Notes: I never pictured myself to be this late in my schedule, but oh well. I was just really distracted today by my cousin getting Monopoly City. Man, I wasted 3 hours of homework time playing that. But eh, nearing the end of the Kanto arc. I'll probably go on a long break after I conclude the Kanto arc, but we'll see. I've kind of lost my drive for fanfiction and want to work on my own original ideas. That or obsess over the end of Golden Sun Dark Dawn. I just beat that game so it's fresh in my mind. Before I ramble on any further, enjoy the story.

~CINNABAR~ISLAND~GYM~

Ixen laughed as Professor Oak ran around his lab hectically. "Relax, Professor. I didn't send the Pokémon over yet."

"Well I can't help it, Ixen! With this new information, you've found a breakthrough in the phenomena of shiny Pokémon! Who would have thought it was genetic? In hindsight, I should have compared a sample of DNA of your Charizard with Green's."

"There's no helping it now, Professor," Ixen said nervously. He blinked when he realized something. "I almost forgot! How is the Eevee? Red did give her to the trainer I recommended, right?"

"Yes, she's doing very well." Ixen sighed in relief. "But I'm afraid the remedy used on Vee won't apply to Eon." Professor Oak looked through a file he had. "Eon has been found to evolve into all seven present forms and revert back."

Blaine thought about it deeply. "I could probably figure something out, but it'll take time." The gym leader watched a machine carefully and looked through a glass window at three fossils.

"Well, I appreciate the efforts," Ixen stated. He looked over at the machine in wonder. "Are the three Pokémon done yet?"

"Not yet, but if that research is right, the genes I looked into would make your three new Pokémon shiny. You're okay that I tampered with them?"

The Dragon Tamer nodded. "I would hate it if they were revived already before being modified since those experiments seemed painful." He shivered at the thought.

Blaine smiled at the boy. He's not like his cousins at all. "They'll be done soon then. Just wait and we'll be able to have our battle later today. Oh and I made the modifications to your Pokédex as asked. Just insert some Pokémon DNA and it'll register the shiny version of that species into your catalog. It'll be very helpful for gathering the discoloration of legendary Pokémon."

"Great." Ixen turned back to speak with Professor Oak. "I hope you're okay with that, Professor. By the way, when are you returning to your Kanto lab, Professor?"

"It's not a problem, Ixen, but I probably won't be back until the start of next year. Why?"

"Can you tell my friend I'll be in Blackthorn on New Year's? My phonebook was unable to survive the frozen swim I took." Ixen fiddled with his repaired Pokégear and heard a bell behind him. "I've got to go now, Professor. I'll see you." The Dragon Tamer turned to face his three new Pokémon as Blaine introduced them to him.

"Because there were three of them it took a while but everything seems fine. Completely healthy and shiny. Do you have any nicknames in mind?"

The Omanyte clung to Ixen as he knelt down to pet her. He laughed lightly as he pried the sticky Pokémon off of him. He set her down gently beside the Kabuto and had a staring contest with the creature. Finally he straightened up to face the Aerodactyl. "I'm not very that creative so I'm naming them after their fossils. Helix, Dome, and Amber," he stated. His kind smile caused the three to happily tackle into him. "I think they like it."

"Well, you should rearrange your party for the battle now. Two-on-two. I'll give you time to decide right now." Blaine left the room to give the boy a chance to think.

Ixen continued to play with the baby-like Pokémon. He stopped laughing though and frowned at the ten Pokémon he had with him. "Mr. Fuji let you stay with me, Kagara, but I'll have to go with Chiyu and Longjia on this battle. The same goes for the three of you. All of you will be headed to Blackthorn City. I'll return in about two months, but I can see you guys anytime I'm in a Pokémon Center."

Kagara smiled and raised his new Thick Club and tapped his trainer's head. "It's alright! I'll take care of them!"

The Dragon Tamer placed a hand on the young child's head. "Just don't get into trouble. If any of the other Tamers give you trouble though, be sure to tell me and stay strong." He looked towards his travelling team and stood up. "But before I send you four off, how about watching my battle with Blaine?" He reached for the door with his Marhstomp and Pupitar behind him. "It'll be like the time I watched my first official Pokémon Battle between Clair and a challenger," Ixen chuckled.

Blaine waited patiently with his Rapidash and Growlithe. He smiled at the boy and stood tall at his end of the battlefield. "I suppose you won't be using your new recruits."

