BONUS
(The following information is mostly for poking fun at my own fanfic, sharing trivia, answering questions, crediting those who are due, and general posterity purposes.
No need to read this part if you aren't interested in the development of the story or behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
You can just skip ahead to the "Another POV" and "?/?/?/?" sections for the additional side stories and a lead-in to the sequel.)
CREDITS:
DIAForce - thanks for giving me the challenge in the first place, helping me flesh out the concept and even outlined some cool stuff I could do.
Hersheys - thanks for helping me look over my grammar, spelling and all around general editing.
AquilaTempestas - a special mention to you for indirectly instilling in me the desire to write some happy LancexLyra, rescuing this story from becoming yet another tragedy... if only barely.
Boyce Avenue - is the indie band that produced the song "Find Me". All of the chapter subtitles are lyrics taken from the song as well.
My reviewers - thanks for participating while the magic of the mystery lasted! I hope to see you guys in the sequel!
The ghost readers - I know you're out there. Seriously, I've reached nearly 1600 views and only got... about 19 reviews as of writing this? But nevertheless, I'm thankful you've taken the time to read my attempt at a Pokemon mystery. I also hope you will join me in the sequel, too!
A LITTLE Q&A:
Dear pokefan,
your latest review had a lot of things I feel that I should clarify, and because you asked nicely (and I can't reply to you via PM) I've decided to do it right here(that way other people can find out, too)!
1. I fully intended to create some confusion among the readers in some parts of the final chapter. The thing is, Lyra herself is confused. I also wanted the readers to think rationally about why Lance went hot and then ice cold on Lyra all of a sudden. The chapter ends rather abruptly because it was a good place to stop the story. So the final character profiles served as the pseudo-epilogue to make readers go, "Oh, so that's why!" (the reasons why the story ended this way can be found under the "story/plot notes" in this chapter).
Actually pokefan, you seem to be the only one who actually got confused like how I wanted. My friends IRL who've read my drafts didn't point out anything strange about the vagueness, and it made me feel like a failure. Sooo... my attempt wasn't a complete failure after all(?).
2. The "mystery" between Morty and Whitney's interactions is a small stand-alone story that happens around the same time as the events of SPINNING, but is connected in a way. In fact, there was also a third "mystery" happening in the background as well - between Ethan and Silver. There are, after all, other people in the world besides Lyra and Lance, with their own dramas and challenges to overcome. Hence the story's secondary theme about a "spiral". All three separate storylines will come together to a single point eventually in the sequel.
3. pokefan, you said "It seemed a little out of character that Ethan would use Silver like that…" This doesn't seem like constructive criticism to me, maybe it's your wording? But I'll just remind you once again that SPINNING was told from Lyra's perspective. ;) Of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't trust what Lyra saw and felt throughout the story - only that the "truth" is rarely ever only two-sided... but don't give up thinking! You're kind of on the right track already!
4. For Lance's sadistic side, several of his major scenes that were edited out can now be read, right here! Heads up: they're also unedited, so that means they also retain the slight hostile, parody-ish feel from the original drafts.
STORY DRAFT #1 SUMMARY
Originally, SPINNING was going to be a noir-type murder mystery written from Lance's point of view, taking place sometime mid-December. The story would begin from Lyra's point of view at first, and she would be shown hanging out in Ethan's bedroom doing the work Elm asked them to do. They'd fall asleep in sleeping bags together while talking about their long time friendship, their goals and dreams... And then Lyra would wake up to a dead Ethan and a closed room early the next morning, where it seemed impossible for anyone other than Lyra to have commited the murder.
The story then switches to Lance's narration, and he comes in to help the love of his life solve this seemingly impossible crime while the police do their thing. They would be following a series of mysterious apocalyptic messages addressed to Lyra, with vague undertones of suicide and betrayal and adultery. Whitney comes into the picture as both Ethan's "sort-of girlfriend" and an important witness who is aware of the culprit's true nature, and tries to warn Lance but she becomes the second victim within minutes of contact... but still manages to leave an important clue behind.
Silver comes into the story as a friend of Ethan, and a total tsundere who didn't want to admit how important the friendship was to him but now regretted not saying it. Lance asks the boy for assistance in catching the culprit, but he refuses and solo flights the entire investigation. He uses his father's dirty Team Rocket money to obtain access to people's profiles and stuff. There's even a scene where he goes fingerprint-lifting from Ethan's mysteriously clean stereo in true CSI style.
The plot twist here is that it turns out to really be Lyra all along, and she commited the murder and set up everything so she could have fun with Lance travelling around. She laments that Lance has no time for her anymore, being the head of the Blackthorn dragon clan has kept him busy so she does this as a desperate grab for his attention, even if it meant she had to sacrifice her best friend in the process. Lance fights for his life trying to escape the cage in the abandoned laboratory near Tohjo Falls, a cage which Lyra trapped him in so he would never leave her again, and injures himself in the process. Silver jumps in with some dynamite and suicide-bombs Lyra so they both die in a terrific blast, and Lance survives and lives the rest of his life forever disillusioned by love and relationships.
While definitely darker than the final output, I felt that this was an unnecessarily cruel and heartless story that had no real point or moral.
This was also intended to be a two-shot.
STORY DRAFT #2 SUMMARY
The mid-December murder mystery idea was removed completely, replaced with the concept of Valentine's Day (this was because I was influenced somewhat by AquilaTempestas' LancexLyra Valentine's Day fanfic). This was still being written from Lance's point of view, and the opening scene focusing solely on Lyra and Ethan remained mostly unchanged but had more dialogue hinting Ethan's involvement in the conspiracy, as well as his motives. The other obvious change here is that Ethan is alive when Lyra wakes up the following morning to the sound of the doorbell ringing.
Lance's inner dialogue was also mostly unchanged during the riddle-solving parts due to the fact that the riddles were still the same ominous, apocalyptic ones that were used in Story Draft #1. Whitney however was no longer Ethan's "sort-of girlfriend", but Lyra's best friend 4-evah instead, and Morty was introduced as Lance's love rival (but not really, it was all Lance's misunderstanding). The overall tone of the fanfic was rather hostile, as every single character snarked at everything and everyone in between the LancexLyra fluff, plus Lance's sadism reigned supreme. There was also an obligatory hot springs scene, as one of the draft riddles had a line referring to "waters hotter than hell". It was a very hilarious scene but it felt too out of place.
There were a whole lot of LancexLyra/MortyxLyra/EthanxLyra innuendo than actual mystery and action/adventure, and the writing bordered on an M rating because of the spicyness and the language. Silver still had his glorious CSI fingerprint-lifting scene with Ethan's stereo and speakers, though. Lyra is still the culprit here, her motive somewhat the same, but she doesn't trap Lance in the abandoned laboratory but rather, they get trapped in there together, and her accomplice is an extremely reluctant Ethan, who wanted Lyra all to himself as their "friendship" was considered very romantic to the test-readers. Silver not only had access to the money and assets left behind by his father, but a whole private army, too, and he sends this army against an enraged Morty's ghost pokemon, which resulted in a silly fight scene.
