Guess I should update this, huh? Thanks to Tgonthefiery and mirrorkinomoto for reviewing the previous chapter. Also, thanks to PKMNfanSakura for reviewing an earlier chapter.

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Chapter Twenty Seven: Divine Destiny

The path way to the Champion's room was a long one. Before commencing on the walk, she revived and healed her Pokemon to full health. By this point, she had almost used up her revives and was close to running out of hyper potions. She hoped she had enough strength remaining to defeat Lance otherwise she'd have to redo the entire challenge again and become the laughing stock of the region.

Once her Pokemon were restored, she started walking along the orange path, taking note of the surrounding frames hanging on both sides of the wall. There were a number of trainers who had their portraits on their wall: some she didn't recognize, and others she knew quite well having just defeated them. But what caught her attention was the portrait of Red.

She walked up to it, reading the tagline underneath. "Red. Former Champion of Kanto. Currently holds the record of the shortest Champion reign ever. Will be forever remembered as the first trainer to maximise bond with Pokemon. Current whereabouts are unknown," she read aloud. Red. The legendary trainer of Kanto, the one trainer she was always being compared to. "Where are you hiding, Red?" she asked, studying the portrait.

The boy's eyes were covered by the front of his hat. Camera-shy? She pulled her gaze away and continued walking along the colourful path. It was then she spotted the cameras watching her from all corners of the hall. Her every move was being watched by every single person in Johto and Kanto. It was flattering, yet nerve wrecking at the same time.

Eventually, she reached the final room. Double red doors waited for her. She walked up, placed two hands on the door and pushed it open then stepped inside. Unlike the other rooms, this one wasn't designed to represent a certain theme. However, it was still spectacular and had a real royal feel to it. The carpet was red, and the throne itself made out of iron. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling and glass stained windows surrounded her, each with an image of a legendary Pokemon.

And in the middle of the room stood Lance. He really looked like a Champion now with all the fancy decorations around him. All he needed was a crown and he'd look like a king. She felt her heart flutter. He turned his gaze on her now, expression unreadable. "Lyra, I've been waiting for you. I knew that you, with your skills, would eventually reach me here. There's no need for words now. We will battle to determine who is the stronger of the two of us. As the most powerful trainer and as the Pokemon League Champion… I, Lance the dragon master, accept your challenge."

That introduction felt like a pre-planned script. She felt a little disheartened by it; she had at least expected a warmer greeting considering their history. But then she reminded herself the cameras were rolling and Lance was expected to act a certain way. Showing signs he knew her quite well wouldn't be a good look.

Lyra looked down at her pokeballs. "All right team… it comes down to this. Every battle we have fought… has brought us to this moment. I believe in each and every one of you," she said, whispering so Lance couldn't hear her. "We've come this far… there's no way I'm going to go down." She looked up, stepping forward to take her position across from him.

He started things off by summoning a Gyarados to the field and Lyra was immediately reminded of the events that transpired at the Lake of Rage and Team Rocket headquarters. It was a time when she had gotten to know him quite well for who he was, rather than for what he was. "A Gyarados."

"Yeah, a Gyarados," he replied curtly.

She didn't have any Pokemon with an electrical attack equipped, but hopefully she could rely on special attacks to bring him down. She summoned Espeon, hoping Lance's Gyarados didn't know any moves super-effective against it. "Espeon, use Psychic!" That was the last Psychic Espeon had left. She hoped it would land a hit. It did, but Gyarados didn't seem majorly effected by it.

"Gyarados, use Dragon Pulse!" A powerful draconic wave of energy left the Gyarados' mouth, speeding towards Lyra's Espeon. Espeon was struck hard, throwing the feline several feet up into the air. She came back to the ground, landing on all fours. "Come on, Lyra, I know you are better than this. Don't hold anything back."

Lyra gritted her teeth. "I'm trying." Now she had wished she had brought along her own Gyarados. "Espeon, use Future Sight!" With no Psychics left in the tank, Lyra had to rely on sneaky attacks instead. Espeon closed her eyes, developed a pink glow then reopened them again as the glow faded. Gyarados flinched.

"Is that it?" he replied, eyebrow raised. "I expected more from you."

She was becoming increasingly agitated by his attitude. It was like he was purposely trying to push her just to… what? Get back at her for hurting him earlier back in Blackthorn? He didn't seem like the vengeful type, but then again he didn't seem like the type of trainer to force a Pokemon to evolve either. "What are you playing at? Are you trying to anger me?"

He shook his head. "This is a battle, Lyra. Everyone expects to see a battle between the Champion and the challenger. They are not paying good money to witness an experienced trainer play like a rookie."

Had he just compared her to a rookie trainer? Rage coursed through her veins at the insult. "I can't believe you! You're comparing me to a rookie? I may not have been a trainer for as long as you have, but you don't have to be so mean about it." Karen had said Lance was infatuated with her… the way he was acting now seemed like anything but that.

