Okay, now we get into more turmoil as time goes on. Lance is a young man, now made popular by the pokemon league. The biggest hotshot in Johto and Kanto, so of course it's going to go to his head. This chapter was originally combined with the next one but I decided to cut this part out and have it on it's own.


Meeting rooms have become the norm for Serena and though she feels comfortable in them, this visit isn't normal. When she arrived in her shared office this morning, Elijah wasn't in his usual chipper mood when telling her they have a meeting today with Chairman Ren Tanaka, head of the Association. It's not often she gets called into a meeting with them. Elijah, Hendrick and Lorelei are the three reps from the league that attend meetings normally, unless Serena is present and so Lorelei stays behind.

Today, however, it's just her and Elijah as he borrowed a League pokemon to teleport them to the association HQ in Goldenrod City.

It's been a month since the League tournament and it went extremely well. Trainers were showing up in hoards to participate, the numbers were boosted, the amount of people tuning in on the radio and TV were doubled that of last year and Lance was unbeatable. He held his position with little effort and it impressed tons of officials and fans.

As Elijah takes a seat and Tanaka enters the room, Serena wonders if this is a private meeting to congratulate them on the exciting change in this year's numbers. A smile begins to form on her face only to falter when Tanaka slams several newspapers on the table in front of them with Lance's face pictured on the front and a different woman on his arm in each paper. Her smile turns into a frown as she picks up the papers to examine them.

Clearly, the paparazzi are getting good at following him or he doesn't care about them seeing him. Either way, his choices are leading fans to believe he's easy money for the league. In another article, some parents are concerned about the image it holds for their daughters wanting to be trainers so they can be 'next in line'. Serena frowns at that article and tosses it aside.

She presses her fingers to her temples and wonders how everything could be moving in the opposite direction she wanted. Her first full year here and everything she's tried for is already starting to crumble.

"That was my reaction," Tanaka nods at Serena. "Your fourth member is doing the League and everyone associated a disservice by running around so openly."

"If he were Lorelei we wouldn't have a meeting, you'd straight up suspend her for the next few months," Elijah speaks up in a calm tone.

Serena tenses at his words. Suspending an Elite Member puts them in a sort of limbo, they don't know if they'll have a job at the end of it and they get pulled from all merchandise, website listings and potential interviews. By the time it's over and if they get to keep the job, they're at the bottom of the scale and need to prove themselves in the next tournament or trainers will focus on their position.

She glances at the articles and realizes why they're present. "Lance makes you guys a lot of money with his modeling contract, stuffed toys, sticker books and any kind of publicity. You want us to rein him in like he's a Rapidash."

"He's not even 20 years old!" Elijah points out.

"I'm not asking you to end his sex life," Tanaka sighs and takes a seat. "It's going to have to be a well kept secret. I admit, the boy does make us a lot of money, but he is a good trainer. Never before have we had someone hold out in a full battle using only three pokemon. Just like Serena, he's setting a standard that will get us recognized as a powerful league."

"You're concerned about the potential for the tournaments," Elijah frowns.

"I can't have him running around acting like a fool," Tanaka nods. He turns to Serena and clasps his hands together. "Serena, I'm not asking you to change your friend, I'm asking you to make sure he doesn't mess up and put a scandal on our hands. Johto's Council is traditional in their beliefs, babies out of wedlock will put them over the edge."

A blush forms on her cheeks. "That's a little far, don't you think?"

He sits back in his chair. "I know I sound like a terrible person, but, as Elijah said, he's not yet 20. Still a boy. It would be terrible if his career ended here."

Serena glances between the two men and back down at the table. She'd noticed how much Lance has been skipping on his usual duties lately and while she was avoiding thinking about it; she'll have to face him and try to help him. Even if his reasons are terrible, Tanaka is right. Lance's famous first battle put him in the top five most daunting trainer list. Trainers will have to work harder, more money pooling around entering tournaments, training regimens and anything pokemon related going back into communities. By increasing the amount of trainers participating in the league, the Indigo Conference will help Kanto flourish and push for the two to come together so both regions can prosper.

Even though she doesn't want to admit it, she needs him to behave until her projects are done as much as she hates to even think about it.

Lance is her responsibility now.

Her and Elijah take their leave after promising to at least try and do something about it. Hands in her pockets as they get teleported back to the league, Serena debates bringing this up to her best friend. It's nothing new in terms of behavior, but it is getting out of hand. Her cheeks burn at the memories of him turning up to meetings late with sex hair and a glazed look in his eyes. He appeared for public relation appointments then disappeared for a few hours in the city they were in.

"You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to," Elijah speaks up as the office appears around them and she remains standing in the middle of the room.

She glances around the small office, her eyes landing on her desk last. "I'll see how it goes. He responds better with the truth."
"Well, you do know him better."

She excuses herself and heads over to Lance's apartment. He's supposed to be training with the other Elites, but she doubts he's actually at the field. Her instincts, or powers, tell her he's in bed with someone with no intention of leaving anytime soon. The thought makes her footsteps turn harsher with every step to his door.