Ixen shook his head. "They need experience first." He reached up to lower the rim of the grey hat Blaine had given him. His smirk was clearly visible as a gold band contrasted the shadows covering the top half of his face. "Ready?"

The gym leader nodded and had his Growlithe race out to face the boy's Pupitar. Blaine smiled at the boy's tactics and became excited as this was his first gym battle in a long while. Not many trainers of Kanto reached Cinnabar so he had patiently waited for Ixen to arrive. He wouldn't hold back though. "Growlithe! Flame Wheel!"

"Dragon Dance! Earthquake!" Ixen stood his ground as Longjia created a tremor that stopped the pup from running into her. "Rock Slide!"

"Agility!" The Growlithe lithely dodged the falling rocks and got close to Longjia before attacking wildly.

Seeing many openings, Ixen quickly retaliated. "Earthquake Slide! Get as far away as possible!" The Dragon Tamer glanced up at the scientist. "You left yourself defenseless using Close Combat."

Blaine smirked. "Your sharp senses will help you a lot, but don't forget that this battle is all about thinking ahead. Agility!" The hurt puppy managed to stand up and rush towards Longjia. "Reversal!"

As a last ditch effort, Ixen had Longjia use Sandstorm and Earthquake before recalling her. "No need to push yourself too much. Chiyu! Let's finish with Muddy Earthquake!" The Marshtomp flooded the arena as he entered. He quickly washed the pup off the field and happily awaited the Rapidash.

Blaine pushed up his sunglasses the same time Ixen rearranged his goggles. The old man smirked at the young boy. "A sandstorm won't help you in this battle of speed. Rapidash! Flame Wheel!" The large Pokémon rushed towards Chiyu quickly.

Ixen smirked and lowered his head. "Earthquake!" Rapidash quickly tripped and Chiyu had the upper hand. "Triple Mud combo!" The Marsthtomp used Mud Bomb, Mud Shot, and Muddy Water in quick succession.

"Agility and Double Team!" Blaine intensely focused on the battle as he tried to calculate the boy's next move. His four moves were clearly devastating but the gym leader knew that being on the offensive wasn't the Marshtomp's best style. "Fire Spin! Flame Wheel!"

"Muddy Water!" As the wave of water surrounded Chiyu, the Pokémon rammed his body towards the charging Rapidash. The Marshtomp did his best and finally grabbed hold of the struggling horse. When the final moment was ready, Ixen gave one last shout to secure his victory. "Hold on tight and Earthquake!"

Blaine bowed his head in defeat. "So you lured me into your offensive trap. A strong defense became your offense."

Ixen smiled as he took off his hat. "Because Chiyu was defensive you didn't expect him to fight as hard." He caught the Volcano Badge thrown towards him and smirked at it. "One left and I'll be admitted past the preliminaries." He glanced at his entire team and new recruits. "All of us need to work double-time now to become Champion! Let's go! Back to Viridian City, where it all started!"

~VIRIDIAN~CITY~

The Dragon Tamer stretched up towards the sky and took in a deep breath as his Charizard followed him. "One last badge, everyone! Green is waiting for us!" He approached the gym and noticed that the lights inside were dark and the door locked. "I guess none of the other Holders are in Kanto…"

He turned from the building and noticed a large bird flying towards him. He ducked out of the way as the Pidgeot urgently got closer to the trainer. The Pokémon landed and held out his leg. Ixen took the time to untie the message and unfurl it.

Ixen read it quickly and frowned. "Green won't be able to battle me in person until after he returns from Johto. He's helping Cianwood City Gym Leader Chuck with tracking the Black Market near the Whirl Islands. If I want, I can fight his team here. Otherwise, I can battle him the next time we meet but that means having to collect the Johto badges before the Pokémon League. What do you think, Yaoban?" He turned towards the protective Charizard.

Knowing the boy could tell if he was lying, Yaoban stated what he truly wanted. "We have other trainers to fight and I want to match up against Charizard."

The boy chuckled to himself and called out his other Pokémon. "How about the rest of you? Do you want to wait or battle?"

Chiyu lazily stared up at the sky. "Anything goes for me."

"Well I want to fight and be guaranteed a spot in the Pokémon League!" Hikaru jumped energetically into the air and onto the unsuspecting Marshtomp. The dull Pokémon didn't mind and just rolled onto his stomach. "But I'll be fine with waiting for Green."

