Lightning Lieutenant

After a short wait, the waiter returned with our drinks, balancing the tray like a practiced pro. He placed mine in front of me with a small flourish—a steaming black coffee with an Aerodactyl figure delicately sculpted out of gray-colored cream, perched like a guardian atop the surface of the drink.

I blinked at it for a second before lifting the cup and taking a sip. The bitter, bold flavor hit my tongue immediately, familiar and grounding. The creamy Aerodactyl clung to the roof of my mouth like a stubborn ghost, and I couldn't help but smirk a little. It felt weird—comforting, even.

In real world, I needed at least three cups of coffee just to survive a normal day. But here, in this world, this tiny, stylized café cup was my first one ever since I'd arrived. And somehow, it tasted better than any I could remember. Maybe it was because of my addiction to cafein or maybe this place just knew how to brew a damn good coffee.

I took another sip. Then another. Then another....

The others had paused mid-conversation, watching me with curious amusement. I tilted the cup back, draining it in a few long gulps.

"You want me to order you another one?" Khan asked with a teasing grin, clearly not expecting a real answer.

"Yes, please!" I said without hesitation, holding up the empty cup, a streak of cream stuck to the tip of my nose.

Khan's smirk faltered into a blank stare. Rhea and Amaris burst into laughter after seeing him,clutching their sides. Even Khan couldn't hold it in for long and finally let out a short laugh before calling the waiter back over to order another coffee for me.

While I wiped the cream from my nose with my finger, I let my gaze wander around the Pokémon Fan Club again. Trainers of all ages were scattered across the room—some chatting with their Pokémon, others helping their partners with small tricks or moves. There was a kind of warmth in the air, a shared joy that made the space feel more like a community than just a clubhouse.

My eyes wandered again, scanning the walls, the wooden beams, and the cozy alcoves tucked into the corners of the building. Then something caught my attention—a framed portrait mounted just above a bookshelf filled with Rapidash photographs and Poké Puff recipe books. The man in the photo stood tall in a neatly pressed brown suit, a matching hat perched on his head. His long, curled mustache sat above a gentle smile, and a green tie peeked out from beneath the coat.

"Hey guys," I said, breaking the lull in our conversation. The others turned to look, and Amaris was the first to respond, her lips still wrapped around the straw of her pink-and-blue latte.

"Yep?" she asked, leaning over the table like a curious cat.

"Do you know who that man is?" I asked, pointing toward the portrait.

Khan and Rhea followed my gaze, squinting slightly to get a better look. Rhea's expression lit up with casual recognition.

"Oh, that's the former Pokémon Fan Club president," she said, then leaned back into her chair, sipping her tea from a wide mug shaped like a Pichu's face—complete with little milk foam ears.

"Former?" I echoed, just as the waiter arrived with my drink. The coffee was piping hot, a bold aroma rising from the dark liquid with a small Aerodactyl-shaped wafer floating on top. I didn't waste time and took a sip the moment it touched the table.

Amaris tilted her head, now holding her drink in both hands. "You didn't know? He passed away, like… eight, maybe seven years ago."

I choked mid-sip.

Coffee exploded from my mouth in a spray of bitterness and shock. Khan yelped and jerked to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding a faceful of it. He looked at me with wide eyes while I coughed into my sleeve, trying to breathe.

"He died, too?!" I gasped, the coffee still dripping from my chin.

"Yeah…" Khan muttered, his face twisting in mild horror as he wiped a few drops off his jacket sleeve. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"I am sorry," I rasped, voice hoarse from coughing, still staring up at the portrait of the smiling old man on the wall.

"I mean, he was pretty old," Rhea said gently as she shifted her chair back, carefully avoiding the puddle of coffee I'd launched across the table.

"Did you know him?" Khan asked while dropping napkins over the spill, blotting at the mess with practiced precision.

I paused for a second, staring at the last drops swirling at the bottom of my cup before admitting, "Not really… I was just surprised to hear he was dead."

I finished what little was left in my cup, the bitterness now more grounded than shocking. "Then who's the current president?" I asked, glancing between the girls.

Khan mirrored me, both of us clearly expecting a definitive answer.

Rhea and Amaris looked at each other for a moment, brows furrowing in thought.

"I think ı know him… wasn't it that rude blonde old guy?" Amaris said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, you're right," Rhea replied with a small nod, turning her gaze back to us. "The new president is actually the former Gym Leader, Surge."

Khan raised a brow and turned toward me. "Surge? Isn't that the guy you were talking about yesterday?"