This was intended to be a twoshot or a threeshot. Also, no, I was not on crack, nor was I drunk. I was just a little too excited.
STORY DRAFT #3 SUMMARY
"Simpler is better", as they say. The point of view was now fully Lyra's, and (half of) the blame shifted to Lance, so they've pretty much switched roles at this point. The motive was reworked yet again so part of it was Lance's, and the other part was Ethan's. The main differences between this version and the final version are the scenes that were cut out and/or rewritten (especially Lance's), and the story began to focus more on the mystery and adventure element (with LancexLyra UST was still an important overarching plot), and a healthy amount of subtlety is utilized instead. Silver's CSI scene was finally cut out for good in this draft (to DIAForce's displeasure). The tone is still pretty quick and action-oriented but the hostility of the previous two drafts' tones is practically non-existant now, save for Silver's of course. I am also kind of foolishly proud of the fact that the scene where Silver kicks Lance in the balls (twice!) has remained intact since Story Draft #1.
RECREATION OF HOW THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT WAS BORN (PARAPHRASED)
Skarrow: I think I'll try posting a pokemon fanfic on fanfiction dot net, and it will be a tragedy!
DIAForce: NOOO, A romance!
Skarrow: Must I?
Hersheys: Skarrow, write a mystery, IMO you suck at writing a female's emotions :(
Skarrow: :(
Hersheys: It's true
Hersheys: Oooh, write a story where Lance gets kicked in the balls :D
Skarrow: What -_-
DIAForce: I want LancexLyra! I don't want tragedy!
Hersheys: I don't care who does it, I just want to see Lance get kicked in the balls
-and then there was much rejoicing-
DELETED FINAL DRAFT SCENES (SUMMARIES)
(The actual scene names were used here)
.
Deleted Scene #1
Title: "Alternate Opening Scene/The Night Before Valentine's Day"
When It Happens: SPINNING - 01, right before the part Lyra finds the very first 'Find me' message.
Summary: Ethan and Lyra are in Ethan's bedroom, sorting out some data on wild pokemon habitats and trying to correct the beta Johto pokedex. Ethan makes references to their long history as best friends and asks Lyra how she and Lance are doing, to which Lyra replies that she's hoping they can take their relationship one step further tomorrow, it being Valentine's Day and all that. Ethan tells her that, no matter what happens he wants them to remain best friends, but he understands if they can't hang out as much anymore if Lyra becomes a couple with Lance.
Reason For Getting Scrapped: The story beginning felt slow, boring and unnecessarily angsty because of it. I like my stories to start out with a "slice-of-life mixed with foreshadowing and a subtle reveal" kind of tone.
.
Deleted Scene #2
Title: "Random Exposition Scene In Golden Coliseum/Random Lady"
When It Happens: SPINNING - 02, just after the Golden Coliseum power outage begins.
Summary: This is a 2-part scene, the first part an extensive conversation between Lyra and Whitney about Valentine's Day trivia. The second part was Lance asking a random lady about the layout of the building.
Reason For Getting Scrapped: This was originally a call-back to the plot's murder-mystery origins, but was ultimately pointless and didn't lead anywhere. It was a major cause of writer's block as well. The random lady explaining about the building layout was then replaced with Lyra and Lance reading a wall directory in the beginning of SPINNING - 03.
.
Deleted Scene #3
Title: "Extra Riddle Scene w/ Silver and Lyra Breaking Into Ecruteak Gym, Mission Impossible-Style"
When It Happens: SPINNING - 04, immediately after Lyra and Lance escapes the cage in the abandoned laboratory.
Summary: The original "final riddle" came after the abandoned laboratory sequence, and took place at the Ecruteak City Gym. Lance distracts Morty with a conversation about top percentage Rattatas and they get into a Coke vs Pepsi debate while Lyra and Silver try to sneak past the ghost pokemon to get at Morty's office documents. And Lyra constantly snarks how, "for a guy who claims he doesn't do this for a living, Silver is really good at breaking into buildings".
Reason For Getting Scrapped: Removing this scene was the hardest decision I have ever had to make for this story - it was really well written. But it contributed absolutely nothing to the plot, so it had to go, no matter how sorry I was and no matter how many rewrites it went through. Will it ever see the light of day? Most likely, no.
.
Deleted Scene #4
Title: "Morty and Whitney's Argument in the Employee-Only Parking Lot"
When It Happens: SPINNING - 02, while Lyra and Silver hid in between some trucks in the parking lot.
Summary: The true reason for Morty showing up at the Golden Coliseum is revealed, as well as Whitney's guilt about her involvement in the conspiracy, and why she punched Morty. Morty also makes some implications on why Silver is acting so hostile towards him.
Reason For Getting Scrapped: The story was supposed to center on Lyra and no one else, so this scene was adapted out and replaced with an "outsider's view" instead. The entire scene was saved, however, and will be remade into a seperate oneshot story.
.
Deleted Scene #5
Title: "Silver Interrogates DJ Bulldog With Force"
When It Happens: SPINNING - 04, right before Silver meets up with Lyra and Lance at the Wayside diner.
Summary: Silver drops by the Radio Tower, digs around for information on DJ Bulldog and finds the guy smoking out back. Silver threatens the man, and the man tells Silver that a guy named Ethan came around and paid the Director off to get the riddle read on air. Silver, in rage and disbelief, punches DJ Bulldog and runs away, screaming expletives and words of denial.
Reason For Getting Scrapped: Certainly interesting, and would give the eventual conclusion of Ethan's and Silver's friendship even more drama, but the story was supposed to center on Lyra. Which is too bad, because it would really highlight how much Silver had gotten to trust Ethan as a friend, and how he can't believe he is connected to the conspiracy, and how he's willing to avert his eyes to the truth if it means that Ethan remains innocent.
STORY/PLOT NOTES:
The easiest character to write: Morty, because he only had one line in the final draft! Nah, I'm kidding, it's actually Ethan, unsurprisingly. It's easy for me to write his dialogue, because he practically writes himself! It helps that he's so eerily goofy in this story, too. He's the perfect balance between serenity and insanity, and it helps that I'm pretty good at writing those kinds of characters. I'd never want to meet one in real life, though. I think I'd become a casualty...
The hardest character to write: Lance gets a special mention for being the second most complicated character in SPINNING (personality-wise), but the hardest to write was definitely Lyra. I don't know how to write a girl's romantic feelings - I felt inadequate and barbaric during every sweet, fluffy scene between Lance and Lyra, and don't get me started on the final chapter. Also, Lyra is just so dense! *shakes fist* She has great focus where it counts and is very empathetic, but she also ends up missing a lot of important stuff outside her scope of attention, especially when it comes to other characters' actions! I write out the scene, and then I have to delete what I wrote after hours of hard work because she isn't that hyper-aware and tends to take things at face-value, grrr.
On Silver: This poor guy ended up shafted from the get-go. Tragedy is one of my strongest writing points, right next to mystery, and no matter how much I wanted this story to be light-hearted and fluffy, I ended up undermining all of my own efforts from the very first draft. Sorry, Silver.
