Pokemon-Aster

In the Elite Four Strategy Room

"So, Aster... how old are you?" Bruno asked, his deep voice cutting through the hum of the monitors.

I glanced up at him. "I'm three years old."

Silence.

All four Elite Four members turned to me with varying degrees of surprise. Some, like Agatha and Bruno, looked openly skeptical. Lance raised an amused brow. My mother, on the other hand, remained unreadable—but I could tell she was bracing for their reactions.

Bruno was the first to speak. "Three? You sure about that, Lorelei?"

"Hmm, yes," she replied without hesitation.

Another silence.

Then Lance chuckled, shaking his head. "Aster, you don't act like a three-year-old at all. You're sharp, observant... way too composed for your age."

Agatha smirked. "Heh. Maybe Lorelei's been feeding him brain-enhancing vitamins."

"Or battle footage since birth," Bruno muttered.

I stayed quiet, watching the match unfold on the screen. The battle was intense, but I was barely paying attention anymore. Something was stirring inside me.

Lance's voice broke through my thoughts. "So, Aster, have you considered what you want to do in the future?"

I turned to him, then looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment. "A Pokémon Trainer."

He smiled. "Oh? Do you want to be like your mom?"

"Hn," I responded with a small nod.

"You want to be part of the Elite Four?"

I shook my head. "No."

Lance leaned forward, intrigued. "Why not?"

I shrugged. "Uh-uh."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying me. "Then what do you really want to do?"

At that moment, I finally understood. It was so simple. In my past life, I wasted so much time—pressured, restrained, always second-guessing myself. But not this time. I wouldn't let myself be weighed down again.

I smirked and couldn't help but make a real, genuine smile. "Well… I guess becoming the Champion wouldn't be the worst thing either."

A brief silence fell over the room before Bruno and Agatha burst into laughter. Even Lance let out an amused chuckle.

Lorelei, though... she was quiet. Studying me.

Lance wiped a tear from his eye. "Haa… Aster, do you have any idea what it means to be Champion?"

I tilted my head. "It can't be that hard, right?"

That was it. That was the moment the room erupted into laughter.

Bruno nearly doubled over, and Agatha cackled so hard she had to wipe her eyes. Lance just grinned, shaking his head. Only Lorelei remained silent, still watching me.

Finally, Lance leaned back and smirked. "So, Aster, are you saying that one day, you'll defeat all of us?"

"I guess," I said simply.

Lance exhaled. "Well then... I guess the Elite Four will be waiting for you. I just hope you don't disappoint us like the others have..."

I whispered under my breath as in a contemplative tone, "What if I get the Champion title? What would that even mean?", but the everyone heard what I said.

Lance smirked, intrigued by the question. "If you did? Well, first, we'd put up the toughest fight you've ever faced."

Bruno crossed his arms, grinning. "And if you managed to win, then you'd have earned your place among the greats."

Agatha chuckled. "Heh. You've got guts, kid. But don't get ahead of yourself—talk is cheap."

Lorelei, however, remained silent, her gaze locked onto Aster. There was something in her eyes—pride, maybe, but also something more.

Lance leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "But if you're serious… then train hard, Aster. Because if you come for us, we won't go easy on you."

The air in the room grew heavier, not with doubt, but with unspoken challenge. Aster wasn't just some kid throwing around big words. And the Elite Four knew

The room fell into a comfortable quiet after that, the tension easing. The rest of the battle played out as we made casual conversation, discussing past challengers and Tobias's strategy.

Once the match concluded, we all went our separate ways.

Later That Night - A Moment of Reflection

Our temporary lodging in Indigo Plateau was luxurious, but it still felt strange. Maybe because I wasn't used to this kind of life yet.

When we arrived at our room, Mom turned to me. "I have something to take care of. Go shower and get some sleep."

I frowned. "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed her coat and left.

I stood there for a moment, then sighed and made my way to the bathroom.

As the warm water ran over me, I let my mind wander.

This world… this life… it's mine now.

I thought back to my past—the weight of expectations, the exhaustion of trying to meet impossible standards. A family that felt more like an obligation than a home.

But that was over now.

The past didn't matter anymore.

For the first time, I wasn't drowning in the pressure to be something I wasn't.

For the first time… I was excited about the future.