Tiehun shook with silent laughter. "Either is fine," he simply stated.

Longjia and Wulong deliberated slowly. When the two finally came up with a decision, the Dragonite looked at Yaoban with fierce determination. "We want to challenge the gym and Blue!"

Ixen thought about it. "That's a bold thing to say, Wulong. Do you really agree, Longjia?"

The Pupitar nodded her head happily. "We get a chance to fight Blue twice then."

"Huh… Interesting. So I guess that's settled. We go for the badge today and battle for strength the next time we see Blue. Everyone agreed?" His entire team gave a loud shout and became energized for a battle against Blue's gym team. Ixen laughed and turned to bow to the Pidgeot. "We wish to challenge the Viridian City Gym Leader."

The bird flapped his wings and moved closer towards the gym door. He lifted a wing to show that the preparations were inside. Ixen followed and used the key Green sent to him to unlock the door. The anticipation boiled up within him as he remembered the feelings from his childhood.

After years of wanting to challenge the Viridian Gym, I'm finally able to obtain the Earth Badge. He stepped into the gym and noticed it very empty, just like his childhood. "Everything is almost the same," he smirked. "You wouldn't remember, Yaoban, but I came here once. It was the day I met Cousin Lance for the first time. It was also the first time I controlled Pokémon in a battle before. I forget who it was against, but he used to be the previous gym leader before Green." They went towards the back of the room where Green's gym team waited. The boy tipped his hat forward and prepared for a battle. "I've grown up a lot since then. Let's see if I've gotten better though!"

A hologram of Green appeared and stared at the challenger. "I've set everything up to prepare for this battle, Ixen. My team of five against your team of six. We'll see whose Pokémon are stronger and whose techniques are better. Go, Ninetales!"

"Chiyu! Let's go!" Both Pokémon rushed out, but as the battle commenced, Ixen heard a loud droning. He quickly realized it to be a Beedrill. Before the trainer could react, the large Pokémon speared a needle into the hologram projector. As the image of Green disappeared, the Dragon Tamer quickly pointed at the speeding bug. "Ice Beam!" The attack missed and the Beedrill quickly rushed towards Ixen with a needle pointed at his neck. All of the Pokémon in the room froze in fear of the boy's life. Remembering himself being stuck in this position before, Ixen forced out a light laugh as the distant memory returned to him. "Don't worry everyone. Uncle Giovanni won't hurt me. I helped him get 'twezur' in the past."

Green's Pokémon were tensed up and ready to attack, but they still didn't dare move. Pidgeot watched carefully as a man entered the room. He chuckled at the boy's childish optimism. "What makes you think that? It's been nearly seven years since that day. Ixen of Blackthorn… You were born here, weren't you? I always wondered where you disappeared to. It was a relief to see you gone but it always bugged me that you weren't dead."

Ixen continued to stare at the Beedrill as he calmly spoke. "I almost forgot how fun it was to see you go around town on your errands, Giovanni. Of course, I never knew you were a part of Team Rocket back then but seeing your Pokémon was enough to make me want to become a trainer. I'm better now obviously, what with my seven badges and all. It won't be easy to kill me this time."

"Impressive." Giovanni looked at the arena and came up with a proposal. "Let's see if you really did improve. The toddler brat back then couldn't even control two dragons well. We will have an official battle that puts your life on the line."

Knowing he was in no real position to decline, Ixen looked at his team out of the corners of his eyes. They didn't want to take up the challenge but they had to. "I accept the conditions." The Dragon Tamer smiled at Green's team. "Sorry, guys. You'll have to stay out of this."

"And to make sure none of you get in my way," Giovanni called out his Cloyster, "this Pokémon will make sure you'll stay put. Don't get any bright ideas now." Looking back at Ixen, he had his Beedrill return to his side. "To give you a fair chance, I'll go by what my successor decided for the match: five against six."

"I'm not the same kid from back then. You should be taking me more seriously," Ixen warned. "Let's go! Chiyu!"

"Nidoqueen! Take him down!"

Both Pokémon charged towards each other and Chiyu cleverly ducked down before ramming his body upwards. Ixen calmed himself down so he wouldn't get caught up in the moment. "Ice Beam!"