I nodded slowly, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Yeah, that's him. But is he really the President? I wasn't expecting Surge to not only join a fan club… but to end up running it."

"Guess people change?" Amaris muttered, sipping what was left of her latte.

Rhea checked the simple PokéGear watch strapped to her wrist before looking up. "You know, we've still got time before the Gym Challenge starts. If you want, you could probably go talk to him."

"Can I? How?" I asked, my attention zeroing in on her.

She gave a little shrug, like it was the most casual thing in the world. "Just go to his room and start a conversation."

Her tone was light, as if it were no different than chatting with a neighbor. But for some reason, the thought of knocking on the door of Lt. Surge's office made my pulse tick just a bit faster.

"Okay then! Rotom, can you pay for our drinks?" I asked, glancing over at the floating Pokédex.

Rotom was hovering near the coffee machine, practically drooling as it looked like it wanted to posses the humming machinery and flashing lights right away. For a second, I wasn't sure it had even heard me—until it suddenly snapped to attention.

[Right away Alex Carter!] It buzzed cheerfully, zipping over to the waiter before vanishing behind the café counter in what looked like a trail of static and excitement.

We stood from our seats and stepped into the center of the Fan Club, the air buzzing with the laughter of trainers and the sounds of Pokémon playing nearby.

"So… where's his office?" I asked, scanning the open space for any sign of a hallway or staircase.

"It's on the second floor," Rhea replied, already tugging Amaris along by the arm. "There's only one room up there—you guys can't miss it."

"What do you mean you guys? Aren't you two coming?" Khan asked, leaning in a little with a raised brow.

Rhea didn't even slow down. "Nope! I haven't seen this girl in ages, so I'm stealing some time with her."

"Help...." Amaris mouthed at us with a half-smile as Rhea dragged her away.

"Have fun, you two!" Rhea called out over her shoulder, waving as the two of them disappeared deeper between the people.

I looked between Khan and Rotom. "So… are we three good to go?"

"Yeah," Khan nodded with a grin. "Let's go meet this Surge guy. I wonder how strong he is."

[We're good to go, Alex Carter!] Rotom chimed, buzzing back into place beside us.

I glanced up at the long, slightly curved staircase leading to the upper floor. "Then let's go," I said before walking ahead.

As I climbed the stairs, excitement buzzed through my veins for a handful of reasons. But even stronger than the excitement was a single, nagging question that refused to leave my mind:

*Why did he stop being a Gym Leader and become the President of the Pokémon Fan Club?*

The thought lingered as we reached the second floor. A single wooden door stood before us, sturdy and old, with a metal plaque nailed into it. Carved into the wood above it were the words,

Pokémon Fan Club President Lightning Lieutenant Surge.

Khan, Rotom, and I all stared at each other, exchanging frantic looks and a flurry of silent gestures. I finally jerked my hand toward the door, grinning at Khan.

"Since I'm older than you, you should open it for me!" I teased, pushing him forward.

Khan crossed his arms and jabbed a finger back at the door. "No way. If you're the older one, you should be the brave one and go first!"

We both turned to Rotom, who hovered innocently in the air.

[I'm sorry, but I don't have hands. If I did have hands, I would totally open it, but alas—such is my cruel fate.] it buzzed dramatically, even twirling a little in the air for effect.

"Bullshit! I've seen you open doors using your plasma before!" I said, narrowing my eyes at the glowing screen that displayed Rotom's grinning face.

Khan threw up his hands. "Why don't you just open it already? You're the one who knows him!"

"Just because I know him doesn't mean he knows me!" I snapped back, jabbing a finger at Khan. "And why are you even hesitating?!"

Khan immediately started counting on his fingers. "One: that man's a Lieutenant! Two: I have no clue how he acts except that Amaris said he's rude! And three—" He leaned in, voice rising— "HE'S A FUCKING LIEUTENANT!"

Before I could even open my mouth to fire back, the door swung open with a sudden creak.

Standing there, holding the door with one hand, was a tall man with sharp, tired blue eyes. His spiky blonde hair had streaks of white running through it, a sign of creeping age. He wore a black shirt, most of the buttons undone, and a dark green coat draped loosely over his shoulders. His baggy black pants were tucked into heavy black boots, and a burning puro dangled casually from between two fingers.

He stared down at us, smoke curling around his head like mist.

"The fuck are you two doing outside my office, shouting like a couple of lunatics?!" he barked, voice gravelly and low, his tired gaze fixed right on us as we exchanged glazes.