"Gyarados, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Espeon, dodge it now and counter with Psybeam!" The two energy beams collided. It was now a matter of who was stronger. Gyarados' weren't particularly known for their high levels of special attack, so it didn't take long for Espeon to gain the upperhand. "I don't know what's going on with you, but this isn't… you!" she blurted out, feeling slightly idiotic as she remembered this was being filmed. Great, now everyone would think she was some trainer with a massive crush on Lance. Which wasn't true at all… okay, maybe it was, but she was not going to lower herself to the level of his brain dead fangirls.

He narrowed his eyes. "You claim to know me well?"

She nodded. "We fought alongside each other at the Team Rocket base! You went out of your way to look after me after the trouble at the Lake of Rage! You even paid me a visit after I defeated Team Rocket when you didn't have to! Are you telling me none of that means anything at all?" she said, voice raising an octave. She no longer cared if people were watching her. Let them think what they like. He was silent. "Well, doesn't it?!"

The silence was painful. Had he been trying hard to push those memories out of his mind? Gyarados lunged forward, trying to sink its cold fangs into Espeon's skin. Espeon nimbly leapt out of the way, and ran circles around the Gyarados, trying to confuse it. Lance ran a hand through his hair, looking rather irritated, not at Lyra but at himself. "Damn it Lyra, you put me in a difficult position." He sighed. "I haven't forgotten… and even if I could, I wouldn't want to. You made me realize something that day, and it's taken me quite some time to truly understand it. I can't…" he trailed off. "We need to finish this battle. Gyarados, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Espeon, use Shadow Claw!" Gyarados launched another wave of draconic energy, and Espeon avoided it, by climbing up the Pokemon's back. She slashed at the Pokemon's face then jumped off landing on all fours. At the same time, Future Sight struck the Gyarados, bringing the monstrous beast to the ground.

Both Lance and Lyra seemed surprised at the Gyarados' sudden fainting, but then she realized they had been too busy talking to pay much attention to the battle. Espeon was exhausted now. Lyra did what was best for her Pokemon and recalled it, summoning her Toto to the field instead. The reptile was very eager to battle since this was his first time battling in the league.

Lance summoned the first of his impressive three Dragonites. "Dragonite, use Thunder!" A tremendous bolt of lightning smashed through the ceiling, plummeting towards Toto's position. The crocodile couldn't avoid it and was struck severely. Feraligatr collapsed on the ground, but he was still able to move. "What…" Lance murmured.

Lyra too was pleasantly surprised. Electrical attacks did immense damage against Water-types, so how did Toto endure that attack? Had her bond with her Pokemon provided the crocodile with additional strength? "Toto, use Avalanche!" Feraligatr roared at the sky above. Snow fell from the gathering clouds, crashing down onto the roof. Eventually, enough snow landed to cause the ceiling to cave in, causing all the snow to land on the Dragonite, inflicting a severe amount of damage.

Dragonite shook off the snow, and climbed to the top, looking rather tired, but still determined. "Dragon Rush!" Dragonite rushed forward, slamming his tail against Toto's face, sending the reptile skywards. Toto landed back on the ground in an unconscious state. Lyra planned to bring him back soon, but right now her primary goal was taking down one of his Dragonites. She brought out her own dragon, Gabite.

"Gabite, use Dragon Claw!"

"Dragon Rush, Dragonite!"

It was a clash of the dragons. Dragonite was stronger, but Gabite was faster and was able to attack quicker. Gabite clawed the Dragonite before the other dragon could counter effectively. Dragonite fainted. Gabite started to glow, his form starting to shake. A light enveloped the Gabite and morphed into a much larger shape then it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. An older more powerful dragon stood in its place. Garchomp.

"I'm surprised you didn't take the path of a dragon tamer yourself, Lyra. You do look rather good in a dragon master's garbs."

Lyra shrugged, feeling her cheeks redden at the mention of his compliment. "I wanted a bit of a variety on my team."

"Fair enough." He summoned his second Dragonite. "Dragonite, use Dragon Rush!"

"Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!" Garchomp was much faster than Dragonite and was able to land an attack first. The battle seemed a little bit easier now having Garchomp on her team. Although the move dealt a great deal of damage, Dragonite remained standing. He swung his tail, striking Garchomp directly in the gut. Garchomp stumbled backwards, roaring with pain, but still managed to stand on his two feet.

"I'm impressed. Your Pokemon should've fallen by now… but then again… you're no ordinary trainer," Lance commented.

"I've heard that line before," Lyra replied. Lance restored his Dragonite and Lyra took the chance to revive her Toto. She had a feeling she would need his services soon. "Now Garchomp, use Dragon Claw again!" Garchomp rushed forward, and clawing the newly restored Dragonite. Dragonite roared, and fought back, downing Garchomp with another successful Dragon Rush. Garchomp fainted. She summoned Toto again, giving him a hyper potion.

"Dragonite, use Hyper Beam!"

"Toto, now is the time to use Avalanche again!"

Dragonite sent forth a glowing beam. Lyra had gotten quite familiar with that attack as Clair had used it many times over. Toto was struck, but remained on his feet. Dragonite had no choice but to recharge now allowing Toto to hit back twice as hard with a powerful landslide of snow. More snow fell, sliding down the damaged roof, smashing into the Dragonite. Lance's second Dragonite was beaten down. Another Dragonite defeated. One more remained and Lyra suspected it was the same one that followed him around often.