"Flamethrower!" Giovanni smirked at the boy as the fire clashed with the ice. "Poison Sting and Mega Punch!" The Marshtomp crashed into the wall and Ixen scowled. "I've got everything calculated to the last second, boy. You're outmatched."

Refusing to acknowledge this, Ixen quickly assessed the situation and how he would plan everything out in the future. I was prepared for Green but Giovanni has a completely different style. I'll have to outthink him to win. "Chiyu! Muddy Ice!"

Unable to counter, Giovanni recalled his fainted Pokémon. Instead of reaching for another Poké Ball, the man ruthlessly called out an attack. "Rhyhorn! Earthquake!"

The Dragon Tamer looked around to see where the attack would come from but Hikaru automatically switched with Chiyu and slammed his fist into the ground. "Below us!"

Ixen's team scattered as the gym collapsed around them. The boy couldn't move quickly enough and began falling into the deep canyon that appeared under him. Thinking quickly, Ixen pulled out the magnetic wire in his right glove and tossed it towards Tiehun. "Hikaru! Force-Aura combo!"

"Earthquake and Stomp!" The large Pokémon caused the Lucario to stumble before it jumped onto Hikaru. With their opponent pinned to the ground, Giovanni had Rhyhorn finish him off with another Earthquake.

"Hikaru!" Ixen threw the Pokémon's ball and pulled it back quickly before the ruthless trainer would hurt him even more. Looking at the rest of his team, he decided to go with Longjia. "Dragon Dance and Iron Head!" The Pupitar charged forward and knocked out the heavy Rhyhorn but Giovanni was prepared with a counter.

"Aggron! Iron Head!"

Knowing the steel Pokémon had an advantage Ixen forcibly had Longjia escape with Dig. "Earthquake!"

"Use your own Earthquake!" Giovanni struggled to stay upright but managed when he saw his opponent return his Pokémon.

"Tiehun! Earthquake!" Ixen wiped the dirt from his cheek and breathed heavily. "Is that all you've got? If you want, I'll let you battle with a full party."

"That's funny. Just because I'm down to my last two doesn't mean I'll let you win. If you want to make this a full party battle though, I'll be happy to oblige. Ursaring!" The great bear stood ready to battle and Giovanni paused to admire the Pokémon. "Normally, I prefer my own specialty-type, but my Beedrill and this Ursaring are very dear to me."

Ixen gulped as he prepared Tiehun. "How so?"

"Beedrill was the first Pokémon I ever caught and this Ursaring… He belonged to my son! Fire Punch!"

"Psychic Bullet!" Ixen held his breath as both Pokémon collided. "Yeah… Family and nostalgia really are special, but I'm fighting partly for those reasons too. I won't let you win! Zen Headbutt, Tiehun!"

"Ursaring! Use Strength and finish the Pokémon with Fire Punch!" The large bear pushed against the heavy metal Pokémon and unleashed a powerful blow.

Down to his last three, Ixen had Chiyu to finish things. "Muddy Water!"

"Strength and Fury Swipes!"

Both trainers glared at each other and refused to let the other know he was tired. Ixen reluctantly made the first move to recall his fainted Pokémon. Giovanni did the same and called out his Golem. Seeing the remaining four Pokémon, Ixen looked up at Wulong and Yaoban. "How about we change things for this last round, Uncle Giovanni? The same as before, a double battle between your Beedrill and Golem and my Charizard and Dragonite."

"Very well. Be careful to not stumble again."

"I won't. Not twice. Yaoban, Wulong, Dragon Flame Duet!" Both Pokémon moved in a quick pattern and blasted fire at the Beedrill. Ixen quickly followed up and yelled for Wulong to use Ice Beam and Yaoban to use Earthquake.

Giovanni clenched his teeth. "Beedrill! Agility, Endeavor, and Poison Jab! Golem! Rock Throw, Rollout, and Explosion!"

Seeing how Beedrill was trying to separate his team, Ixen came up with an all-or-nothing effort to save his team. "Hyper Beam and Flare Blitz!" He synced himself with both of his Pokémon and put in all of his effort to give them the energy needed to sustain the effects of all of the attacks. The Dragon Tamer let out a yell and dropped to his hands and knees. His head was on the verge of splitting open.

The former gym leader was impressed but the boy now left himself many openings. "Beedrill! Finish the three of them with Twineedle. Any last words?"

