Back with another chapter! Here is a light one, for the most part.

The sun began to descend over Valerie Bay. The day was coming to a close, with the final round of the Random Duo Tournament being a nailbiter and, as far as the locals perceived it, an instant classic. Many had stuck around for the award ceremony, which acknowledged the top four teams of the tournament.

The commissioner of events for Valerie Bay's pokemon stadium, an older man who walked with a cane for support, stepped onto the field to commemorate the teams. First were Kristine and Bran's semifinal opponents, followed by Jason and Sydney's opponents. A small cash prize was handed out, as each individual received one hundred dollars. Then came Jason and Sydney's turn. They won two hundred fifty dollars each while they received a round of applause for finishing second.

The commissioner handed Jason and Sydney the money in cash, as Sydney glanced over the cash.

"I wonder what the exchange rate is back home," she mentioned.

"Oh yeah, you can't use Inventum dollars in Galar," Jason said.

"Nope," Sydney replied before smiling. "Well, it shouldn't be too far off. I want to do something nice for my mum and dad."

The commissioner then approached Kristine and Bran, handing them each five hundred dollars. The crowd cheered immensely for Kristine and Bran's efforts during the tournament, notably their victory over Jason and Sydney. The commissioner then waved at the crowd before slowly making his way off the field.

"Five hundred dollars?" Bran faced Kristine with an excited expression. "Can't blow it all in one place, right?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Kristine laughed. If no other indications became apparent regarding the difference between televised big city tournaments and non-televised small-town tournaments, the prize money was the apparent tip-off. She and Jason each received five thousand dollars in Richland Port's Power Duo. It didn't seem too long ago that the Kyar twins prevailed on live television, through IPSN's flagship channel that was broadcast all over Inventum.

Yet to Kristine, the final round seemed tougher. She felt she had grown a lot since Richland Port, and especially since the start of her journey many months ago. Yet she knew as she improved as a trainer and individual, so would Jason.

Even if the prize money didn't compare to Richland Port, Kristine took this as one of her biggest triumphs. And it was a triumph she knew she could not take for granted; it was Bran and Kadabra who saved the day, after all. She and Espeon just sealed the deal.

After the prize ceremony was concluded, Jason, Kristine, Bran, and Sydney walked back down the hallway on Jason and Sydney's side.

"You're more than welcome to come over to my aunty's tonight for dinner," Sydney offered.

"That sounds great," Kristine smiled, before facing Bran. "What do you think?"

"Sure," Bran simply replied. "Sounds good to me."

"Great!" Sydney seemed thrilled. "I guess we should go wash up."

"Yeah," Kristine glanced at her arms. "I'm all sweaty."

"Then I should see you in an hour or so, perhaps?" Sydney asked.

Jason nodded. "We'll see you soon."

Sydney smiled at Jason, and she was tempted to place her hand on Jason's shoulder, or at least express some desire for physical contact.

The four trainers walked back into the atrium. By then, spectators had already cleared the stadium, with many hanging outside. As Jason, Kristine, Bran, and Sydney walked out, those who noticed them cheered them on. The four trainers simply smiled and cheered as they made their way back onto the cobblestone path.

"See you guys soon!" Sydney said before splitting off towards her aunt's house.

"Let's head back," Kristine suggested. "Let's get out of these clothes."

"Yeah," Bran replied.

Jason, Kristine, and Bran began heading back to the pokemon center.

"So Jason," Kristine faced him. "You ready to head out tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Jason asked, hesitant to say yes at first. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Kristine smiled. "We don't have to head out first thing in the morning if you wanna say goodbye to Sydney."

"Uh," Jason was embarrassed to admit that he wanted to.

"Bran, we'll see you in the lobby once we're all set," Kristine said, taking an abrupt stop on the road and motioning Jason to stop.

"Sure thing," Bran replied as he continued walking towards the pokemon center.

"It's not a big deal," Kristine said to Jason. "Honestly, I think it's adorable you two bonded together so much in so little time."

"She's really cool," Jason felt comfortable enough to admit openly. "I hope we can be friends or something."

