Burgh’s haggard appearance made a lot more sense now that I knew who I was talking to.
This was a man still grieving.
I stuck a hand out in a friendly gesture, but Burgh stared at it for a long time with a sort of dazed look. When he finally grasped my hand with his own, I couldn’t help noticing how weak his grip was.
His thin and almost emaciated hand fell back to his side with nary a sound.
“You’ll have to forgive me for laughing earlier,” he said. His voice was so hoarse that I wouldn’t have been surprised if Burgh hadn’t talked to anyone in a long time. “It’s not often I run into someone who doesn’t know who I am… the now retired Castelia Gym Leader, that is. I’m guessing you’re not from Unova, are you?”
“I am, actually. But I, uh, moved away when I was a kid. This is my first time back in twenty years,” I politely corrected him. I also conveniently left out a lot of the details concerning my backstory.
Burgh blinked slowly.
“Oh… a local returned home, then. Welcome back,” he said, and he offered a small smile. It didn’t quite meet his eyes.
I still appreciated it anyway and replied with a quiet thank you.
We lapsed into momentary silence after introductions.
During that time, people drifted past. Most of them were locals who immediately recognized Burgh. While no one was rude enough to take out their cameras and snap pictures or videos, there was still a lot of whispering. They gave Burgh looks of pity.
He wasn’t fazed by any of it. His gaze was lost somewhere out there on the horizon instead. Burgh sat so perfectly still on that bench that one could have mistaken him for a statue rather than a human. The atmosphere he exuded was mournful, so mournful in fact that I could almost physically feel the sadness emanating from him.
I sympathized with him. I really did.
I wasn’t going to say anything of the sort to him, though. For one thing, I didn’t want to make fresh wounds hurt more. For another, comforting words were sometimes the last thing a grieving person wanted to hear.
Since he hadn’t said anything yet, I decided to be the one to pick up the conversation this time. My eyes landed on the painting materials by Burgh’s feet while I was wondering what to talk about.
“Are you going to paint something?” I asked. That seemed harmless enough. Burgh followed my line of sight.
“No,” he admitted after a moment’s pause. “I wanted to at first, but every time I try holding a brush, my mind goes blank. I can’t feel any inspiration like I used to.”
I cursed internally. Wrong topic to choose. I needed something else. Unfortunately, I wasn’t good at small talk.
“The view here is nice.”
“It is, isn’t it?” The corners of Burgh’s lips twitched upwards before falling. “I used to come here with Vania after long hours at the gym. She loved watching the sunset.”
Vania? Was that—
“My first Pokemon, Leavanny,” Burgh helpfully supplied. My confusion must have shown on my face. “Perhaps you heard the news in town already. She… She passed away last month.”
Oh. It wasn’t just any Pokemon of his that had died, but his starter. I briefly closed my eyes in silent frustration aimed at myself. Another swing and a miss. Legendaries.
Burgh held up a hand as I opened my mouth to apologize.
“You look distressed. It’s quite alright,” he said kindly. “I appreciate that you tried to talk about ordinary things with me. Most people would have chosen to pry into… other matters instead.”
He could have lashed out. He could have yelled at me for reminding him about the precious companion he had recently lost. Both were valid reactions when someone was grieving. Yet in spite of how much hurt he was probably feeling inside, he still found it in him to be gentle.
Burgh and I both fell silent at this point. I was afraid of saying something that might actually upset him, so I stayed quiet. The ball was in his court now for where this conversation would go next.
Kricketune had moved onto a sad folk song in the background when Burgh finally deemed himself ready to speak again.
“Have you ever experienced…?” he trailed off in a hushed whisper, unable to bring himself to finish.
I understood anyway.
He wanted to know if any of my Pokemon had ever passed.
“I have. Multiple times in fact,” I quietly replied.
Burgh’s shoulders seemed to slump further upon my confirmation. A shuddering breath left him. It was like the last barrier he’d kept around himself and his fragile, bleeding heart disappeared now that he was in the company of someone who’d experienced great loss of their own. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to find words.
“Every death hurts as much as the last,” he eventually murmured. His voice was so quiet that it was nearly drowned out by the waves. “It doesn’t get any easier.”
“…No, it doesn’t.”
It really, truly didn’t. As a Bug Specialist, I’d raised many Pokemon over the years. Not all of them were still with me today. Some I’d met too late in life, but there were others I failed to help raise well enough when I was younger.
Vivillon, Masquerain, Ledian, Paras…
And Berry.
My throat constricted painfully. I would have drowned myself in memories if one of the Pokeballs on my belt hadn’t suddenly bloomed with warmth. It was hot enough that it wasn’t pleasant, but not so much that it would burn through my clothes. Rune could sense what I was feeling, and he was reminding me that he was there.
They all were. I ran a finger against the Pokeballs on my belt as my mind drifted.
