Just because he wasn’t currently working as a gym leader didn’t mean that Raihan would allow himself to slack off. He had taken up jogging as a means of keeping up his cardio. Today it was warm enough that Hummer had decided to join him.Usually Whalestrand’s cold kept the Flygon inside his Pokeball.
For as much as Raihan hated Whalestand’s climate he admired her views. He had chosen to take the long way around the harbor to get a few shots of the morning sun peeking through the clouds. Landscape shots tended to do really well on Smeargle.
His Rotom phone whirled to life, lifting itself out of Raihans pocket and hovering around snapping photos.
“Eager aren’t we?” Raihan said. He beckoned his phone closer, and unlocked the screen to check his camera roll. Rotom had mostly taken photos of himself and Hummer. It wasn’t what Raihan had in mind but hey, they both looked good
As he scrolled through his photos he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the background of one of his shots. Was that-
“OMG Chat, that is Raihan.”
Okay, that was definitely Iono. The streamer had her own Rotom phone out and was in the process of filming something. Raihan smiled and waved at her camera.
“Well, whaddaya know! The other big influencer!” Iono says, putting her hands on her hips. “Didn’t expect to see you here. I mean, I’ve seen you in the Brawl, but I thought you were out of town these days!
So. What kind of wacky social media hijinks mean you’re in the vicinity of a champion?”
“Mostly I was just getting my steps in before I started the day.” Raihan said. “Things have been slow lately, although I don’t expect that to last. What are you up to these days, Little Miss Champion?”
“Celebrating my victory with a Whalestrand tour! I already cleared Pokemon, so now it’s all about trying other things! Like surfing! And competitive eating! Trust me, I’m gonna clear eeeevery challenge they have.”
“Interesting.” Raihan said. An idea was beginning to cook inside his brain. Iono might just be able to help him with his current project. Time to test the waters. “Well if you are taking a tour mind if I show you one of my favorite underrated spots?”
“You know what? ...Sure! Why not. Let’s see what this is about!”
Raihan led Iono through Whalestrands winding streets until they found themselves in front of an unassuming concrete building. The sign in front of the building proclaimed it as Hisuain Lights Pokemon Breeding center. The symbols of the Diamond and Pearl clans were posted on cheap polyester banners on either side of the door, and there was a carved wooden statue of a Hisuan Arcanine next to the entrance.
Raihan glanced to the side. Iono appeared to be confused more than anything else. “So, Iono have you ever seen one of my ‘Baby dragon Hatching’ videos?”
“Huuuuuh. Yeah, I didn’t know there’d be one of these in Whalestrand. You wouldn’t think it.
Anyhow, nope! Haven’t seen any of those yet. Sorry, there’s just so many opponents to check out, and so little time! You know how it is!”
Raihan chuckled. “Huzzah to that.
Anyways. Hammerlocke has historically been a sanctuary for Galar’s endangered dragon types. I do the baby dragon videos to help raise awareness for their breeding center. I’m looking to do something similar for this place. Shall we head inside?”
Once they entered they were greeted by the shriek of a Hisuian Braveriay, who was perched in the center of the spares lobby.
“Sounds like a plan!” Iono says, looking around. When she sees the bird as they enter, she looks at it, curiously. “Huh. I’m having flashbacks. At least there’s no poachers this time… I hope.” she says to herself with a laugh. “So. I take it you come here often!”
“Actually this is why I came to Whalestrand. This facility specializes in extremely rare Hisuan species, some of which are extremely important to that native people of the Sinnoh region. It's fascinating from both a conservationist and a historical perspective, but it's not doing so well financially. The owner, while a good trainer and breeder, is somewhat of a recluse and really doesn’t advertise this place. I want to spread the word, and get more people to visit and donate.” It was showtime. “Iono, would you be willing to help me promote this place?”
“Hmmmmmm. I mean, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea, but I wanna ask. What’s in it for me? What do I get outta it? You gotta make it worth my time. Champion, and all that!”
“Well if my plan works, you might see an increase in viewership. What would you say about a competition? The internet always loves a feud. We can stage events and whoever raises more money for the center is the winner. If you're looking for stakes, how about we make the loser dress up in a kigurumi of the winner’s choice?”
“...Hmmmmm. A social media feud. A classic.
You know what? That’s good enough. Feuds always get hype, especially with competitions and humiliation involved! I’ll take you on!”
Raihan grinned. “I’m glad to hear it.”
They shook hands in front of a confused looking Braveriary. Raihan could hear the notification sounds of Iono’s excited chat exploding from her Rotom phone. This was going to be fun
