Summary: "Be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become." (W.E.B. Du Bois) Adventure is what every pokemon trainer searches for. That is no exception for a young pokemon trainer named Rayna Grayson. With only the intention to forget her past, she travels the world with her faithful pokemon partners, hoping to avoid the attention of the criminal organization, Team Rocket. Such a feat becomes difficult when Lance of the Pokemon G-Men comes into her life. Forced together through circumstances, they must foil Giovanni at every turn, and unlock the mysteries held by the Pokemon of Legend. But as they grow closer it becomes clear that their fates rest together, as does their strength. ~A Pokemon Story (LancexOc)
"Leave Me At the Roadside" A Lance Story
By: Halogirl3000
~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~
The sun beat down from its high haven in the sky. However it was cool beneath the protective branches that the tree's of the forest made. They grew grand and wide within these backwoods of Goldenrod City. Their reach extending for miles in every direction. Many had become hopelessly lost within the confines of the labyrinth they laid. Their limbs outstretched across the horizon, shading the undergrowth from the overbearing temperature of the season.
Summer had made its way to Johto, and beyond the barriers of the overgrown fauna, one would feel their skin tingle in the pleasant feeling of warmth the sun provided. That is, until it started to burn.
One such person was escaping that fate, keeping within the legendary forest's reach. However, it was not with the intention of avoiding the sun's heated embrace.
"What are you doing?" A figure asked itself slowly, as it observed the strange creatures playing multiple meters away. It hid itself behind a mass of leaves and bush that grew plentiful around these parts. You either kept to the paths, or you waded your way through plant after plant in this forest.
But the path was not what the figure required. While it would get you out of the forest with ease, you also missed the multitude of pokemon that resided in these parts. One such group, caught the figure's interest immediately.
It was rare for wild pokemon to be found outside their regions. The figure had personally never come across such a phenomenon in their many journey's. Pokemon were very territorial, and such an invasion of claimed land would undeniably lead to a conflict. It was no less than a miracle that this group had avoided that for their time here.
The figure let out a sigh of weariness. It had been studying the group for about a week now. Watching with curiosity at how the pokemon within the herd adapted to their new environment. It was interesting to say the least. But now caution set in. There were a number of concerns for this group, and the pokemon factions that had existed within the forest already.
"Well, that is why I called in the professor. He'll know what to do about this." The figure said as it lifted itself from the crouched position of its observations.
The figure was undeniably female. Long strands of light green hair fell over her shoulders, ending at the small of her back. Golden eyes watched the group with an acute focus, so intent that its gaze would intimidate many. Thin eyebrows were hidden beneath her green bangs, that fluffed and ended straightly before it hindered her stare. Her skin was light, almost cream in its delicate coloring. Her tan coat was lined in black and held an almost Chinese designed style as it clasped over her chest. It ended high, leaving her slim stomach covered by her dark purple shirt she wore beneath it. A white belt hung from her widened hips, and a dark grey skirt fell at her mid thigh. Her calves were covered by tall black boots that buckled around the sides.
With another sigh of almost helplessness, she reached down and grabbed her side satchel that held her many possessions. Swinging it upon her shoulder, she took one last look at the out of placed group of Gible's within the clearing.
She had no idea how they came to be there. The home region of the pokemon was in a completely different part of the world, and she was concerned about their safety in this foreign domain. She desperately hoped the professor could do something about this.
Speaking of . . .
"Oh no! I'm going to be late to meet him in Goldenrod!" The figure exclaimed in panic as she checked the time on her pokenav.
Now in a rush she looked back into the clearing of wild pokemon. Biting her lip in indecision, she focused upon what needed to be done. She couldn't leave the pokemon alone. There was too great a chance of loosing them within the dense forest. Not to mention the potential for another wild group of pokemon finding them and becoming hostile.
With a determined frown upon her lips, she reached upon her belt, and pulled off one of the six small balls attached. Clicking the latch of her poke ball, she threw the red and white signature capture devise into the air. Watching intently as the red light streamed from the open ball, she caught it as it returned to her hand. Within moments she saw a familiar form take life.