But instead of bringing that Dragonite out though, Lance chose to summon some big flying dragon-looking Pokemon with giant bat-like wings and bone-crushing jaws. Lyra had never seen anything like that before.

Aerodactyl. A vicious Pokemon from the distant past, it appears to have flown by spreading its wings and gliding.

"Aerodactyl, use Thunder Fang!" The fossil Pokemon swooped and landed on Feraligatr's head, biting down on the other reptile. The speed at which the Pokemon moved at was incredible – it was almost as fast as Suicine. Electrical currents ran throughout Toto's body, bringing the reptile to a quick defeat.

Lyra cursed inwardly. What next? She had a Shelgon, Espeon, Staraptor and Arcanine left. She was sure the Aerodactyl had moves to counter any type… except for a dragon, of course. She summoned her Shelgon. Instead of issuing an order though, she revived her Garchomp.

"Aerodactyl, use Rock Slide!" Aerodactyl flexed its wings, roared and slammed its tail against the ground. The room shook, and bits and pieces of the ceiling fell towards the ground. Several of pieces struck Shelgon, but fortunately didn't do too much damage. Lyra swapped Shelgon out for Garchomp and healed the dragon. Lance attacked again, using the same move.

Garchomp sliced through bits of rubble with his razor sharp fins, but couldn't get through them all. "Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!" Garchomp leapt into the air, and slashed at the Aerodactyl's belly, prompting the Pokemon to let out a pained roar. The Aerodactyl, although injured, managed to remain in the air, beating its wings to stay aloft.

"Use Crunch!"

"Dragon Claw!"

The two overgrown reptiles collided, claws connecting with sharp teeth. Garchomp slashed at the opponent's eyes as he received a powerful bite around the neck. Aerodactyl slapped Garchomp in the face with its tail, and Garchomp fought back, slashing at its fragile wings. Despite its powerful looking appearance, the Aerodactyl was very fragile. It fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Lyra wiped her brow. Two more Pokemon to deal with. A Dragonite and something else. She hoped it wasn't a Kingdra. As she predicated, Lance summoned his final, and most powerful, Dragonite. Dragon showdown once again. "Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!"

"Outrage!"

Garchomp dashed forward, slashing at the Dragonite's vulnerable belly. The Dragonite bellowed, wincing with pain. Unfortunately, for Lyra's sake, he managed to hold on to a conscious state. Damn it, she thought. I was so sure I had that one. Now it was Dragonite's turn to attack. It stretched its wings, lifted its tail and tilted his head forward, as if it was about to take off. Instead of flying though, it remained still emitting a purple glow from its body. The Dragonite started to tremble, the glow turning to a black colour instead.

Both Lyra and Garchomp looked on in awe – the Dragonite looked up, its eyes a bright orange, like a burning flame. It arched his neck back, jumped into air, beating its wings rapidly then dropped to the ground. It landed with such force it caused the entire room to shake. Lyra glanced up, noticing the remaining golden chandeliers were swaying from side to side. Another move and they would smash to the floor… or worse, land on her head.

Dragonite picked itself up from the floor, tilted his head forward again and pinned his wings against his body. It charged forward, ramming into the Garchomp at full force, throwing the sturdy Garchomp through a wall. The room shook again – whatever Outrage did, it made the Dragonite super-strong. One of the golden chandeliers fell. Lyra threw herself out of harm's way, narrowly missing it by a couple of inches. Unfortunately, she landed on her ankle on a bad angle, ankle rolling inward. She yelped. Pain shot through her body.

She winced, tightening her jaw, as she held her injured ankle. The cries of a fainted Garchomp reached her ears. Fighting the pain, Lyra reached for Garchomp's pokeball and threw it out before her. Garchomp returned, and she threw out another ball, Arcanine. She forced herself to sit upright, wincing as another wave of pain coursed throughout her body. "Arcanine, use Crunch!" Arcanine did not move. She looked at her trainer, concerned. "Do it, Arcanine!"

Arcanine sprinted forward, throwing herself onto the raging Dragonite. Dragonite swung its tail, whacking Arcanine square in the face, knocking the canine back several feet. Weakly, Arcanine picked herself up from the ground, standing on shaky legs. While Arcanine dealt with the angered Dragonite, Lyra revived her Toto by forcefully opening the pokeball, and pouring the liquid inside. Her last Revive had gone. It all came down to these last moments.

"Lyra?" Lance sounded worried.

"I'm fine," she replied, almost hissing. She touched her ankle again. Her ankle had swollen. Would she be able to stand? She decided to risk it. A trainer could never show any signs of weakness during a battle, and she'd be damned to show it now in front the Champion himself. Grunting, she picked herself up, almost stumbling over in the process.

