Next chappie! I have nothing to say here (more notes at the bottom), so, enjoy!
The next morning was a late one for the Johto champion.
When she first woke up, she had a strange feeling. She connected it to being from when she was asleep and the feeling of a dream surfaced.
She was flying over the ocean, in a state of panic, when she saw an island appear in the distance. For some reason, there was a prevailing sense of dread. Of panic. Of danger. She knew something bad was going to happen. But, then again, was it happening now or had it already happened?
She shook her head to clear it, frowning. She couldn't remember anything but that feeling and that scene. It must have been a weird dream, and, try as she could, she couldn't hold onto it. It started to drift away and she was unable to stop it and so she shrugged it off.
She thought about Leaf again and the conclusion that she had kept coming back to, but she quickly shooed it away. She couldn't bear to think about it right now. Only a few days into the investigation and she already had this delusion that she knew what had happened. She had no solid case, only strong intuition. That wasn't enough. Just because all of a sudden she thought she was a detective didn't make her one.
As she prepared for the day, she started to set out her priorities in her head. She wasn't usually a late riser, but she assumed that the night before had just been particularly taxing. Glancing at the clock for a third time since she had woken up (and still sighing every time at how much of the day she had wasted), she decided that today would be a good time to visit Ethan at his lab. Yes, she had just seen him the day before yesterday, but her schedule was free and she had absolutely zero idea on how to proceed next with the Pallet trio. Besides, she wasn't in the mood for analyzing right now.
So, she notified the League where she would be and, when she arrived at Ethan's, managed to have the bad timing of happening upon lunch time for all the inhabitants there.
"Ah! Hold on, Cyndaquil! I'm getting your food right now! And, Stantler, chill, big guy. I know- Phanpy! Out of Chikorita's food!"
The champion paused, surveying the situation with a slight grin on her face. Ethan was being harassed all over the place and he had run back inside (she assumed to get more food), without even seeing her. She used this time to let out her own pokemon, taking advantage of the beautiful day. Sasha apparently agreed with these thoughts on the weather as she promptly jumped up to land on Bellona's lowered head. The two of them proceeded to lazily sunbathe. Tor ruffled his feathers and took to the sky for a bit and Jag joined him, the two of them engaging in a spontaneous aerial game of chicken. Tank immediately glanced around the assorted munching pokemon, apparently scouting out what food he could stealthily steal (as if no one would see a pokemon of his size taking their food). Cav trailed Lyra as she walked to the open door of the lab, peering in to look for Ethan-
Who almost slammed straight into her as he came rushing back out.
"Woah, Ethan," Lyra took a few steps back. "Holy Suicune. That was close."
"Sorry!" Ethan made an apologetic face. "It's the lunchtime rush and there's a whole bunch of pokemon to feed. We just got these three starters for the new trainers starting their journey and other trainers from New Bark wanted us to look after their pokemon a little bit and-"
"Slow down, bud," Lyra laughed. "Where's Professor Elm, anyway?"
"On a field study," the boy explained, setting the plate of food down in front of the cyndaquil. "He'll be back by sunset." He glanced over at Lyra's hovering tyranitar. "Hey, does Tank want something to eat?"
"That would be great," the Johto champion nodded, wincing. "Sorry. It seems like I can never feed him enough."
"Nah, it's no problem."
When Ethan placated the giant pokemon with food a minute later, the two childhood friends could finally get around to talking. Lyra had brought some pizza that she had made herself the night before and they munched on it contentedly, sitting on the grass outside the lab and monitoring the pokemon.
"So, how was your trip?" The assistant professor asked, adjusting his hat before taking a bite of pizza.
"Very successful," she replied happily. "That is, if you don't count the slight altercation with Blue, which I sort of intentionally created." Ethan's quizzical look drew the entire story out of Lyra as she recounted the events of the day before.
"Dang," the boy whistled. "So much happened. And did Silver seriously punch him in the face? I wish I could've been there to see it."
"Did you think there was any chance that Silver wasn't going to punch someone in the face during the whole trip?" Lyra asked, laughing.