"Cro-Crobat!" It almost screeched when it was finally released. The woman giggled as she watched the pokemon enjoy itself for a moment, flying up and down to stretch its wings. She idly wondered what it was like within a pokeball, then cringed upon envisioning the cramped idea that come to mind.
"Alright Byakuya," She called its given name with fondness as she drew his attention. "I know you're happy to be out, but I need you to do something for me."
The Crobat nodded, swiftly flying in an up and down motion, signifying its willingness to help in any given situation. Its purple body was held up by its four powerful wings, the top two being more massive in size than the two twin limbs that fluttered a fast pace below its middle. Its large, yellow eyes gazed intently upon its trainer, waiting for a word of direction. Two long, pointed ears sat atop its rounded body, flicking every so often as it caught a far off noise that only it could detect with its supersonic hearing.
"See that group of Gible's over there," The woman said as she pointed out towards the clearing she had been watching. The pokemon again nodded in its unique way, and the woman continued. "I need you to watch and keep an eye on them. I need to head into Goldenrod and get the professor, but I can't leave them here on their own to get attacked or get lost. So can you do that for me, please?"
"Crobat!" It replied determinedly. The woman smiled back at her pokemon, and lifted a hand to pat it between its large ears. Even with a permanent frown upon its face, she could read its emotions with ease. Having trained it since it was a small Zubat, the duo had been through much together.
"Thank you, Byakuya." The woman said, as she grinned at her pokemon, whose eyes crinkled in its own way of smiling back at her. "I'll be back in the forest within the next three hours. Keep your ears open and find me when you hear me close. Then we'll show the professor what we've found."
"And be careful." Was the woman's last warning, before she turned and waved back at her pokemon. He was fully capable of taking care of himself, but she couldn't force down the worry that rose whenever she left one of her team alone. It was always a tough choice to make. But she needed to go meet the professor, and she couldn't do that without leaving someone to look after the Gible's that had found themselves here. It was the only option she had.
'I'll be quick, I promise.' The woman thought to herself as she made her way to the forest's path. The quicker she got to Goldenrod and found the professor, the quicker she could return to her pokemon.
~Pokemon Center, Goldenrod City~
"Where is that girl?" Professor Oak said with another glance at his watch. His eyes were narrowed into a deep glare as he watched the seconds hand move at its steady pace. Each twitch was one more moment he was kept waiting by the one who had called him here.
With a sigh, the aging blonde let his shoulders drop from their tension. His intelligent, black eyes scanned the lobby for any sign of the one he was waiting on. Though his face showed his years, with crow's feet beginning to form at the corner of his eyes, and wrinkles around his mouth, there was no denying the fire that was held beneath all that. He was young at heart, and that kept all the rest of him as able bodied as a teenager. His trademark lab coat hung from his shoulders, and framed his red shirt and light tan pants.
A chuckle from behind him caught his attention.
"How long have we been waiting now?" The professor's companion asked with good humor. He sat on a bench inside the pokemon center, and had been watching the young trainers with a small grin throughout the wait he had been forced to endure. Deep red hair shot from his scalp, and remained spiked by nature. A set of cool blue eyes watched his surroundings with calm indifference, betraying nothing about what was spinning across his mind. There was a ease at which he sat, one completely free of constraints such as image or presentation. He was who he was, and he knew that.
His clothing was strange for the time as well. He wore a dark set of black and red. His long sleeves shirt bearing black along the sleeves, and red stripes along the front of his chest and torso. His pants continued the design, black along the sides of his legs, and red along the front of his thighs to his knees. The strangest piece of his attire however, was the long cape that was folded on the seat next to him. One could safely assume he would clasp it across his shoulders when he stood from the bench.
"Well I'm glad your having fun with this Lance." The Professor almost chided the young man for finding the situation amusing. He would never understand how the Dragon Master took all this so calmly. Usually the professor would easily wave away a few minutes of tardiness. But an hour was pushing even his patience. "Honestly, I don't even know why I'm surprised right now. It's not like she ever acknowledges anyone else's business before her own anyways."