Dragonite smashed anything that was standing its path, turning the room into a destruction zone. It stomped around in circles, making the earth shake each time its feet made contact with the ground. Its wings continued to flap, sending dust particles up into the air, creating a haze. Lyra could barely see Lance now. Arcanine yelped as she was smacked in the side by the Dragonite's muscular tail. She tried to stand up again, but failed.

"Go Staraptor!" Lyra threw out her avian Pokemon, after returning her Arcanine back to its ball. Staraptor immediately took to the air and flapped her wings to clear the air.

"Hyper Beam!"

Staraptor was struck with a glowing beam of yellow energy, knocking her out of the air. She fell to the floor, feathers falling all around her. The bird squawked, clawing at the ground then picked herself up. "Staraptor, use Take Down!" She jumped back into the air and dropped towards the Dragonite, throwing her entire weight into the attack. She bounced back upon impact. "Now use Aerial Ace!"

She moved forward, slashing at the Dragonite's eyes with her wings. Dragonite hissed. "Dragonite, use Outrage!" Once again, Dragonite became enshrouded with a purple light which quickly turned black. It dashed forward, ramming its head into Staraptor making the avian faint. Two more Pokemon left.

"It's up to you, Toto," Lyra whispered, hands grasping the pokeball. The ball shook. "I know you can do this. Put down that dragon." She threw the ball out and Toto reappeared, looking more determined than ever. She gave her trusty companion a Hyper Potion and waited for Dragonite to attack again. Dragonite stomped around in circles again, smacking the ground with its tail. The ground shook, and Toto and Lyra shook with it. More pain took hold of her body, but Lyra forced it aside.

Dragonite spotted Toto and charged, driving a stubby arm into the reptile's face. Toto stumbled backwards, but his tail to hold him upright. Lance's final Dragonite continued to throw attacks at random without even having to be issued an order. Sometimes it smashed walls, sometimes it flew around in circles blasting inanimate objects and other times it stood still, roaring at the sky. If wasn't doing one of those things, it was attacking Feraligatr.

"How can I bring you down…" Lyra whispered, panting. During the Dragonite's temper tantrum, the Pokemon was untouchable. No Pokemon could hope to get close enough to land an attack, and even by some miracle it did, its attack did nothing. But there had to be something she could do… Feraligatr was knocked to the side again upon receiving a slap to the face by the Dragonite's tail. As Feraligatr fell to the floor, the Dragonite stumbled backwards.

Wait.

Every time the Dragonite landed an attack it took a few steps back, huffing and puffing, looking a little confused. This moment last only a few seconds though hence why Lyra hadn't noticed it before. The perfect time to attack. The only time to attack. "Toto, use Avalanche! Now before the Dragonite regains its senses!" Gnashing his jaws up at the sky, Feraligatr roared, conjuring one final wave of snow and ice. The wave brought down half the ceiling, falling on top of both Dragonite and Lance, covering them both in a blanket of white.

Lyra hobbled forward, gasping each time she stepped on her injured foot. "Lance!" she called out. She could see Dragonite clearly, its tail was sticking up through the snow, but she couldn't spot the Champion. Calling his name again, she limped forward, desperately trying to catch some sign of him. Had he been knocked out by the wave of snow and ice? Had he been seriously injured? Concerned thoughts raced through her mind.

"Toto, help me find him! He could be hurt!" Lyra ordered. Feraligatr nodded, and began to dig through the snow in search of the Champion. Feraligatr moved piles of snow, flicking it behind him, as he delved further in. He stopped suddenly, and turned to look at Lyra, wagging his tail. Lyra came over as quickly as she could, dropping down besides her loyal companion. Feraligatr had found him, and fortunately he seemed to be all right. "Thank Arceus, you are okay!" Lyra exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief.

Lance opened his eyes, glancing up at her. "Dragonite used Safeguard at the last moment to protect me from harm."

She extended an arm, offering a hand. He grabbed it and helped himself up to a sitting position then shook his head like a wet dog, to remove the snow in his hair. "Thanks, Lyra." He turned to look over Dragonite, who was still stuck in the snow. The dragon did not move at all. "Seems you took out my last Dragonite." He then noticed the broken cameras nearby and added, "And the cameras as well."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

He grinned. "Looks like the fans will miss out on the grand finale."

"What a shame."

"Well, the room might be totalled," he said, noting the destruction around them. "But we still have a battle to finish." He stood up and helped Lyra back up to her feet. "How this battle ends will become a memory between us."

"Better make it a good one then," Lyra teased.

"With you in it, how could it be a bad one?"

That comment caught her by surprise. Had he taken a knock to the head before Dragonite acted? It didn't sound like something he would normally say. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Better than ever," he replied, eyes lingering on her face. "The cameras aren't rolling anymore… so I can say what I want to say now. But… those words can wait after the battle." He turned to his Dragonite and called it back then threw out his final one. A red draconic creature appeared, with a round yellow belly and flame on its tail, stretching its wings.

Charizard. The evolved form of Charmeleon. If Charizard becomes furious, the flame at the tip of its tail flares up in a whitish-blue colour.

Obviously, the Pokemon was a Fire-type which meant it would be easily defeated by a single water move.