Berry… The damage he sustained from the Relic Castle incident in my childhood left him with permanent internal injuries. Berry had already been old to begin with for a Sewaddle, but he’d pushed his muscles and type energy reserves far past the normal safe limits to save me and dad from the fall. He’d literally used up more of his remaining life to spit out enough silk. His evolution into a Swadloon back then only bought him a little more time. When he started exhibiting signs of an impending death in Alola, clumsy ten-year-old me tried his best to help him evolve again with limited knowledge. I even held off on going on a traditional journey just to spend all my time with Berry.
When Berry managed to evolve into a Leavanny after much struggle, I thought that was it. He was big now. He was going to live at least as long as I did.
I was young and naive. The evolution came too late in light of how old and weak Berry was at that point.
Five years after dad and I moved to Alola, the Leavanny passed away quietly in his sleep.
I can’t really remember everything that came after. I was devastated for a long, long time and hardly left the house. I’d lost the Pokemon that used to sleep with me every night, the Pokemon that would offer me his food because he thought I wasn’t eating enough, the Pokemon that was always there for me… If not for dad and Rune, I might have even holed up inside our house forever.
By the time I finally picked myself back up, I was a changed person with a new perspective on life.
The time we spent on this earth was limited, but what truly mattered was living life to the fullest and not leaving any regrets behind.
Berry’s death was also the catalyst for me becoming… obsessed with training and battling as dad once put it. I was afraid of more Pokemon of mine dying well before I did.
So I struggled. I fought strong opponents. I traveled the world in search of any knowledge that could make me a better Bug Specialist, for ways to help my Pokemon reach their fullest potential and live. I traveled with the intent to see and experience everything I could… all because I valued the precious commodity known as life.
Be better. Faster. That’s all I thought about for a good chunk of my traveling years. I calmed down a bit somewhere in my early twenties once Rune beat it into my head — literally — that I needed to enjoy the present more.
Yet no matter how many years passed, the pain from losing my Pokemon never truly went away. All I could do was carry the memories with me close to my heart and keep moving.
It was why my heart went out to Burgh and his suffering. I placed my attention back on said man when he shifted slightly in place.
“Countless losses,” he murmured, voice raspy with emotion. “I’ve had to watch gym Pokemon pass away during my tenure as a Gym Leader. I’ve had to say goodbye to three of my team members in the past. Every time, it’s like— it’s like—”
“‘—my heart is ripped out,’” we finished at the same time.
The losses we’d experienced could never be compared to one another, but I could understand at least a tiny fraction of what he was feeling.
Burgh didn’t even seem surprised. He merely offered me a small nod of acknowledgement and a sad smile.
“You understand. As Bug Specialists, we have to bear any such loss and pain. I’ve always held myself together and kept going, but Vania…” Burgh’s voice cracked. He inhaled deeply to steady himself before continuing. “She was already old when I first met and caught her. I had long known she would one day pass before me, but this was far too soon.”
Burgh collapsed against the back of the bench. His left hand shook as it combed through messy, tangled hair.
“I struggled after every death, but I was always able to pick myself back up in the end. This time… it’s different. It’s harder. I don’t know if I can or even when.”
It was a somber and vulnerable admission, one that moved me. I could not hope to imagine the depths of his grief, and I never would. It was a sorrow known to him and him only.
I could only sit there in silence with him and offer my company as support.
We didn’t continue that particular topic. Burgh had emotionally drained himself by speaking as much as he had about his Leavanny, so we talked about other things. Anything and everything.
Just not about what was still weighing him down. I respected his wishes.
At one point, Burgh noticed me tracing the tattoo on my neck out of habit.
“Does it mean anything?” he asked.
I blinked, finger pausing mid-trace. “My tattoo?”
When Burgh nodded, I absentmindedly fiddled with the earring on my left ear instead, a small circular red gem.
“It does,” I clarified in a soft voice. My mind was already far away, thinking of the day I’d had the sun blazed into my skin. I’d gotten the tattoo as soon as I was old enough. “It’s a reminder to myself to always look up… to keep going. And… it also helps me remember a promise I made with my starter when I was a kid.”
I was going to leave it at that, but Burgh looked curious enough that I decided to elaborate. He’d shared some very personal stuff with me today anyway. It was only right to reciprocate.
“For Bugs, they use the sun as a point of navigation. It helps them orient themselves and keep a steady course when flying,” I explained. I reached out to the sky with a hand, a nostalgic smile on my face as beams of fading sunlight slipped through the gaps in my fingers. “Every time I see the sun, I know I can stay grounded through anything. That’s what my starter promised to be for me, too. The Sun.”
A memory flashed in my mind of child me and Rune, then a Larvesta, huddled on the floor in my room. That had been back when I was still wallowing in depression from Berry’s death.
It felt like ages ago now when Rune had made that vow to me.
Slowly, quietly, I lowered my arm back to my side. When I finally turned my head, I saw Burgh staring at me with suspiciously shiny eyes.
“That’s beautiful,” he told me in a hoarse voice. “It’s a very meaningful tattoo and promise. You have a good partner.”