"Get her contact info when we leave," Kristine suggested. "You two obviously have a crush on each other."

"You're never going to live this down, huh?" Jason cracked a smile.

Kristine grinned. "Never!"

The two proceeded onward towards the pokemon center. At least a dozen trainers were in the lobby, either relaxing at the lounge or grabbing a bite to eat in the dining area. When one trainer noticed the twins' arrival, they all quickly noticed.

"Hey, it's the twins!" one male trainer yelled.

"Hi!" Kristine waved, feeling awkward.

"How did it feel going against each other like that?" a female trainer asked.

"Like a sibling rivalry," Jason said with a smirk on his face.

Most of the trainers began to converge on Jason and Kristine.

"How do you feel towards each other afterward?" asked another female trainer.

"Jason, how are you going to win the next time around?" asked a second male trainer.

As the twins were bombarded with questions, especially ones they felt were slightly out of line to ask, they both wondered if Julian would once again come from nowhere to save them.

"Hi, everyone!" said the voice of Amanda from afar. Jason and Kristine could see her jogging down the stairs towards them. "Excuse me!"

Amanda cut through the small crowd to get to the twins. "Hi, Jason! Hi, Kristine!" she then grabbed Kristine by the hand.

"Uh, hi?" Kristine replied just as she felt her hand being yanked. "Hang on, bro!" she grabbed Jason's hand before she was out of reach.

"Excuse me!" Amanda politely requested once more as she cleared the crowd and led the twins upstairs to the second floor.

"What just happened?" Jason looked back as Kristine let go of him.

Amanda smiled. "I just did that to Bran a minute ago."

"Good going, girl!" Kristine complimented.

Amanda chuckled. "You two have a lot of publicity going on," she then looked right at Kristine. "Bran told me he and you just won some random duo something-or-other thing."

"Yeah," Kristine laughed. "We're all exhausted right now, so thank you!"

"No problem!" Amanda replied. She then faced Jason. "He also told me you had a partner you really got along with."

Jason slightly blushed.

"Is that blushing?" Amanda took notice. "Jason's blushing!"

"I think he's had enough embarrassments for one day," Kristine snickered.

"Can I go back to my room now?" Jason looked down.

"Yes, you can," Kristine smiled.

Jason proceeded back to his and Kristine's room.

"Bye, Jason!" Amanda waved but got no reply.

"So, Jason got partnered up with a girl from Galar," Kristine gave Amanda the scoop.

"I see," Amanda glanced over to the door of the twin's room before shifting her eyes back to Kristine. "And he likes her?"

Kristine nodded. "And as it so turns out, she likes him."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Amanda seemed thrilled.

"She invited him, me, and Bran over to her aunt's for dinner tonight," Kristine continued.

"I see. Well, don't let me hold you up! You look like you need to get cleaned up."

"I do," Kristine began to head to the door to her and Jason's room. "Catch ya tomorrow?"

Amanda smiled and nodded. "You bet!"

"Right," Kristine walked back to Amanda to exchange a fist bump with her. "You rock."

"I try!" Amanda laughed. "Bye, Kristine!"

"Bye!" Kristine smiled and waved before heading back to her and Jason's room. As she opened the door, she heard the shower running, with the bathroom door closed.

"Try not to take too long!" Kristine politely joked, knowing Jason was usually quick with the shower.

"Yeah yeah!" Jason yelled back.

Kristine walked over to the TV remote on her bed to turn on the screen.

"With the Inventum Cup just weeks away, many fans all across the region are counting down the days of one of the world's most prestigious tournaments," the anchorman from IPSN stated. "Eight rounds. 256 trainers. Only one can be crowned the champion. There's one other tournament many look forward to, one that showcases the trainers of tomorrow. The Junior Circuit takes place shortly before the Inventum Cup."

This intrigued Kristine, and she knew Jason would want to hear about this. "Jason, I think I found your way to plot your revenge against me!" she yelled.

"Sounds like a trap!" Jason yelled back.

"Kind of! But they're announcing a tournament, and it sounds legit!"

"Be right there!"