Her fist pounds against the wood and she taps her foot while waiting for him to scramble. There are some giggles on the other side of the door before it swings open. Shirtless with sweats hanging low on his hips, Lance bids farewell to a beautiful woman who knows how much older than him with a smack on the ass and a wink. The girl laughs again, smiles at Serena and stalks off down the hallway with a swing of her hips.

"What brings you here, Rena?" Lance leans against the door frame, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at her.

"We need to talk, do you have time right now?" she walks past him to make it clear he's going to have to make time for her.

"I do now," he chuckles and shuts the door. "Are you hungry?"

While he browses through his fridge, Serena takes a seat at the island to collect herself and her thoughts. Despite being an irresponsible boy on his own, his apartment is oddly clean. Her eyes trace every bit of counter, floor and wall to find it all spotless and actually smelling like a fresh field of flowers. The surprise is evident enough, Lance only needs a glance to know what she's thinking and laughs.

"I'm not a complete pig."

"Could have fooled me," she returns her gaze to him and narrows her eyes.

Her tone makes him straighten up and shut the fridge door. He approaches the opposite side of the island and leans his forearms against it with furrowed brows. "What's wrong?"

"Lance," she starts and then hesitates for just a second. Being with him now softens her anger, this is her best friend they're talking about, how can he be as bad as they made him sound? Clearly has to be two different people. "Look, you're all over the papers-" he smirks and makes a brushing motion at his shoulders, Serena shakes her head and continues, "-not in the good way!"

"What?" he frowns.

"All the women you're taking home with you, the Association is not happy with how public you are with this behavior," she explains after a sigh. "Ren Tanaka called for a meeting with just Elijah and I this morning."

The chairman's name gets him to straighten up and realize it's serious, much to Serena's relief. "What did he say?"

"He wanted me to talk to you," she gestures at their situation now. "He wants me to ask you if you can keep low with your activities."

"Why is it such a big deal?" he snorts and turns back to the fridge.

"Because, if the Johto Grand Council doesn't like this behavior then they'll veto any chance of a cohesive league with Kanto."

"So this is for you?" he peeks from the door.

She sighs. "Yes and no. Parents don't want their children leaving on an adventure to satisfy your needs."

Silence. Then the most raucous laughter she's heard from Lance in a while. She watches his shoulders shake and abs clench as he laughs and laughs at the woes of jaded parents. Despite her anger, she finds herself laughing along with him. It bubbles out from her chest and spills into the kitchen to mingle with his and fill the apartment with warmth.

The moment doesn't go unnoticed by Lance as he settles down and watches as Serena tries to hide her laughter in coughs. His eyes trace the bruises under her eyes, her tense shoulders and dull blue eyes with sadness. Even if the parents reasoning being dumb, Johto not joining with Kanto is a more than enough reason for him to be more quiet about his sex-capades.

"Okay."

Serena stops mid cough and stares at him. "Okay?"

"Okay," he shrugs his shoulders and grins at her. "We both have worked hard for the jobs we have now, but it would be shit on my part to crush all your hard work."

At his words, her shoulders sag and some color floods her face as she leans on the island. "Thank you."

"You know I'd do anything for you," he smirks, returning to the fridge. "You want some cake?"

"Duh!"

OoOoOoO

Serena stares at the girl in the meeting room, wondering how long it took to get to this point. She saw the signs all summer, Lance coming home late from outings after interviews in different parts of Kanto and Johto to not coming home at all with barely a text. On his journey, she wonders if this is what he was doing most of the times after every call they had.

The summer was filled with work for Serena as Gym Leaders turned in their reports for the past year and put out the challenges they wanted with others, their training schedules and what opportunities they're offering to the community. File after file, scanned, signed and sent back with Elijah's approval. Most of the other Elites took their vacations, going home to be with their families and relax after a good tournament. Leaving more time for Serena to research for proposals.

Lance stayed behind, Blackthorn isn't so far away he needs to take days off to be home. They still had their weekly movie nights, and some training sessions too. She supposes that's why she didn't think his method of stress relief, or just plain fun, was going to blow up in their faces. He still did his work and managed to make every meeting on time, so it was easy for her to let her guard down.

As Summer comes to its end, everything at the league is finally setting into work mode. The winter gala is coming up, leaving Serena less time for herself as decor, catering, awards and reservations need her attention much more than policy. This also means her uncle's presence around the league will be more frequent, meaning her father will be joining her for work more often to ensure her safety. It will be tense, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

And yet, before she can tend to her endless list of duties waiting on her desk, she's here cleaning up a mess made by none other than Lance.

"I'm sorry," Elijah tells the girl from across the table. His lawyer next to him remains stoic as the Champion reaches out to grasp her hand. "The timelines don't add up and the test results came back, it's not his."

The girl, the blue eyed one Serena took care of months ago, sniffles and wipes her tears. "I know, I j-just need th-the support."