I wondered if he was thinking about his own starter, but I didn’t ask. I smiled softly.
“I do.”
Time passed. It was only when the sky darkened completely and the sun disappeared from view that we finally put a pin on our long and deep conversation. Kricketune bounded over with a cap bursting to the brim with paper bills and coins alike, and Armaldo and Heracross joined us soon after. They’d all waited patiently for me to finish talking to Burgh. I stood up from my bench and smiled at the man I’d become acquainted with over the last hour and a half.
“I need to head back to my hotel, but it was nice meeting you, Burgh,” I said with all the sincerity I could muster. It had truly been a one-of-a-kind encounter in this city populated by millions.
He offered a smile in return. It was still tinged with sadness, but he looked a little better than he had before we started talking.
“You as well, Kayden. How long are you staying in Castelia for again?”
“I haven’t decided yet. At least a week for sure.”
“I see. Well… I truly enjoyed our chat today. It’s not often I get to speak with a Bug Specialist of your caliber. I’m usually here at Liberty Pier at the same time everyday. Feel free to come and visit again if you’d like to talk more.”
I was more than happy to take him up on that offer. My smile deepened.
“I will.”
I waved goodbye to him and walked away, but I couldn’t help turning back one last time when I was further down the pier. Burgh had gone back to staring at the endless sea.
The sight of his small, hunched figure sitting in the dark left a deeply sad impression on me.
I didn’t sleep right away after showering that night.
Instead, I sat in bed with a pillow propped up behind my back and my phone in front of me. I had about a dozen different Zoogle tabs open as well as social media apps. All of them were related to Burgh and city news.
While the man hadn’t talked any further about his Leavanny, he’d mentioned plenty of other things about his life.
When his Leavanny passed away last month, the Castelia Gym immediately stopped taking reservations. Burgh barely had it in him to wrap up all currently-booked challenges at his gym before he closed it and made the decision to retire. Luckily, the League had been okay with this because Unova had a plethora of Gyms compared to some other countries. Trainers still had plenty of options for places to get badges before the current Circuit ended.
And like I’d already seen for myself today at Adonna Market, Burgh’s decision had garnered mixed reactions.
I found many posts online where people sympathized with him and understood the need to grieve, but… there were others who couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t take a short break instead and come back in the fall for the next League Circuit. Even trainers, those who worked closely with and shared deep bonds with Pokemon, didn’t understand why Burgh had seemingly thrown his career away. He wasn’t much older than me and had his whole life ahead of him.
I wanted to tell all those people that Burgh could do whatever the hell he wanted, whatever he felt was right for him. Only he knew what was the best path forward. A Gym Leader was a pillar of their community and the country at large, but they were also still very much human.
The worst posts were from people who talked shit about Burgh and Bug type Pokemon in general. Most of them were from non-locals thankfully. The people of Castelia had a deeper appreciation for the Bug type than others thanks to Burgh’s leadership and efforts over the years. He’d hosted dozens of art exhibits, charity galas, and the like to spread awareness of Bug type Pokemon.
Still, it was disturbing reading some of the things people said online. There was a good mix of civilian and trainer opinions.
Why would you bother raising one? Bugs are creepy.
They’re so weak in the beginning, and they’ll die early if you don’t take good enough care of them. You’re better off training something else.
Bug Gyms are only good for beginner trainers. Just bring a lot of Fire types and you’ll get your first badge easy peasy.
And so on and so forth.
I couldn’t get past more than a scroll’s worth on Chatter before my blood boiled, so I closed the toxic cesspool known as social media and focused more on news instead.
Right now, the Unova League was going through a list of candidates for the next Castelia Gym Leader. Unova was a bit different compared to places like Kanto-Johto where gyms were traditionally passed down through families. Here, gyms weren’t necessarily family-bound and could be led by anyone capable enough.
It was highly likely that the gym’s type specialization was going to change. There weren’t any other high-level Bug Specialists in the region. Burgh hadn’t trained a potential successor during his tenure, and none of his gym trainers were strong enough to inherit the mantle. Gym Leaders were the most powerful trainers in the country after the Elite Four and the Champion. They had to be because they were considered a core part of national security.
Rumors online seemed to suggest the League was leaning towards calling back an elderly Grass Gym Leader who’d last served thirty-five years ago, or the more likely option, a retired Elite Four member. The League had apparently tried reaching out to two former Ace Trainers first, twin brothers by the name of Ingo and Emmet, but they’d declined. They were satisfied with running something called the Battle Subway in Nimbasa… which was probably added in the last two decades given that I didn’t recognize it.
Regardless of who ended up taking over the gym, I only hoped they would do a good job of running it. I hoped they would honor Burgh’s legacy as well as all those who had come before him. This wish didn’t just come from the camaraderie I’d formed with Burgh tonight but from my perspective as a Castelia native.
I might have been gone twenty years, but I still cared a lot about my birthplace. This was where I’d been born and raised.
