The New Normal - 15-10 - Interlude - Drake

The New Normal – 15-10 – Interlude – Drake

He threw open the door to Wallace’s office, not even bothering to knock. Wallace had tried to tell him off at first, but now he was just resigned to it.

“Oh? Didn’t think I’d get a visit from you today, Drake.” Wallace said, looking up from the small pile of paperwork that had stacked up on his desk, “How can I help you?”

“Firstly, why the fuck are you still bothering with the paperwork when you’ve already got someone challenging you for your position?” He had to ask, “Surely you have better things to do with your time. That paperwork can wait till later.”

“Alas, the duties of a Champion does not end just because he has received a challenge.” Wallace replied, “This is simply one of the many burdens of my position.”

“Well you can tell those burdens to fuck right off.” He growled, “If it were me I’d just put all that paper to the torch and forget about it till later.”

“…Let’s just agree to disagree on that one.” Wallace said diplomatically, “But I assume that wasn’t your main question.”

“Ah, right.” He sat himself down opposite of Wallace, “I just realised that I never asked you about what you’re going to do if you do lose your battle against Steven.”

“Oh? So eager to get rid of me?” Wallace teased.

He sighed, “You know it’s not like that. I might be a foul-mouthed bastard, but you know I respect you right? Hoenn couldn’t have asked for a better Champion. If it weren’t for you, they might have forced me to take up the position solely because of my strength. And Arceus knows what kind of a fucking disaster that would have been.”

He was self-aware enough to know that he would have been a horrible Champion. Even Pryce, who pretty much everyone thought was a prick with a log shoved up his ass in his later years, would still have been better than he would ever be as a Champion. Politics just wasn’t his thing.

“Thank you for the compliment, Drake.” Wallace smiled, “And I think you would have a done a better job that you give yourself credit for. You would have made for a fine Champion.” Not fucking likely.

“But to answer your question, I think I’d appreciate the opportunity to step away from all the major politics for the time being.” Wallace explained, “As much as I do enjoy being in the spotlight and my time as a Champion, the weight of my position can get quite heavy every once in a while. I’d like to get away from that.”

“So you have nothing else lined up or planned?” He asked.

“Well… I do have something. But it’s not confirmed yet.” Wallace replied vaguely, “I’ll be sure to let you know once it is confirmed.”

Then Wallace chuckled, “But why are we talking like my loss has already been confirmed? Don’t you trust your Champion to fend off his first challenger in years? Or perhaps one of you Elite Four will stop him before he even gets to me.”

Drake snorted, “If anyone’s going to stop him, it’ll be me. No offense to the others, but I’ve seen what Steven’s capable of. Unless they pull off something miraculous, Steven’s got their number.”

“You should have more faith in your colleagues than that.” Wallace chided.

“And I do. You know I respect them heavily.” Drake said firmly, to which Wallace nodded at, “I’m just being realistic about their chances. Steven’s not one of those delusional challengers that thinks he’s hot shit just because he won the Hoenn Conference – he’s here to win. He might be a rich fuck, but he’s a rich fuck that’s actually smart about it. The man has a strong fucking team. Though I’m sure you know that already, since you’re friends with him and all.”

Wallace smiled, “I am. And actually, that brings me to something that I wanted to speak with you about too.”

He leaned forwards, “Drake, if I do end up losing and Steven becomes Champion in my place, I hope that you will continue to support him as much as you do with me. I know what Steven’s like – he’s equally as manipulative as he is charming and intelligent – and I suspect that some aspects of his personality might rub you the wrong way.”

“However, as his friend, I can wholeheartedly say this – I believe Steven will be a great Champion for Hoenn.” Wallace stated confidently, “He is a man with greater ambitions than I could ever have, and behind all of his intelligence is a man who genuinely looks out for the betterment of the common people. So I know that he will do all he can to ensure that Hoenn continues to be as prosperous as it is now.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t give him a hard time.” Drake replied, “Sidney’s already spoken to me earlier. I know Steven’s trustworthy.”

“Ah, that’s good then. I’m glad you see it too.” Wallace nodded, “You’re a very important member of the Elite Four you know. Him having your public support will make things a lot easier for everyone.”

“Me? An important member of the Elite Four?” He barked out a laugh of disbelief, “Since when did that happen? You must’ve been mistaking me for Sidney. He’s actually got his head screwed on right. I’m just the muscle.”

“That’s not true at all.” Wallace replied with a firm shake of his head, “Drake. You have been in the Elite Four for longer than I have been Champion. Generations have passed under your leadership, and for the public, you have always been the one stable factor in their life. No matter what they’re doing or where they are in life, they can always know and be reassured with the fact that Drake of the Elite Four is watching over them.”

“Yes, you may not be the most politically astute amongst us. Yes, you may be a little foul mouthed. But when the going gets rough, when our region calls out for someone to protect them, everyone trusts you to answer the call. To come and save the day, as you have done for decades, and will continue to do so until you eventually earn your well-deserved retirement.”

“So that is why I am comfortable with leaving my position behind if I do lose my next battle.” Wallace gave off a small, but genuine smile, “Not just because I trust Steven’s abilities as a Champion. But because I know that you will be there to stand up for the right thing. To be Hoenn’s defender when it matters. And it’s not just you either. You, Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia – I trust all of you with those duties, as I have done for years already.”

“Because, as your Champion, I could not have asked for a better Elite Four to have supported me.”

A.N. I know Wallace hasn’t had much time in the spotlight, even though he’s the Champion of Hoenn. So I felt like having a chapter focused on him would be good, especially on his relationship with Drake and the other Elite Four members.

I also wanted to highlight how, despite Drake being quite rude and blunt (though not to John) most of the time, he has more than earned the admiration and respect of his peers. It’s a big reason why he’s able to get away with cursing out everyone he meets, because they all trust him to step up when it matters. Hope you enjoyed!