"The Junior Circuit consists of some of the top prospects currently chasing down all twelve badges across Inventum," the anchorman continued. Trainers are required to possess at least four badges and must be 14 years of age or younger. With the Circuit about a month away, who may be competing? Who even are some of the young contenders who may even participate in future Inventum Cups? Yenela Kreea has more."

The screen cut to Yenela Kreea, who was reporting in front of what appeared to be a massive stadium. There were banners behind her that draped from above, each one representing a trainer holding a massive golden trophy with a pokeball replica on top.

"Thanks, Tom," Yenela gave a nod. "I'm reporting from PokeWorld Resort, home of the Inventum Cup as well as the Junior Circuit."

Just then, Jason opened the bathroom door with a clean black shirt and jeans, dashing towards Kristine with his head dripping with water.

Kristine grabbed a nearby fresh towel and tossed it to Jason. "I was gonna use that, but I'll just grab one of the ones in the bathroom."

"Sorry," Jason began to dry off his head. "What's the tournament about?"

"Watch," Kristine pointed to the TV. "The reporter lady from Richland Port is about to tell us."

"With trainers focused on winning badges, one minor drawback from the Junior Circuit is that it attracts trainers only within reasonable proximity," Yenela added.

"We can be within reasonable proximity next month," Kristine said. "I mean, it's kind of a stretch."

"Hey, our birthday is next month," Jason mentioned.

"We can get to Kenalta next week," Kristine added. "If we're successful, we can dart down to the Sol Peninsula and get there in time for the tournament."

"And celebrate our birthdays in style!" Jason seemed on board with the plan.

"Which begs the question: who will be nearby next month?" Yenela continued. "There are a number of trainers currently around the southeast coast of Inventum. Among them are twin prodigies Jason and Kristine Kyar."

"And we just got name-dropped on regional television," Kristine looked on.

"It was reported that they were in Valerie Bay, some 400 miles north-northeast of PokeWorld Resort. For those of you who need a refresher, Jason and Kristine defeated Richland native twins Dan and Dave in the final round of Power Duo 60. The victory sent a shockwave across the city as well as the coastal subregion of Inventum.

"It also just came in that Jason and Kristine had reportedly battled against each other as part of a random format tag team tournament. Those on the extranet can confirm that Kristine and her partner Bran came out on top against Jason and his galarian partner Sydney."

"And she just name-dropped all of us," Kristine continued.

"If I were Jason, I'd be eyeing this tournament for the sake of sibling rivalry," Yenela added. "And for anyone else, this Circuit is your chance to shine. We'll be seeing you here next month! Back to you, Tom."

"Our very own Yenela Kreea, reporting from PokeWorld Resort in the Sol Peninsula," the screen cut back to Tom. "Up next: Cynthia's favorite music is symphonic metal!? More on that tidbit after a message from our sponsors."

"It's on," Jason faced Kristine.

"Oh, it's so on," Kristine smirked as she proceeded to the bathroom, closing the door.

"What is symphonic metal, anyway?" Jason glanced over at the television.

A short while later, Kristine got dressed, wearing a green top and blue jeans with her hair neatly tied in a ponytail. She stepped out of the bathroom, ready to go.

"Let's head on over to your girlfriend's!" she spoke with enthusiasm towards Jason.

Jason sighed from embarrassment. "Let's go…"

Upon exiting their room, they found Bran standing nearby.

"Howdy," Bran spoke, wearing a buttoned and collared white polo shirt and blue jeans.

"Fancy," Kristine observed. "We don't even have polos. Or for me, any fancy blouses."

Bran chuckled. "Mom insisted I packed two before I headed out. Said I might need 'em. Reckoned a dinner invite might do that."

"Good idea," Jason contemplated. "Might need to pack away something nice for the future."

"You know, that's not a bad idea at all," Kristine agreed. "The further we get into this crazy adventure, the more likely something nice will come in handy."

Amanda walked upstairs and approached the three.

"Hi Amanda," Jason waved, feeling slightly guilty he had shied away from her the way he did not too long ago.

Amanda smiled and waved. "Hi! So all of you were name-dropped on IPSN a little bit ago."

