Satoshi sat there on the bench, his gaze drifting across the bustling plaza as the city's energy hummed around him, but his mind wandered back to the whirlwind of events that had brought him to this point.
From plummeting through the sky into an unfamiliar world, scrambling to survive with nothing but his wits and a magical backpack, to that chaotic chase through the forest where a wild Zigzagoon's mishap had turned into his first real battle—and his first capture.
It wasn't just luck; he'd adapted, using moves in ways that felt instinctive now, turning a panicked scramble into a victory. He'd grown a bit, from a lost outsider to someone who could command a Pokémon and win, even if it was just a start.
After a long thoughtfulness, Satoshi decided.
"Hmm alright, I've decided." Satoshi said at last, a steady nod following his words. "I'll register."
Clemont grinned, his face lighting up as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one finger and stood from the bench in a quick motion.
"That's the spirit! As a Gym Leader, I can vouch that it's a great choice as your first journey, of course!"
Satoshi stood, brushing off his hoodie with a swipe of his hand across the fabric. Clemont turned and led the way through the busy city streets, his steps picking up pace while he glanced back to make sure Satoshi kept up.
Lumiose City's central hub thrived with energy, but within a few minutes they reached the nearest Pokémon Center—its rounded roof and sliding glass doors a familiar sight, even now, the building's red exterior standing out against the surrounding shops and plazas with people coming and going through the entrance.
Inside, the cooling air and calm interior were a contrast to the noise outside, the lobby filled with the soft hum of healing machines and the occasional chatter from trainers waiting at tables or standing near the counters.
A young trainer near the vending machine leaned over to his friend and said in a low voice, "Hey, look at that—another newbie signing up. Think he'll last?" His companion shrugged and replied quietly, "Who knows? Kalos is tough on first-timers."
Clemont approached the main desk and tapped gently on the counter with his knuckles to get her attention without interrupting too abruptly.
"Nurse Joy? This trainer would like to register for the League."
Satoshi stepped up beside him, his hands slipping back into his pockets as he waited. Nurse Joy looked up with a professional smile, setting down her clipboard and turning fully toward them.
"Of course. First time registration?"
"Yep." Satoshi replied, his voice even as he nodded once.
"Alright. I'll need your trainer information. Name, place of origin, and League preference."
Clemont glanced at Satoshi curiously, tilting his head slightly as he adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Right. You never told me—where are you from, exactly?"
Satoshi paused a moment, scratching the back of his head with one hand in a casual motion and letting out a dry chuckle that trailed off quickly.
"Uh… It's a really small village. Doesn't even have a name, honestly." Faintly sweating.
Clemont blinked, his eyes widening a bit behind his glasses. "No name? That must make things tricky for mail delivery!"
"Out in the middle of nowhere. I've mostly just… been moving around." Satoshi gave a half-shrug, his shoulders lifting and dropping in a relaxed gesture.
He looked to Nurse Joy, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "You can register me as an adventurer. That's what I'm doing anyway—traveling the world. By the way, my name is Hashimoto Satoshi."
Nurse Joy nodded, her fingers tapping quickly on the keyboard in front of her as she entered the details. "That's allowed."
"Many trainers begin their journey that way. I'll list your origin as 'unregistered—travelling adventurer.' Now lastly…"
"Which League would you like to register for, sir?"
Satoshi turned his eyes to the screen on the counter, his gaze scanning the display where two options were listed clearly:
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•[Kalos League]Gym Challenge & Regional Conference
•[Pokémon League]Elite Four Entry Path (Champion Route)
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He raised his hand at the two option and said, pointing directly at the screen with one finger.
"I chose both."
The room went still, the background chatter seeming to fade into a distant murmur for a moment as the words hung in the air, drawing puzzled glances from nearby trainers who paused mid-conversation, their eyes flicking curiously toward the counter.
An older trainer at a nearby table muttered to his group, "Did he just say both? That's insane—who does that on their first go?"
One of his friends whispered back, "Probably some hotshot thinking he's the next big thing. He'll crash out fast."
Nurse Joy blinked, her professional smile faltering slightly as she looked up from the screen.
"Pardon?"
"I'm. Register. For. Both. League." Satoshi repeated, voice calm as he kept his hand raised and his expression unchanged.
