Pokémon Amethyst (AU)

Chapter Seven

Character cover art: Flossi and Kossi

(A/N: I hope nobody minds a chapter where there aren't any Pokemon battles present. This chapter is much more plot-heavy.)

"Here's your reward! You completely swept my team right off into the ocean!" Veronica handed me a shiny, blue badge that was of similar shape and size to the grass badge Blade had given me.

"Thank you, Veronica!"

"Oh no, you should be thanking yourself and your Pokemon! You completely earned it! I had the type advantage but you still managed to nail me! Flossi and Kossi have been the only two people known in history capable of pulling that off,"

"Yeah, Blade said something along those lines, too," I replied. "So there are room for two Champions after all?"

"Well yeah, but without the crowns, it's not the same," Veronica replied. "And currently... there are no champions at all," Her face fell.

"Wait, what?" I was suddenly taken aback. "But I thought Champion Flossi was still alive?"

Veronica shrugged, sniffling slightly. "I don't even know if she's alive. I haven't seen her in such a long time. Plus, even if she is, she's not the Champion anymore."

"What do you mean?" I queried.

Veronica turned to me with a surprised look on her face. "Don't you remember? Flossi was stripped of her title of Champion after Kossi died."

"Wait... WHAT?!" This revelation had left me aghast. Her title was... taken away?

"I thought that was common knowledge," she said, turning her head to look at the Finizens playing in the pool opposite her gym.

"Well Danny and I moved here a year ago from Unova. I guess that was after everything happened. So... Flossi was stripped of her Champion title? What happened?"

"Only the Elite Four knows the answer to that question. They were the ones who stripped her, specifically the Chairwoman. They had a huge falling out after Kossi died. All we know is that Flossi disappeared, and with her, so did the two Champion's Crowns."

I took a moment to try to digest this new information. I had no idea that Flossi had been stripped of her Champion title. The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. She was a grieving widow, who had spent her entire life working tirelessly to obtain her title as Champion... and then the Elite Four had just taken it away from her? Just like that?

"Poor Flossi. It seems like they really kicked her when she was down. Why would they do something so cruel to her?!" I just couldn't make sense of it.

"Every night when I'm alone, I'm plagued by the same thoughts. I have no idea where she is now. The last time I saw her, she came into my gym, collapsed to the floor and was just bawling her eyes out. She told me that she'd been stripped of her Champion title by the Elite Four but was in too much hysteria to tell me why."

"You guys were friends?"

Veronica nodded, smiling. "Yeah, Flossi was lovely. She was so easy to talk to. She and I used to train together in the Opaquia gym before Kossi had the idea to turn the place into a proper gym. Wherever she is now, I hope she's doing better." She clearly had some fond memories of Flossi.

"But the Opaquia gym is closed these days, yes?"

Veronica nodded. "Flossi and Kossi were the gym leaders. Nobody's been in there since Kossi died. In fact, nobody actually goes to Opaquia anymore. It's like an abandoned village. And to think it was once a thriving town. It was constantly in wealth competition with Acuada. Part of the reason this city is so huge and wealthy is because of the deterioration of Opaquia. It makes me feel kinda guilty that it prospered on the back of Kossi's death. But I guess that's out of my control." She folded her arms. "Anyway, I'm going to head back inside now. You take care, Y/N. Good luck with the fire gym. Austen is pretty tough." She bid me goodbye. I waved in return, and she re-entered the gym, leaving me alone outside.