Kai looked down at the badge in his hand.
Like the Gym's specialty, the Plain Badge wasn't anything fancy.
Pulling out his badge case, Kai placed the Plain Badge in the final empty slot. Two neat rows of badges gleamed back at him eight in total. He let out a small breath of relief.
Eight badges, all accounted for. Now all that remained was to wait for the Silver Conference.
After exchanging Pokégear numbers with Whitney, Kai and Erika bid her farewell and stepped out of the Goldenrod Gym.
Their first stop was the nearby Pokémon Center not because any of Kai's Pokémon needed treatment, but to register early for the tournament.
It was a little trick he'd picked up: instead of waiting in long lines right before the Conference, any trainer with eight badges could walk into any Pokémon Center and preregister on the spot.
Inside the Goldenrod Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy greeted them warmly.
"So you're here to register? Please hand me your badge case and your Pokédex."
She scanned his badges, then connected his Pokédex to the terminal.
Kai's trainer profile popped up instantly, and Joy's eyes widened slightly as she scrolled through his record:
Indigo Plateau Champion
Honorary Trainer of the Orange League
Hero of the Sea from the Whirl Islands
Three different tournaments entered, three wins. Not bad.
After a few keystrokes, she handed back the badge case and Pokédex.
"You're all set. Best of luck at the Silver Conference!"
"Thanks." Kai leaned forward. "When exactly does the Conference start?"
"On the first day of next month."
"As always, at Silver Town's Silver Stadium, at the base of Mt. Silver."
Kai calculated quickly just over two weeks away. Plenty of time to reach Silver Town and still fine-tune his team before the big day.
Outside, they stood in the sunlit street.
"Where to now?" Erika asked. "Straight to Silver Town?"
"No rush," Kai replied with a grin. "We've got time. You came here to find Grass-types, right? I'm sure there are other places you'd like to see first."
"Catching Pokémon is all about the right moment," Erika said, pulling a travel guide from her bag. Flipping to a marked page, she showed him a photo of a glittering canal city. "I want to visit here."
Kai read the caption: Alto Mare – the most beautiful city in the world.
"That's a bold claim," he chuckled.
Alto Mare was located off the southern coast of Johto. It was only accessible by boat, and luckily, Goldenrod's harbor offered direct cruise service.
They were about to head for the port when a small group blocked their path.
A tall woman in her mid-twenties stood in front, flanked by two boys who couldn't have been older than eight.
"Finally found you! I've been looking everywhere!"
Kai blinked. He didn't know them so why were they after him?
The woman smiled. "We're the Weekday Siblings. I'm Sunny, and these are my brothers, Wes and Friday."
Kai sighed. "Great… first I meet one, then a pair, and now the rest show up. Guess I've met them all now."
Sunny's grin widened. "I think you know why we're here."
"Let me guess—you want a battle?"
"Figures. Let's find a better spot."
They retraced their steps to the Pokémon Center's outdoor battle arena. A few kids were already battling there, but one field was free.
Kai knew the drill—beat them in battle, win their special gift. No one even needed to explain the rules.
The youngest, Friday, was clearly the baby of the family. Kai figured it out the moment he heard the name. He also found himself wondering if their parents had more than seven kids, what would they even name the eighth?
The kids on the sidelines recognized the Weekday Siblings instantly.
"It's them!" one whispered. "That's Sunny!"
In Johto, the Siblings were more famous than even an out-of-town Champion like Kai.
Friday basked in the attention, smirking as he stepped forward and tossed a Poké Ball.
With a flash of light, a Heracross appeared, flexing its pincers proudly.
Kai didn't underestimate him just because of his age. Still… sending out his fully evolved powerhouses against a little kid felt like overkill.
He reached for a ball and tossed it.
In a burst of white light, his Eevee landed on the field, tail swishing.
If Friday wanted a battle, they'd have one but it would be on even ground.
Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!💎💎💎
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