With a huff the professor sagged into the spot beside the red-headed trainer, who could only barely keep his laughter from escaping at the sight of the dejected scientist. He was a spirited man, and seeing him this depressed was rare, as well as entertaining.
"You haven't told me much about the one we're here to meet, Professor. What brings us all the way from Kanto?" Lance couldn't help but wonder. It had been four days of travel for the both of them to reach Goldenrod, and that was with all the connections that a Pokemon champion and a world class scientist had. He almost shuddered at the memory of the length of time his journeys took before his beloved Dragonite. Flying beat walking any day.
"I already told you all I know, Lance." The professor stated as he straightened his back and looked Lance in the eye. He was in full on lecture mode now. "A previous trainer of mine called about a week ago. She said that she had found a group of Gible's in the Johto region, without trainers, or caretakers. I don't need to tell you how strange that is."
Lance nodded, knowing how unusual it was that such a group of pokemon could migrate so far from their homeland. "It is curious that a group of them is in Johto. I can't even imagine how they all got here. They're rare pokemon, even in the Sinnoh region where they're originally found."
Professor Oak nodded in agreement. "Yes, even the idea of a trainer abandoning them in unlikely. From what she told me, it seems like there are quite a few of them here. But the trainer was concerned about their safety in the forest. There's no telling what the other pokemon will do in response to the Gible's living there."
"And your coming here has nothing to do with the fact that you rarely get to study different regions pokemon in a natural habitat, right?" Lance quirked an eyebrow in the blushing professors direction.
The professor, for his credit, only stuttered for a moment before responding to Lance's gibe. "Well you got me there," The professor chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "I very easily could have sent one of my assistants to check on the situation, but I've never seen a Gible in person myself, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity! Plus, I deserve a little camping vacations I'd say." Professor Oaks, nodded to himself as he finished, reassuring himself.
"I'm sorry professor, but that doesn't explain why you called me to help you on this. I have no doubt that you are fully capable of handling the Gible on your own." Lance said, the confusion that he had held a bay since he had been invited on this trip making itself known. Of course, being a Pokemon G-Man, he was trained to notice the small details of everything around him. Which makes it no surprise that he immediately noticed when Professor Oak's mood change drastically.
Professor Oak looked out towards the doors of the Pokemon Center, eyeing the people and pokemon walking through with a critical gaze, one that was focused on a subject a million miles away from them all. "You're right Lance," He admitted as his voice turned low and serious. "I did call you to help with the Gible, you being a specialist in Dragon-Type pokemon was only one reason that I called you to accompany me on this trip. The other reason, is Team Rocket."
The effect of the name was instantaneous. The Dragon Master's feelings about the particular group were no small secret. It was widely known that he opposed their influence in the field of pokemon. Their mistreatment of any unfortunate creature that they placed their sights on was a resentment that Lance sometimes had trouble controlling.
"Team Rocket?" Lance questioned. He had been following their trail for many months, but had not yet heard of any recent actions on their part that caused his immediate attention.
"A few things have been sent to me recently Lance," The professor confided. "Things that while the scientist researching it have noble intentions for, may be right up Team Rocket's alley for twisting into something heinous." The professor was obviously worried. Lance could tell by the way he hunched over, his hands clasped tightly in front of his chin, and the way that his eyes looked haunted.
"Is this really the place to go over such things professor?" Lance asked, concerned about just what the professor's plans were within the near future. "What with this trainer of yours around?"
Though Lance did not know just what he said to change the professor's mood so suddenly, he found himself staring wide eyed at the man who moments before, looked as if the whole world was against him. "Actually, it's the perfect place to discuss such things, with this trainer around Lance." The professor grinned, the familiar fire of determination returning to his eyes and lighting them up with positive emotions that Lance could not help but feel his own burdens lift slightly from his shoulders.
"And just who is this trainer, professor?" Lance could not help but ask.
Just as the professor opened his mouth to speak about the illusive trainer whose information had been dodging Lance's awareness for days, a call came from across the lobby.
"Professor! There you are!" A voice cried out from in front of the doors, immediately drawing every eye in the vicinity to her.