"We saw," Kristine replied. "What's it like down there?"

"Oh, you know," Amanda lightly laughed as she began to imitate the voices of trainers downstairs. "'We just saw them! They're staying right here! Will they come back out?'"

"Well," Kristine smiled. "Let's just head down and say hi!"

"Very well," Amanda gave a nod. "I'll make sure there's literal room to breathe."

Jason, Kristine, Bran, and Amanda all headed downstairs to the lobby. Two seconds didn't pass without one female trainer approaching them.

"Are you all competing in the Junior Circuit next month?" she asked.

"Yes," all four replied at once. They then all glanced at each other, intrigued by the reaction.

A male trainer also approached the group, facing Jason. "Will you use Magikarp in the Circuit?"

"It will depend on the situation," Jason replied. "We shall see."

A second female trainer approached the group. "What was it like battling each other?"

It was then when Jason and Kristine felt a little more comfortable with answering questions. It was something they expected this time around, but Kristine knew that she and Jason would need to get used to this. Merely avoiding the bombardment would just make them look bad.

Kristine took it upon herself to answer that question, wrapping her arm around Jason's shoulder. "It was tough, but I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Aw, that's so cute!" the girl replied.

"I'll be plotting my revenge!" Jason playfully added.

Everyone else, including Kristine, laughed.

"I don't want to keep you held up," the first female trainer said. "Thanks for dealing with us!"

"It's no problem, really," Kristine smiled, letting go of Jason. "Glad to be here."

The three trainers backed away, and the others in the lobby did not approach the twins, Bran, or Amanda.

"Onward!" Amanda declared as the four headed out of the pokemon center.

"Amanda, do you even know where you're going?" Bran laughed.

"Nope!" Amanda replied. "I know I'm not even invited, but mind if I hang out with you guys until you get there?"

"Sure!" Kristine said.

"It'll be my first chance to really see this town," Amanda looked around. "I like the ocean smell and the breeze!"

"It's a nice cozy town for sure," Kristine added.

The four walked down the cobblestone road.

"Look at all of you wearing jeans," Amanda mentioned. "And here I am in short shorts."

"Do you have anything nice?" Bran asked.

"Jeans are the closest thing I have," Amanda replied.

"I guess that's all everyone has," Bran mentioned.

"So Amanda," Kristine chimed in. "Any ideas on where Liz or Julian are?"

"Liz is probably halfway to Kenalta by now," Amanda assumed. "Julian? He might be ahead of us, but I'm not sure."

"Liz gives me a pretty serious vibe," Jason added.

"She's super competitive for sure," Amanda said. "If she knows about the Junior Circuit, count her in."

"I reckon all of us will be in it," Bran said.

"Guess we'll have to watch out for each other," Kristine gave some thought into the idea of all of her rivals, let alone her brother, in a single tournament.

"Considering we just got out of a tournament, we really do have to watch out for each other," Bran chuckled.

"So how close was it?" Amanda asked.

"Too close," Kristine laughed.

"Now, I wish I saw it in person."

"Well, there's always the extranet," Bran suggested. "Pretty sure our battle is on there somewhere."

The four entered the avenue that led to Sydney's aunt's house, with Jason leading the way.

"Cute little street," Amanda observed.

"And here we are," Jason proceeded to the base of the steps that led to the house.

Before Amanda could depart, Fan opened the door.

"There you all are!" Fan greeted.

"Hi," Kristine greeted. "I'm Kristine."

"And I'm Bran," Bran introduced himself.

"As yes, you guys beat Sydney!" Fan mentioned. "She said you two were super tough."

Kristine laughed. "I suppose, but Sydney is tough too. You should be proud of her."

"Oh, I am. I like to embarrass her, but I can see her being a Galar champion someday."

"Well, I should get going!" Amanda began to depart. "Bye, everyone!"

"Why don't you come in and join us, dear?" Fan offered.

"Um," Amanda seemed surprised to being invited to come in, knowing absolutely nothing about Fan. "Okay. I'm Amanda. I'm friends and rivals with these trainers."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Amanda," Fan smiled. "Come on in."

