The New Normal - 17-3

The New Normal – 17-3 – Plans

A few days later, which I had been busy running around making preparations and fulfilling my promises to my friends from Cerulean, I received a very interesting call from Will.

“John, I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time, but would it be possible if you could come to the Goldenrod Gym sometime soon?” He said, “I have a proposal for you.”

“What kind of proposal?” I asked.

“A political one – but also one that involves your sister.” He said, which definitely caught my attention, “Actually, try to bring her along as well, if she can make the time for it. This whole thing involves her, and I think she’d want to be there to discuss things too.”

So that was what I did. I called up Whitney, who I had just recently told that I was going to be leaving for Sinnoh. Surprisingly, when I did, she wasn’t all that torn up about it. Not because she didn’t care, but because our relationship had changed.

No longer did she need her big brother to look over her shoulder anymore. She was more than capable of being independent now, and she already had her own life to live – with her own set of friends and her own personal goals. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t want me around; it was just that things were different now. She obviously still cared a lot, and she definitely made that known, but she understood that our lives would go our separate ways. That’s just how things would be.

I couldn’t deny that I got a bit emotional when I heard that. To think that my little sister, who I still saw as the same little girl that cried whenever she had to separate from either me or our parents, could now say something like that – it really showed how much she had grown and matured over the past few years.

And I was very proud of her.

Nevertheless, one phone call later, with me emphasising the importance of the meeting, and Whitney was temporarily freed from her duties as a Gym Trainer at the Fuschia Gym. We met up right outside the Goldenrod Gym before heading in together.

We were quickly escorted into Will’s office, where the man himself greeted us both with a wide smile.

“Hello to you both! Thanks for coming here so quickly.” He said, “I’m sorry from pulling you away when you’re both so busy, but I thought that this was a conversation that was best to be had in person.”

“That’s fine.” I replied, “So – what’d you call us for?”

“Like I said, I have a proposal for you both. But first, let me explain that I will be accepting the offer from Lance to replace you in the Elite Four, John.” He revealed, “I’ll be informing Lance of this right after this.”

“Congratulations!” My sister cheered, “You did great before! I’m sure you’ll do great this time too!” I nodded along in support.

“Thank you, and I do hope so as well.” Will smiled, “Of course, me taking up your old position means that my current position as Gym Leader of Goldenrod will be empty. As is my right, I have already selected a successor.”

He gestured to a man on the right, who so far had been standing there silently, “This is Hayden. Currently, he’s serving as the Head Gym Trainer here. But I’m having him replace me. Yet this means that I’m also going to need someone to replace him in turn, and that’s where you come in.”

He turned to my sister, “Whitney – I want you to take up the position as Head Gym Trainer of the Goldenrod Gym.”

My sister’s eyes opened wide with surprise, but I spoke up first with a question of my own, “That’s quite the offer. Although, why would you appoint a newcomer like Whitney? Wouldn’t you want to appoint someone already serving in your own Gym? That would be the more ‘common’ choice, wouldn’t it?”

Will nodded, “Yes, I thought you would ask that. Appointing an existing Gym Trainer would be a safe and sensible option. However, I’m thinking more about the political aspects of such an appointment. Or to put it another way, I want to capitalise on the political impact that your departure is going to have in Indigo.”

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“John – I don’t think it’s an exaggeration for me to say that you are probably one of the most influential people in modern politics. The things that you have accomplished while as an Elite Four is truly staggering.” He exclaimed, “And now, I’m going to be trying to step into your massive shoes as your replacement. This is going to be the BIGGEST passing of the torch moment since Champion Oak stepped down in favour of Pryce all that time ago. All of Indigo is going to be sad about your departure, and I fully intend on capitalising on that.”

“Therefore, if I were to appoint Whitney as Head Gym Trainer here at Goldenrod, this is going to be a massive political win for my city and the Gym.” He explained, “It’ll be more than enough to overturn any of the political influence that the city would have lost from my departure as its Gym Leader. Not only that, but I’ve already done my research on Whitney. I know you’ve had plenty of experience working in a Psychic Gym already, despite being a Normal Type specialist yourself. And I’ve also spoken with Samson, who had nothing but praise for your work ethic. So I know you have what it takes to be a Head Gym Trainer.”

