Gladion stood at the departure area with a clear look of annoyance on his face. "I did not know you would be accompanying me," he said with a grimace as he looked at one of his companions for the trip.
His eyes narrowed at the older man standing nearby. The tension between them was obvious even before the journey had properly started.
Blaine crossed his arms and replied with a smirk. "Is that how you talk to your grandpa?"
"No, that is how I talk to only one of my grandpas," Gladion replied back sharply. He did not hide his dislike in the slightest.
"Oh, because your other grandpa is dead?" Blaine said in a mocking tone. The words were meant to insult and hit exactly where they would hurt the most. He said it casually, as if commenting on the weather, but the cruelty behind it was clear.
Gladion's aura pulsed in outrage. The surrounding rocks on the ground started floating slightly as his eyes glowed with psychic energy.
Blaine's own fire aura pulsed in response, but compared to Gladion it was like a candle flame against a forest fire. The difference in strength was massive and visible to everyone nearby.
"You will speak my grandpa's name with respect," Gladion said firmly. "Respect that you yourself never earned." His voice was low but carried enough force to make the walls seem to shake. He stared straight into Blaine's eyes without blinking. The old Elite Four member had crossed a line, and Gladion was not going to let it pass easily.
Blaine still looked at him straight in the eye without faltering despite the heavy pressure mounting on him. The surrounding attendants and other officials had sweat dripping down their faces.
Some of them were on their knees from the overwhelming aura clash. The psychic and fire energies filling the air made it hard for normal people to breathe comfortably. One official tried to calm them down by stepping between them and speaking softly, but his words had no effect at all.
One of the attendants who was further away from the aura clash ran quickly to get backup. He came back with the perfect person for the situation.
"Gladion, he is not the only one accompanying you on the trip. I am too," Sabrina said while tapping him on the shoulder. She was not affected by his aura at all. Her own psychic abilities allowed her to stand calmly beside him.
Gladion was surprised to see her on the trip. He turned to Blaine with a cold expression. "Do not bother me on the trip. You already are going to kick the bucket soon, old man. Enjoy your time in peace."
With that, he walked away with Sabrina by his side. The officials breathed a sigh of relief as the heavy pressure finally lifted.
"Now now, Glady, I would also be accompanying you," Sabrina said in a gentle but teasing voice. "You do not have to be so cranky with that old fool with us being on the trip." She smiled at him warmly and tried to lighten his mood.
Blaine, who had heard the comment, was about to retort angrily, but another official came running in and quickly put a hand over his mouth to prevent another escalation. The poor official looked terrified at the thought of another aura clash breaking out right before the important diplomatic trip.
"Why are you joining anyways?" Gladion asked Sabrina as they walked toward the boarding gate. "Did you not just become a gym leader? Should you not be doing your duties?"
"Says the one who has given his gym duties to his two assistants and is always out on his business trips," Sabrina shot back with a playful smile.
"Hey, if I do not give Kai and Mira work, they would get lazy," Gladion replied retortingly.
"Well, Champion Lance asked me to accompany you because he knows the history of your family and Elite Four Blaine," Sabrina explained. "So to keep things calm, he asked me. As for why he is going, he is still one of the Elite Four, you know."
Gladion scoffed lightly but smiled. "At least the trip would be a little nice now with you." His mood had improved significantly with Sabrina's presence. The two continued talking as they prepared to board the plane.
With that, they boarded the flight. They were going to Sinnoh in an official flight. It was the first ever to run between Sinnoh and Indigo.
The aircraft was large and comfortable, designed for important diplomatic travelers. The journey took them about twelve hours before they reached Jubilife City in Sinnoh.
During the flight, Gladion and Sabrina spent time discussing strategies for the negotiations while keeping a careful eye on Blaine, who sat in a separate section.
As they stepped out of the plane, they were greeted by the current champion of the region as well as the future professor of the region,Champion Rowan. There was a blonde woman standing good behind him. He was an old man just like Professor Oak but with a lot more white hair.
Gladion, with Sabrina in tow, decided to walk out of the plane first. He used his telekinesis to keep Blaine in place just for spite and to show him who was superior. The old Elite Four member grumbled under his breath but could not move forward easily.
"It is good to meet you, Gym Leader Gladion, Gym Leader Sabrina, and uh... Elite Blaine," Champion Rowan said politely as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"There is nothing elite about him," Gladion muttered under his breath. Sabrina quickly hit him with her arm to shut him up and gave him a warning look. Gladion smiled innocently and shook hands with the champion.
"Your eyes look so much like your grandpa," Rowan said while studying Gladion's face. Then he looked at Blaine and added, "Your grandpa Maren."
"You know him?" Gladion asked with genuine interest. He had not expected Rowan to have personal connections to his family history.
"Oh, he did not tell you how his Venusaur almost killed me in his Solar Beam despite us being allies at that time during the Infinite Pokemon War?" Rowan said with a chuckle.
The old champion laughed as he remembered the chaotic battles of the past. "Your grandfather was a force of nature on the battlefield. His Venusaur had power like no other. I still have a scar from that close call, but it was an honor fighting alongside such a strong trainer."
The conversation continued with more light stories from the war. The small talk helped ease the tension from earlier and built a bridge between the visitors from Indigo and their Sinnoh hosts.
"I am happy to host leaders of Indigo and let us hope Sinnoh and Indigo would have a very bright future," Rowan said warmly as the official greetings came to an end.
-----Author Notes------
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