My phone was promptly tossed onto the bedside table. I’d had enough of looking at the news tonight. While I tidied up my bed and got ready to sleep, Rune flew over from the other side of the room. His massive body landed on the blankets with a muted oomph.
Thank the Twin Dragons that I’d paid extra money for a nice suite. The bed was big enough to support the Volcarona.
He crawled over to where I’d laid my head down and stared at me. Others might have found it unnerving to be stared at by large compound eyes at close quarters, but I found the blue comforting.
“Rune…” I trailed off, thinking.
I thought again about the man sitting by the docks and the sad and indescribably small back etched into my mind. I hoped Burgh had gone home already and wasn’t staying out there too late at night.
Rune buzzed, prompting me to continue.
I reached out with a hand and patted the white fuzz around his head. As always, he radiated a pleasant warmth.
“I hope you, me, and the team will always be there for each other when we need it,” I finally said in a quiet voice.
I closed my eyes to the sound of Rune buzzing again, this time in a softer tone.
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Always, he promised.
That night, I dreamed about two Leavanny watching over the city from the skies above.
The second morning of our trip was as fun as the first.
I woke up early and took my Pokemon to Eli Park. It was a massive urban park renowned the world over for its 800-something acres of stunning greenery. Nowhere else could you find such a paradise hidden within a sprawling metropolis. Most of our time was spent walking up and down winding trails of trees and hills, but I rented a canoe halfway through to paddle around one of the lakes. We spent three hours there in total. It sounded like a lot, but in reality, we only covered a tiny fraction of what the place had to offer within that timeframe.
I promised to take my Pokemon back to the park a few more times before our vacation ended. That was how much they enjoyed it.
After the park, we explored Unova’s largest museum: the Sanrobert Museum, or the San as it was commonly abbreviated.
We didn’t make much of a dent in that place, either. There were enough exhibits in there that it would take at least a full day to see everything, but we did view a decent part of the permanent collection and some limited-time exhibits.
It was a great morning all things considered.
Then I went into a popular cafe for some coffee and lunch, and I experienced the first little hiccup in my vacation.
Vespiquen and I had taken seats at an outdoor dining table. We were going to bring all the food we’d ordered back to the hotel to enjoy with the team, but we planned on finishing our drinks here first while people-watching.
A game ensued where we tried to guess the occupations of bystanders like we were detectives. Not to brag, but Vespiquen and I were great at this. We were good at analyzing opponents in battle, and that skill translated over to daily life, too.
The two of us were tied 6-6 when someone interrupted.
“Kayden Sterling?”
I set down my coffee and shifted slightly in my seat, one arm hoisting itself over the top rail. A mere two feet away, a young man in his twenties looked at me with an unformed inquiry hanging off his puckered lips.
“That’s my name alright, don’t wear it out,” I drawled back in good humor, though one of my brows rose in confusion. I had no idea who this guy was, but he didn’t seem to have bad intentions. I at least knew he was a trainer. Pokeballs were on full display along his belt.
The young man’s eyes sparkled once I confirmed my identity. He fist pumped the air with much gusto.
“I knew I didn’t see wrong! I saw your IBC match with Preston Karls last year in Galar,” he babbled in an excited voice. He was loud enough that he attracted attention from people calmly eating their meals nearby. “Never thought I’d run into you while visiting my parents. I actually sent you a battle request the other day, the one from Jacky Coleman. You up for a six-on-six? I’d really like to battle an Ability Holder.”
Could he have said that any louder?
All at once, heads swiveled around and looked at me. People kept eating, but they started murmuring in low voices to one another. I’d focus on them later. I had to deal with this guy first.
My identity as an Ability Holder was old news for the part of the trainer community that knew of me. One quick Zoogle or Caterpedia search, and bam, you’d find the info listed online under my trainer profile. It was fairly public knowledge. People could even search for Ability Holders on public registries if they wanted.
Anyway, it seemed this dude was a fellow member of the International Battle Club. A quick trip through my mental archives revealed that yes, I did remember seeing that battle request he mentioned. I’d seen his email the night before our trip to Unova but had disregarded it at the time.
Just like then, I didn’t feel particularly interested in battling. I was starting to think something was seriously wrong with me at this point. Maybe it was just burnout from battling too much lately?
For now, I gave Jacky a polite smile and shake of my head.
“Sorry, I’m on vacation. Maybe another time.”
The guy deflated instantly. I was pretty sure he’d expected me to agree because I was known for never turning down challenges. Still, he gave a polite smile back and left me to finish my drink in peace.
I couldn’t have done that even if I wanted to.
People were still not-so-discreetly looking at me. A few had even taken out their phones to type on them, maybe to look me up on Zoogle. I forced myself to maintain a neutral expression and keep my head up.
Well, here we were. I hadn’t expected to go unnoticed forever, of course, but could you blame a guy for wanting to stay under the radar for as long as possible? I’d told myself I wasn’t going to give two shits if anyone recognized me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.