On Ethan: Were you surprised by the way he turned out? Codependency for the win, I suppose. It makes a great plot point, but it's a serious problem in real life when taken to extreme levels like he has. Some of you guys seem to like how far he went for Lyra to protect her, but personally I don't think I could stand a friend like that. It's just... too much damage control to handle? Ahahaha, you can look forward to a whole lot more about Ethan in the sequel - I'm not quite finished showing you what he's about, yet...
On Lance: You were waiting for him to get sadistic, weren't you? But a guy who's as disciplined as Lance wouldn't let his guard down so easily in a non-Pokemon battling setting, or in front of Lyra. It took all of my willpower to keep his scenes free of sadism. Damn Lyra and her rose-colored glasses! Also, he is one of two characters who has a "checklist" of traits that I constantly look at while writing him. He's just really that complicated. I was afraid I'd screwed myself over when I wrote him, but somehow Lance held himself together on his own really smoothly.
On the song "Find Me": You probably figured it out by now, but the song reflects Ethan's strong feelings for Lyra, and is pretty much associated with him to the point that it has become his theme song(?). And I'm rediculously proud of how I managed to wedge the song lyrics right into the first chapter while Ethan interacted with Lyra - it's like, what came out of his mouth was one thing, but the song actually revealed what he was really going through at the time, in the background (so I guess that means the beginning of the first chapter is actually really angsty, in a way).
On EthanxLyra: These two, together, is my One True Friendship Pairing in the entire fandom! In Pokemon Crystal, when you chose to play as the girl (Kris), Ethan never appears. It's like she's the female version of him. But in HG/SS, Lyra and Ethan will always appear as your childhood friend/neighbor if you chose one over the other, and I've always adored this. I'm really glad that none of you readers thought that Ethan had any romantic feelings for Lyra (I hate it whenever I try to write friendship in any fandom between two characters and everybody ends up thinking they'd make a great couple) - and you can expect these two to continue to interact in the sequel, as well!
On the open-ended "final chapter": This may surprise some people who don't read them or aren't familiar with them, but classic mystery novels hardly ever detail what happened to all the other reindeer afterwards, so in the same spirit I ended the tale right where it is. But I understand how agonizing it is not to know the fates of our heroes and heroine (at least until the sequel), so that's why there was one last "Character Profile" section at the very end of FULL CIRCLE. And side stories and a sequel-hook in this final update.
On why I update and revise the story chapters so many times, and leave a log about it: Truth to be told, when it comes to writing any other genre outside mystery and tragedy, I'm much more lax about grammar, spelling and formatting. But when it comes to my two favorite genres, anything from a simple misspelling to badly-worded scenes could be gamebreakers that ruin the fun of solving the mystery. And whenever I make any of these changes, I let my readers know - the story is supposed to be solvable, so no secrets and no cheating on the author's part! And besides, serious readers would hate having to read badly spelled words and crooked sentences over and over again when they look for clues, wouldn't they? At least, I do.
The theme of SPINNING: It may or may not be obvious, but the central theme of the story is love. This theme will continue on in the sequel, too. (You may now criticize me for not writing around the central theme properly.)
Something to try: Now that the story has ended, try going back to read the story from the first chapter again, but this time, try to look at the events that happen to Lyra objectively. Y'know, just to enjoy all the foreshadowing! Or, you could just move on to some other fanfic, I suppose...
On the puzzles: The puzzles (and their locations) were crafted before writing the actual plot that involved them, hence how unusually detailed and orderly they are. Due to time constraints, Lyra only focused on certain areas, and the rest of the details were forever lost.
On the weird periodic table naming scheme in the Golden Coliseum: As you have noticed, each door in the Golden Coliseum's 7th floor were named after a combination of element names: H+U, B+W, N+P, et cetera. Furthermore, the doors had additional names to go with these letter combinations ("SOIL", "PURE", "SALT", et cetera). This particular area won't be used for puzzle purposes ever again, though. If you're curious, here is the complete list of names, meanings and secondary names for that section:
[elements:]
H - Hydrogen - 1
B - Boron - 5
C - Carbon - 6
N - Nitrogen - 7
O - Oxygen - 8
F - Fluorine - 9
P - Phosphorus - 15
S - Sulfur - 16
K - Potassium - 19
V - Vanadium - 23
Y - Yttrium - 39
I - Iodine - 53
W - Tungsten - 74
U - Uranium - 92
[7 rooms, which are a combination of elements:]
1+92 = H+U = Hydrogen and Uranium (Used in "Tickling the dragon's tail", or high-risk experiments; codename "SLUG")
5+74 = B+W = Boron and Tungsten (Creates which has remarkably high hardness; codename "HARD")
6+19 = C+K = Carbon and Potassium (Potassium Carbonate; codename "SALT")
7+15 = N+P = Nitrogen and Phosphorus (nutrients found in soil that help plants grow; codename "SOIL")
8+53 = O+I = Oxygen and Iodine (used in a Chemical Iodine Oxide Laser; codename "COIL")
9+39 = F+Y = Fluoride and Yttrium (used to make Yttrium(III) fluoride, used to make thin films, glasses and ceramics. It is not known naturally in 'pure' form; codename "PURE")
16+23 = S+V = Sulfur and Vanadium (both are always found in highly combustible fuels; codename "FUEL")
BONUS SECTION
END
ANOTHER POV:
(SPINNING - 01, right after Lyra's phone call with Lance)
"Lance, hold on! You can't just leave! Stop!"
It was pure dumb luck that Karen caught up with Lance before his Dragonite carried him away from Battle Tower that morning.
Lance did not appear to hear her however. ...Or he was outright ignoring her, which was more likely. Karen was willing to bet on the latter. But she was not going to just let him leave! This tournament had to go off without a hitch! The Indigo League needed to prove its might and triumph over all the others! And she was not going to accept any excuses! No matter how happy she'd be if he left, Lance was still supposed to represent the League!
With an encouraging pat on the head from his master, Dragonite gave an energetic roar and began to lift off.
"I said, hold it, porcupine!" Karen shouted in vain.
She ran across the well-tended grass lawn towards him as fast as she could manage on her four-inch heels. She scowled when she felt fresh mud splatter her with every step, clinging to the cuffs of her pants - and these were her favorite pair of pants too, goddammit - but Lance and his faithful yellow oversized-lizard waited for no woman.
Dragonite leapt powerfully, majestically into the air, causing random onlookers in the distance to go "oooh!" and "aaah!" at the spectacle. Incredibly, no one in the audience fled the scene; no matter how dangerous it looked and how much damage was caused, front row seats to the League Champion's activities (even ones that were as mundane as Flying away on a Pokemon) were jealously coveted by the serious fans, and were always mesmerizing to watch up close. And Karen of the Elite Four was here, too! What so-called fan would turn their eyes away when two superstars were in the same place at the same time?
An especially strong draft from the Whirlwind knocked nearby small empty food stands right off their wooden pegs. Random shop signs, ingredients and machinery whipped towards Karen, who was literally the only person in the entire vicinity who dared to run up close to the Dragon Tamer.