Lyra returned to her original position. It all came down to this. She almost didn't want to launch a final attack – Surf would annihilate Charizard and therefore end Lance's reign as Champion. But she knew she had to do it, no matter how tough it seemed. "Feraligatr, finish this with Surf!"

"Charizard… use Dragon Claw."

Charizard moved forward, swiping at Toto with its sharp claws, but Feraligatr endured the attack. Feraligatr growled and slammed his tail on the floor, summoning a wave from the ice and snow. The wave moved forward, turning into water as it came closer to Charizard's flame. Bucketloads of water fell on Charizard's head. Charizard roared, shaking its body, trying to remove the water but the damage had already been done. The tall and proud lizard animal crumpled to the ground. That was it. The Champion had been defeated.

"… It's over," Lance murmured.

It was hard to imagine what thoughts were running through his head right now, but anger didn't seem to be one of them. He actually seemed rather calm despite having just lost his title. Lyra wanted to offer words of comfort, but the words were stuck in her throat. So she stood there quietly, watching him closely.

Lance returned his Charizard to its pokeball then looked at Lyra again. "It's an odd feeling. I'm not angry that I lost. In fact, I feel happy. Happy that I witnessed the rise of a great new Champion!" He smiled at her. "I can think of no other trainer who deserves this as much as you."

Lyra opened her mouth to reply when four people burst into the room. "Lyra!" Someone called out her name and she turned around, surprised to find Ethan there. He was also accompanied by Professor Oak, some random lady and Karen. Ethan ran up to Lyra, a wide smile on his face. "You did it, didn't you? You defeated the Champion!"

"Yup." Although she had won, it didn't feel like the victory she thought it might've been.

Karen shrugged her shoulders. "I tried to stop them, but they were determined to get here."

"I always knew you were special, Lyra!" Professor Oak said, ignoring Karen.

The lady Lyra didn't recognize rushed forward, pushing the two guys aside. "Tell us everything! We missed the final part because the cameras suddenly turned black! This is major news!" she squealed, hopping from toe to toe. "What happened in the final moments?" She pulled out a mini notepad and fluffy pink pen.

Lance grabbed Lyra's arm and gently pulled her away from her three fans. "This is getting to be a bit noisy… Lyra, could you come with me?" He led Lyra away from the excited journalist, guiding her back towards the hallway she had come from.

"Oh wait!"

Fortunately, Karen blocked the trio from proceeding further. They remained in the ruined room, giving their congratulations to Lyra. "You'll get used to it. Some fans are worse than others though," Lance commented, as they stepped into the hallway. "This is the Hall of Fame. It used to be a room only Champions could enter, but we decided to switch the order around, so trainers who defeated the Elite Four could gain some inspiration before taking on the Champion." He gazed up at the decorated walls, observing the framed photos.

"There's quite a few people here. Were they all members of the league at one point?"

He shook his head. "Every league has a Hall of Fame dedicated to the trainers from all regions who made it to the top level. You'll find the past and present Elite Four members here as well as the Champions. It's a way of commemorating trainers and their Pokemon for all eternity. Silver frames are for Elite Four members, and the golden ones are for Champions." He looked down at her again. "And now, you'll get your face on the wall. It won't happen straight away though - you'll have to wait until the official handover ceremony begins."

She stared at him blankly. "Official handover ceremony?"

He laughed. "You seem surprised. Becoming a Champion is a special event, one that is celebrated region-wide. The event takes place in three days, so make sure you get a lot of rest because it's a very busy day. High-ranking trainers from other regions will drop by to give you their congratulations. You'll be expected to answer questions from various media groups, but I'm sure you can handle that."

"What happens to you?"

"Well, I've got three days to move out." Lyra lifted her brows. "The league is a temporary home for a Champion. You get to stay here for as long as you can defend your title," he added, providing a brief explanation.

"And what if the new Champion doesn't want the role like Red? What happens then?"

"The final member of the Elite Four steps up to take over the position. Usually, they have to battle the resigning Champion, but in some instances… they get lucky and just receive the title… such as myself for example," he explained, frowning at the latter half of the sentence. "You're not thinking of leaving, are you?"

She shook her head. "Of course not."

He smiled again. "Good." He paused again, looking up at the wall. "I don't think the region would cope well if another Champion decided to abandon the post. You know, people are still hurting over Red's random resignation." There were a few moments of silence again, as they both looked at the frames. Lyra spotted Lance's golden frame on the far end of the wall, opposite to Red's.

"So," she started, turning to face him. "What was it that you wanted to tell me? You said you'd wait until after the battle… there aren't any cameras rolling so it's safe to speak."

"Did I?"

She nodded, mouth morphing into a grin. "You did. You said something about the battle becoming a memory between us then you added it couldn't possibly be a bad one because I'm in it. What did you mean by that?" Her smile widened.

"Effects of being hit on the head by the snow," Lance replied quickly, looking rather uncomfortable all of a sudden. Was that a tinge of red she saw on his cheeks?

"Hmm… sure…" she drawled. "Is that part of the script?" she added, teasingly.