The moment stretched, the soft hum of the center's machines filling the quiet while a few nearby trainers turned toward the Satoshi with curious glances.
A girl with a Pikachu on her shoulder leaned in to her companion and said softly, "Both paths? That's got to be a joke. No one's that confident."
Her friend nodded and replied in a hushed tone, "Or that crazy. Let's see if Nurse Joy even allows it."
Even Clemont stared, momentarily stunned, his mouth opening slightly before he closed it again.
"You do realize." he said slowly, adjusting his glasses with a quick push from his finger as he turned fully toward Satoshi.
"That means you'll have to not only win the Kalos League tournament, but then immediately take on the Elite Four and the Champion! That's no small feat—most trainers burn out on just one path!"
"I know." Satoshi gave a faint smirk, the corners of his mouth turning up just a little as he lowered his hand.
Clemont muttered under his breath, both impressed and caught off guard, his eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms over his chest. "…Bold."
Nurse Joy took a second longer, then nodded with a small, professional smile—though even she looked faintly surprised, her fingers hesitating over the keyboard for a brief moment before resuming.
"Very well. I'll mark your registration accordingly."
The registration pad lit up, the screen glowing softly as the details updated.
Satoshi stepped forward, pressed his hand to the scanner with his palm flat against the surface, and confirmed his trainer name, the device beeping once in acknowledgment.
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┃Trainer Name: Satoshi Hashimoto
┃Origin: Adventurer / Unregistered
┃League Path: Kalos League + Pokémon League (Dual)
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A chime confirmed the entry, the sound ringing clearly through the lobby.
"All done." Nurse Joy said, offering him a newly printed Trainer ID with a slight bow of her head.
"Your journey officially begins. Good luck, sir."
He looked down at the card for a moment, turning it over in his hand to examine the details, before slipping it into his hoodie pocket with a quick motion.
"Thanks." he replied. "Guess I better get moving."
Clemont folded his arms, still eyeing him with a measure of admiration, his posture straightening.
"You're not exactly like other trainers, huh?"
Satoshi gave a small laugh, the sound brief and light as he rubbed the back of his neck again. "Isn't it obvious?"
Clemont smiled, his expression warming as he nodded once. "Yeah. But I think Kalos is going to need that."
But then suddenly—
"Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!"
The voice rang out clearly across the Pokémon Center, smooth and animated with approval. Both Satoshi and Clemont turned toward the source, their heads swiveling in unison as they scanned the lobby.
A couple of trainers near the entrance exchanged glances, and one said to the other in an excited whisper, "Is that Professor Sycamore? What's he doing here?"
Striding in through the entrance with purposeful ease was a tall man in a sleek white lab coat, dark slacks, and a light indigo shirt open at the collar. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his confident stride was matched only by the sharp gleam of curiosity in his eyes.
"It's rare to encounter a trainer bold enough to take on both the Kalos League and the pokémon League in one go!"
The man continued, "You must have quite the spirit!" approaching with a charismatic smile as he adjusted the cuff of his sleeve with one hand.
Clemont blinked in surprise, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he stood straighter. "Professor Sycamore??"
Satoshi's gaze widen slightly, his body was frozen just a fraction as he recognized the man immediately in surprise. He stood still, his hand dropping from his neck.
"Professor." Nurse Joy greeted politely from behind the counter, "Always a pleasure to meet you." her smile steady as she nodded in his direction.
Sycamore gave a nod, his attention briefly shifting to her before returning to the group, then turned his full attention to Satoshi, his posture open and engaging.
"I happened to be stopping by to check on some data, but I couldn't help overhearing your registration!"
His smile turned thoughtful, his head tilting slightly as he crossed his arms loosely. "A trainer with such daring goals… You've caught my attention!"
Satoshi offered a modest nod, his expression neutral as he met the professor's gaze. "Just figured I might as well go all in."
Sycamore chuckled, the sound warm and genuine as he uncrossed his arms and gestured lightly with one hand. "And yet you're calm about it! That's rare, too rare!"
His eyes glanced to Clemont, his brow arching in question. "I take it you're the one who brought him in?"
"Yes, Professor Sycamore." Clemont replied, his voice steady as he adjusted his glasses again. "He saved Bonnie earlier, actually. From two Team Flare grunts."
That made Sycamore pause, the smile slipping briefly into a more serious line as his eyes narrowed slightly and he shifted his weight. "Team Flare… again?"