Forget ignoring her, the League Champion was most probably trying to kill her without making it seem too obvious while secretly enjoying her struggles; Dragonite did not normally use Whirlwind when taking flight... But Karen wasn't called the strongest and the classiest Indigo League Elite Four member for nothing! She was smarter than Will (debateable), more agile than Koga (immeasurable) and could hold her own in an arm wrestling match against Bruno (hyperbole)! Plus, she was fabulously beautiful and stylish. Nobody on earth could approach her! And she wouldn't be deterred by anything! She would show him!
"Hah!"
Umbreon dashed up ahead of her, using his reality-bending powers of darkness to cut a safe path through the most dangerous pieces of debris flying towards his Trainer. Karen used fancy kung-fu to barrel right through random food item packages, refusing to be disgusted. When an especially large wooden plank flew right outside Umbreon's range and sped straight for her neck, Karen dropped to her knees, sliding on the grass just underneath until it was safe to get right back to running, her momentum not slowing down in the slightest. The crowds of gawkers erupted in excited applause!
Just hear that thunderous applause! She gloated in her mind. They love me! Suck on that, porcupine!
Karen was a woman who reveled in adoration. There was no deep, underlying reason for it - she just liked being the center of attention. She was always looking for ways to increase her public appeal and finally overtake that stupid porcupine in the popularity polls, whether it be with her looks, her skills or her charisma. Even if it meant fostering a "friendship" with Lance for the public to boost her image. Yet somehow, that faker always succeeded where she didn't! Last month, he was once again named the Number 1 Pokemon Trainer in Kanto and Johto in the New Year's popularity poll (she wouldn't forgive Gym Leader Blue either, for stealing the Number 2 position, forcing her to Number 3)! His seemingly easy success was driving her crazy!
At last, Karen was close enough to the departing dragon Pokemon. She cupped her well-manicured hands around her mouth and shouted once more.
"Lance, I know you can hear me! You still have a tournament to get to!"
Dragonite remained where he was, hovering about twelve feet above ground. Lance finally turned around in his seat and looked down to where Karen stood, his brown eyes scanning her up and down. "...Ah, Karen? Egg yolk is dripping down between your thighs. Are you ovulating?" He asked innocently.
"Wh-?! Shit!"
Somehow, Karen had completely missed the fact that several raw eggs had pelted her legs... and the fact that one had gotten her right in the crotch, of all places. And it didn't help how his pleasant and confident voice tended to carry over long distances - as a result the people overheard the "innocent" comment and laughed, repeating the sentence word for word to others who couldn't catch it.
To the general public, it was friendly joking banter between two good pals. But Karen never felt more embarrassed in her life. There she was, covered in mud and egg yolk, her favorite pair of pants ruined, right in front of the fans she was trying to impress! In front of Lance, of all people! Ugh, that grin on his face was so infuriating! Her day was officially ruined beyond repair!
Dammit, Lance!
"Anyways, you don't need to worry. I've called in a few favors, and two especially powerful Trainers will be taking both Lyra's and my own place in the tournament."
"Shut up! I don't care about that anymore! Get down here so I can crucify you!" She shrieked. "I won't forgive you for this humiliation, Lance! Mark my words!"
Unlike Lance whom she suspected to have undergone secret vocal training, Karen's voice was not as strong as his so the crowds could hear her shouting something, but couldn't discern the words. They could only hear Lance's side of the conversation and totally misinterpret the tone of the conversation due to the distance. So in a way, Karen could say anything she wanted, but still she bit her tongue - she wasn't going to let her guard down and start swearing her head off (previous slip of the tongue not counting) no matter what.
"Karen, I'm sorry if I offended you. Are you alright? That was some amazing defensive maneuvers back there." His words were that of casual concern, but he sounded really disappointed.
Karen's eyebrow twitched. "Like hell you're sorry!"
"I'm glad to see that you're doing well. Give my regards to the other Champions for me, will you? Farewell!" He gave her a smarmy wink and a lighthearted salute.
"Stop right there!"
"Dragonite!"
In response to the Dragon Tamer's shout, Dragonite zoomed upwards with such incredible speed Karen was knocked right off her feet from the aftershocks. She stumbled and fell right into a puddle of dirty water on her bum with a splat.
The crowds erupted into applause for the third time, even wilder and more passionate than ever before, as if they'd just witnessed a miracle. "Lance! Lance!" They cheered.
"One of these days I swear I'll get back at you, just you wait!" Karen screamed.
Dragonite was merely a distant dot in the sky now, but she swore she could still see the Dragon Master still grinning.
...No, that wasn't supposed to make any sense.
.o.
(SPINNING - 02, around the time Lyra leaves Lance at the Golden Coliseum guard station to call Ethan)
"Good morning. I am here on official League business of grave importance. May I speak to your superiors?"
Lance spoke to the security guards with the perfect balance of politeness and assertiveness, a Dragon Master through and through.
Official League business? Koga wondered to himself, hiding in the nearby trees under the cover of darkness. I have heard nothing about this. Could it be Team Rocket once again? But no, that doesn't make any sense. Lance would have informed me and the other members of the Elite Four. And what is Lyra doing with him? And just what kind of official League business of grave importance could keep him from saying anything to the rest of us?
Karen had told Koga, Bruno and Will about what had happened an hour earlier at Battle Tower. Out of the three men, Koga had the most experience with women (he had a wife and a teenage daughter after all), so in the end it fell to the ninja father-figure to calm the exotic Dark-type Trainer down long enough to actually stop ranting and frothing at the mouth about porcupines and popularity contests.
It was indeed very troubling that Lance could give up such an important tournament.
To Koga, this meant one of two things:
1. Danger was on the horizon.
or
2. Lance was plotting something.
"Right this way, sir! Please, step this way!" said one of the guards redundantly in response to Lance's request.
Koga waited patiently until Lance, Lyra and the security were a good distance away before making his move. Like a shadowy phantom of the night, he darted from tree branch to tree branch without making a sound in pursuit of the Dragon Master. Koga may have been middle-aged, but he had years and years of rigorous training and experience backing him up - not once did his flaming red scarf of asskicking snag on the bark, nor did his too-big wooden clogs slip off his feet. A ninja stalked both allies and enemies alike, blending in and becoming one with nature. That was his code, his ninja way.
Lance and Lyra followed the security guard into a tiny, boxy, one-story building. The guard station, Koga correctly noted in his head. Perhaps something foul was afoot at the Golden Coliseum in particular, and Lance had come with Lyra to warn the citizens and prepare a counter attack...? There was only one way to make sure. Koga would need to do a little eavesdropping. So he dashed down the tree he'd perched in, hopped over the stone wall and zoomed across the parking lot with such godly speed he'd bypassed the other security detail milling about without getting detected, coming to a complete stop just beneath the windowsill. He held his breath when the guard who'd guided Lance and Lyra to the guard station stepped back out and radioed his position.
"Targets A and B have been escorted to Point Beta. Awaiting further instructions." The young security guard paused, listening closely to the broadcasted instructions before speaking once again into his radio, "Understood. Commencing Operation Valentine." He walked away.
