"Officer Jenny, do you know this boy?"
Norman held little May in one arm, his strong hand gently patting her back to comfort his precious daughter.
Officer Jenny looked at Sieg, whom she had met once before, and said, "He came to our station before, wanting to join a cleanup mission. He's a shy and good-hearted kid."
Norman nodded in understanding, though a slight hint of wariness appeared in his eyes as he looked at Sieg.
Sieg, standing not too far away, overheard Officer Jenny's words and almost couldn't hold back his laughter inside.
A shy and good-hearted kid?
His hands had been stained with the blood of both humans and Pokémon, he had even once been a pirate.
But fortunately, those disgraceful pasts had long been buried at sea by Metako. Now, he was someone from the core of the League, an upright and shy young man.
Yes, that's right. Just like that.
Sieg kept repeating this thought to himself. After all, only by fooling himself could he fool others.
"Officer Jenny, we meet again. Are you executing the mission to clean up the Wurmple swarm?" Sieg asked directly, without hesitation.
He glanced curiously at the large group of officers behind her.
Since Sieg had applied for this mission before, Officer Jenny didn't find his question surprising.
"Yes. We were originally clearing wild Pokémon on the outskirts of Petalburg Woods. But unexpectedly, Norman's daughter got lost, so we all came to search for her."
Officer Jenny answered without any caution, stating the group's objective plainly.
Sieg's lips curled up slightly, this was exactly the effect he wanted.
By acting like a shy young man in front of outsiders, he lowered their guard and increased their trust in him.
It was also a way for him to quickly adapt to his new identity.
Judging by the current result, his disguise was working well, at least, it had fooled Officer Jenny.
"To tell the truth, Officer Jenny, I'd like to participate in this cleanup mission. I want to train my Pokémon. I don't care about rewards." Sieg stepped forward earnestly.
Officer Jenny hesitated briefly, then agreed, saying, "Alright. But this mission is no joke. You must be cautious and just assist from the side."
The person with the highest authority present was her, along with Norman, the not-yet-appointed Gym Leader.
So, she had the right to make the decision.
"Thank you, Ms. Jenny, for giving me a chance to serve the League!"
After receiving her approval, Sieg's eyes lit up, and he responded with a look of genuine joy.
Everyone present smiled kindly at Sieg. In their eyes, he was the very image of a well-behaved child.
A shy, upright young man loyal to the League, what's not to like?
"Corphish, Carvanha, come out and get ready for battle!"
Sieg released two Pokémon to assist the League's cleanup crew and several other core League Trainers on the mission.
The nearby Wurmple swarm was not very strong for the most part. They most likely were the losers of territorial battles within the jungle.
"Arcanine, use Flamethrower!"
Officer Jenny raised her arm, and a majestic, fiery-orange Arcanine leapt into action, releasing a blast of powerful flames.
It instantly wiped out the swarm's strongest Dustox and Beautifly.
Sieg stood in awe as he watched the heroic Officer Jenny, a hint of envy spreading in his heart. Arcanine, a Pokémon with higher base stats than most starters.
Back in the day, some even believed it was a legendary Pokémon.
Unfortunately, nearly all Growlithe in the world were owned by the Jenny family. Wild ones were nearly impossible to find; their rarity rivaled that of pseudo-legendaries.
Of course, if you were just a commoner and incredibly lucky enough to catch a wild Growlithe…
Then, congratulations, it wouldn't be long before the Jenny family would track you down by scent and ask if you'd be willing to marry into their family.
That was the dream of most men. Sure, Nurse Joy was gentle and kind, but Officer Jenny awakened something more primal, the desire to conquer, right?
And if you dared to reject the Jenny family's offer? They'd gracefully say it was fine, but not long after, you'd be forcibly recruited by the League and likely die in battle against some underground criminal organization.
Most Trainers who "didn't know what was good for them" and rejected the Jenny family ended up dying that exact way.
"Vigoroth, use Knock Off!"
As Norman's Vigoroth dealt with the final enemy Pokémon, the cleanup mission officially came to an end.
Officer Jenny stepped forward gracefully, approaching the League Trainers who had accepted the mission and began handing out mission completion proofs.
They left excitedly, apparently heading to the Pokémon Center to collect their mission rewards.
"Trainer Sieg, you did a great job during the mission. Consider this a small personal reward from me," Officer Jenny suddenly said, pulling a mission proof from her pocket and handing it to him.
Sieg didn't pretend to be above it; he took it without hesitation and said with a smile, "Thank you, Officer Jenny. I'm just happy I could help."
Seeing how straightforwardly Sieg accepted the reward, Officer Jenny smiled warmly. She really didn't like those who acted self-righteous and insincere.
And so, everyone was happy. The cleanup mission concluded perfectly.
Norman walked over carrying his daughter May and said, "Officer Jenny, this young man saved my daughter. Let's invite him to the Gym inauguration ceremony."
Though he sounded like he was asking, there was no room for refusal in his tone.
Sieg thought to himself, "No wonder they call him the man closest to the Elite Four!"
The master of Normal-types!
"Oh, absolutely, Mr. Norman. You traveled all the way from Johto just to take up your Gym Leader duties here. Of course, you can make such decisions."
Officer Jenny's voice was pleasant and clear, without a hint of arrogance; she was extremely respectful toward Norman.
"That's great. Thank you, Officer Jenny, for your understanding."
"Well then, young man, are you willing to come?" Norman looked at Sieg with hopeful eyes.
Just then, little May, who had been quiet in Norman's arms, lifted her head. Her big watery eyes blinked as she looked at Sieg expectantly, like a porcelain doll.
"Sieg, come! Come! Come!" she called out in her soft, childish voice.
Sieg looked at Norman and replied politely, "Then I shall accept the invitation. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Norman."
"Yay!"
May cheered and squirmed happily in Norman's arms, her tiny hands making adorable gestures.
Everyone smiled at each other, cute children are always lovable.
On the way back to the city, Sieg took the opportunity to ask about the Gym situation. After all, since Officer Jenny had brought it up earlier, it would seem suspicious if he didn't inquire further.
"Mr. Norman was invited by the Vice Chairman of the Hoenn region to come to Petalburg City and take up the position of Gym Leader," Officer Jenny happily explained to him.