"We will give you that," Elijah nods. His face tightens with stress as the lawyer reads out the package she will be receiving even after falsely accusing Lance of fathering her child.

She's the second one, Serena reminds herself watching as the girl's face turns grim at the thought of never being able to step foot in the league until her child is 18. Harsh, but there's no reason for a non trainer to be in the building anyway. Her package is extravagant, she'll be so well off Serena would be shocked if she stayed in Kanto after this.

"Do you need a ride home?" Serena speaks after the lawyer and Elijah have excused them.

She's opted to walk the girl down the corridor to a more private area with couches, books and a wall of windows. Despite her initial hate towards her, Serena can't help but feel a little sorry for how things turned out in terms of her real baby daddy ditching her. Her family offered her little support and a recent graduate from university, she needs more than what they can offer. It was a rash decision, but Serena can respect it. A mother will do their best for their child, even if it means making a mess along the way.

"Please don't hate me," the girl blows her nose. "I didn't know what else to do."

"I don't hate you," the brunette replies with a gentle smile. "You're strong for wanting to go through with this. You are thinking of your baby and did what you thought would get you support. You were right, but the only reason you're getting this support is because of the stunt you pulled. The last woman to approach him and say the same, did so quietly but was disapproved and sent on her way."

"He wanted to help me," she tears up. "He was ready even though there was no way."

Serena shrugs. "Lance is a good guy, he would take responsibility."

If a little sleazy, Serena comments to herself.

The girl takes a deep breath before standing up with a hand on her swollen belly. "Okay. I'm ready."

Serena sends her off with a gentle farewell, her heart pounding in her chest from fear and anxiety from the past few days' drama. None of the other employees stop her on the way back to her apartment. Elijah had said she could work from her room if she'd like and she wasn't going to pass that up.

Back in her room, she sends a statement for him to send to their trusted publicist to spread the truth of the false accusation. Thankfully, most news outlets have stopped showcasing the scandal and Lance's popularity did take a small hit, but it's nothing detrimental in the long run.

She rubs her temples, feeling her body ache all over with stress and the fear she felt when she heard the news.

Days ago, the girl, Monica, came rushing into the building right after Lance had finished taking a tour of kids around the building and accused him of fathering her child. Reporters ate it up, but luckily Elijah was there and rushed them to a meeting room. He soothed the crowds of people already there and pulled out a speech on being responsible and discussing matters rather than jumping to conclusions.

He then got Monica to take some tests with the best doctors around and understand what was really going on. Serena was in the midst of talking with the Elites about plans for the rest of the year when Elijah pulled her from it. Lance and Monica were left to discuss things and Elijah told her what happened. Her heart had stuttered in its beat and she felt the world tilt on its axis. The fear he had fathered a child, he was going to have a family, broke her heart.

She realized she didn't want to see him in someone else's arms and that realization shook her to her core. Her mind was reeling from the news and she was desperate to find out the truth, so much so she feels a bit of shame for not having more compassion for the girl.

Serena did hate her, at the start of this, but not because she was clearly lying, but because Lance was ready to do what he could to support her. They had to separate on the first day to get their stories and when Serena was in the room with him, he talked about sending her money, possibly starting a relationship if Monica wanted that. It was sickening in that it was so mature, he was ready to give up so much to ensure his child was getting the support it needed.

She hated how it made her feel, she should be glad he wouldn't be a deadbeat father, but it still ate at her. When he relayed the last time they had sex, in the spring, and the doctor confirmed her being two months along, it was clear it was false. She felt ashamed of herself when the truth came out and, so, she advocated for a better support package to help herself feel better and ensure Monica got what she needed.

In the end, she can't be too terrible of a person, right? Right?

"Rena?" Lance knocks on her door, it creaks open as he peeks his head inside. "Can I come in?"

She wipes her face and nods. "Sure."

His eyes are downcast as he slips in and shuts it behind him. When he sees her face, his crumples up in worry and he rushes over. "Hey, I'm so sorry for stressing you out," he gathers her in his arms, "I swear I've been using protection and keeping in contact to ensure there were no mistakes. You know I wouldn't be reckless."

Holding him in return, her chest feels like it's going to corrode, it feels wrong.

Unable to voice why she's crying, Serena forces her emotions in check and nods. "I know. I just can't help but tear up seeing them tear up."

"You're so sweet," he runs a hand through her hair. He rests his cheek on the top of her head and sways them gently. "The news is already reporting about it. Did the league really offer their support?"

"Yes," she nods, ignoring his hand soothing her hair and the other around her middle. They're best friends, this is normal. "The lawyer figured people would be more accepting of the truth if the league stuck its neck out a little bit. For the time being Elijah is going to keep watch on you, like you're grounded."

"That's fair," he sighs, pulling away and brushing her hair back. "Better that than suspended."

"I know you won't stop," she breathes, wiping her eyes one more time to ensure they're clear. "You promised me you were going to keep it quieter. Wear a disguise or something, please be more careful and be more sure about the whole protection thing."

He chuckles, taking her pinky with his and holding them up high. "I will. I promise."