With a cringe, the green haired woman noticed just what her shout had done. Mentally she rebuked herself. 'This is a Pokemon Center idiot! Keep it down! There is no use in yelling things out like that.' The woman waved at the attention, giving a nervous smile in the directions of her onlookers. "Sorry about that, continue your business, and don't mind me!" She said, finishing with a hop to her step as she neared the professor as quickly as possible. The faster she joined a group the better, as it would divert everyone's attention to their own matters.
"My bad." She said as she finally reached the professor at the benches. Her smile dropped into a expression of complete misery, which only deepened when she saw the look of mirth on Professor Oak's face.
"Always the dramatic entrance with you, isn't it?" The professor teased her way. He was in much better spirits now that he saw the trainer, and could not keep the humorous tone from his voice at her typically noisy arrival.
"Please Professor," The woman couldn't help the pleading pitch of her voice. "It was punishment enough just walking over here. You don't need to follow it up with a rant about me being late." She said as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other, glancing at the professor from the side of her eyes. She was just waiting for a word of reprimand, either about her previous performance, or her tardiness.
"No worries, it wasn't like I was completely caught unaware by your being so late. What was keeping you however, nothing serious I hope?" The professor questioned as he looked at the young woman before him, seeking out any signs of injuries.
The green haired maiden was quick to wave away his concern. "No, it was nothing like that professor. I just got a bit caught up in the forest, what with making arrangements for your arrival, and making sure that the Gible's were taken care of for the time being." She shot a bright smile in his direction for good measure.
"Mm-hmm." Was the professor's only response, as he narrowed his eyes critically at the woman. It wouldn't be the first time that she exaggerated her excuse as to avoid his preaching. "And why weren't you watching your watch better?"
With a nervous laugh the woman changed her tactics as to avoid his wrath. "Who's this you have with you professor, I don't think I've ever met him?" She said as she turned her attention to the man standing beside the professor. She had noticed him upon her immediate arrival at the Center, he seemed like a difficult man to miss. Even without his startling bright hair, his stance of pure confidence was something to draw attention too.
His good looks didn't hurt either.
"Oh," The professor fell right into her hands as he turned to his companion. "This is Lance, he'll be accompanying us while we do our research. He's a specialist in the area of dragon pokemon, so I thought he could help out. I'm sorry Lance, I almost completely forgot about you."
Lance let out a good natured laugh. "It's alright professor, I understand there's a lot on your mind at the moment. But I feel it's only right that you tell me your name now that you know mine. You know, just to be fair." He said as he grinned over at the strange woman who blatantly used him as her out. He had been watching her through her conversation with the professor, and was surprised at how easy it was for them to argue, even if only slightly. They seemed close.
"I'm Rayna." She said as she returned his grin with a matching one of her own. Her shoulders seemed to straighten as she realized she had escaped the professor from turning the conversation back on her. She held out her hand in greeting, and Lance took it without hesitation. "It's a pleasure to meet you Lance."
"The same to you. The professor has gone on and on about this mysterious trainer of his, it's nice to put a face to the person now." Lance replied back as he drew his hand back from the handshake.
"Well, now that we're all acquainted, let's get down to business. Rayna, about the pokemon you called me here for?" The professor stated seriously. It was about time that they brought their minds to the matter at hand. His declaration had immediate effects as both Rayna and Lance looked towards him, ready to talk pokemon.
"Yes, the Gible's are in a clearing within the Ilex Forest. It should only be a few hours walk from here." Rayna answered back.
The professor nodded, a grim look of contemplation on his face. "We better hurry out there. I don't like the idea of them being on their own out there." He said as he looked for confirmation from the two others.
Lance nodded gravely. "The quicker we find them the better. Gible's are particularly prone to wandering around. They don't like to stay still, and if they get mixed up with another group of pokemon who knows what will happen."
"Well then, follow me boys!" Rayna said as she stepped backwards, leading them towards the doors of the Pokemon Center. "Let's hit the road. I'll show you into the forest."
~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~
The walk through the forest was proving to be somewhat of a problem.
Not that that was a surprise to anyone. It was a thick forest, and even inhabitants of the surround area's rarely entered the denser parts for fear of loosing their way. The bushes of the forest were particularly notorious for their difficulty to travel around. Luckily, all three of the immediate group were excellent hikers, and all had experience with such adversities as terrain.