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

She shook her head again. "Nope."

"Darn."

Her amusement faded. "All joking aside, what did you really mean? You didn't jump into the Lake of Rage just because you had to – you could've just watched me from the side. You didn't come to visit me after I defeated Team Rocket just to offer me a congratulations and I'm sure your reasons for watching my battle against Clair wasn't just to spy on me. Why did you do it knowing you didn't have to?" She knew why of course – she just needed to hear him say it.

He looked away briefly then turned to her again. "At the time I convinced myself I did those things because I had to… but you're right… I didn't need to… I, uh… wanted to." The red on his face deepened. Now he looked really uncomfortable. "Uh… this is awkward."

"It's a good look on you," Lyra pointed out. "Ariana thought you looked cute when you are mad, but I think otherwise. You're cute when you're awkward." She grinned again. Lance being uncomfortable made her feel less awkward for some reason. It boosted her confidence by quite a few levels, surprisingly. She was saying things she never imagined herself ever saying.

"That… uh… well…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

She giggled. Actually giggled. That was so unlike her. Now it was an awkward moment for both parties present. It became even worse when Karen entered the room, a knowing smile on her face. She approached them now. "Aw, how cute. You've raised his spirits, Lyra… and probably something else too," she added with a wink.

"Shouldn't you be watching the other three?" Lance said, annoyed.

"They're busy arguing over who gets to interview Lyra first, I snuck away." She shrugged, flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder then continued. "Besides, I'd rather watch you two… you're far more interesting. The beginnings of that battle… so dramatic." She turned to Lance, smile growing even widening. "So Champ… well, former champ, what are you waiting for?"

He frowned. "What?"

Karen rolled her eyes, looked at Lyra and mouthed the words, 'men', shaking her head in mock disappointment. "I think it's obvious what's going on here, but both of you can't admit it. Now honestly, why don't you just shut up and kiss her already before someone else gets to her. Everyone is gonna want a piece of Lyra now, but you can get to her first." She smiled sweetly. "Anyway, I'll see you later. I'll round up the other boys and the gym leaders later so we can start preparing for your weddi-er, handover ceremony." She headed back towards the main entrance, chuckling.

Lyra couldn't stop a blush from appearing on her cheeks. Her face burned hot. Karen knew. Heck, everyone did now after that battle. Suddenly, being a Champion didn't sound so appealing. Questions were going to be asked, and most of them would be about her relationship with the former Champion. Would the pressure become too much?

"Lyra? Are you all right? You don't have to take Karen so seriously… she's a bit weird."

She put on a fake smile. "I'm fine. Just… thinking, that's all." And just like that, her mood had changed.

"Well, we should head to the main room. We can't stay in here forever." He held out an arm, waiting for her to take it. She did, locking her arm around his. Together, they strolled down the hallway.

"Is this the usual way of introducing the Champion to everyone else?"

He nodded. "Actually, it is. Well… it only happens if the new Champion is of the opposite gender. If the new Champion happens to be of the same gender of the former Champion then they just walk down the hall a few inches apart. I don't know who came up with that idea." They walked through the other Elite Four chambers, coming to a stop in the psychic room. Will, Koga, Bruno and Karen awaited them.

"Congratulations, Lyra," Will said.

Koga acknowledged her with a nod. "I look forward to working with you in the days to come."

"You'll have to show me some of those fancy moves you pulled against me," Bruno said.

Karen stepped forward, grinning. "You go get them, girl!" She then winked. Lance and Lyra exited the first room, while the Elite Four members stayed behind. Lyra took in a deep breath, and looked at the sea of faces before her. It was overwhelming. The attention she had received after defeating Team Rocket, paled in comparison to this. Journalists pushed through the crowd, eager to get to her, while people she had never seen before, called out her name, reaching their hands in her direction.

"Lyra! Lyra! Lyra!" the crowd chanted. She spotted a few teary eyed individuals in the crowd coming from a group of girls in the far corner. Lance's own fanclub. How on earth had this people learnt of her victory in such short notice? Hadn't the cameras been destroyed? Had they simply assumed she had it won when the cameras fell to the ground?

Lance raised a hand, calling for silence. Not a sound could be heard (except for a few sobs), as the people in the room looked to him with eager anticipation. "I invite you all to give applause to your new Champion, Lyra!" The crowd roared in response. Lance called for silence again. "The official handover ceremony will commence in three days in Goldenrod. You are all invited to witness this special free event, but only a certain amount of people will be allowed within the designated area. Tickets can be obtained at all Poke Marts. For those of you who will miss out, you'll be able to watch all the action unfold on your television screen. I ask that you all leave Indigo Plateau so our new Champion can get some well-deserved rest."

There were a few grumbles from the crowd, but police officers managed to force them to leave without any trouble. Lyra was relieved – facing a sea of hungry fans wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now. Only one person in the crowd remained in place – he was a tallish man with spiky brown hair and dark brown eyes. "Who is that guy?" Lyra whispered, looking in the mysterious man's direction.

