"Wait up!" Cynthia and Xander heard a voice calling to them.
The pair turned around and saw a girl with brown skin and black hair that ended with blue tips. She was wearing an oversized sweater that acted as a dress with a belt around it. The duo could see 6 Pokeballs on it and assumed that she was a trainer just like them. She looked to be around 15 or 16 years old.
"Hey, kiddos. My name is Dahlia," the girl introduced herself in a friendly manner.
Xander thought that her name sounded familiar but he wasn't sure where he had heard it from and the girl did not seem too familiar to him. He assumed that she was simply a difficult trainer that he had to fight in the game or a minor character in the anime.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Xander. That's Fenris, Vulpix, and Larvesta," Xander introduced himself and his Pokemon
"I'm Cynthia. Lucario and Gabby are my partners," Cynthia introduced herself and the Pokemon she had out as well. All of the Pokemon responded as well, greeting Dahlia in a polite but distant manner. They were all close to their trainers and the other trainer who was their companion but none of them knew the girl before them so they were wary of her.
"Just wanted to give you guys a tip since you seem to be new trainers. Don't head to this entrance but head to the one on the opposite side," Dahlia warned the pair with a serious face. "The guard here scams newer trainers and tries to get them to pay more than the entrance fee. The lady on the other side is pretty nice and will let you guys in for free."
The duo nodded when they heard her information, feeling relieved that they would be able to save some of their money as well as avoid a scammer.
"Thank you very much," Xander bowed his head slightly to show his gratefulness
"Why does no one stop him? Isn't he breaking the rules?" Cynthia asked
"It's an unspoken rule," Dahlia shook her head. "The guards can charge more or less if they want to. Isn't the lady I advised you to go to also breaking the rules?"
Cynthia paused for a second and nodded her head slowly, realizing that they were also about to break the rules if they went to that lady.
"Lots of places are like that. You have to be able to adjust your mentality and be flexible or you'll never make it as a trainer," Dahlia kindly advised the pair.
"Thank you," Cynthia bowed her head and sincerely thanked the teen. "I'll be sure to take your words to heart."
"No need to take me so serious. I'm just being a busy body," Dahlia shook her hands, not expecting Cynthia to be so sincere. She found the two kids in front of her very cute.
"I'm also heading to Veilstone City to do some shopping. Mind if I join you guys and watch your battles?" Dahlia asked having gained more interest in the pair
"Sure," Cynthia agreed before turning to Xander to ask his opinion
'What's the point in asking me when you've already agreed?' Xander thought to himself but nodded and agreed for Dahlia to join them as well. He was curious about who the girl was.
The trio walked with their Pokemon to the other side of the town where the female guard that Dahlia spoke of was letting people in. Cynthia and Xander recalled all of their Pokemon, figuring they could let them out again when they got a room.
When they got the front of the line, the guard looked at Dahlia and shook her head.
"You've brought more children here to sneak in? You're gonna get me fired," the woman said with a smile on her face
"Hmph. Who dares to fire you? I will start up an entire war," Dahlia joked back with the woman
"Oh, no! Don't let my superiors blame for for the past Conferance Champion causing trouble," the woman shook her head when she heard Dahlia's words
Xander and Cynthia were enjoying the exchange when they paused at the woman's last sentence. Both turned to Dahlia and looked at the teen with confusion in their eyes.
"Oh, yeah. I just won the Junior Conferance a few weeks ago," Dahlia remarked casually but the pair of children looked at her with reverence.
Both of them had been training to beat Prof. Carolina so they didn't pay any attention to the Conferance that year. Otherwise, they would have surely recognized the rising star of Sinnoh.
"Why are you being so humble? You're the first person to win the Junior Conferance at only 15 in the past 30 years," the guard wouldn't let Dahlia downplay her accomplishment. She was truly a powerhouse and was expected to be a member of the Elite 4 at the very least in the future.
Dahlia shook her head before paying her fee and bringing the pair into town. She then brought them to her favorite restaurant for lunch before bringing them up to the city above.
Cynthia and Xander had to close their eyes when they reached the surface, the day they spent underground making them used to the darkness.
"Welcome to Veilstone City!" Dahlia introduced the city to them, thinking it was their first time visiting.
Xander nodded before pulling up his watch and typing in some commands, Cynthia right behind him. The pair continued to click silently while Dahlia watched from the side in amusement.
"Got my match tomorrow at 3 pm," Xander looked at Cynthia for confirmation
"3:30 for me. I'll be right behind you," Cynthia nodded
The League created a system where trainers could only register to compete in Gym Battles if they were in the city they wanted to compete at. It saved many Gym Leaders from being booked in advanced or people taking up slots and wasting time.
"Perfect. Let's drop your Pokemon off at the Pokemon Center and then go shopping," Dahlia clapped her hands, eager to see what the two were capable of