“…Sabie didn’t tell me anything about that.” My sister muttered quietly to herself.

“Will there be an opportunity for her to eventually promote herself to a Gym Leader?” I asked on her behalf. I stared at Hayden, “No offense intended, but are you looking to be staying as a Gym Leader for the long-term?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Hayden replied, “I’m obviously very honoured to be taking up the position from Will, but this was all decided very last minute. No one really expected for you to be suddenly leaving, Elite John, nor did we expect for Will to be considered as a potential replacement, so none of us expected for such radical changes needing to be made for the Gym. I will admit that I don’t have the personal charisma that most other Gym Leaders have – nor is being such a public face really something that suits me all that much, but I will do all that I can to ensure that I will not fail Will as his replacement.”

“However, at the end of the day, my service is to the city of Goldenrod. So if I feel that there is a better candidate for the position of Gym Leader, then I may step aside for the betterment of Goldenrod City.” He finished.

“He’s not giving himself enough credit.” Will chimed in, “Hayden has been my second for a reason. Ever since I took up the position, he has been highly competent in both administration and as a battler. The Gym Trainers all trust him, and he was basically the one running the Gym before I was offered the position. He’ll serve well as a Gym Leader, I trust that.”

I nodded, though I didn’t miss the hidden implications in Hayden’s final statement, and by the looks of it, nor did my sister. I turned towards her, “Well, what do you think? This is all you. Are you happy with this?”

“…I need to speak to Janine first.” She said, “But… I can’t deny that I’m interested. Even though I’m happy being a Gym Trainer for both Sabrina and Janine for now – I don’t want that to be my life forever. Maybe this is greedy of me, but I don’t want to be second to them. I want to be their equal.”

I pulled her into a one-armed hug, “That’s not greedy at all. That’s just being ambitious. It’s very normal. Why do you think I’m doing all this just to be with Cynthia? If being with her was my only priority, then I would have dropped everything and moved over straight away. But I wanted to keep my position – to stay as her equal. That’s why we went through all of this political struggle.”

“Indeed!” Will smiled, “Having such goals for yourself is a good thing. And being a Gym Leader next to your friends is definitely a worthwhile goal!”

Whitney smiled, “I guess so. I know this is a really incredible opportunity for me. However, I don’t feel like I’ve truly earned it. It feels like something I’ve only achieved because of my brother’s success.”

I frowned when I heard that. I didn’t realise that my shadow extended out that long. I failed to realise that she was still affected by it.

But Will shook his head, “I wouldn’t think that way. Not because you’re wrong, but because of the unfortunate reality that you will never be able to escape your brother’s shadow. I’m not saying this to ridicule you – it is just what reality is. Yet it is not your brother’s influence alone that caused me to offer you this position. If you hadn’t earned all those achievements yourself, which proved to me that you were a suitable candidate to be considered, then I would have never picked you – no matter how politically beneficial it would be for me to do so. I will not sacrifice the quality and reputation of this Gym, which I’ve spent so long building up, with an unsuitable political appointment. The Gym Trainers would riot if I did so.”

“Therefore, while it is true that your brother may have initially opened up this opportunity, it was your own personal skills and achievements that have allowed you to earn it.” Will reassured her.

“…In that case, then I won’t say no to it.” My sister replied, standing up and falling into a deep bow that was directed towards both Will and Hayden, “Thank you for the opportunity. I will make sure that I won’t disappoint you both.”

“Excellent!” Will cheered, “Just let me know when you’re ready to make the move – assuming that your friends don’t have any problem there. Ideally, we should have you ready to join the Goldenrod Gym on the same day that John announces that he’s going to be stepping down from the Elite Four. Just let me know if you need me to talk to anyone to help ease this process, and I’ll speak up on your behalf.”