"So tell me again Rayna what you found. Just so we're all on the same page." The professor's voice traveled through the air as he stepped over a large root that spiked out of the ground near him. They had all ended up in singe file, following Rayna as she lead them further into the heart of the forest. Lance was having a pretty easy time behind the professor, his fit body handling the landscape with fluent movements. And in front of him, Rayna was traversing the thicket with bold strides.
Rayna laughed back at him. "I really don't know that much about the situation professor. All I know is that when I was walking around the forest a Gible appeared on the path. At first I just though it lost its trainer, but it started heading into the forest, so I decided to follow it. Eventually it lead me to a clearing where it rejoined its group, and it just really confused me as to why there were so many of them. Anyways, I watched them for a few days before I called you when it didn't look like they were leaving the forest at all." She replied as she looked back at the professor. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes as he looked back at the ground, obviously troubled. Her own face morphed into one of worry, hoping that eventually the professor could come up with a solution.
"And they didn't notice you whenever you were around?" Lance asked, also worried about the professor. He shared a concerned look with Rayna, whose golden eyes were glancing towards him to answer his question.
"What, you don't think I can make myself scarce when I want to be?" She retorted back with a smirk, pausing momentarily in her walk. It was immature of her, but the intense atmosphere was getting on her nerves, and she desperately needed a way to break it.
"You seemed pretty loud back in the Pokemon Center." Lance replied back, letting a small smug grin cross his face when her cheeks reddened slightly.
"That was a fluke. But in all honesty they probably did. I just never got close enough for them to be cautious about my being there. And after a few days of just watching them I think they got used to me being around." Rayna said back, unable to keep a smile from her face at his retort. It seemed the guy had a sense of humor, and she was grateful that he was willing to take the bait and help with the dejected mood that hovered over them.
"Rayna," The professor questioned from the side. Both Rayna and Lance turned their attentions back to him at the call. "You said earlier that you made sure the Gible's were taken care of for the time being. What did you mean?"
Rayna quickly looked around her, for any sign of Byakuya or the Gible's that they had been looking for. "I didn't want to take the risk of the Gible's completely disappearing on me in the forest while I left to get you, so I left Byakuya out here to watch over them. The plan was for him to come find us as we walked by."
"And you're sure we're going in the right direction. We've been walking for an awfully long time." The professor said as he too looked about for the elusive pokemon. Unfortunately, he caught the slight wince that Rayna gave off. "You do know where we're going right?"
"Well," Rayna was forced to admit as she took a step back from the aggravated scientist. "We passed the clearing I left them in about fifteen minutes ago. I was really hoping that Byakuya would've popped out by now, but it obviously hasn't happened yet."
"Rayna!" Professor Oak's yelled out in disbelief, his eyes widening at the cringing woman "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"Because I really thought Byakuya would've showed up by now!" The girl defended. "And what good would've come from me telling you that the Gible's had left? We'll find them eventually." Rayna said as she finished with a brilliant smile directed at the steaming professor.
"Arrhh!" The professor responded, quickly turning away and stomping in another direction. "Fine! Let's just keep going, but I'm leading this time!" He said as he started in another direction. Behind him, Rayna bit her lip to keep the grin from overpowering her face at his fury. A glance at Lance told her he too was amused at Oak's anger. He just didn't feel the need to hide it.
The professor continued to grumble as he made his way through the first layer of tree's and bushes surrounding them. He grabbed at one of the branches that hung in front of his face, pushing it down so he could see where he was going. Suddenly, however, he let out a short yelp as he backed over his own feet and fell to the dirt.
Both Rayna and Lance looked over towards him in alarm at his unexpected actions. Quickly preparing themselves to respond accordingly to whatever happened they rushed to the side of the fallen man, and looked upon that which had frightened him so.
With a grin Rayna stepped around the now forgotten professor. "Byakuya," She greeted her missing partner with a relieved smile. It chattered happily back at her, and flew the short way to cuddle into her face. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you!"