Koga frowned at this. 'Operation Valentine'? It was obviously a reference to today's holiday, but what was this operation? This sounded worse and worse to the seasoned spy of the shadows. That guard... when he said 'targets', was he referring to Lance and Lyra? Was this a set up? Was the young budding couple in terrible danger?
"Lance, I'm just going to step outside for a minute and make a phone call!" Koga heard Lyra say cheerfully. Reflexively, he smiled - Lyra reminded him of his daughter, Janine. They were both always so happy and friendly, and they were both utterly devoted to their Pokemon partners.
Lance's voice however was so close, it was as if he were standing right above Koga's hiding place. Perhaps he were standing next to the window? "That's fine. Actually, do you want to go ahead and start looking around for a sign from the sender? The sooner we get on it, the better. I'll just catch up to you once I've gotten express permission from the head of security."
"I'd like that, actually. I'll call you right away if I find anything!" For some reason, Lyra sounded a smidge less happy than before, but fired-up nonetheless.
"...Take care."
Koga heard Lyra leave the guard station with a dejected sigh. But wait, wasn't she cheerful just a moment ago? Why did teenagers have so many moodswings? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a lollipop? The world may never know.
Nothing happened for a few seconds, and Koga's ninja senses began to jangle in warning.
...Could Lance be aware of my presence?
The shadow warrior's pulse rate quickened.
No, it couldn't be-
There was the sound of the door opening once again.
"Good morning, Mr. Dragon Master sir!" Greeted a new, rough voice. "I'm Langley, Chief of Security at the Golden Coliseum. My men tell me you're here conducting official League business? I hope you don't mind if I get right to the point, as today a special event will be held here. The biggest one we've had in half a decade!"
"I'd also like to get straight to the point," Lance replied coolly, his voice now several feet away. "I want you to tell me everything you know about Operation Valentine."
Koga felt this was a good chance as any to get a quick look inside. He slowly inched upwards - making no sudden movements - until he could peer over the window ledge into the room. Lance was standing right in front of the window with his back to Koga, his dark cape somehow making him appear quite menacing under the harsh fluorescent lighting of the outpost. Langley was a bulky man with a five o'clock shadow and a thick cigar jammed in between his teeth. Unlike the regular guards, this Chief was wearing a pristine white polo shirt and black slacks. Judging by the Chief of Security's pale, stricken face, Lance was most likely intimidating him on purpose.
"I'm sorry, sir. I have been given the order to keep my council," Langley said bravely, biting hard on his cigar. "So it doesn't matter how many times you ask; you won't be getting anything out of me."
The air around the two men seemed to darken. Koga could only imagine what kind of expression the Dragon Tamer had on his face at that particular moment.
In his own experience, Lance tended to favor using his standard cheerful, sincere, engaging smile for most occasions - whether it be extortion, psychological abuse, tranquil fury or fooling the media, this signature smile of his had the power to both enthrall you and burn a hole right through your skull. Then there was Lance's not smiling face, his stern face. At just the right moments that face could nail your feet to the ground with no chance of escape and make you shit your pants. Koga himself had fallen victim to Lance's stern face once in the past... And then there was Lance's "hell's angel" smile. One never forgets this particular smile. You'd be extremely lucky to be on the receiving end of his "angelic" smile and survive, because experiencing Dragon Master's rage was a fate worse than a hundred deaths.
"...You don't understand, Chief Langley."
Lance took one step forward.
And another step.
And another.
"I'm not asking you," Lance said pleasantly. "I'm ordering you to tell me what you know."
"I..." Langley gulped audibly, and at the exact same time Koga did. "I'm not telling you anything!"
"...Someone important to me has been frightened out of her mind. I don't like seeing her like that, and I do not appreciate being lied to. You will tell me what you know."
Someone important...? Koga pondered.
"Are- are you threatening me?!" Langley stammered and took a cautious step backwards without thinking, his back hitting the steel file cabinet.
"Threatening you?" Lance repeated, bemused. "No... This isn't a threat, Chief. This is a promise."
The Dragon Tamer turned his head to one side, glancing over his shoulder at Koga's hiding spot with twinkling brown eyes and a serene smile.
An angelic smile.
"...!"
The Elite Four ninja instantly ducked away from the window, his heart beating rapidly from a sudden burst of adrenaline and fear. His gut-instincts were going haywire. It was as if there was a guillotine hanging right above his head. Like he'd been put out right in front of an execution squad! He was one hundred percent certain the Dragon Master had seen him, had known beforehand of his prescence! He had no idea what the younger man was thinking, but if that smile was anything to go by... the male shuddered. He needed to get out of there, now! Pronto!
As the ninja slipped away as quickly and as stealthily as he could, he heard Lance say,
"Chief Langley. Would you like me to give you a demonstration?"
A familiar, blood-curdling Pokemon battle cry resounded right on top of Koga.
Is that Lance's Dragonite?! When on earth did he release him?!
Koga didn't dare look over his shoulder to check. He tried to use his inhuman-speed to get to the safety of the trees, sticking to the cover of darkness along the way, the Pokemon in hot pursuit, snarling and growling. He could practcally feel the dragon's breath on the back of his neck...!
Just as the ninja reached the home stretch, Dragonite nabbed him right up right as he vaulted over the stone wall (he was most likely using ExtremeSpeed) and took flight with the Elite struggling haplessly in its claws.
Hmph, this is nothing to a seasoned shadow warrior such as I! Koga slipped a hand into his pouch, gripping an ancient scroll. My Weasel Chasing the Rising Sun secret technique will-
Several security guards and random Coliseum employees in the area glanced up at the commotion. At the strange sight of a ninja getting carried away by a big yellow lizard, they began to talk loudly and excitedly.
"Whoa, that guy is getting spirited away! Is he a stuntman? Are we on TV?"
"Naw, I think he's one of those goofy Dragon Tamers from Blackthorn."
"Oi, grandpa! That's not how you ride a dragon! Get your grandkids to help you out!"
Curse it all! I can't utilize my ninja techniques now! Koga realized. Not in broad daylight with all of these witnesses! Of all the times I am forced to abide by my code...! And who are you calling grandpa, you cocky brat!
He'll have to use his Pokemon instead. Venomoth would do the trick. Koga glanced downwards, intent on retrieving the Pokeball he needed when his gaze was drawn, unbidden, to the sight of how far away the ground looked and how tiny the people were getting. Just one mistake, and he could fall to his death... His heart leapt to his throat and stayed there.
"No... nooooo!"
...Right. Koga had slight acrophobia.
The higher and higher Dragonite flew, the less calm and rational Koga became.
"Did Lance anticipate my moves? What is Dragonite planning to do to me? How can Dragonite act on his own like this?! ...Dragonite, aren't you Flying a bit too high? Wait a minute, Dragonite, this is high enough, don't you think?! Seriously, stop climbing to higher altitudes, I beg you! Aaaaaugh! AAAAAUGH! Too high! TOO HIGH! GAAAAAH!"
