Most people in the Unova region had varying thoughts on what their Elite Four and Champion did while they had to be at the Pokémon League. Some said they simply held conversations about Pokémon, important regional matters, or, on a rare occasion, small talk. Others said they battled each other when it got particularly boring. Those who liked to think ridiculously outside the box said that they secretly hated each other and stood in their individual corners, avoiding all conversation.

Fortunately, the latter was untrue, as the five members were sitting around the dining table in their break house. The break house was modestly sized, with the foyer, kitchen, living room, and dining area all in one space. Down the hallway on the same side as the foyer and living area, there were two bathrooms and a study.

On this fated day, it was Marshal's turn, cards to his face, alternating predatory looks between poker face Alder and sleepy Caitlin. Grimsley and Shauntal had all their cards turned down, satisfied with the amount of chips in their possession.

"Caitlin," Marshal finally said with more conviction than necessary, "Do you have a King?

"Go Fish."

Marshal groaned in exasperation, grabbing the last card on the table, "Damnit! It's not even a King!"

Everyone chuckled, followed by Alder clearing his throat, "Can you hand over your Kings, Marshal?"

Laughter erupted, filling the room, Grimsley nearly choking on his water. Marshal rolled his eyes, handing over his three kings to Alder, joining in the contagious laughter a few seconds in. Alder proudly stacked his four kings down in front of him with his other cards as Shauntal slid four chocolate poker chips in his direction.

"I will at least get third place! I will not lose this game…again…" Marshal slouched down his seat.

Shauntal patted his back, "Don't feel too bad. At least you have four chocolate chips."

"Even then, it is simply a game. Nothing worth getting too worked up over," Alder reassured.

Caitlin tilted her head, "I believe he wants more of those chocolate poker chips. Four is too little, especially for the likes of me."

"Aren't we on the last round already?" Grimsley asked, finally getting the water out of his lungs, "Once Caitlin goes, the game is over."

"But the chocolate…" Marshal whined.

"Would increase your blood sugar levels."

"Oh please," Shauntal threw her hands in the air, "He'll burn that off with that workout routine of his. You should know that well enough, Grimsley."

Caitlin took the last card from Marshal's hands, as it was hers. Once again, Shauntal took four chocolate poker chips out of the grocery bag, passing them over to Caitlin.

"Alright!" Alder stood up, announcer voice ready, "In this game of Go-Fish, Grimsley wins first place with twenty chocolate coins! In second place, it's the one and only Shauntal with twelve chocolate coins! Sharing third place is Caitlin and myself, each with eight coins! Last, but not least, is Marshall, with four chocolate coins!

"With the results out of the way, let us eat!"

The other four simultaneously half raised their hands in the air, unenthusiastically cheering before grabbing a chocolate or two to pop in their mouths. They enjoyed the flavor of cheap chocolate as if it was a delicacy, not for pomp and circumstance, but because it was their little cherished moment after a silly game of Go-Fish.

Caitlin, feeling more generous than usual, passed four of her chocolate poker chips over to Marshal. After a moment of processing what just happened, he looked up at Caitlin, eyes wide, smile reaching his eyes.

"Consider those as a gift for not waking me up today, unlike someone in this room."

"Sorry! I was worried about you. You can't be skipping lunch, you know," Shauntal apologized for the millionth time.

Marshal got his thoughts into spoken word, "Thank you so much! I'll never forget the taste of these for as long as I live!"

"No need to be that dramatic," Caitlin unwrapped her last chocolate, "We know you will burn it off within two hours."

"On the same note," Grimsley started, "Does anyone want to help me finish this chocolate?"

Like clockwork, the others said a stern 'no'.

"You sir need to fatten up," Shauntal pointed a finger at him.

"Well then, I'll blame it on all of you if I end up with high blood sugar."

The five sat in silence for a few more minutes before a lightbulb went off in Alder's head.

"I have an idea! I can think of a fitness plan for you," Alder grinned at Grimsley, "We can start hiking!"

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"You sure?" Marshal raised an eyebrow, "Talking with Alder is fun and all when hiking, but why be a hiking duo when you can be a hiking trio?"

"Yes, I'm sure Marshal. Thank you for the offer."

Caitlin smirked to herself, "I think I heard him say that he would enjoy it. What do you say, Shauntal?"

"I heard him say that he'd love it!"