"True," the boy nodded. "All this information you picked up on is interesting though. It sounds like something must have happened between the three of them. Blue doesn't sound interested at all in finding Leaf, which makes it seem like this couldn't just be a random disappearance. He and Red must know what happened to her. They just aren't telling."
"And the fact that Blue is the bitterest person ever and Red is practically in a state of isolation?" Lyra added, putting her pizza down on the paper plate that Ethan had provided for a moment. "Something must have happened. And it kills me to think that whatever happened destroyed the three of them. It doesn't matter what happened to Leaf, she wouldn't have wanted this. She wouldn't have wanted them like this."
Ethan looked at her closely. "You're really into this, aren't you?"
She glanced down, realizing that she had unconsciously gathered her hand into a fist. "Yeah. I guess so. But it's not what happened that I care about anymore. That's between them. I just hate the tragedy of the whole situation. It's been five years since she died and I hate that she's been forgotten." She was silent for a moment, thinking of Red and Blue. "And I bet they do too."
"So then… What do you want to do about it?"
Lyra sighed, letting her hand fall into the grass as she picked at it in frustration. "I don't know."
The dark-haired boy glanced at her tentatively. "Well, it sounds to me like you want to fix the situation. Obviously Blue didn't take well to you, so maybe you can try to find out what's wrong with Red first. Maybe you need to find Red."
Red. The mysterious master that Lyra had only beaten one time out of fourteen. She had trekked up that mountain how many times to face his silent expression and was sent packing all but one. And, after all that effort of finally defeating him, he had disappeared afterwards. No one knew where he was now. He intrigued her like no other person ever had. He could be the answer.
"Maybe you're right, Ethan," she said slowly, coming to a realization. She had to think on this more, but at least she was getting an idea of what to do. At least it was some kind of action.
"Ever the helpful one. That's me." The boy grinned.
Lyra had opened her mouth to reply when she heard a gasp behind her. "Woah, is that a red gyarados?"
She turned to see two girls standing in the grass 25 feet away from them with dropped jaws. The older one, who looked about 13 or 14 and ready to start her pokemon journey any day now, was staring at the giant gyarados, while the younger one, who looked to be five or six, was sucking her thumb and doing the same.
"I want that one, Professor Hibiki!" The older one yelled, pointing at the now slightly curious Bellona. The girl then seemed to notice Tank, who was looking up from his food in interest. "And a tyranitar? I want that one too! Wow, my journey's gonna be awesome!"
Lyra gave a grin while Ethan tried to hide one of his own. "Sorry, Molly. Those already have a trainer."
The girl frowned, looking crestfallen. "Aw, man. They're so cool. I'm gonna have pokemon like that someday." Lyra took a closer look at the girl that obviously had been hanging around the lab a lot if Ethan knew her name. She had blonde hair in two braids and a pale blue dress on. She was skinny, but Lyra guessed that most kids at that age in New Bark could be described like that. There were too many outdoor activities to not get in good exercise. It was a part of the culture here.
"When do you start your journey?"
The blonde girl looked at Lyra as if this was the first time she had realized that she was there and her face quickly turned incredulous. "Oh my goodness! How did I not know from the red gyarados? And that's the meganium that you started with! You're Lyra Kotone!"
The champion smiled, patting Cav on the head. "Yeah, that'd be me."
"You're the coolest! I want to battle just like you! The way you show all those guys who's boss- Lance the Dragon Master and all the Elite Four. And you're right from New Bark! I can't wait until I tell everyone at school-" She paused for a moment in her babbling and bent down to the little girl next to her. "Rose, this is Lyra Kotone, the champion of Johto. Remember her? We watch her on the television. She used to live here."
The smaller girl, who was sucking her thumb, nodded shyly and mumbled something around her thumb. Lyra gave this girl a sharper look, thinking that those green eyes of hers somehow looked familiar. Did they have a sibling or something that she knew? She swore that she had seen those eyes somewhere else.
"Hello," she greeted, waving at the little girl, who promptly hid behind her older sister.