Eleven horrifying seconds above the Goldenrod City skyscrapers later, Dragonite nosedived and abruptly released a petrified Koga from his grasp. The man tumbled and flailed face first right into an open dumpster, screaming like a little girl. Dragonite made a sound that greatly resembled a snort of laughter before swooping upwards and soaring away.
Koga's head popped out of the stinking heap after a few minutes, desperate for air.
"Lance is insane, a-a-and so are his d-d-dragons! I-I-I need to r-r-regroup with the others...!" He coughed and choked aloud indignantly. How dare that kid make a mockery of him and his fear of heights!
He counted his Pokeballs. When he confirmed that all six of them were accounted for, he sighed and attempted to climb out of the dumpster - but because his limbs were locked up from shock and fear, he couldn't get very far and he ended up sliding back down into the trashbags.
...At least he didn't shit his pants this time.
.o.
(SPINNING - 03, when Lyra and Lance split up to search the 7th floor of the Golden Coliseum)
This is the second time he has come back to this damn colloseum. But Silver didn't have a choice; Ethan had misplaced his radio two days ago, sometime during the tennis match they were watching together. They'd stayed behind until late night trying to find it, to no avail. Yesterday was no good, either. Today, Ethan could not help Silver because of his duties at Professor Elm's lab but it didn't really matter. If the redhead couldn't find the radio today, he would give up on it and move on.
It wasn't as if the radio was special to Silver or anything... but it did hold some value to a certain someone. In a way, it was a physical connection to this person.
Once he had ascertained that Lyra had successfully made her getaway from the parking lot, Silver had used a Smoke Ball to cut his battle with Gym Leader Morty short and escape into the Golden Coliseum's main building. He had to sneak inside as well because the security guards recognized him for some reason and always tried to kick him out. Today was Valentine's Day, and the workers were as busy as bees, muttering about an "electronic prank" while getting ready for some kind of indie concert. Silver ignored all this and made his way to the employee service elevator in the back, which he'd stolen a key from the HR department for. Using this elevator he could get to his destination in no time at all.
Inside the elevator, Silver shoved his hands casually into his pockets and watched the floor numbers on the indicator:
2...
3...
4...
5...
BWINK!
All at once, the electricity died, and the elevator came to a grinding halt on the 5th floor.
Silver frowned. "...You have got to be kidding me."
He stood there waiting for about two minutes before groaning aloud.
"...I don't have time for this. Weavile! Crobat!"
With a bit of help from his Pokemon and a lot of bravery, Silver managed to jimmy open the little panel door on the elevator's ceiling with Weavile's claws and Crobat carried him up and out of the elevator to the floor he needed to be on. Silver pressed his ear against the doors to make sure there was nobody out there before ordering Weavile to force this door open as well. In the next moment, Silver was safely inside.
"It's dark out here... I wonder how long the electricity'll be out?"
Not that he needed the light. His Pokegear would do the trick-
A noise.
The teen male froze from head to foot, listening hard. There was indeed a noise, it sounded like... talking? And it was coming from down the hall... was somebody else here? But there were no other telltale sounds, only the soft continuous murmur voices. He slowly crept down the darkened hallways to locate the source, using his Pokegear to light the way...
"Hall N+P... huh..."
The sounds were definitely coming from inside this chamber.
"This was where I watched the tennis match with Ethan... tch, I'll never accept an invite from that guy ever again."
Chains were wound tightly around the iron handles, holding the double doors securely closed, but it was nothing Weavile's claws couldn't handle. Silver kicked the chains out of his way and shoved his way into the Hall. He almost immediately saw his portable radio tangled in the tennis court net. It was turned on, and some kind of talk show program was playing with the volume cranked all the way up. He ran towards it and got right down to untangling the rediculous knots that held it in place.
Silver had found his radio. It was almost too good to be true, yet there was no denying that it was now in his hands. But what was it doing here in the first place? Silver had searched this particular chamber from top to bottom, and it wasn't hanging from the court net before. So his hunch was right - someone had taken the radio for himself... and got bored of using it apparently, and left it behind. He didn't even have the decency to turn the radio off...
He was still lost in thought when he left Hall N+P and walked down the hallway. He'd turned the radio off to save what remaining energy its batteries had and was about to inspect it for damages when-
"Dragonite, Hyper Beam. Full power."
Weavile shoved his master to safety in the split second before the deadly energy beam of death connected with the redhead, blasting away the wall instead.
BOOM!
There was a terrific explosion, and the world around Silver seemed to shudder and rock violently, on the verge of collapse. When Silver landed on his back, his head clonked hard against the floor, and he even saw stars for a few seconds. He didn't dare move. Silver wasn't hurt, but he was still struggling to recover from his shock - wait a minute, was someone walking towards him? He squinted through the dust.
"-Ah, Silver. That was really dangerous, walking right into my Dragonite's line of fire like that. You could have gotten hurt, you know."
"That... that voice!" Silver wheezed, squeezing his eyes shut and willing his confusion and dizziness to go away. He rolled over onto all fours, struggled to his feet and glared up at the one Trainer he did not want to bump into today at all costs, but because of some sadistic higher power he was granted this misfortune. "What the hell are you trying to pull here, you goddamn trigger-happy ephebophile?! Who goes around ordering their dragon to randomly Hyper Beam stuff?!"
"Ahahaha, it was an honest mistake!" Lance reassured the younger male, his cape whipping dramatically behind him. His voice dropped to a whisper. "But next time, I won't miss..."
"What did you say?" Silver frowned, straining his ears. His eardrums were still ringing from the booming explosion, and he only heard half of what Lance had said.
"No, it's nothing important. Heh."
Silver suddenly felt unsure under the man's friendly smile. Ever since he'd first crossed paths with this tall guy years ago at the Team Rocket base in Mahogany Town, the teen couldn't help but think there was something... "off" about him. He'd originally attributed it to the man's bleeding heart methods of training his Pokemon, but nowadays he reckoned it was the man's chivalrous and noble act that was getting to him. Yeah, that was probably it. And not to mention his cape was so stupid.
Lance changed the topic, still smiling. "I see you've found the source of the strange noises," he said, motioning towards the radio in Silver's hand. "Could I have it?"
"...Why?"
"Lyra needs it to solve an important riddle. I would appreciate it if you lent it to her, and I know she would be grateful to you, too."
Silver studied the Dragon Master for a brief minute, considering his request. Yes, he knew all about Lyra's search for the secret sender of the 'Find me' letters, and he also knew that Lance was helping her. The man was telling the truth.
"...No."
If Lyra really needed the radio, she would have to ask Silver directly. There was no fucking way Silver would allow cape-freak to get his hands on it.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that Silver? My ears are still ringing from the Hyper Beam blast."
Lance turned his head sideways and held up a hand next to his ear in the universal sign language for 'I didn't quite catch that'. Silver opened his mouth to repeat himself, but hesitated slightly.
Why the hell do I feel like I'm asking to get killed...?
"I said, no, I won't give you the radio."
"Eh, but why?"
"Like I'd ever give anything to you if you asked, bastard!"
"...You don't want me to ask you? Well then. You should have just made that clear from the beginning, Silver. I would've gladly complied."