Grimsley rolled his eyes, throwing a card at Caitlin and Alder.

"Well then," Alder stood up, straightening his poncho, "Get your shoes on! We're heading out!"

Caitlin and Shauntal quickly made their way to the foyer with Alder, getting their shoes and accessories on. Marshal, on the other hand, was pulling Grimsley off his chair as he desperately tried to grab the rest of his chocolate poker chips.

After a couple of minutes, Grimsley gave in to force and peer pressure, putting on his shoes with the same drama as his great-great grandmother. The crew headed out of their break house and to the League, earning a few looks along the way (primarily from a couple of Nurse Joys doing a shift change). Once they made it to the main hub, Alder motioned to one of the workers to turn on the teleport to the Champion's Room.

"We're halfway there! How's everyone holding up?" Alder asked with added sarcasm and drama.

Marshal did a backflip, "I'm ready for the next part of the journey! The beat of my heart will guide me through it all!"

"Five brave warriors set out on their journey to claim their rightful throne after being thrown out so carelessly. They don't know what is coming next, but they are ready! Ready to conquer the next trial with unmatched passion and wits!" Shauntal shouted to the almost empty room, gaining a small audience from outside.

"I'm falling asleep. Can someone carry me the rest of the way?"

"Grimsley!" Alder looked at him in the eye, "It's on you to carry Caitlin for the rest of this journey!"

Subsequently, Grimsley groaned as Marshall lifted Caitlin onto his back, "I did not agree to this."

Shauntal gasped, "But you must! One of our warriors has fallen because of Yawn! That leaves Alder and Marshal to fight when and if the time comes!"

"Oh please, then why don't you carry her?"

"I'm obviously not strong enough to perform such an honorable task!"

Caitlin yawned, "Thank you Grimsley."

"I hate you all."

The crew continued through the teleport, leading them to the broken champion room. There were pieces of rock and building everywhere, but the breeze was nice. It held a different atmosphere now than it did half a year ago, but alas, it wasn't the room that made the Champion, it was the Champion that made the room.

Several moments in the second half of their 'journey', Alder started humming one of the songs he learned during his travels while Shauntal kept telling the over dramatized story of their 'journey'. Marshal went to march in time with Alder, leaving Grimsley to walk with Shauntal as he carried a dozing Caitlin.

Within two minutes, they made it to Alder's post, Marshal getting Caitlin off Grimsley's back. As always, they sat in a circle in their informalized seating arrangement.

"That was exhausting," Caitlin curled down on the floor.

Grimsley face palmed, "I literally carried you most of the way."

The last pieces of conversation fell into silence, leaving them with the sounds of the wind grazing around the columns, the occasional rock dancing over the ground, and the distant cries of Pokémon. Everyone was gazing around the ruins, lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Shauntal broke the silence, "So…how long are we sitting here?"

"I don't know," Alder smiled at the sky, "I was doing this just to mess around. Is everyone ready to head back? We'll have to wake Caitlin up…"

Caitlin sat up, "I was about to fall asleep, as I usually have a nap at this hour. Can someone still carry me back?"

Marshal walked towards Caitlin, "I'll carry you. I still have to burn off this chocolate."

They laughed in unison, heading back more slowly than they came. When they finally made it, Marshal laid Caitlin down on the sofa in the study area, heading over to a recliner to silently lift some weights. Alder grabbed a book over some wonder of Unova, deciding to read it over at the window sofa instead of a desk. Grimsley found himself at the computer once again, playing a game of tuxedo online. Shauntal made herself comfortable at her self-proclaimed desk, jotting down notes for a novel she was in the middle of. Caitlin, as always, relished in the peace of the study, feeling her eyes weigh down with joys of the days antics. Within a few minutes, she fell asleep with a soft smile.

A/N: Hi there! It's me Lizzy, and before I go on, I'd like to say thanks! Thanks for clicking on this story and making it to the end. You can follow, favorite, comment/critique, and/or good vibes (maybe bad vibes, I don't judge) if you'd like. Anything and everything is appreciated. Now about how this chapter came to be. Originally, it was supposed to be a game of poker, but honestly, I suck. That's how it turned into a silly game of go-fish and an impromptu hiking trip to the Champion's post. I have no idea what 'feel' I was going for, but I think whatever it was, I made it work. At least I hope so.