"Sorry, she's just shy," The other girl, Molly, explained. "But, could I maybe just look at your pokemon? Just for a minute or two, please? I start my journey next month and I want to look-"
"Yeah, it's fine," Lyra nodded. "That tyranitar over there is Tank. He may look giant, but he's just a big softie that's easily distracted by food. Here. Tank! C'mere."
The tyranitar ambled over, having finished with his food by now. Molly looked at him in awe while Rose glanced over at Cav, who was making silly faces at the smaller girl. Lyra also whistled for Tor and Jag, who came down to be introduced as well. By the time she glanced over at Cav and Rose, the smaller girl was on the meganium's back and the two were horsing around like they had known each other for years. Lyra smiled, but couldn't shake the feeling that something there was something memorable about this little girl that she had happened upon.
Molly looked up from examining a touchy Tor, who was actually behaving very well. "Miss Kotone? Will you promise to battle me when I get better? Please?"
"Of course," the champion answered teasingly, carefully preening Tor's feathers to keep him calm. "But you better get strong before we do battle or you won't stand a chance."
"Don't worry!" The girl yelled, apparently excited out of her mind. Then, a thought so obviously struck her as she glanced toward her younger sister. "Rose! Come on! I have to get you home in time for me to make it back to school before the end of lunch!" She turned back to Lyra and grinned. "Thanks for everything, Miss Kotone. Everyone at school will be so jealous!"
"It was fun. See you later!"
After the girls had gone, Ethan turned to his friend, grinning. "Well, well. Aren't you the famous one? Can I get your autograph, oh Champion of Johto?"
She smiled wryly, turning back to her pizza. "Shut up, Einstein."
"Hey, Ma!"
The champion practically sauntered into her childhood home, the one that held so many great memories. Her mother was sitting on the couch, watching the news, when she looked up to see her youngest daughter returning for a visit. "Finally," the woman answered in exasperation. "Where have you been, sweetie?"
Returning her mother's warm embrace, Lyra grinned. "Oh, you know, around. I bet the media is tracking my every step anyway."
"That doesn't mean you can't call every once in a while," the mother retorted. As a single parent, Merideth Kotone had not had an easy time of raising Lyra and her sister. She'd rather she'd heard that they were okay every once in a while, but for Lyra and Kris, no news was good news.
"I do a better job than Kris, don't I?" The girl grinned, taking a seat in one of the armchairs in the room.
"Marginally," the other woman replied. "Which, believe me, is no boast. Your sister's practically a gypsy. By the way, have you eaten lunch yet?"
"Yeah," Lyra responded, gaze straying to the TV, which her mother promptly turned off. "With Ethan."
"Ah, I see where your priorities lie."
"No, Ma, it wasn't like that. You know I love you more!"
"You know, I always kind of hoped that you'd marry that boy."
Lyra looked up in surprise. "Who? Ethan?"
"Yes."
The champion made a face. "Mom. Ethan's practically my brother. That would be gross. Besides, it was always Kris that he had a thing for."
"Yes, well, your sister has little interest in men, so, that one was kind of doomed from the start."
"She's just very independent. That's all. And oblivious."
Merideth Kotone shot her daughter a sharp look. "When are you going to get married, anyway?"
"Please, Ma. It's not that easy. It's not as if I can just pick one and say, 'Oh. I'll marry that one.' And I've tried dating. It has not worked out so far."
"Didn't you date that Violet City boy for a while?"
"Yes. Faulkner and I didn't last very long," the girl made a face. "Besides, I'm only 20. Why aren't you bugging Kris about this?"
Her mother gave her a stern look. "Let's face it, Lyra. You're my only hope of grandkids at this point."
"And this is why you and Kris never got along very well."
"Your sister and I just had different ideas."
"Whatever. Let's talk about something besides my and Kris's dating lives."
The older woman adjusted the pillow behind her on the coach. "Before we move on, I really want to know. Who's going to be my son-in-law?"
"Seriously?"
