Unbridled energy had been coursing through her veins for about three days. It had spurred her onto tidying her house - a small task, given its pragmatic nature - and onto tidying up the gym - a much greater task, given its size and the human component. Jasmine wasn’t sure if it was the nervous anticipation or the excitement that gave her such a boost, but she appreciated it nonetheless. It became much easier to complete everything in a timely manner.
That being said, the day of downtime where she had no other plans aside from one gym battle was absolutely torturous. Everyone was relieved that Lance would be arriving today, because that meant their leader could finally settle her nerves. Well, as much as they were capable of settling, at least.
It had been a while since Jasmine had first joined the League. Initially, she had done so to prove to herself that she could; it was a mark of her progress, her determination, her capability. It meant that she had finally become strong, that she could maybe even serve as a role model for others. If she could do it, they could, too, right?
Of course, after she had assumed the position, she quickly realized that the weight of the responsibility was far from light. Plus, she was expected to not only be Olivine’s Gym Leader, but also a member of the League. Which meant sitting down to meetings and convening with some of the strongest, most capable trainers in the entire region. And not only the Johto League, but also the Kanto League; all of these people were now her colleagues, and she would have to get along with all of them.
She had an anxiety attack outside of the door of her first meeting.
Luckily, her fears had proven to be misplaced. They were all able to look past her difficulties, had accepted her regardless of them, and now Jasmine called many among them her closest friends. While she still struggled sometimes, while the pressure felt like it might eat her alive on occasion, she enjoyed their support and company. There weren’t many she kept consistent contact with, but she never regretted speaking with them. They felt like her family - close enough that she could approach them at any time, if she wanted to. It was a comforting feeling.
Given how busy most of them were, visits weren’t particularly frequent. This didn’t stop her from peeking in every once in a while, or from receiving an unexpected guest, but most of her time off was spent in Sinnoh. She liked to bring souvenirs that she knew her colleagues would like, an unspoken apology for not going out of her way to see them more.
Out of all of them, Lance was usually the busiest. As champion, he had so much going on at any one time that it made Jasmine’s head hurt just thinking about it. But that never stopped him from being kind to her, or checking up on her sometimes, or making sure she was alright before meetings or in crowded venues. He was like the older brother she never had, and she appreciated his kindness and strength.
Today he was here on business. Inspecting the gym and her performance to make sure she was up to League standard. It always made her a bit paranoid, but Lance was good at quelling her fear. By now, it became typical for them to have a bit of downtime together before the proper inspection. She had a couple of matches today that he would be sitting in on, but before that, he would be meeting her at home. She already had tea out and ready for his arrival. She paced by the door, fingers fidgeting with her bow, always in motion, never still.