Then he turned towards me, “And John, I’ll be telling this to Lance later, but you and I should have a proper ceremony to celebrate your departure from Indigo, as well as my own ascension.” He chuckled, “After all, such a grand event should have the proper amount of gravitas attached to it, no?”

I smiled, “I’m sure Lance will arrange something like that. Don’t worry, you’ll have your time in the spotlight. I know how much you miss it.”

He harrumphed, intentionally playing up his haughtiness, “It is not me that misses the spotlight, but the spotlight that misses me. Do not get it the wrong way round.”

Then he dropped the act, “Now, Whitney, before you head off, I’ll be passing you some information packets about what you could do to prepare for your transfer…”

==================

Naturally, I was very happy with Will’s offer. I knew how big of an opportunity this was for her to progress her career, and if she played her cards right, then this might be how she takes up her canon position in the future. She definitely had a very real opportunity to become promoted to be the Gym Leader of Goldenrod.

Yet, as I found out later that night while on a call with Cynthia, Whitney’s new opportunity wasn’t the only thing that I had to look forward to.

She had informed me that the Sinnoh Committee had finalised the expected duties and powers of the new position, which they were dubbing the ‘Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh’. Or just ‘Protector’, for short.

I honestly thought that the title was a little too grand, but Cynthia assured me that considering this was the person in charge with interacting with the Legendary Titan, having such a prestigious title was necessary. In this, the entirety of the Committee unanimously agreed.

Moving on, the powers of the new position had also been decided. At first, there were many in the Committee that didn’t want the new position to award any kind of political power to the wearer, as it meant diluting their own powers. However, in a society that so heavily worshipped strength, others pointed out that it would be very strange to entrust the power of a Legendary to a person while also denying them any sort of political influence.

Therefore, it was decided that the position would come with a spot on the Committee, and they would wield voting power equal to that of an Elite Four.

Then there was the scope of the role. There was a lot more discussion revolving around this one, but in the end, the following was decided. Firstly, despite the word ‘Guardian’ in the title, it was decided that it was realistically extremely impractical to actually have the person be guarding Regigigas 24/7. Instead, a new elite organisation called the ‘Keepers of the Titan’ would be created, with the Protector-Guardian serving as its leader, that are comprised of experienced Jennys and/or International Police members. They would be the main guards for the Legendary Titan.

Therefore, the purpose of the Protector-Guardian was to serve as Sinnoh’s (and the Regional Union’s) last resort measure. They were the trump card that would command and serve alongside Regigigas to deal with a threat that would otherwise be too much for the League to deal with otherwise. Apparently, my actions with Regigigas against Cyrus was used as an example of that.

In that respect, only the Champion could give authorisation for the Protector-Guardian to take action. Regigigas was forbidden to be awaken without the Champion’s consent, except in certain extraordinary cases like the incapacitation of said Champion.

I was very happy when I heard this. Mostly because the new role pretty much felt identical to my current duties in the Elite Four, though I was obviously not going to be sent as a foreign representative as much as I did before, since I had to be on-hand to awaken Regigigas if needed.

Lastly, was the matter of succession, and how the new role would be passed down. Unlike the position of Champion or Elite Four, the fact that you needed to be acknowledged by Regigigas prevented the role from being decided purely based on strength alone. As a result, a compromise was made so that the successor of the Protector-Guardian would be chosen by the former Protector, just like a Gym Leader had the right to do.

To appease the Committee, the Protector couldn’t just choose from anybody. Instead, their successor had to be at least a Gym Leader or an Elite Four, given that those were already trusted to take on leadership positions. However, it was also stated that a person couldn’t hold both the title of Protector and Gym Leader/Elite Four together, so they would have to step down in order to accept the title.

Strangely, such limitations did not apply to the Champion, so you could become both Champion AND Protector at the same time.

Amusingly, once the powers and scope of the new position had been confirmed, there were a few overly ambitious Committee members that instantly wanted to nominate themselves for the position, even though they lacked any of the necessary qualifications.

Instead, they ‘requested’ to see Regigigas in person, somehow believing that they would be able to obtain the Legendary Titan’s approval if they could just meet it in person. They argued that if I could do it, then there was no reason why they couldn’t as well.

