"Shinji? Shuu? Is that you?" Nearly twenty minutes after finally getting away from those annoying fangirls, the Tadashi cousins found themselves in front of a recognizable face from their past.

"Takeshi?" While Shuu seemed pleasantly surprised by the appearance of the young doctor, Shinji groaned internally. He didn't have a problem with the slightly older man perse, but normally wherever he was, that asshole Satoshi was, and Satoshi was not someone Shinji wanted to run into.

"What are you two doing in Nedlle?" Always the kind to strike up conversation, Takeshi motioned for the trainers to follow him to a nearby park where they sat in a grassy field overlooking the port city.

"Were going to compete in the league here." Shinji didnt bother speaking, Shuu could do enough for the both of them. Plus, Takeshi had learned over the years of various random encounters with him that Shinji wasn't one for conversation anyway.

He did however look over the noticeable changes in his older acquaintance. The spiky hair from his teenage years was gone and replaced with a surprisingly flattering set of two braids. His tanned skin was nearly covered completely, with a white lab coat over a dark green button up shirt and kakki cargo pants tucked into a pair of blood orange field boots.

"Hmmm." Takeshi broke Shinji from his thoughts as he caught his eyes and smiled jokingly before trying his hand at getting the younger man to talk. "Well I'm sure you'll both do great. Especially you Shinji. I've been keeping up with your battles The one against Shirona was almost yours."

Not wanting to discuss the humiliating loss, Shinji decided to humor the man long enough to make him understand it was a sore subject. "I wasn't strong enough to defeat her. I embarrassed myself and my pokemon. I hate that it was publicised so much."

"It was really an amazing battle Shinji." Although he sounded condescending to the violet haired man, he knew it was just his own attitude. Takeshi was a lot of things, but not condescending. "With a few new moves, and maybe a fairy type, the championship could be yours."

"I already told him that. But he insists his pokemon can't learn any new moves." Shuu added his two cents in before clapping his hand on his very obviously annoyed cousins back.

Before Shinji had a chance to snap at the grass head, Takeshi chuckled and motioned for them to get up and follow him as he began walking towards the Pokemon center.

"Pokemon can always learn new moves. Have you tried TM disks?"

"Oh, I didn't think about TMs!" Shuu yelled unnecessarily. Of course he had thought of using them, but despite what most people thought, Shinji wasn't well off money wise. He couldn't justify spending that much on a whim.

As if sensing his pride, Takeshi pulled his bag off of his back and started digging through it, slowing his brisk pace as his focus shifted.

"If you wouldn't mind helping me out, I have a new TM move I recently helped Professor Okido develop. It's a grass type move that allows your pokemon to emit a spore that makes whatever pokemon it's facing take 3x more damage. It also gives your pokemon

temporary immunity against whatever type it is battling. The move only lasts around three or four turns though. I have the disk with me if you'd like it."

Holding out a silver disk with green symbols, Shinji had to restrain himself from lunging at it. He wanted it but didn't want them to think he needed their help. They needed to think he was doing them a favor by taking it, that was the only way it could work.

"That's so generous of you Takeshi!" By the sound of his voice, you'd think Shuu was the one being offered the move. "Shinji, say yes."

"Shut up Shuu." Ignoring his younger cousins enthusiasm, Shinji turned to the young doctor with a well planned bow. "I can't accept that Takeshi-san, it's worth way too much money to just be given away."

"Too much? Shinji, you're an idiot you know that?" Acting like he was missing out on something, Shuu began to huff in anger.

But Shinji wasnt stupid. On the contrary, he had formulated a plan in his mind the moment Takeshi pulled the disk from his pack. Shuu just needed to keep his mouth shut and let the pieces fall into place. "I said shut up."

"It's alright Shuu, I unnderstand where he's coming from." Takeshi smiled and stepped between the trainers with a smile. He turned to fave Shinji with his head tilted in thought.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if a wonderful idea had just developed. "Hmmm. How about this then, I'll give it to you under three conditions. First, You agree to send me any updates you notice regarding the move. Since it's newly developed, we haven't been able to test it out in competing pokemon yet. I would like to know if there are any side effects or if the move evolves in any way from how I understand it now."

This was an agreement Shinji could be happy with. "Ok, and your other stipulations?"

"Second, you agree to send your pokemon to me for one week sometime this year so I can study it and how the move has affected it internally if at all." Almost immediately, Shinji paled. Torterra was obviously the Pokemon he would give the new move to, but he had never been without his starter. Ever since Torterra hatched from his egg he had been by Shinjis side, and he wasn't sure how he felt traveling without him, even if only for a week.