Ability Holders used to be feared and seen as harbingers of violence and doom. Today, the stigma surrounding them had mostly disappeared in every country around the world. I’d seen it for myself in my travels.
I just didn’t know how they were viewed in Unova nowadays, the land where they had the most notorious history of all.
I brought my cup of coffee back up to my lips, but I didn’t truly savor the drink. My eyes darted around the surrounding area instead.
I don’t know what I was more surprised by: the overall lack of open hostility or the curious looks being cast my way. I mean, yeah, there were two older men in the corner giving me distrustful glares, but the rest of the cafe’s patrons simply looked curious. One college student even looked excited.
Weird. Very weird.
Maybe it was a bit dramatic, but I thought I’d be paraded through the streets and handed off to the authorities to be burned at the stake. Anything but this relatively calm reception.
The Unova League had somehow done it. They’d actually managed to change the general perception of Ability Holders in this day and age. How exactly they’d done that, I didn’t actually know. I was starting to regret not catching up on Unova news over the years—
“Kayden Sterling?”
Deja vu.
I turned in my seat again and squinted briefly at the person who’d spoken. It was a guy closer to my age this time. There were only two Pokeballs on his belt, so he wasn’t much of a trainer it seemed. Definitely not from the IBC. The most interesting thing was that he stared at me like he’d just seen a Legendary.
“That’s what that guy said earlier, right?” he went on, and he took a step closer. Vespiquen eyed him suspiciously. “I… wow. You look so different. Do you remember me? Hayden?”
I stared at him blankly. Hayden wasn’t exactly an uncommon name, but I did my best to sift through the names of people I’d met recently. My memory was superb, I just needed a few moments—
But no, the stranger helpfully expedited the process for me.
“Jones. Hayden Jones,” he tacked on hurriedly. “From Riverview Elementary School. We were classmates in first grade.”
Oh.
I snapped my fingers. He was from way, way back and not a recent acquaintance. Now I remembered him.
“The guy who used to pick on me,” I said with a sage nod of my head. That got two reactions: a cringe from Hayden and a displeased hiss from Vespiquen.
“Yeah, I’m really sorry about that—”
“Nah, it’s fine. I never cared too much in the first place. That was years ago. We were kids,” I cut him off, slicing a hand through the air for emphasis. “Water under the bridge.”
I meant it. Hayden’s presence in my childhood had been so insignificant that I’d honestly forgotten all about him after I got older. He still smiled awkwardly in spite of my forgiveness. His eyes darted to the empty seats at our table.
“Uh… would it be okay if I took up some of your time actually? For a quick chat?” he asked.
Vespiquen gave me a look like she really didn’t want the guy to join us, but I gave her a be nice look in return. She acquiesced with a grumpy flutter of her wings.
“Sure,” I easily accepted, shrugging. I still had to finish my coffee anyway.
Hayden looked cautiously at Vespiquen. To my amusement, he skirted around her and quietly took a seat on my other side. He seemed to be on some sort of lunch break if the ID hanging from a lanyard on his neck was anything to go by, not to mention the paper bag he set down on the table. I smelled something good coming from it… a freshly-toasted bagel.
It was then that Hayden noticed me staring at his work ID, and he chuckled.
“Yeah, I’m on a lunch break right now,” he said, confirming my earlier hunch. A proud smile decorated his face as he held the lanyard out to me. There was a logo I’d never seen before on there as well as his picture and name. “I’m a senior officer at Unova Liberty Center. It’s an organization that helps advocate for trainer and Pokemon rights.”
Both my brows shot up in surprise.
“Wow,” was all I had to say. I would have never pegged him as the type to pursue such meaningful work.
“I know what you’re thinking: it doesn’t suit the childhood image you have of me,” he chuckled. “When I was a kid, I thought I’d grow up to be a famous trainer or maybe a businessman like my dad. Funny how things work out, but I love what I do now. Actually…”
He paused to look at me. The previous cheer on his face melted into a nervous expression.
“It’s kind of related to what I wanted to talk to you about.”
My brows were still raised high.
“Alright. Shoot.”
Hayden leaned forward, voice dropping several octaves.
“The Relic Castle field trip we took in first grade,” he muttered. “You remember that, right?”
“Definitely, we fell down there. Of course I’d remember. What about it?”
“…I know what you did for me and the others.”
“What?”
I stared at him with a neutral expression, careful to not let anything show on my face. Hayden stared right back.
“I woke up briefly while we were trapped down there. It was when, uh, you summoned those Dwebble and Crustle and… talked to them? I think? I didn’t really understand at the time, but that’s how I interpreted it over the years,” he whispered. “I blacked out again before we got out, but I’ve never forgotten.”
He looked me dead in the eye. Then, slowly, he bowed his head.
“It’s… years late, but I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for saving me and the others.”
I didn’t say anything at first. I thought about denying it, but there was really no point. When Hayden raised his head, that’s when I finally opened my mouth.
“I didn’t do it to be thanked, but I appreciate it.”