Lance followed her eyes. "Oh, that's just Blue Oak." He then frowned. "I wonder why he's here…"

Blue? As in the former Champion, Blue? "Wait, Blue Oak?" Professor Oak's grandson was the original Champion? "Wow."

Blue walked up the stairs, hands in his pockets. He looked Lyra up and down, ignoring Lance completely. "So, you're the new Champion. I can't say you look like Champion material in that pathetic outfit, but you might just have what it takes to go the extra mile." He rubbed his chin looking thoughtful.

"Blue, the new Champion needs her rest. You can talk to her at the ceremony," Lance said, looking somewhat irritated.

Blue sent Lance a glare. "You have no right to tell me what to do – I defeated you a number of years ago," he said, tone laced with smugness. Lyra was starting to dislike this guy and she had only just met. How could he be related to Professor Oak? He turned to Lyra again. "You, girl. I've got a challenge for you."

Lance interjected again. "Her name is Lyra."

The original Champion glowered. "Didn't I tell you to stay out of this? I want to talk to Lyra privately. And don't worry, I don't want her in the same way you do so you don't have to panic." Lyra sent Lance a confused look, one he replied with a similar expression. He moved away, choosing to meet up with the other Elite Four members, probably to discuss upcoming events.

"What do you want?"

Blue smirked. "Right to business, good girl. Maybe there's hope with you after all." He studied her face, smirk fading. "You might be Champion, but you're not the best trainer in the region."

"But-"

He lifted a hand, wagging a finger. "Not everyone wants to be a household celebrity, girl. You're not a real trainer until you've defeated Red."

"Red? The former Champion? The one who defeated you all those long years ago?"

He nodded. "That's right. I couldn't beat him, and up until now, no one has been able to best him in battle. But maybe you could change that. Maybe you could battle him and convince him to return home."

"I don't even know where Red is… and what makes you think I want to find him anyway? I just became the Champion… I have a life here." She had her mother here. She had her close friends here. And she now had Lance. "Why would I want to leave that all behind?" Although, she had to admit, she was a little curious where Red could be hiding. His name had been mentioned in conversations a fair bit in her journeys.

He looked at her like she had just said something stupid. "Don't tell me you want to sit on some boring throne all day long waiting for some wannabe champion challenge you? You could be waiting years for someone of that level to arrive. Wouldn't you rather want to take your skills to the next level by challenging the greatest trainer to ever walk the earth?" Blue challenged, giving her a hard stare. "Are you a coward, girl?"

She huffed. "No."

"Then why not seek out Red?"

"It could take me years to find him."

"It won't. It'll take you a day and a bit at the most... before you ask, yeah, I know where Red is. He told me where he was going to go after he defeated me. He's living on the top of the most dangerous mountain in existence… Mount Silver."

So, Kurt's suspicions had been correct. Red lived atop of Mount Silver, the very same mountain that claimed her father's life when she was just a little girl. "You're suggesting that I risk everything to climb this mountain to find Red?"

Blue shrugged. "It's just a suggestion… you don't have to do it if you don't want to… but then that'll just prove that you're a coward. You're a Champion now, girl. Only you can decide what type of Champion you want to be. You can be the Champion who defeated Red… Wouldn't that be a tale to share?"

"Mount Silver could easily claim my life."

He sighed. "Like I said, it's just a suggestion. If you decide to pursue Red, then you'll have to head to the western gates of the league. There's a guard there, but as Champion, you can do whatever you want. Smell ya later!" He gave her a salute then walked away, heading towards the entrance. Lyra watched him leave. She had a choice. There were still three days until the official ceremony, so she had a bit of time, but could she reach him? Was it worth the risk?

She thought hard. Lance's grandfather had said she was supposed to be the protector, to help others find themselves. Now she had to find out who she wanted to be. At the same time, she could finally honour her father's memory. But what about her mother? Her close friends? Lance? They'd be devastated to learn she had left without saying anything. "I'll be back in time," she said aloud. "Blue said it would a day and a half… if I leave now…" If she left now, no one would notice.

Yes. She could make it. Her Pokemon were strong enough to take on Mount Silver. She followed Red's instructions and headed over to the western gates of the League. Entering the league, she hadn't realized there were other doors here, but she saw it now. It was hardly visible, as if it were purposefully designed to be overlooked. She spotted the guard Blue had been talking about, standing in between two Arcanines.

"Hey there, Champion!" the officer greeted, tilting his cap forward. "If you want to find your resting chambers you'll have to go the eastern gates. The ladies there will show you to your temporary resting chambers until the official handover ceremony commences."

She shook her head. "I want access to Mount Silver."

The officer's eyes widened. "N-no… I'm sure you don't want to go there. Mount Silver is dangerous and strictly prohibited to everyone."

"Except for the Champion."

He bit down on his lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. "B-but Lyra… surely… Johto can't risk another Champion resigning from the position, especially before the ceremony has even begun! Please… reconsider…" The fear in his eyes was evident. He was truly afraid of whatever was on this mountain. That only made Lyra more curious to explore Mount Silver. What was so bad about this place anyway?

"I need to do this."

