Chapter 1: Vs. Dragonite: A Challenge
Gold was relaxing. He had a rare day off from being Champion of the Indigo Plateau, and was determined to make it count. So he had flown to Olivine and was having a relaxing day on the beach, with his best friend, Lyra.
"Wow, the beach sure is crowded today!" remarked Lyra.
"Yep, no one's going to work today, because of it being National Arceus Day" Gold informed her.
The two teens were sunbathing. Gold was wearing swimming trunks, slightly wet from a dip in the pool earlier, and Lyra a modest bikini. The vast beach was full of people enjoying. There were families playing, children building sandcastles, and couples strolling, arm in arm.
National Arceus Day was a day in June when people and Pokémon alike celebrated the creation of the Universe. As no-one actually knew what day the universe started, the day was just picked at random.
Suddenly, Gold felt weightless. He looked around, but couldn't see anything, except for Lyra, who was just as bewildered as he was.
As quick as it started, the weightless feeling stopped. Gold and Lyra were deposited on the stone floor of an enormous cave. As Gold got up, he noticed that there was a dais at the end of the chamber. Lyra also got up, and was shivering. When he saw this, Gold also felt the cold.
"Um… our clothes are on the beach." Lyra said.
"Oh" Gold said, looking around. They really were the only things in the room, except for the dais.
"Well?" Lyra said, looking at Gold expectantly.
"Um..."
"You're the Champion! Do something!"
"I left my Pokémon at the beach!"
"I want my clothes!" as soon as the angry Lyra said this, both were suddenly fully clothed in their traveling attire. For Gold that was a red jacket, black t-shirt and black three quarters, and for Lyra it was her red jumper with blue jacket and blue shorts.
"Wow!" Lyra exclaimed. Suddenly, a light appeared at the centre of the dais. It expanded until it made a shape reminiscent of a horse, but huge, the height of the cave. It then fully formed, becoming an apparition of a white horse-like Pokémon with a golden wheel around its back.
"Arceus!" Gold and Lyra both breathed at the same time.
"Greetings, young trainers" said a feminine voice inside of Gold's head. Judging by Lyra's expression, Gold guessed that she had heard it as well.
"I am the Alpha, Arceus, and I have a request I must ask of you, Gold"
"Arceus, I would be pleased to have even the slightest chance to serve you! Tell me what I must do!" Gold boldly pledged.
"You are aware of my fellow Beings, the Pixies, Titans and Deities known by your race as 'Legendary Pokémon?"
The teens nodded.
"When I fell into my slumber, my eldest three children, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina, dismissed the Legendary Beings. They gave the order to retreat into whatever places they preferred, and they were told not to communicate with other siblings outside their group in fear of arguments, which may have led to catastrophes. Well, now I am in need of them. I wish to reawaken, and I need the Counsel to meet for me to rise, as they, together, hold the key to my power. I want you, Gold of Johto, to re-awaken my children, by a method you know as capturing."
Until this point Gold and Lyra had been listening with rapt attention. Only now did Lyra say;
"My Lady, you want Gold to capture the Legendary Pokémon in Pokéballs?!" she exclaimed loudly.
"Indeed, Lyra. Most trainers' Pokéballs would crumble to dust if they even pointed them at my children, but I have forgone that method of protection for Gold. He alone can capture my children."
"And what do I do if I ever get them all?" Gold asked.
"That is for you to find out" Arceus said mysteriously. Then, she disappeared.
Gold and Lyra felt weightless again, and soon they found themselves back at the beach, in their bathing costumes. Time seemed to have paused while they were gone, because no-one seemed alarmed at their sudden re-appearance. Gold looked at Lyra.
"Go to the League. I'll meet you there, I just have to do something." She nodded, and started pulling on her clothes.
Gold dismounted his Togekiss outside the Dragons Den, in Blackthorn city.
"Thanks, girl" he said, patting Togekiss on the head.
"Togee!" Togekiss cried.