Hayden smiled in relief. Perhaps he’d expected me to argue with him.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone about what I saw. Even the League doesn’t know. They thought I was unconscious the whole time,” he assured me, chuckling. He fiddled with his lanyard. “I wanted to thank you back then, but they told us at school that you’d moved away. It was only when I was older that I kinda figured out you’d probably gotten kicked out by the government instead.”
He was smarter than I gave him credit for.
“Anyway, you’re the reason why I joined the Unova Liberty Center as a teenager,” he continued.
I actually gaped a little at him before snapping my mouth shut.
“Me?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “You inspired me to do good and make Unova a better place. We didn’t do right by Ability Holders back then. At ULC, our biggest goal is improving the treatment of Ability Holders here. We’ve spent years fighting with the government to make our voices heard. I’d like to think we were actually a big part of why new laws were passed awhile back, but maybe that’s me getting a big head.”
I sat there in stunned silence for a few moments.
Hayden had made it his life’s work to fight for the rights of Ability Holders. The idea that my actions back then had influenced another person’s way of life and even their career was… incredibly touching.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” I said honestly. “Wait no, I do. You’re incredible. Unova needs more people like you.”
Hayden rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“No, no,” he denied, utterly flustered. “You’re the incredible one between the two of us. I actually heard about you on the news years back. It was when you beat, uh… who was it again… right, Champion Leon from Galar. And some Champion of an up-and-coming region down south, I think? I was kinda confused because they reported you as a trainer from Alola, so I thought maybe I was thinking of the wrong guy.”
I remembered. That had been during my teenage years before I got tired of slow-paced League Circuits and joined the professional trainer scene instead.
“No, that was me,” I confirmed after a sip of coffee. “I have dual citizenship. I always told reporters Alola instead of Unova because I didn’t want them poking around in my history. That and… I didn’t exactly have good feelings about the Unova League. Didn’t want to be associated with them after they kicked me out.”
I went ahead and confirmed the reason for my untimely departure from Unova. I didn’t really see a point in keeping it a secret since he’d kinda guessed it on his own already.
“Oh,” came Hayden’s awkward single-word reply. I calmly sipped more of my coffee while he stared at me. The silence was only broken after he cleared his throat. “That’s valid, but uh… Shouldn’t you be more mad at the civilian side of the government then? Or the previous Champion’s administration?”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
He stared back at me with a puzzled look.
“Because… they’re the ones who pressured Alder and the League and pushed so hard for Ability Holder restrictions in the first place?”
I kept staring at him, this time as if he’d grown a second head. He mirrored my expression.
“Did you… did you not know?” he asked almost helplessly. “Are you at least aware of current news?”
“No to both of those,” I admitted after a moment of silence. “Did my best to stay away from Unova anything over the years. This is actually my first time back in the country in two decades.”
“Oh,” Hayden said again with wide eyes. “Oh wow. Okay, um, you’ve missed a lot then.”
I set down my coffee, eyes narrowing as I leaned in. My curiosity was piqued.
“What have I missed? And what did you mean about the civilian government pressuring Alder?”
Hayden raised an arm to look at his watch.
“I’ve got some time, so I don’t mind giving you a rundown on how Unova’s political landscape has shifted over the years— uh, do you mind if I eat in between?” he asked.
The moment I shook my head, he reached for the paper bag in front of him and tore it open. An appetizing bagel was slowly revealed.
“Before I get into anything, would you be willing to share what brought you back after so long? I’m sensing there’s a story behind it.”
“Well… I first got a letter five years ago from the Unova League. They said they passed new legislation that helped Ability Holders…”
When I finished my rough explanation, Hayden looked to be in deep thought. He was already a third of the way done with his food.
“Alright, I think I get the picture. Just to clarify, it seems you don’t actually know a lot about how the Unovan government works then?” he asked. It wasn’t in a condescending way. He was just probing to see how much he needed to cover.
It was a bit painful to admit, but I nodded my head. Anything I knew was broad, vague knowledge of the overall government structure I learned as a kid.
And like most kids, I wasn’t interested in learning about politics at the time.
“We’ll circle back to that letter you got later. First, let’s start further back than twenty years ago,” Hayden began. He held his bagel with one hand and chucked the ripped up bag it came from into a nearby trash can. “So we both know Unova has a crazy high percentage of Ability Holders compared to other regions. They’ve been feared throughout the ages here. The previous Champion before Alder, Ruben Corbel, didn’t try to make things better. He made things worse.”
“How?” I nearly demanded.
Hayden took a chunk out of his bagel before answering, but he made sure to chew and swallow first.
“There’s a reason Ruben’s one of the least popular Champions in our history,” he warned. “He was buddy-buddy with a lot of the civilian executive officials and made tons of shady deals with them. ‘You scratch my back, and I scratch yours’ kind of thing. If there were laws they wanted passed, they helped each other out. Something they both happened to agree on was the danger Ability Holders presented. Civilians have always been the ones most scared of ‘em, but Ruben took a hardline stance, too, and condemned them further during his tenure. Public perception got even more twisted.”