The four trainers headed inside. Kristine, Bran, and Amanda gazed around the interior, impressed by the artwork displayed throughout the annex and the nearby living room.

Sydney emerged from upstairs, descending the steps. Kristine noticed her face beamed with joy when she locked eyes with Jason.

"Hi, everyone!" Sydney waved, wearing a yellow blouse and black capris. She noticed Amanda. "I'm sorry. I don't think we've met yet."

"Yeah," Amanda snickered. "I'm Amanda. I'm Jason, Kristine, and Bran's friend-rival."

Sydney lightly laughed. "Friend-rival. I like that."

Sydney faced Jason. "Hello!"

"Hi," Jason smiled.

"I invited Amanda in," Fan said. "Hope you don't mind."

"Well, a friend-rival of Jason's is a friend-rival of mine," Sydney replied, feeling a little awkward after she realized she said that.

"Same here," Amanda smiled.

"Well, come in the kitchen," Fan offered. "I think I can pull out a couple of extra chairs."

Fan proceeded to the kitchen, followed by Jason, Sydney, and Bran. Kristine and Amanda exchanged excited glances towards one another, in reference to Sydney's facial expressions and tone towards Jason. They then headed into the kitchen.

Fan stepped out for a brief moment to grab three folding chairs from a nearby closet. She and all six trainers gathered around the table, creating a somewhat cramped environment.

"So, you're all from west of the Mison?" Fan asked.

"Yep," Jason, Kristine, Bran, and Amanda replied at the same time.

"That's really cool," Fan seemed intrigued. "Everyone here says east coast trainers are the best trainers of Inventum, but you're all showing them how things are done here."

"Most pro trainers are from the east coast, so I can see their point," Amanda replied. "With trainers like Ken and whatnot."

"Ah yes, he's competing in the next Inventum Cup," Fan recalled. "Some say he will be the one to break the current curse of non-invents winning the Cup."

"He's got a lot of competition to get through," Amanda added. "Especially Phoebe."

"A lot of big names won the past tournaments," Bran chimed in.

"Cynthia, especially," Jason spoke up. "Like arguably the best trainer alive."

"Galar's been getting quite the international attention lately," Sydney said. "I think Cynthia mentioned she'd like to compete there someday. What a scary thought, if you'd ask me."

"All I know is we need to step it up and show the world Inventum is serious," Amanda sighed.

"If you mean 'we' as in you all, then I agree," Fan replied, her tone indicating she believed what she said. "That goes for you too, Sydney, for representing Galar."

"Us?" Kristine asked, wanting more context behind what Fan said.

Fan nodded. "You are the trainers of tomorrow. You were just mentioned on IPSN today, except for you, Amanda, sorry, dear."

Amanda chuckled. "Oh, I had one moment on IPSN. It's fine."

"Down the road, it's up to you to represent your region," Fan continued. "That's what I've been trying to tell Sydney. Every time she steps out onto the pitch, she is representing the pride of Galar."

"Screaming fans and all!" Sydney quickly added.

"So when you invents step out onto the field, remember, you're not just representing yourself or your pokemon. You carry the weight of Inventum on your shoulders. You see, the greatest trainers in the world take the Inventum Cup every year because they know what they are fighting for. If you see Cynthia, or Ash, or Steve, Lance, Phoebe out there, you see what kind of level they battle on. That weight falls on you all. Don't just admire the champs; be the champs."

With a smile, Fan got up to prepare some stew for Sydney and her guests. "No pressure or anything!"

All five trainers thought about what Fan said. She was right; they are the future of trainers for their respective regions, regions that have some prestige on the world stage. Silence ensued, with neither trainer speaking up for a solid moment.

"Well," Amanda attempted to break the silence. "That means no one lose!"

"Don't lose, huh?" Bran snickered. "I like it."

"So, what happens when we do go against each other?" Jason asked, facing Amanda,

Amanda gave him a smile and a wink, much similar to the water tournament back in Richland Port before he started the second round. "Don't lose!"

"Got it," Jason nodded.