"Huh?"
Lance whistled.
There was the faint sound of wings flapping in the distance, and there was a rush of wind-
With a terrible screech, Weavile leapt to his master's defense once again, knocking away the ambushing Altaria before she could deal any damage. An Aerial Ace could not be dodged... but there were still ways to stop it in its tracks. Parrying was one way, and Silver had spent a lot of time teaching Weavile to do it successfully. Pride welled in his heart at the action, but on the outside he was fuming at the sudden attack. "Fuck you, Lance!" Silver roared. "Weavile, give Altaria a taste of your Ice Beam!"
Weavile mewled an urgent warning, prompting Silver to squint up at the damned Altaria-
"What?!"
The Altaria was gripping his portable radio in its claws.
She wasn't trying to attack Silver... she had meant to steal the radio away from him!
"Do it now, Weavile! Ice Beam!"
The Ice Beam was fired at the bird with deadly precision. With a pained cry, Altaria fainted while still in mid-air and plummeted towards the floor. Lance recalled Altaria, and Silver made a running dive, catching the portable radio in his outstretched hands. "Weavile, return! Teach him a lesson, Crobat!"
Crobat smoothly switched with his teammate and hovered menacingly above the two Trainers. With a frantic flap of his wings, a purple orb of energy began to take form. Silver knew he would lose if he just attacked Lance's Pokemon with brute force. His previous embarrassing losses to the older man attested to this. His plan was to have Crobat use Confuse Ray to make the oversized yellow lizard too dizzy to follow orders before Ice Beaming its face.
Meanwhile, Dragonite had recovered from using Hyper Beam and was ready to rumble. Similarly to his beloved Trainer, Dragonite had a strange gleeful gleam in his eyes...
.o.
(SPINNING - 03, around the time Lyra uses the bathroom at the Wayside Diner)
The Indigo League was filled with all kinds of people from all walks of life. Of particular note, the Dragon Master from Blackthorn City... and the female he is trying to win over.
The future of Kanto and Johto rests on the decisions she will make when she steps into the role of Champion.
This was what Will believed.
But his organization was not interested in her, but rather the Dragon Master, mainly because of his connection to the mysterious city nestled deep in the mountains... and the equally mysterious Blackthorn dragon clan that resided there.
Said Dragon Master looked rather amused right now.
"...Heh."
Lyra raised an eyebrow at Lance from across their table.
"Mmph? What? You're staring at my face."
Lance had an elbow propped on the table surface, his chin resting on his palm. He grinned at her.
"You really are cute."
"Ehhh?!"
Sitting way on the other side of the bustling and pop diner, in a strategically located private booth, Bruno nudged Will. "Hey. This is enough, isn't it? Lance is on a date with his lady love. We should not spy on them anymore, it's rude. And a true man would never resort to these tactics!"
"..." Will badly wanted to do just as his coworker had been suggesting for the past twenty seven minutes, but who knows when he could get another chance to discover something new about the Blackthorn dragon clan? So he simply shook his head and continued to eavesdrop on the sort-of couple's conversation, no matter how revolting it was to him. Seriously, just how many times did the Dragon Master have to tell Lyra that she was cute?! He'd said it four separate times already! ...No, Will was not counting!
I have to focus, Will chastised himself. The secrets of the Blackthorn dragon clan are finally within my grasp. I can't falter here.
It's uncertain how long the dragon clan has existed.
Will once uncovered a legend in a certain city in the Johto region, a city known for its long standing traditions and its trees that remained forever gold and crimson colored. A legend according to which, an entire army of attacking foreign soldiers were single-handedly destroyed by a man who communicated with dragons, hailing from the mountains to the far east. If one took this legend as proof of the dragon clan's existence then it must have existed over 200 years ago. But this was just Will's analogical inference.
The organization was obsessed with uncovering the true nature of the Blackthorn dragon clan, not just its origins. How did the clan come about? For what purpose does it exist? So far, all the information they've acquired is vague at best. Most of this information comes from informers who have access to the city. But they're nowhere close to the core...
The organization still continues to dispatch investigators to this day. And Will of the Elite Four was the one and only investigator to successfully get this close to a high-ranking member of the mysterious clan.
"As you know, I'm a pretty high-ranking member of my clan," Lance began his new tale.
Lyra leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Does that mean you have special rights or something like that?"
This may be it! Will thought excitedly. Some actual information and not random trivia this time!
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do have special rights..." Lance said solemnly. "For example, when I am faced with an unbearably long line at the hot springs and I don't feel like waiting for my turn, I can use my name to clear the way and get in with no hassle, no fuss. And I can even kick other customers out. Pretty cool, huh?"
That isn't a 'special right', that's blatant elitist tyranny!
"Wow, Lance!" Lyra gushed. "That sounds like something I'd only read about in a romantic fairy tale!"
How can that girl just accept everything he tells her at face-value?! Is she really that DENSE?! ...No, Will, slow down. You need to look at everything he says objectively. You can't let your personal feelings and ethics get in the way of your mission to uncover Lance's secrets. And besides, even if he said it himself, I have no way of confirming if it's true...
Lance the Dragon Master.
Will had no clue what the man's primary occupation was. To be precise, Lance had so many titles other than "Dragon Master"; so many that it was impossible to know which ones were real. The most obvious of which is his position as consultant to the region's main Self-Defense Forces office.
But actually, he's a sadistic and bloodthirsty beast who has hidden influence in the government, the authorities and giant corporations alike.
There was no denying Lance's skills as a Pokemon Trainer. There was also no denying his college degree, or his achievements as a brave defender of the people. And yet even these things seemed to be no more than the public face of a man who lives within the dark confines of his clan. His name was treated as both a prayer and a taboo. He has made countless appearances in various forms of media as well, but none of that information shed any light to his personal life, or his family. Will was worried that once Lyra took Lance's place as Champion, the Dragon Master would fade into obscurity.
Will wanted to unveil everything before that happened.
The face hidden behind the mask of chivalry and justice... the face he kept hidden from the rest of the world-
A sweet, feminine laugh yanked Will out of his dramatic inner monologue.
"I see, so that's how it is!" Lyra said, interrupting Lance's story. She tried to smother giggles behind her hand. "Lance, you're so mean!"
"Hey, how was I supposed to know the chocolate pudding belonged to Claire? Give me some credit here!" Lance said defensively, blushing slightly.
Will's eyebrow twitched irritably at the scene he'd been forced to witness for the sake of his mission these past twenty-seven minutes. Twenty eight, if you wanted to get technical.
An unexpectedly pink world surrounding the young couple was spreading ever closer to where he sat and waited, threatening to shatter his dreams filled with intrigue and darkness...
"Oh, that's Gym Leader Sabrina on TV right now, isn't it?" Bruno remarked offhandedly, totally not interested in watching Lance interact with Lyra. Instead, he had been completely absorbed in watching the news on the huge flatscreen hanging above the dessert counter. "It's incredible how they got her to give horoscope readings this month. Why haven't you done that, Will? A true man should always go where duty calls him!"
"As I've already told you a hundred times before, I'm a different kind of psychic!"