His body was extremely heavy and Ixen had to force his head up to stay focused on the battle. "I won't lose. Not with Yaoban and Wulong. I hatched the two of them with all of my heart. I won't lose!" He started forward and picked himself up to take off in a full sprint. "All eight attacks! Yaoban! Wulong! Let's go!"

Giovanni was surprised as the boy crashed into him. The area around them exploded in a bright light and the man quickly made sure to throw Ixen off before disappearing into the mess. Giovanni quickly returned his Pokémon and left the area before any officials would arrive.

Green's Pokémon freed themselves and checked the exhausted boy. Ixen couldn't move but he was relieved. He strained his right arm to move and pick up a glistening emblem that fell from his opponent's pocket. Finally, the Earth Badge was his.

~VICTORY~ROAD~

Ixen woke up and immediately let out a surprised yelp. It took him a moment to realize it was Agatha. He made a face and looked at her shrewdly. "What was that for?" He started to get up but winced when he noticed how sore his body was. "And what am I doing in a cave?"

"Sit down, you brat! I'm trying to help you recover from your intense battle." Agatha whacked him lightly on the head with her cane.

The Dragon Tamer sat still and realized his Pokémon weren't with him. "Where's my team? And what happened?"

"So many questions… Just shut up and be patient!" Once she was satisfied with his silence, Agatha answered his questions. "Lance is out with them. Seeing as how they were in a horrible state at the end of the battle, he took the liberty of healing them. And why are you asking what happened? Shouldn't you know?"

The boy stared shrewdly at the old lady. "Of course I know. I just meant afterwards. I was battling Giovanni. I won…" He started moving again and looked for his new badge. "I won, didn't I?"

"Sit down! And yes, you won. The Earth Badge has been added to your collection inside your coat." Agatha showed him and whacked him on the head again.

"Sorry…" Ixen said in embarrassment. "How did you know about my battle though?"

"Lance had us Elite Four watch you. A good battle but you need to be more ruthless! That man would have killed you if he had the chance."

"The Elite Four? What's that?"

Agatha was about to answer but someone entered the cave and coldly looked at the boy. "It's an advanced group of trainers that consists of the four top trainers chosen by Lance. I am Lorelei, mistress of ice. And you are?"

Despite the chill he received from talking to her, Ixen put on his bright smile. "Ixen of Blackthorn and Viridian. No type specialty but I relate well to any Pokémon. I'm just a Dragon Tamer. And… that's it, I guess. Nice to meet you!"

Lorelei responded by giving him a stony expression. "Are you some type of happy idiot?"

At that Ixen shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on my mood. I'm not so dense since I qualify to be a part of the Eleventh Pokémon League." He frowned and looked around the cave. "By the way, where are Cousin Lance and the fourth member of the Elite Four?"

"You'll see them soon enough." She turned towards the exit and motioned for the boy to hurry up. "We should get started now."

Confused, the Dragon Tamer did nothing but obey. "What are we doing? I still don't get what happened."

Agatha laughed at him. "I found you after the battle. I had my Gengar control your limp body and had you write a message to Green Oak telling him about the battle and that you were going to train in isolation for a while."

"My 'limp' body?" Ixen freaked out. "That's not cool! How long have I been out?"

"A few days," Lorelei stated. "Hurry up. Your team is waiting for you."

Seeing his team for the first time in days, the boy was relieved. "Everyone is all right! That sure was a tough battle and sorry I made you all worry. I didn't expect to push myself that hard."

Wulong and Yaoban looked at him worriedly as he mentally synced with both of them at the same time. The stress added onto him had to have been too much for just one person to bear.

Ixen gave them both a reassuring glance. "I'm fine, you two."

"Then you'll be fit for training with all of the Elite Four!" Hikaru exclaimed. The Lucario seemed excited and anxious to start.

"Yeah, I guess." The boy looked up between Lorelei and Agatha. "Who am I training with?"

The younger trainer gave him a disdainful look. "I guess it'll be me. I hope what you told me about him is true, Agatha."

The old hag laughed beside her. "It's true alright. You can't be fooled by his demeanor. There's an icy-hearted dragon underneath that warm smile. You can't be too sure of him either."

"Glad to know you missed me too, Agatha. Let's get started!" The Dragon Tamer stretched and put on his smug smile. "Try not to bore me."