A short while later, Fan served the stew to everyone. They all seemed to enjoy the dinner she had cooked, and as the night sky took fold over Valerie Bay, it was time for Jason, Kristine, Bran, and Amanda to retire to the pokemon center for the evening.

"So, are you leaving tomorrow?" Sydney asked Jason as everyone got up from their chairs.

"We are," Jason regretfully replied. "But I'll come by to say goodbye to you tomorrow."

"No," Sydney smiled. "I'll be at the pokemon center in the morning."

"Someone has a crush on Jason," Fan bluntly stated in front of everyone.

Sydney's face beamed red out of embarrassment, as she faced down and led the other trainers back to the atrium. "I'll walk you out," she spoke with a monotone voice as if she wanted to get out of this situation.

"Thanks for dinner!" Amanda showed her appreciation for Fan.

"Yeah, thanks!" Bran added.

"Thank you," Kristine said.

"Thanks for having me again," Jason waved goodbye.

"Anytime!" Fan waved. "See you all next time!"

Sydney led everyone else back outside, walking them onto the avenue leading back out to the main streets of Valerie Bay.

"It was really nice to meet you all!" Sydney began to wave goodbye. "Kristine, Bran, it was great battling with you. Amanda, nice to get to know you. And Jason," she gave him a big smile. "Bye."

"Bye," Jason smiled back.

"Bye, Sydney," Kristine waved goodbye.

"Bye, Sydney!" Amanda added.

"Until next time," Bran waved.

Sydney walked back inside the house as Jason, Kristine, Bran, and Amanda proceeded onward.

"So, when's the wedding?" Amanda asked, poking fun at Jason.

"I wondered what having a sister would be like," Kristine gave a thoughtful pose, also poking fun at Jason.

"Well, you get a sister-in-law so you'd kinda know!" Amanda excitedly added.

"Do I get to be in the wedding?" Bran joined in.

Jason, with his head facing down from utter embarrassment, proceeded to walk faster. "I'm just gonna go back for the night!"

The four trainers made it back to the pokemon center, where the lobby was scarce, with only a few trainers relaxing at the lounge.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Kristine asked Bran and Amanda. "We're going to head on out."

"My team and I could use an extra day off," Amanda replied.

"I need to take a breather as well," Bran added. "My team went from winning the Valor Badge to this in just a handful of days."

"Fair enough," Kristine smiled. "Guess we'll be seeing you again soon!"

"Run with me tomorrow," Amanda offered. "Before you leave."

"Sounds good!" Kristine accepted.

"Well, if we don't see you in Kenalta, there's always PokeWorld," Jason said.

"I'll be looking forward to that," Bran replied, facing Jason. "I'll be sure to keep my guard up if we cross paths in any tournament setting."

Jason locked eyes with Bran. "I'll do the same. My team and I will go at you harder next time."

Bran chuckled. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Well, I'll probably catch you tomorrow, Jason," Amanda said, heading towards the stairs. "Have a good night, everyone!"

"Yeah, you too!" Kristine waved.

"Well, Kristine," Bran approached her. "It's been a pleasure battling with you."

"Same," Kristine smiled and hugged Bran. "See you soon, okay?"

Bran hugged back. "I won't be far behind."

Kristine let go. "Good."

Bran faced Jason once more, extending his hand. "Jason."

"Bran," Jason shook his hand. "Great battle."

"For sure," Bran gave a nod. "I'll see you soon."

Bran began to head upstairs.

"Well," Kristine turned her head to Jason. "Let's get things packed up and ready to go tomorrow. Oh, and we'll need to stop by one of the marts."

"New tent?" Jason asked.

Kristine nodded. "New tent."

The twins walked up the stairs, retiring to their room for the night.

Jason woke up from a dreamless sleep the next morning. Turning over to see Kristine's bed, he noticed she was already gone, taking her backpack and having made her bed.

"Guess I'd best get going," he muttered to himself before using the bathroom and shower. Afterward, he got dressed and ready for the day, grabbing his pokeball belt by his nightstand as well as his backpack on the floor.

