
'Forgive me for worrying about the rich,' Eric thought as he leaned back. Looks like his worldview regarding money was still quite narrow.
"In that case," Eric said, closing the box and slipping it into his spatial watch. "I accept. Thanks, Blaire."
---
The dinner lasted for another hour, filled with Belle's energetic stories about her Pikachu and Blue's continuous, one-sided arguments with Red. It was a rare, genuine moment of peace for all of them.
But everyone could notice the hidden sorrow in Belle's actions. As a 12-year-old, she couldn't hide it. But these wounds would take time, and there was nothing they could do about it, so they kept the mood up and enjoyed the moment.
Eventually, it was time to part ways.
As they gathered outside the restaurant under the neon lights of Saffron City, Green pulled out her phone and waved it at them.
"Alright, Gossip Club! I know we are all busy people, but don't be strangers," Green winked, slipping into the crowded street. "Make sure to keep in touch through the chat. And if you stumble across any juicy secrets or hidden ruins... post an update! Oh, and Red, don't forget our deal. See ya!"
"And what deal is that?" Blue asked Red from the side.
"Nothing much. I'll just be visiting Johto with her 2 months from now."
"Hm, Well, whatever! Next time we meet, I'm crushing you."
"We'll see." He nodded once, then walked off in the opposite direction.
Eric stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the group scatter. He then turned around and went his own away.
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