His eyes returned to Satoshi, his expression regaining its curiosity but with a hint of gravity. "Then it seems you're more than just bold! You act when it counts I presume!"
Satoshi shrugged slightly, his shoulders moving in a casual lift. "I just did what anyone would."
"Not quite." Clemont said quietly, arms folded as he glanced sideways at Satoshi.
"The way he battled… I've seen a lot of trainers, Professor. But none who use moves like he does. It was creative, and tactically different from other trainer usual way of commanding."
Sycamore's interest deepened, his eyes lighting up as he leaned forward just a bit. "Now that I'd like to see for myself—after hearing from the Gym Leader himself!"
He smiled again, straightening up and reaching into his coat pocket. "I'm holding a small trainer gathering tomorrow at the lab. No formal battles—just a chance to meet others, talk, exchange insights. I'd like you to attend too, Satoshi!"
Satoshi thought for a moment, his eyes flicking to the side before nodding. "Sure."
"Excellent! I'll send Clemont the details."
Sycamore reached into his coat and handed Clemont a folded slip of paper, his movements smooth as he passed it over.
"Be sure to join!"
Then, with a charming farewell nod, the professor turned to complete his original errand, his steps carrying him toward the back of the center.
As he walked away, a trainer waiting in line turned to his friend and murmured, "Did you hear that? The professor's inviting him to a gathering...! I'm envious, It should've been m—!" Then the guy was immediately smack on the head by the friend for being too loud.
Satoshi watched professor sycamore go, one brow lifted as he crossed his arms. "That guy's… exactly like I remember him." he murmured to himself, his voice low enough that it didn't carry.
Clemont turned to him, "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just… realizing how real all of this is." He looked down at his new ID, turning it over in his hand again, then up once more, eyes steady. "I'm in it now."
Clemont smiled, his expression warming as he nodded once. "Welcome to Kalos."
After brief exchange, they begin to walk out of the pokémon center.
"Ah, wait!"
Nurse Joy called out just as they were turning to leave, her voice carrying over the hum of the center with a gentle lilt.
Satoshi and Clemont turned back, their steps pausing as they glanced over their shoulders.
"You almost forgot this." she said, holding out a slim, transparent black case with eight empty slots—each shaped to hold gym badges—as she extended it toward Satoshi with a warm smile.
"Your badge case. Every registered challenger receives one of these."
"Crap! Almost forgot about it." Satoshi accepted it with a nod, turning the case over in his hand briefly before slipping it into his pocket. "Thanks, Nurse Joy."
With everything settled, the two stepped out of the Pokémon Center. The bright interior lights gave way to the cool shades of night, the doors sliding shut behind them with a soft whoosh.
Lumiose City had taken on its evening glow—streetlamps humming gently, casting warm light across the pavement. The traffic had quieted, but the city still pulsed with life, distant conversations and the occasional Pokémon cry filtering through the air.
A couple of passersby on the sidewalk nearby exchanged words in low tones, one saying to the other, "Did you see that trainer with the Gym Leader? Must be someone important." while his crush replied quietly, "Yeah, probably starting a big journey or something. Just like how you won't stop confessing to me when I already said no."
Clemont muttered, "Time got away from us, huh." glancing up at the dark sky dotted with faint stars veiled by the city's lights.
"Yeah." Satoshi agreed, his hands slipping back into his pockets as he looked around at the winding down streets.
They stopped at a nearby corner where their paths would part, the bench nearby empty under a pool of lamplight.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the lab?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses with a quick push and tilting his head slightly.
Satoshi paused, then shook his head as he leaned against the bench for a moment. "You should stay with Bonnie. Don't leave her alone right now."
Clemont blinked, his expression shifting to one of realization as he nodded slowly. "I… suppose you're right. With everything that's happened…"
"I'll find my own way to the lab. No worries."
The Gym Leader hesitated a second longer, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, then gave a grateful nod. "Alright. Be safe, Satoshi."
"You too."
With that, they parted ways—Clemont heading off toward the Prism Tower, his steps quickening as he disappeared into the evening crowd, and Satoshi turning into one of the side streets leading to the southern district, his figure blending into the shadows cast by the buildings.
Finally about to get a well rest sleep at the premium hotel He's been sighing on.
*
To be continued...
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