Having double-checked to make sure he and Kristine grabbed everything, he headed out the door one last time, making his way down the hall before proceeding downstairs. There were at least a dozen or so trainers in the lobby, all of them converged in the lounge. Jason wondered if something significant was being aired on television, so he walked over to investigate.

"It's something to get used to, really," Sydney spoke, Jason able to make out her distinct voice from an invent's perspective.

Sydney was sitting on a chair, surrounded by trainers who seemed to be asking questions while IPSN's morning show aired. The program was counting down the previous day's top ten plays from around the world.

Jason approached Sydney, politely bypassing one male trainer to get to her.

"Hello!" Sydney smiled at him. She wore her yellow shirt and black pants, similar to the outfit of choice before the final round matchup.

"Welcome to a pokemon center in Inventum!" Jason greeted.

Sydney giggled. "It's not much different from the ones in Galar, to be honest."

The trainers seemed to be amazed to see Jason and Sydney at one spot.

"Are you leaving today, Jason?" one female trainer asked.

"Yeah," Jason had a slight sigh to follow his response. "Kenalta's next."

"Oh, I have the Gale Badge!" one male trainer quickly responded. Some may have interpreted him as boasting his accomplishment.

"Nice," Jason acknowledged.

"John's not easy," that trainer continued. "He's a buff-switcher."

"A what?" Jason wasn't familiar with the term.

"You know. Anything you can do to increase your stats, and bam, Baton Pass."

"I see," Jason nodded. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Yeah, no problem!"

"And number seven!" an anchorwoman commentated on the television. "Take a look at this beautiful clutch play coming from Valerie Bay right here on the coast!"

All eyes were glued to the television. It was the very play Kadabra used Disable to stop Jolteon's Wild Charge, resulting in Espeon's direct hit through Psybeam. It was the very play that won the game for Kristine and Bran's side.

"Jason Kyar uses Jolteon to project and potentially devastating move on Espeon," the anchorwoman continued. "With Sydney Adams out of the game, Jason goes for broke here. 'I don't think so,' says Brandal Riken and Kadabra, getting a perfectly timed disable. Jason's twin Kristine says 'get out of here' and has Espeon unleash the knockout blow after a few uses of the move Calm Mind was issued. A masterful display from two young prospects."

To be in a highlight play was one thing. To be featured as the opposing team, somewhat of an antagonist, was another. Jason remembered the highlights he and Kristine received from winning the Power Duo. He had to wonder how Dave and Dan had felt, being on the receiving end of these highlight reels.

The attack that knocked out Jolteon felt like a punch in the gut to Jason. Sydney, without any thought to it, began rubbing his upper back as a way to comfort him through the highlight.

"That was a tough break!" another female trainer stated, thus snapping Jason out of his gutwrenching trance.

The anchorwoman continued with her countdown as everyone shifted their focus back to Jason and Sydney.

"Yeah, you'll get them next time!" a third male trainer remained upbeat.

"That's the plan!" Jason was optimistic. "Jolteon is my partner in crime. We will get 'em!"

"Sydney," the first female trainer faced her. "What are your plans once you get back to Galar?"

Sydney took her hand off of Jason's upper back, catching herself. Realizing Jason made no adverse reaction to her, she proceeded to answer the girl's question. "I need to get six more badges, and I plan to do that so I can compete for my region's championship."

"So, you have six badges already?"

Sydney chuckled. "Oh, no. See, Galar's Pokemon League consists of eight gyms, like most of the rest of the world."

"Ah, okay!"

One trainer began to depart, then another. As the other trainers glanced back at the television to see the remainder of the daily top plays, Sydney got up.

"Let's talk over here in the corner," she pointed to a secluded spot within the lounge.

"Okay," Jason complied.

The two walked over to a corner, standing by a potted plant.

"The last few days were crazy," Sydney started. "And I'm just happy I've met you."

"Same," Jason smiled. "You mind if I add you on the extranet?"

"Not at all," Sydney smiled back. "I'll be sure to write to you."

"I'll check in at every pokemon center," Jason added. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"And you as well, but you have your sister watching your back."

There was a moment of silence.