"Yes. If not Ethan, then what about that other boy you hang out with- the long red-haired one with the face like he's angry all the time?"
"Silver?" Lyra asked, making the same face that she had at the suggestion of Ethan. "No, Mom. Silver is not my type."
"He did look a little too angry. Okay, what about the other champion that you work with there? The one that you're always on TV with. I met him after you first became champion."
She raised an eyebrow. "Lance?"
"Yeah."
When Lyra would later reflect, she realized that, for a moment there, the idea did cross her mind. Of course, at one point, he was much too old for her and not someone that she would look at in that kind of way. But, now… Now, she was grown up and she didn't need him to walk her through life and hold her hand. Now, he was no longer a mentor to her. And, thinking of it at this moment, she realized that she did occasionally take the liberty of admiring the set of his shoulders or the curve of his jawline. And, she also realized that she might have taken a little bit too long to respond to her mother than was safe. She was about to open her mouth when-
"Oh, okay. I won't tell anyone then," her mother cut in smugly.
"What? No! Ma, it's not like that, I swear. We're just friends."
"Okay. Sure you are."
"Mom! Stop! I come home to have a nice conversation and you turn it into this, as always."
"I'm just curious! You can't blame me for that."
"Arg!"
When she left her mother's house, the beautiful day was coming to a close as the sun was sinking down below the horizon. Calling out Tor, she prepared for a chilly ride back as she zipped up the windbreaker she had taken with her.
She paused before getting on her pidgeot for the ride home.
She and Lance were definitely just friends, right? And didn't have any chance of progressing beyond that level?
She rolled her eyes. She was not going to let her mother get to her.
That evening, she found herself in the League library. Rifling through some old files, she had managed to find some information about Red and his pokemon. She hoped to maybe trip upon some place that Red still had some kind of connection to. She had made a mental list in her head of the potential locations where a former Kanto champion could be hiding and had come up with nothing so far. But the more she thought about what Ethan had said, the more she knew that he was right about all of it. If she could bring Red back, then maybe he and Blue could make up. And if they made up, maybe they could finally be happy. And if they were finally happy, maybe Leaf could rest in peace.
She paused for a moment, biting her lip. She could see why everyone thought she was crazy. For all she espoused about the legendary Pallet Trio, she was beginning to think more and more that this was her own personal crusade. Her inability to explain her feelings to Ethan about it had proved that she wasn't quite sure what she was hoping to accomplish. And as she thought about it more, she realized that maybe it had nothing to do with Leaf and Red and Blue. Maybe it was more about herself- making herself feel like she could just make people happy.
She remembered her mother and sister. She had been the glue in that relationship, had she not? And now? Sometimes, when Silver and Ethan really got at it and Lance went into his "high-and-mighty-if-I-ignore-the-situation-it-can't-hurt-me" mode, she felt like the only one who could appease everyone.
That was who she was. Lyra Kotone- the girl who tried to make everyone happy. And, somehow, she felt like Leaf hadn't been all that different from her.
She blinked, unaware that she was capable of this particular intensity of insight.
"Kotone. What brings you to the League library at this hour?"
But her thoughts were jumbled now and the girl looked up to see the face of the only other female that lived in the building. "Karen," she greeted the older woman, pausing to yawn. "I could ask the same of you."
The dark-type trainer shrugged. "You know me. I'm a night owl myself. But you, Kotone. If what I hear from the grumblings of your red-headed rival is true, you're more of a morning person."
Lyra smiled at the mention of Silver. "You two talk much?"
"A bit. If the twerp could ever be described as having a conversation with anyone. He's a good battler."
"He is," the champion admitted, adjusting her position so she wasn't slouching so much.
A moment of silence settled after Lyra's agreement and Karen walked closer to scan the files that the younger girl had been studying. She spoke as she skimmed the text, a small smile on her face. "I heard about your little crusade from Lance. Are you trying to find Red now?"
""Trying' being the key word there," she nodded, sighing. "I haven't been very successful at all."