Lance was still behaving a complete 180 from how he usually was, and all his blushes and sincere smiles creeped Will out to no end. So the masked gentleman turned away from the saccharine flirting to look at the TV.
The horoscope segments were always unnecessarily drummed up with bogus special effects and unsettling backdrops to create a mystical atmosphere. But Sabrina was a trusted and capable psychic. Will could admit to himself at least that he was rather curious what her predictions would be.
"This week, those born under Libra have the worst luck," Sabrina droned. "Do not under any circumstances lend your personal items to anyone, even your friends. Doing so would not only result in said personal item getting lost, but also an encounter of unpleasant nature with said friend, and may end in injury or death. Your lucky color is silver."
Bruno eyed Will. "Aren't you a Libra, Will? You'd better not lend any of your things to other people this week. A true man remains open minded and takes all warnings to heart!"
"Must you associate everything with 'the true man' code you're so fond of?" Will asked irritably. "It's worse than your spheal about 'true strength'."
Meanwhile, Lyra paused and studied her palms and fingers. "Sorry, but will you excuse me? I need to wash my hands."
Lance nodded. "Go right ahead. I'll take care of our bill in the meantime."
Will's frown only deepened.
...Seriously, no matter how many times I look, it's just too surreal to see Lance act so honestly nice. It's like my perception of reality is slipping from my fingers... I just have no idea how to interpret his interest in her. Lyra is pretty, a talented Trainer, and loves her Pokemon. These traits aren't exactly rare, there are plenty of women out there who have the same traits. Perhaps if I try to understand what it is that Lance likes about Lyra, I'll be one step closer to understanding him. Yes... maybe it is time I change my tactics slightly.
Once Lyra had disappeared into the bathroom, Will made to stand up. "Bruno, I've seen enough. Let's go."
Bruno scratched his temple. "Huh, you're not going to greet Lance? A true man is always polite and cordial, whether it be friend or foe!"
"There's no need t-"
Alarmed by the sudden surge of sadistic energy behind him, Will skillfully jumped out of the booth to safety, dodging the projectile that had been launched at his back with both speed faster than the average human eye could follow, and precision more frightening and deadly than a sniper's-
Fwooosh! THUNK!
-a butter knife was deeply embedded into the wooden wall that had been next to his head a second ago.
Some would be shocked by Lance's murderous actions, but for both the Dragon Tamer and the psychic this kind of interaction was the norm. Will suspected that Lance knew his secret identity and his mission, which was why Will was constantly in danger around the younger man. But that didn't mean Will was used to such assaults.
Miraculously, it didn't look like anybody saw what happened, either. For all the attention Lance garnered, he could be fairly sneaky whenever he wanted.
"Hey, Will. I'm hurt that you and Bruno didn't come over to say hi," Lance said conversationally. He nonchalantly walked up to Will's booth and tried to pull the butter knife from the wall, but because of the strength of his throwing arm the utensil was stuck pretty deep. "...Tch, missed again," he muttered under his breath.
"What the hell are you trying to start so early in the morning?!"
Lance finally freed the butter knife from the wood and turned back to the psychic with an innocent expression. "Gym Leader Sabrina said that your lucky color was silver, right? I just wanted to give you this butter knife to help you out. It's silver, see?"
"Ah, an honest declaration of brotherly affection! You never cease to amaze me, Lance!" Bruno said agreeably, nodding his head and smiling nostalgically. "Will, a true man always accepts others' goodwill and gifts wholeheartedly, even if he must lose his limbs in the process!"
"Stop joking around! I'd lose my life if I accepted gifts like that!"
Bruno was an oddity himself. A senior Elite Four member, he and Lance appeared to have a good working relationship and have gone way back together, long before Karen, Koga and Will himself had ever come along. Most notably, the Fighting-type specialist seemed just as oblivious to Lance's schemes just like Lyra! It drove Will up the wall sometimes how at the League, Lance obviously wanted him killed and barely hid those foul intentions of his, and Bruno could just attest it all to some philosophical teaching or other like nothing was wrong! If everybody else could see it, why couldn't Bruno?!
ANOTHER POV END
/?/?/?/?/?/
Ethan had been spending an awful lot of time down at the Tohjo Falls to study the Glacier Lillies and gather samples lately. It was tedious, repetitive work but he really felt like he was working towards an amazing discovery - the core of the mystery of Pokemon evolution. And the teen never backed down when presented with a tough mystery. As a result, he ended up staying over six hours at a time in the underground caverns, only going back to the surface when he absolutely needed to.
-Which was why he was kind of surprised when Silver of all people showed up at the cave one day.
"Hey."
"...Hey," Ethan responded, unsure. He didn't stop writing in his notebook to look at him.
Silence.
Silver had nothing good to say, and Ethan did nothing to help him out.
The atmosphere was understandably awkward.
The other male was most likely still very pissed off-
"Lyra told me where to find you," Silver said at last.
"She did?" Ethan said neutrally, glancing at the Lillies he were sketching.
"Yeah. And you can't hide any longer."
"...I was hiding?"
Silver blinked. "Weren't you?"
Ethan still did not look up. "Who knows."
"...Why the hell do you always gotta be like that?"
"Like what?"
The young aspiring Pokemon researcher did not hear the clank of metal chains until it was too late.
"?!"
Silver was on top of him before he could defend himself, and to his mounting surprise his wrist was now handcuffed. The other end was handcuffed to Silver's own wrist.
"What the-"
"But you know what? It doesn't matter. Because now, you're going to sit right here and explain yourself to me, you got that 'pal'?" Silver said quietly. "You can't run away from me anymore. I won't let you. Not without any real answers, dammit."
"How- how in the hell did you get a pair of handcuffs?!"
Ethan's shock was justified; these weren't those plastic toy ones you could get at bargain stores. These were the real thing.
"...That's not important," Silver said after a beat. "So what's it gonna be, science-boy? If you want to escape, you have to answer my questions."
"..."
"I want to know why you did it. And I want to know why you used me."
SPINNING + FULL CIRCLE
THE END
(FOR REAL THIS TIME)
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE SEQUEL:
"COUNTDOWN"
Fic Updates:
ver. 1.0 - Uploaded the first chapter! (2/16/14)
ver. 2.1 - Fixed spelling and grammar mistakes in the first chapter; uploaded the second chapter! (2/21/14)
ver. 2.3 - Fixed spelling and grammar mistakes, and extended some scenes in the second chapter! (2/22/14)
ver. 3.4 - Uploaded the third chapter, fixed typos in the same chapter! (3/1/14)
ver. 3.5 - Fixed an embarrassing typo in the second chapter! (3/5/14)
ver. 4.8 - Uploaded the fourth chapter, fixed typos in the same chapter, edited some scenes for better flow in the third chapter! (3/17/14)
ver. 4.9 - Fixed spelling and grammar mistakes in the fourth chapter! (3/18/14)
ver. 6.1 - Uploaded the fifth chapter, and fixed a spelling hiccup! (3/31/14)
ver. 7.1 - Uploaded the extra chapter! (4/06/14)