Shuu seemed to read his mind and quickly offered a solution to Shinjis unspoken delima. "You could always send him during the spring festival."

It would be for the best. They would be in Sinnoh and since they weren't training, it would be like sending him on his yearly check up. "Ok, I suppose I can do that, if you agree to give him a full physical and his yearly vaccines."

"Fair enough." Takeshi agreed instantly and smiled again. "My last request is that you use Torterra in your next battle against Shirona using the move." Before Shinji had a chance to protest he added "I truly believe it will mean the difference between you winning and losing."

"I'm not planning on challenging her any time soon." It wasn't that he didnt want to use the move. If it proved successful it very well could be his winning move. But he wasnt sure about making that promise without knowing for sure how string the move actually was.

"I know, and it's ok. I can wait. Honestly, I want to see you take the title." It was obvious to Takeshi that neither trainer expected him to say that so he explained his stance on the recent shift in politics and pokemon.

"Shirona was a great champion at one time. She used to care about Sinnohians and all the region's Pokemon. But somewhere along the line she lost her way. Something happened before the uprising and ever since it subsided, she has run the Sinnoh region to hell since she's gotten all this new control." Looking down in frustration, he let out a sigh.

It wasn't just the Sinnoh region that had been affected by the uprising. In fact, every region was now under the control of the champion and contest queens and Kings. And they all had strong influence on each other. "Somehow she's gotten Aoi from the Kanto region and Aka from Jhoto on board with her crap too. Not to mention the "kings and queens" of each region. It doesn't even make sense to have given them any sort of control. Why would a coordinator be put in charge of the country? No offense Shuu."

"None taken." The younger Tadashi cousin shrugged. He really didn't take offense seeing as he shared Takeshis opinion on the matter. "I personally don't get it either. But I suppose if Shinji were champion and I were king then I would more than likely try to act more as his advisor and deal with the press for him rather than actually having a hands in making new laws. Especially since Shinji doesn't like people."

"I like some people." Shinji defended in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. Normally, he would show no hesitation when defending his beliefs, but this time it seemed he was trying to convince himself rather than the two men walking next to him.

Shuu however didn't seem to notice and continued to hassle his cousin. "You like one person, you tolorate me at best, and you respect other people. You don't like anyone."

Seeing the hurt quickly flash through the younger mans face, Takeshi turned to Shuu with a scowl. "Thats a bit uncalled for. Shinji is just a little bit of an introvert, that doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't like people."

Shuu scoffed and crossed his arms in a huff. He was prepared to argue that Shinji could handle a little teasing until he noticed his cousins face. He was instantly filled with regret.

It wasn't really Shinjis fault he couldn't make friends. Anyone who had been through what he had would be a bit... difficult to bond with. Not to mention the injury that changed his personality for the worse.

Seeing the red roof of the Pokemon center, Shuu relaxed his arms and signed. "You're right, I'm sorry Shinji. I know you like some people, I was just givin ya a hard time."

"Its fine." Shinji knew Shuu wasn't deliberately being a jerk. He was just too self absorbed to notice. But at least he was honest. He wouldn't even admit the truth to himself yet there his little cousin was, bluntly laying it out in front of him.

Ignoring the strange feelings in his chest, Shinji instead focused on reaching the Pokemon center. He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited to get the new move transferred to Torterra. But every ounce of excitement switched to a feeling that was somewhat of a criss between anger and disappointment as he reached the steps of the large building.

"Shinji?"

XxX

Hey monsters. Quick note...

Aoi and Aka are Red and Blue from the original games. I couldn't think of anyone else to put as regional champions. So when [If] I write a scene with them in it, they will be very oc/protagonist.

Also, I'm sorry it took so long for this chapter. My friend recently passed away and I've been in a really fucked up mood since. She was one of my closest friends for the last 20 years. We even had 2 of our kids at the same time [9 hours apart] and were hospital room neighbors. We went through abusive relationships, drug addiction and sobriety [going on 8 years sober myself, fights, cps, EVERYTHING. We both had hard lives and hers was harder than mine. She was 28 and the mother of 7 children. Her name was Rebecca and she was my best friend.

Needless to say I haven't quite been myself lately so everything I wrote was awful.

I don't think this is great but I need to quit rewriting it and just put it out there or I'll never get started on the next part.

Anyway...

Until next time monsters!