"Before I go," Sydney reached into her pocket. "I want you to have this as a keepsake."

She pulled out what appeared to be a card of sorts and handed it to Jason. He noticed it was an image of her, in her white and yellow kit, posing as if she was about to throw a pokeball, with one arm extended and one leg off the ground. "Sydney Adams" was embedded in white at the bottom of the card. The back of the card featured a disc shape of what appeared to resemble a pokeball, with the top half being red and the bottom half being blue.

"I'll keep this nice," Jason assured her, briefly taking his backpack off his shoulders to place the card in a sizable pocket before sliding the backpack's arms around his shoulders once more.

"Hey," Sydney gently grabbed Jason's hands with her own. "Be safe."

As the two held onto each other's hands, Kristine and Amanda walked into the pokemon center, concluding their morning run. They noticed Jason and Sydney standing by a corner, prompting them to retreat just outside.

"Kristine, I didn't take your brother for a romantic," Amanda mentioned.

"He's a softie on the inside for sure," Kristine snickered. "Oh, Jason."

Jason and Sydney let go a moment later.

"See you soon!" Sydney smiled as she departed.

"See ya!" Jason waved.

Sydney walked out of the pokemon center as Kristine and Amanda reentered, pretending they didn't see anything.

"Heading out, Sydney?" Kristine asked.

"Yep!" Sydney confirmed. "See you soon, Kristine and Amanda!"

"Bye, Sydney!" Amanda waved.

"You're always welcome in our company," Kristine mentioned.

"Same to you!" Sydney walked on the cobblestone path. "It was nice getting to know you!"

"Well, Kristine," Amanda looked on as Sydney turned the corner and left her line of sight. "That's your future sister-in-law."

"I know you were joking," Kristine replied. "But I know my brother in and out, and something tells me I will be seeing Sydney again, many more times."

Redholt City was built around a massive lake, standing out within the vast badlands of western Inventum known as the Barren Wastes. Its buildings are primarily pristine white, often brushed by the red sand blowing from the Wastes and beyond. The city had traditionally taken Xerneas as inspiration as the residents would like to think that their beloved city was the beacon of order within the vast wastes of chaos.

Team Order was built on those foundations. Many would still believe that Team Order worked for the benefit of society, and that may still be the case. But for Rafael, his idea of order differed from the values his organization taught. He figured it was time for a change, a time for all of Inventum, and perhaps the world, to see things differently. He had carefully laid out plans to, in his mind, pure, secure order in the region based on his knowledge of Inventum's past.

But there was an inconvenience in those plans. Bradley escaped, and Will seemed to have defected. Otherwise, he would have turned up by now. Even worse, Bradley and Will were likely within a safe distance of Team Mystic's reach.

Rafael had to weigh his options. He had one plan in which he wasn't quite prepared for, but Will knew everything about it. If Will were to inform Aria of those plans, then half of Inventum would retaliate. He knew he had to act now.

He resided in his office within Team Order's headquarters, which was located within a tall steel building within the city and separated from the organization's gym. With the gym leader's office located inside the gym itself, it was easier for Rafael to carry out his separatist actions, and gain followers in the process.

Rafael glanced at a map of Inventum that was placed on his desk. There were several markings on the map, including one over the Cinders. He tapped his finger at another one, right over a ridgeline just northeast of Kenalta, at a preserve labeled Fearow Hill.

"The orb harnesses order and shields us from chaos," Rafael spoke to himself. "We need to go now. Without it, Crimson Wrath will consume us all through the chaos. We must contain both, and only then, will Inventum know the true meaning of peace."

Rafael then initiated a call through his computer terminal.

"Yes sir?" a male subordinate responded, wearing a black outfit with the sigil of Xerneas embedded across his chest.

"It's time," Rafael declared. "Get the team and the chopper ready. It's going to be a long flight."

"Yes, sir!" the agent complied.

Rafael then cut the comms. He got up from his chair, approaching the pokeball belt hanging over the coat rack by his door. He gazed down at the six pokeballs.

"Be ready for anything," he addressed his team before grabbing the belt.