REMAKE,

I was in a rush to wait in line not your son / not your friend / not your enemy

► NAME ➭ “Gold.” ► ARE YOU SINGLE? ➭  "Yeah.” ► ARE YOU HAPPY? ➭ "I think so!” ► ARE YOU ANGRY?  ➭ "At someone?” ► ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL MARRIED? ➭ "They never married.” He laughs.

“ Quit yelling in my ear before you get decked! ”

Can you blame him he’s on edge. Olivine’s Haunted Lighthouse was a regional hit every year with the groans of shifting steel, Ecruteak’s overzealous ghosts, and creepy crawlies (that have blades as arms, how messed up is that). Gold swore he remembered a shortcut back down; it just involved jumping from a taped off hole in the floor. Or getting pushed into it because your company is mister wimp van spaz.

The street was a lil’ too quiet... An' lucky for them Aipom had the brilliant idea of slamming its hand against the glass of the bus stop, tamato berry juice lining its print. Shame she wasn’t shaking in those ginormous bubblegum boots of hers!

“ Shucks, well, two outta the three of us thought so. ”

 “You must be joking–this is such short notice, even for you.”

Lance isn’t in the mood for more backtalk today–he rarely is–so before his bitter cousin can launch into one of her legendary tirades, he supplies her with a basic itinerary before abruptly hanging up the phone in her face. One the other end of the line, Clair angrily spikes her Pokegear into the Den’s roiling waters. How could Lance do this to her?!

Mostly everybody–including Clair herself–will admit that she’s never been a good mentor…she completely lacks the patience, sympathy, and encouraging mindset required to teach others well. And now, seemingly out of options, Lance picks her to train Gold for Gym Leader candidacy? Why Gold, out of all people?

It's truly theatric - only Johto's Clair would make an entrance as blazing as a thousand suns. Gold notices his breath hitch when the heatwave rushes his face and instinctively turns the egg away from the blast. How could he have forgotten that the Blackthorn Gym was just a big oven?

You’re late.

" Sorry, I guess. " He refrains from laughing, one of his preparatory measures for today's grueling experiment already ground in the dirt! " I can't leave my kid home alone, Clair. Today's appointment was a major curveball in my egg-care schedule. This is Flower Power. They're to report to Lance about how we’re getting along, so try not to be too mean in front of them. "

" So, uh ... how's having class outside sound? "

It hasn't been a minute and he's already taking steps backwards, and this overtakes him? It feels foreign, suddenly reeling at this sensation of backing away from the person, in the past, he was determined and smug to rise above. Gold is overthinking it; he always has with anything related to the League, which - as an entity or an obligation - was hard to conceive no matter how many times someone tried to lay it out for him. Does he want this or not? You're questioning this again? The intimidation threatens to push him over but facing Clair ... it's Clair he's up against right now. He doesn't know if it's her electrifying opposition or the Helping Hand of his very round, very handless egg inspiriting him but he knows not to dwell any longer. Gold grins with a just kidding and enters her gym, hoping that ( best case scenario ) maybe she'll offer him a water.

" Flower Power won't be in a danger of anything today, right? Lance didn't say anything about somersaults over your lava. "