"I take it that's your pokemon?" Lance said from beside the professor, watching with a small smile at the obviously joyful pair. He knelt down to the professors flank. He grasped the professors arm and helped him to his unsteady feet.
"Yup!" Rayna answered back, grinning all the while as she watched her large watermelon sized pokemon flap its wings. "This is Byakuya, which means we're not far from the Gible's at this rate. Told you everything would be fine professor!"
"Of course." The professor replied as he regained his composure. "It's good to see you again Byakuya, you look like you've gotten stronger." The purple bat flew the short distance to the professor, and twirled around his head in a cheerful manner. "Oh I'm fine, just happy to see we now know where we're going." He grinned towards the pokemon.
The Crobat immediately changed its disposition, recognizing that it still had a job to complete. Turning back towards the wall of tree's, it jerked its entire body in an obvious gesture.
"He wants us to follow him." Rayna said as she stepped towards her pokemon, motioning for the two men of the group to trail after. "He'll lead us to the Gible's."
"You're using Crobat's super sonic hearing to keep track of what's going on in the forest." Lance commented as he stepped behind her into the shadow's of the tree's.
"It seemed like the best option. Byakuya could notice the vibrations and sound waves we gave off when we were close, then he could use the same thing to lead us back to the Gible's when he found us." Rayna replied as she ducked beneath a low branch, she glanced back at the professor, and giggled lightly when she noticed he was getting more excited about the group of pokemon with each step.
"Clever." Lance complimented with a grin.
"I'm not all noise Lance." Rayna said back, an equally large grin on her face, and a mischievous sparkle in her eye.
Within minutes the trio arrived a large clearing that was lined with thick tree trunks. Within, they could make out multiple happy calls of the Gible's they were here to observe. Upon stepping beside the massive tree's, they noticed the small, blue bodies running around and playing together without a care. It brought a smile to all of their faces.
"Thanks Byakuya." Rayna said as she smiled gratefully to her flying pokemon as she rubbed it between its large ears. It gave its signature smile back, happy to be of use. "You deserve a nice long break now though. So I'll let you get back to your pokeball and rest up." She lifted the mentioned contraption, and tapped the round button on the front. With a click it opened up, and the bat creature was wrapped in a luminous red that twisted itself into the round object. With a snap Rayna closed it, ensuring her teammate a nice nap within. As she returned it to its place on her belt she looked back at the professor and Lance.
"So, what do we do now professor?" Rayna asked as she watched the professor loose the grin he had had while he gazed at the lively pokemon within the field.
"Now, we get to work." Professor Oak replied in a serious tone. "Lance, let's start analyzing their behavior. Compare it to other Dragon-types that you know of. Rayna, I need you to start taking pictures, there should be a camera in my bag. Let's hurry people, we have a lot to do now!"
With a roll of the eyes Rayna did as she was told. It was all business now. There wouldn't be a moments rest until the professor passed out from shear exhaustion. She sent one last smile towards Lance, then turned and started to go through Oak's forgotten pack.
It would be a long day.
Ramblings of an Author: Hey there everyone! First off, I wanna thank you for reading this fanfiction, I really appreciate any support that is shown. As I'm sure you know, Lance's fanbase is not nearly as represented as it should be, so even the smallest bit of encouragment(whether it be comments, or just reading the story) is really helpful! That's actually why I wanted to finally write this out, because it's so hard to come across a decent Lance story. I really can't tell you how excited I am to write this out, pokemon was one of the highlights of my childhood, so it only seems natural that I right out a story for it now!
A quick note however, I've raised the rating of this story to T, just because when you realistically think about fighting animals with almost supernatural powers, it's hard to keep it child friendly. Plus, I really adore Lance, and I can't say that things won't get a little steamy between him and my o.c. But when I think about this, it really shouldn't be a problem. I mean, anyone who remembers the begining of the series(Or Lance's part in it) must at least be in their teens by now, and should be able to handle whatever I dish out! :)
That being said, I hope that you'll continue reading the story as I publish it! And anyone who comments or favorite's the story will get a cookie, . . . well no, I ate them all, but you'll get my thanks all the same! :)