He laughed nervously. "You've proven yourself already, Champion. You don't need to do it again."

"I have to. Please, unlock the doors. As Champion, I demand passage."

With trembling hands, he reached down to the keys hanging at his side. He fumbled with them, almost dropping the keys in the process. "Y-yes… as you insist." He moved to the silver door, placed a bronze key inside the keyhole and turned it clockwise. The Arcanines standing at his side crept away from the door, nervously growling. Even the Pokemon were afraid. Lyra almost had a change of thought at the last minute – but knew she had to go continue going through.

"Thank you."

She stepped through the doors.

.

Losing a battle had never filled him with a great joy, but losing to Lyra gave him the opposite emotion of anger and disappointment. His grandfather had predicted this would happen but had conveniently forgotten to mention his future with Lyra. The old man must've seen it otherwise he would never have been so determined to ensure his grandson looked after her. He wanted to return home now to tell the old man the good new (and apologize for his earlier behaviour), but he still had commitments to full here at the league.

And one of those commitments was ensuring Lyra was well looked after in the lead up to the big ceremony that was to be held in a couple of days time. The other members of the Elite Four were already deciding on the day's events, with each trainer allocated to a specific role. Will had claimed responsibility with ticket management and contacting important persons, and Bruno claimed the position of crowd security. Koga decided on being the person responsible for organizing the activities and Karen was responsible for stage design and catering. This was the biggest event the region had experienced in years so it had to be a memorable one.

He headed towards the temporary resting chamber when he was stopped by one of the assistants. She looked troubled. Her eyes laid on him, and she ran over. "She's gone!" she wailed, clinging onto Lance's arm.

He pried her fingers off. "What do you mean gone?" Had Lyra gone for a secret walk around the surrounding bushland or had she returned home to visit her family?

"She never came to the chambers!" The young lady wiped her eyes, as tears flowed down her pallid cheeks. "She was last seen talking to Blue." She stuttered, breaking down into hysterical sobs. "I'm sorry!" She hurried away before Lance could respond. Gone. Lyra didn't even say goodbye. A sense of loss overcame him. This had to be some cruel joke. How could he get reasonably close to someone only to have that person run away? Was this how it was always going to be? Enjoy a few moments of joy and peace only to lose it hours later?

Blue. What had the former Champion said to Lyra during their brief exchange of words? Had the guy somehow convinced Lyra to abandon the league? What reason would he have? Anger replaced his feeling of loss. "Blue!" He didn't care who heard him, nor did he care who awoke. There had to be an explanation for this. Why would Lyra leave? Why would she suddenly decide to flee after everything they had been through? What gripped him now was unlike anything he had experienced before. He couldn't find the words to describe it accurately, but the words loss, regret, sadness and fear came pretty close. He called Blue's name again.

"I heard you the first time… what do you want?" The arrogant tone of Blue Oak filled the room. The guy strutted towards him, as if he owned the place. He leaned against the wall, one leg pressed up against it, arms crossed over his chest.

Lance stormed over to him. "Explain yourself."

"About Lyra? We had a few words, that's all," he replied calmly, shrugging his shoulders.

Anger poured through him. Lance pinned Blue against the wall, glowering. "Where is she?" he asked as calmly as possible, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Blue was smirking. "I told her if she wants a real challenge, she should locate Red. I know where Red is… but I'm not going to tell you. I can't have you ruining everything just like how you messed up big time during your reign as Champion." Lyra. Gone. Forever. It made him feel sick to the stomach. Clair had said Lyra would just vanish one day… No. Lyra was still here. She had to be. "Why?" he asked, almost with a snarl.

"I want to see if someone can beat Red."

Lance narrowed his eyes. "This is about revenge? Red handed you a humiliating defeat so now you want to find someone who can defeat him?"

Blue nodded. "I couldn't defeat Red. You couldn't either. Isn't there some part of you that wants Red to experience a defeat? He humiliated me."

He felt desperation rise within him, making it almost impossible to breathe. "And you thought sending Lyra after him was a good idea?"

"She didn't have to, but she wanted to. What happens next is out of my control." He snickered. Lance drew back a fist, and drove it into the side of Blue's face, prompting the younger boy to yell out indignantly. He stumbled backwards, landing on his backside. "What the hell?!" Lance didn't reply. He felt like striking down the bastard again, but hitting Blue wasn't going to solve anything. It did make him feel slightly better though, Blue was always a jerk. Lyra had gone… It left him feeling empty inside. If she died… he wouldn't be able to live with himself, knowing he was partially responsible for her leaving. I should've made sure she made it to the chambers, he thought, scolding himself.

Where had Lyra gone? Where would someone like Red hide? He tried to think of locations, but worry over losing Lyra made it a real struggle. All he could think about was hearing it on the news one morning that Lyra had suffered a fatal injury. He knew he needed to find her, but where to even start? Time was wasting. The longer he did nothing, the greater the possibility something bad had happened to her.

There was only one person who could help him now. His grandfather. The man had to have seen something. Lance exited the league, summoned Dragonite, and made his way over to Blackthorn again.