I nodded, waiting for Hayden to eat a bit more of his bagel before he could continue.
“Obviously, Ruben’s not around anymore. Alder defeated him and ascended as Champion, but he faced a huge problem right after taking up office. He didn’t have any allies. Practically all of the League and civilian side of the government were supporters of Ruben who held similar beliefs as the former Champion. Alder was even stuck with Ruben’s Elite Four. Even if he wanted to get stuff done, he didn’t have the people to back him up.”
Hayden wagged a finger through the air.
“Unova: the country that espouses freedom and democracy,” he said in a grave tone. “Compared to some other regions in the world, we have a more balanced system of power here. The Champion’s word isn’t absolute law. They can’t just do whatever they want. In most cases, they need approval. They might hold a lot of power, but they also share that power with the League and government. The Twin Heroes believed in a society where civilians, trainers, and Pokemon worked together to live in peace.”
“Right.”
“Back to Alder. He actually faced a bit of flak in his early reign because he wanted to improve the rights of Ability Holders. He championed equality for everyone. To no one’s surprise, the civilian side of the government hated him. They had enough support to block every single law he tried to pass that would help Ability Holders… and this struggle went on… and on… and on over the years.”
My throat suddenly felt dry. Alder had been a lone man fighting for what he believed in amidst a sea of enemies.
“Thankfully, by the time you and I were in first grade, Alder wasn’t quite alone anymore. It took years, but he gradually got himself more supporters in the League and the government. Even half of the old Elite Four had been beaten out and replaced by more progressive, like-minded trainers by then. Alder was able to get more things done.”
“But not anything that would help Ability Holders,” I guessed out loud.
Hayden sighed, nodding.
“But not that,” he agreed. “The civilian side of the government fought back the hardest in that area. They were already fearful of strong trainers and their Pokemon. People with supernatural abilities? That scared them even more. There were so many cases back then of them voting to straight up exile Ability Holders. Alder and his supporters always tried to stop them, of course, but they had to fold to the majority. I’m sorry for bringing up what’s possibly an old wound for you, but that’s probably what happened to you, too. They outvoted Alder and his people.”
My mind drifted momentarily to those childhood memories where I sat in a room at League HQ with my family, Alder, the Elite Four, and a bunch of civilian officials.
With startling clarity, I remembered a lot of things I’d never thought too deeply about in the past. The way only half of the Elite Four had been outright hostile to me during interrogation, the way Alder and the other two members tried to be nicer about it…
Most of all, I remembered how uncomfortable Alder had looked multiple times throughout the conversation that followed, the one where he had to tell us the verdict the government had decided on. I thought about the specific word choices he’d used and even the private chat he had with me after.
I’m sorry.
There’s not much else I can do.
This was the best I could negotiate with our government.
It really does suck having this job sometimes. I have to do things I don’t like.
All of that and more flashed through my mind in the span of a single second.
It was sobering how different the conversation seemed to be now that I was re-framing it with a different perspective, context, and newfound knowledge in mind. I’d been too blinded by anger at the time to think about the deeper reasons for how and why. Kid me had only cared about the what. I’d perceived everyone in that room as belonging to a single bad entity, one that was wrongfully kicking me out.
The government and part of the Unova League might have wanted me gone, but Alder and those who sided with him hadn’t. Thanks to Hayden, I now realized they just didn’t have the political power at the time to stop it.
A lump formed in my throat. I forced myself to swallow it and looked Hayden in the eye.
“…Go on,” I finally said.
Hayden studied me first as if to make sure I was okay. When he was satisfied, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“I think it was about six months after the Relic Castle incident. Alder came out swinging with drafts for a bunch of new laws aimed at protecting Ability Holders. It was a big deal at the time because he’d never been so adamant about getting laws passed before. After that, he started racing with the civilian side of the government to get the numbers advantage. Hell, some politicians got nervous enough that they even endorsed veteran trainers to try and knock Alder out of his seat. Didn’t matter. He sent them packing. Human rights groups like the one I belong to also started becoming more active at this time. While we protested on behalf of Ability Holders, Alder and those on his side at the League actively ran campaigns to spread awareness of Ability Holders and reinforce the idea that they should be treated like equals.”
Here, Hayden’s grim countenance actually turned into a smiling one.
“Things got easier for Alder after the last two Elite Four members who’d been a part of Ruben’s reign were defeated and replaced. He went on to personally seek out and select people who’d be good fits for Gym Leaders as the old and conservative generation slowly retired. It took over ten years, but Alder finally filled his side with enough people. They weren’t the minority any longer but the majority.”
His bagel was gone now. Hayden leaned back in his seat with a full-on grin at this point.
“The first law he came out with was one that allowed Ability Holders to take up positions within the government and League, something that was never allowed before. Then five years ago, Alder passed an even more monumental piece of legislation known as the Ability Holder Civil Rights Act. Basically, it protects Ability Holders from discrimination and enhances the capacity of the Unova League to protect them.”