Obviously, their insane attempts were all shut down.

Overall, Cynthia seemed very pleased when she recounted all of this to me, and so was I. Given that this was going to be my position in the future, I was satisfied with the scope and powers of my new position. It allowed me to maintain most of my political power, just as I hoped, while also not burdening me with too many responsibilities to deny me any sort of freedom of action.

In my eyes, it was a good balance.

Thus, with that decided, it was just a matter of getting me appointed for the position. Cynthia told me that she had already obtained the support of the other Elite Four members, and starting from the next Committee meeting, which was going to be hosted in a few days’ time, was going to try to get the Committee to support my appointment as well.

From what she had already analysed, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to push through my appointment. Most importantly, I was the person who awakened Regigigas in the first place, and also fought alongside it. Moreover, there were plenty of trustworthy and credible witnesses that could attest to the bond that I shared with Regigigas, proving that I had its approval. And with my sterling reputation for both diplomacy and strength that I had worked hard to maintain, it meant that I was easily the forerunner candidate.

In fact, I didn’t even know if there were realistically any other candidates in contention. The Protector had to be chosen from Gym Leaders and/or the Elite Four, but Cynthia didn’t think that anyone was aiming for the new role either. Cynthia believed that this was because most of them should have recognised that the role was tailor-made for me, and they didn’t want to interfere with that and suffer for it.

Ultimately, that meant that I had a few weeks at most to wrap up everything I had left to do in Indigo. Furthermore, as soon as she informed the rest of the Committee of her intentions to appoint me, it would immediately confirm the rumours that had already been circulating around the world – that I was stepping down from the Elite Four.

I wondered how the public would react when that happened.

Luckily, with Will already confirmed as my replacement, there wasn’t really much else for me to do. And, even after I moved, it wasn’t like I couldn’t catch up on matters while I was in Sinnoh. I would maintain the connections that I had here too.

However, there was actually one other thing I had to do. One more thing that I really couldn’t put off for any longer.

For all this time, I had known that while my relationship with Cynthia remained long-distance, we could never be anything more than a girlfriend-boyfriend. However, now that I was moving over to Sinnoh and we would actually be living together, it was time to take things a step further.

I had wasted enough time. And now, I wanted, no, needed to propose to her – to formally tie myself to her. Because to leave our relationship as merely being a boyfriend-girlfriend was to do her a disservice. For I could not see myself spending my life with any other person, and it was time to show her that as well.

To show her that we were partners, until death do us part.

Therefore, I needed a ring, because I definitely wasn’t going to half-ass this. The thing was, I didn’t know a thing about wedding rings, and I felt like just going for the expensive option was going to be a complete cop-out. Besides, expensive didn’t even necessarily mean good, and given that this was a gift you could only give once, I wanted to make sure that I put in the effort necessary to make it a lifelong memory for my partner.

So despite some initial reluctance, I ended up pushing through the rising embarrassment as I made a group chat consisting of a few people that I trusted not only to help me with sourcing a ring, but to also keep it a secret from Cynthia.

These were my mother, Karen, and Elesa.

The former two were because they were the two other women in my life that I trusted the most, and Elesa because I trusted her and because she was a fashionista, so she obviously knew her stuff.

…And the moment I made the group chat and introduced the topic to them, my phone was instantly bombarded with messages and pictures about many, many different kinds of wedding rings.

Maybe this was a mistake.

A.N. Yes, John is finally going to be proposing to Cynthia. I know this is not an aspect of romance that’s shown too often in fanfiction, but I felt that not having this moment would be like John wasn’t as invested into the relationship as he should be. I’ve shown his commitment and his love for her, so I felt to skip over this would be out of character for him. Therefore, with John now permanently living with Cynthia in the foreseeable future, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t propose to her, given how much he cares for her.

Also, I don’t see the need to be coy, so yes, I am setting up the foundation for Whitney’s eventual ascension. I hope that the rationale from Will makes sense and was reasonable! Hope you enjoyed!