"Just stay there 'till I come out, okay?"
"Kiss!"
Gold stepped into the Den, taking a Pokéball from his belt as he did.
"Come on out, Feraligatr!" the huge, blue, Big Jaw Pokémon burst out of its Pokéball.
"Feral!" he cried.
"Okay, I need to get to the middle, got it?" Feraligatr nodded and jumped into the water, creating a huge splash that left Gold soaked.
"Hey!"
"Gatr!"
Soon, they were at the middle of the Den. Gold saw the red, shoulder length hair that he was looking for.
"Hey, Silver!" the red haired boy turned around and rolled his eyes.
"Hello, Gold" he said, exasperated at the Champion's exuberance.
"Hey, I've got a proposition for you. I need you t-"
"Gold" a voice from behind Silver said. Silver whisked around to find himself face-to-face with the Dragon Tamer, and ex-Champion, Lance.
"Hi, Lance, how come you're here?" Gold asked, irritated. He needed to get back to Lyra so they could begin planning.
"I want a rematch" Lance said, a familiar fire in his eyes. Gold sighed, and began to take out a Pokéball, when an idea occurred to him.
"You can battle me-"
"Good"
"-if you can beat Silver first."
"What is this!?" Lance growled. "Fine, I will battle him, one-on-one"
"Silver?" Gold asked.
"Of course" Silver whispered, with his eyes on Lance. He was still bitter from when the Tamer had beat him in front of Gold, his former Rival.
"Good." Gold said, and directed them to the front entrance of the Den, where there was more space."
"Go, Dragonite!" Lance shouted, sending out his best Pokémon.
"Come out, Gyarados!" the Red Gyarados from the Lake of Rage catastrophe a few years ago appeared and let loose an ear-splitting roar.
"GYARA!"
"Gyarados, start with Dragon Rage!" Gyarados unleashed a barrage of blue flames at Dragonite.
"Dragonite, Light Screen, and then Thunder Punch!" a yellow, psychic screen appeared in front of Dragonite, stopping the Dragon Rage without a problem. Then Dragonite flew at Gyarados, its fist glowing yellow.
"Gyarados, Toxic" Silver ordered calmly.
Gyarados shot a gunk of poisonous liquid at Dragonite, who winced, but kept on going. The punch sent Gyarados to the ground.
"Alright, now Hyper Beam!" Dragonite charged up a beam of energy in its mouth. Before it could release the blast, Silver ordered a Protect, causing a green barrier to appear in front of Gyarados, deflecting the beam with apparent ease.
"Now, Gyarados, Ice Fang!" Gyarados rose from the floor and lunged at the Dragon Pokémon, his mouth glowing blue. He chomped down of Dragonite's wing, causing the Pokémon great pain.
"Finish this, Dragon Tail!" Gyarados lunged at Dragonite, with his tail glowing purple smashing in to the Dragon-type's bulky body, knocking it to the rocky ground.
"Gyarados and Silver win!" Gold announced, trying not to laugh at the look on Lance's face. He failed.
"Utter blasphemy!" Lance muttered, recalling Dragonite and striding out of the cave without another word to either of them.
Silver recalled Gyarados.
"Well done, man!" Gold said, clapping Silver on the back.
"It was nothing" Silver muttered, but with a smug look on his face.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Silver asked.
Gold told him what happened with Arceus. He was the only one, besides Lyra, that Gold would trust with this knowledge.
When he finished, Silver raised an eyebrow.
"Look, don't get me wrong, this is amazing and all, but what do I have to do with this?" he said.
"I want you to be regent Champion while I'm gone. Just take challengers for me. You're the second strongest Trainer I know."
"Who's the first?" Silver asked eagerly.
"Red, but he doesn't come down from Mt. Silver. And quite frankly, most people would be too intimidated by him to battle properly"
"Okay, I'll do it" Silver said, after a moment of thinking.
"Thanks pal!"
"Don't call me that."