"Well, I think it's a noble endeavor," Karen responded, looking up from the reading she had finished. "Although I think you may be looking in the wrong place. I would check with the League on some other records. Don't you champions have to notify the League whenever you go out somewhere? Know the League and their meticulousness, I'll bet they still have some of Red's information. Knowing where Red went while he was champion could at least give you a few ideas, right?"
Lyra was dumbfounded. "Karen. You are a genius! Or I'm an idiot! I don't know which, but that's a great idea."
"I'll go with 'I'm a genius', if it's all the same to you," the dark-type trainer commented, starting to walk away. "You're welcome, Kotone."
"Yes!" Lyra pumped her fist with newfound determination. "Thanks, Karen! You're the best!"
She wasn't able to actually obtain the information until the next afternoon, as the woman she had talked to at the League office had to dig up these records from six years ago. In the meantime, Lyra had been pulling her hair out in frustration at the lack of people she had to talk to about her investigation. Silver had left the day before for a tournament or something, Ethan was swamped getting prepared for Professor Elm's departure and couldn't talk on the phone (actually going to New Bark again would mean that she wouldn't be close at hand when they finally found the information), Lance was still gone, and Karen was not one that took well to babbling (neither did Silver, but that was besides the point and information that by no means changed Lyra's attitude around him). In fact, she tried to call Silver and was not surprised when he hung up after about a minute of her talking.
She was just surprised that she had got him to pick up.
So she ended up playing a game of wall ball with Cav for the majority of the morning and afternoon. That counted as training, right? She was just too anxious to do anything else, although she hadn't trained since the day that everyone had come for dinner, which was… three days ago. That wasn't too bad.
She sighed heavily. Lance was going to kick her butt when he got back. She had been productive in all the wrong ways.
Finally, they called her with success and she rushed to the offices, Cav making an effort just to keep up with her.
"We managed to dig up some information, but it's only partial," the woman told her, but the Johto champion was already taking the file they had copied for her and walking out the door.
"Thank you so much!"
After studying the information with an intensity that she did not know that she had (it had always been Kris that was a natural whiz at school, not her), she knew where she had to go next.
Yet, it still presented a problem. As champion, she could not simply waltz out and visit where ever she wanted. This was a bit farther than Pallet Town.
The champion mused while petting Sasha, who was currently occupying her lap.
"What to do, baby girl," she muttered to the psychic type. "Oh, what to do."
She only got a purr in return, but she had kind of expected that. Sasha was not the most helpful when she was getting what she wanted (which, currently, was attention). But, of course, Lyra knew all about bribery to persuade Sasha that training was actually important. That's what she got for raising a diva. But her mind quickly turned toward the problem at hand as she gazed once more over the files she had obtained.
She wondered why Red showed such an interest in Celestial Town of the Sinnoh region.
There was planning to do.
1) I'm excited to add Kris in and I have a really great plan for her. Which involves an Ethan, Silver, and Kris love triangle. Aw, dang...
2) KAREN! I love Karen. Although her Houndoom was a bitch to defeat in HeartGold. I had a good water type too, but she would use Nasty Plot a few times and then own me. Gosh darn it… I'll never be a pokemon master.
3) Next chapter is full of both Lance and Steven Stone. Heehee…
4) The section about Rose and Molly will become relevant later on. I promise. I didn't just add them in as cutesy little kids (although that is a very plausible explanation because kids are so cute). Also, as you may have noticed, I changed the age that they start their journey. Really? Ten? I changed it to fourteen, so at least they're a bit older. Although, I feel like it should be more like sixteen, but... For the purpose of the story, fourteen.
5) So this chapter had much fluff, but I promise that I'm building up to the plot. I always seem to do this, but I guess I really enjoy these moments of happiness/everyday life. But things will get crazy. Don't worry.
6) Funnily enough, I was at my brother's graduation thing today and my mom wanted something to do because it was so boring so I had jokingly suggested that she could read fanfiction on my phone. For some reason (she was just that bored), she agreed and read the first chapter of this fic. She merely commented that it was cool that Lance wore a cape and that I shouldn't use the word bastard. Oh, parents…