“The letters I got—”
“Yep, that’s the legislation they mentioned. The Unova League gave out pardons to anyone wrongfully condemned in the past. All those people weren’t exactly happy, of course, but the League tried its best to make up for past wrongs. They even started new programs that assisted Ability Holders with housing, finding jobs, all that jazz. And to top things off, they’ve been actively hiring Ability Holders to show their willingness to work together. There are two whole squads of Rangers and League Trainers comprised entirely of Ability Holders. We even have an Ability Holder who’s a Gym Leader—”
“Seriously?” I interrupted, genuinely surprised.
Hayden nodded vigorously.
“Oh yeah, that was a whole big deal of its own at the time. The civilian government threw a fit over it. Iris Shaga — she’s the adoptive granddaughter of Drayden Shaga — is this seventeen-year-old girl who can talk to Dragons. Crazy strong to the point where she won the Conference on her first try and even beat up one of the Elite Four. She’s been the co-Gym Leader of Opelucid City for two years now.”
I whistled out loud. That was a talented teenager right there. I almost felt my spark for battling come back, but it fizzled out in seconds.
“Anyway, to sum things up, things are much better in Unova nowadays for Ability Holders. Public opinion is never going to be fully united, but there’s a decent amount of respect out there for them. Most of it is thanks to those who work for the League and have helped maintain the region’s safety over the years. ‘Course, we had some hiccups like Ability Holders going rogue and committing criminal acts, but overall, things are on the rise. It’s a good time to be back in Unova, Kayden.”
Hayden finally finished everything he had to say and beamed at me. His face fell when he realized I wasn’t smiling.
“Y-You okay? I thought you’d be happy knowing how things have changed,” he stammered. “Or did you not understand some things? I could explain again if you’d like—”
“No,” I quietly cut in with a shake of my head. “No, I understood. Thanks for explaining it all. I’m just… a bit shocked I guess, and ashamed I didn’t bother looking into anything on my own over the last two decades. I was so busy being angry, I—”
I halted mid-sentence, breathing harshly.
Arceus. I felt a bit like a fool.
I’d spent years resenting the Unova League and government with no idea of the power struggle going on behind the scenes. I’d even misplaced my anger onto the wrong people.
I…
“Don’t be ashamed, Kayden,” Hayden said softly, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked up to find him looking at me with sympathy. “You were angry. They kicked you out of your home. I’d think anyone else in your shoes would probably react the same.”
“…”
I breathed in and out for a few moments. My mind was still swirling with thoughts — so, so many thoughts — but I couldn’t unravel everything here in public.
“…Thanks,” I finally said once I was ready to talk again. I hoped I didn’t sound too sullen.
Hayden smiled awkwardly in response.
“A-Anyway, the ULC still has a lot of work ahead of us. Just because Alder has more influence now doesn’t mean that the civilian side of the government is sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They’re trying to snatch back power and undo all the recent legislation about Ability Holders. We’re going to keep advocating for Ability Holder rights and encourage people to vote for the right officials…”
I could tell he was trying to come up with stuff to fill the now awkward atmosphere with, so I thought I’d help him out even though I kind of wasn’t in the mood to talk anymore.
“How big is the Unova Liberty Center?”
“Oh! We’re the second biggest human rights organization in Unova. Our HQ is here in Castelia, but we’ve got branches all over the country. Our biggest nuisance right now is a growing rights organization called Plasma United. They’re all about Pokemon rights, but it’s honestly becoming more and more like a cult than anything else. Nutjobs, I tell you…”
I talked aimlessly with Hayden a bit longer— well, it was more him talking and me listening. He had to leave eventually because his lunch break was about to end. Apparently he was flying out to Mistraltron City the next day to help with a week-long fundraiser, so we probably weren’t going to see each other again before I left Unova.
Before we parted, he made me promise to contact him or the ULC if I was ever in need of help. I waved goodbye to him with a faint smile on my face. I wasn’t the only one who’d changed a lot in two decades. Others had, too.
As for the rest of the day… well, it passed by in one big blur.
I meant it almost literally. I couldn’t remember a lot of what happened, only the motions I went through with my Pokemon. I couldn’t even pay full attention to the expensive musical we watched in the Theater District, the one I’d rented out a private viewing room for.
The whole day, my mind kept replaying childhood memories and my educational conversation with Hayden.
Despite how out of it I was, or perhaps because of it, I dutifully made my way to Liberty Pier in the evening. I desperately needed another human being to talk to.
Burgh was there like he said he’d be.
- Rune / Volcarona / M
- Flygon / M
- Golisopod / M
- Kricketune / M
- Frosmoth / F
- Centiskorch / M
- Beedrill / M
- Scizor / M
- Heracross / M
- Araquanid / F
- Ribombee / F
- Vespiquen / F
- Scolipede / M
- Galvantula / F
- Yanmega / M
- Armaldo / M