Agatha waved the two trainers goodbye. "I'll leave him to you then. Don't disappoint me, little brat." The boy just gave her his crooked smirk.

Curious, Ixen caught up to Lorelei and asked, "What's all of this training for? I mean, Agatha trained me once and the results were fine. Why do I have to train with each member of the Elite Four now?"

"Since there are the four of us, we will be helping you develop your skills. We believe you can be the trainer who will help us with our goal. I will work on strengthening your resolve in battles. When Bruno arrives, he will help you sharpen your battle senses. Agatha will help you improve your other senses. And finally, Lance will help you master your Viridian gifts."

"This sounds really unnecessary," Ixen bluntly said. "What's wrong with my resolve? I battle because it's fun and makes me stronger. I have goals I want to complete too. Isn't that enough?"

"In battle, you don't seem to take things seriously. I will change that." Her tone made the boy think something sinister was in wait for him. "Now stop. We will start our training here. Pick a Pokémon to start with."

Ixen looked at his team and pointed to Wulong. Type advantage goes to everyone else but her. We'll practice with her first. The Dragonite obediently stood by his side and he saw Lorelei choose her Jynx. Ixen gulped and prepared for a long training session. "So how will this work?"

"It's simple. We will battle and for every one of your Pokémon fainted, I freeze you with this doll." Lorelei held up a voodoo doll made of ice. It resembled the Dragon Tamer exactly and in her other hand was a marker. "This will be a game of hangman. I will start with both of your wrists, next your ankles, your waste, and finally neck. The ice spreads as time goes on so you'd better be quick about this match. For now, I will place a ring on your left pinky giving you at most a day to win."

"Isn't that a little too harsh? I'm only ten!" The boy was now panicking and regretful for choosing Wulong for such a task. The Dragonite looked at him worriedly and agreed, but there was nothing the two of them could do. The icy crystal growing around his finger didn't help much at all.

"No. And your age doesn't matter."

"That's not cool!" Ixen shouted with his voice cracking.

"Of course it isn't. It's cold, freezing cold." Lorelei's icy smile didn't make him feel any better but she already called for the battle to start. "Ice Beam!"

"Keep your distance and Flamethrower!" This worry was getting to the boy and he couldn't think clearly. There was no way he could calm down and think things through. Seeing another blast of ice coming towards them, Ixen had to quickly improvise. "Dance of Agile Flames!" His voice cracked again causing Lorelei to smirk at his helplessness.

"You won't win unless you show me your legendary focus."

Ixen responded by nervously taking a step back. I've never had to face this type of predicament before. It's my Pokémon and me at stake here! He looked around desperately to look for a way out of the deadly battle.

"If you're not going to strike, then you can't complain when you're a frozen statue." Lorelei gave one more chance for the boy to react. When he didn't, she mercilessly had her Jynx attack. "Ice Beam!"

~TRAINER~PAGES~

Ixen's Journal: The Rise of a Trainer

It's been nearly a year since I moved into Blackthorn City. I don't remember much of Viridian City anymore but I'm still proud of being of the Viridian Forest. I'm glad Mother recommended me to start a journal about my progress as a trainer because I have a lot to say today. My class stopped bullying me. Well, they stopped picking on me physically but that's good enough since I can take them on mentally any time now. I broke my left arm again but it was worth it to see Yaoban evolve. That's what I decided to name Charmeleon. Yaoban… It's a great name for him since he burns like the sun.

The reason he evolved was because a challenger visited today. Well, he arrived yesterday but he seemed down. He only had three Pokémon with him and they were dragons. He seemed really interested in Yaoban and me so we talked for a while. He told me that he wanted to challenge Cousin Clair but that he wouldn't be good enough. I told him about being bullied and that I couldn't really stand up to my entire class about my Charmander.

The trainer told me that I had to believe in my Pokémon no matter what. My Pokémon was only as strong as me. I got into a fight believing that but Yaoban saved me. I was glad and the trainer watched as it happened. I thanked him a lot and thought he should have followed his own advice. Cousin Clair let me watch his battle against her and he only used one Pokémon and won against Clair's two. Clair refused to give him a badge but the trainer was fine with that. He said he had something to do before he got the badge. He thanked me and gave me a Dragon Fang necklace before he left towards the Ice Path. I never saw him again after that, but I wonder if I can be a trainer like him.