There's a chill in the night air as Ryu lands in Mahogany Town. Lance shivers as he slides off his pokemon's back, quick to move his cape around him to keep the heat in. Stars twinkle in the black ink sky above him, offering a peaceful view on an otherwise stressful night.
Soon the last gym will be overrun by trainers working towards his title. Towards the Championship tournament in a couple of months. For now, they're gathered here, or on their way to challenge Pryce. Then it will be his cousin soon after, Clair.
His thoughts fuzz around his cousin. They haven't spoken in months, despite the multiple meetings and the official visits. Nothing personal mentioned, and she stays clear of trouble except the occasional issue of rejecting winning trainers. She's getting better, but it's hard to tell with the distance between them.
He sighs, straightening his back and taking a glance around him.
The ice type gym looms in the middle of the small town, its tall dome much bigger than any other buildings in town. When it came time to renovate, Pryce had asked to build up instead of out, creating a maze to get to the top. He created a sort of ski hill with tall snowy rocks and hills as the walls of the maze.
With a genius design, Lance was excited to get a look at it when it was finished.
Much like Blackthorn, this town is nestled in the mountainous ranges of Northern Johto, sort of like arms spread ready for a hug. Mt. Mortar to the West and Mt. Silver to the far, far east.
It's Lance's favorite part of Johto. For a town to flourish, the mountains parted. The occasional lake or stream dotting the spots between each. The settlements are peaceful and the views are nothing short of spectacular. Back when he was traveling between gyms, he would spend weeks in the wilderness. Alone or in small groups. Training, exploring and everything a young boy can think of.
Winter is fast approaching, and with it, the chilling temperatures and the threat of snow. Lance used to love the winter for its comforts of hot chocolate and extra thick blankets, but since falling into the ice, he does his best to stay away from the cold.
He can't tonight, though.
"Brrao?" Ryu croons, nudging his trainer.
"I'm okay, bud," he shakes out of his reverie and gestures towards the town. "Let's find the place."
Normally, on missions, Lance would be more discreet when staking out a place. He would wear his G-men uniform, rather than his champion one, and Ryu wouldn't be out at night with him. But tonight, he is just checking on complaints from a bunch of citizens around town, complaining of sketchy patrons, late night sounds and disturbances. It's usually a policeman's job, but Lance felt like diving into the field again.
There's no way to track the source, and no arrests can be made tonight unless there are reasonable grounds. He doubts it will get that far. He's here tonight because it's rare civilians are wrong about there being sketchy activity.
It's been disturbingly quiet on the Team Rocket front, and Lance is itching to get the last laugh with them. Their last experiment was a failure. He doubts they're going to give up so easily. Especially with how badly they lost last time. Giovanni wasn't always vengeful, but he would have the last laugh. Archer will not be any different.
Plus, training is getting tedious. If this is run-of-the-mill loitering, he'll take it.
Few people gawk at them as they make a point of trying to get somewhere. Walking with purpose has saved his ass many times. He had to master it early in his career and no one was a better teacher than Serena.
"Oh," Lance grunts as he trips up.
Ryu's wing catches him, curling around his trainer as his arm comes up to hold him and ease him to his feet on one side of the sidewalk. Away from the public eye, he was also trained well.
"Sorry, I'll focus," he replies to Ryu's scolding glare.
He pushes his thoughts away and focuses on the task at hand. He can reminisce later.
The shop sits at the edge of town, a few streets past the Pokemon Center. Good. He doesn't want anyone coming up to him. The fewer interruptions, the better.
His eyes scan the street for anyone out this late, a few teens heading home, laughing amongst themselves, and a couple of families heading home. Nothing strange and no one suspicious. He passes the shop and stops at the corner, looking around once more before gazing at the building itself.
The lights are dim inside, recently closed, but there's no sign of anyone inside, no voices that could be heard from this far. Next to the building, there's an old pine tree, nearly as tall as the building itself.
It looks strange, and Lance follows the strange feeling in his gut.
He crosses the street, careful to keep his steps neutral as he spies the tree further. There's a hum as he approaches. It causes Ryu to shudder his wings in irritation. A light blinks at him and he bristles, whipping his phone out to take a picture as it blinks.
That's not normal.
He skirts around the three to the back; no strange connections leading to the building and nothing that could be a secret entrance. He can't barge in, it's closed and with no warrant or probable cause... Even the tree itself isn't suspicious or illegal.
The complaints also talked about Magikarp in the nearby Lake of Rage, the pain they're enduring and the rage the Gyarados are feeling. Bubbling beneath the surface of the lake. Wesley had increased rangers around the lake in case anything happened. So far, it's been calm before the storm.
If there's trouble with pokemon, there's one person he wants to help him investigate.
Layla.
She's been a good friend since this mess started, though it was a rough beginning. He can't help but be grateful for her presence to keep him sane with all his guilt. Their unexpected friendship has led to significant memories and an allyship that could serve well against Team Rocket. Something he hates is even in the realm of possibility with the way things are going.
Ryu nudges his trainer again, frustrated with their pointless stakeout.
"Relax, we can go camp out in 43," he nudges his pokemon back. "I just feel like something is going on here. I don't want to keep being late to Team Rocket attacks."
The pokemon grunts his understanding, facing the route ahead of them with a blazing fire in his eyes. Ryu adores the wilderness as much as Lance, if not more, and would live in the wild with him if it were possible. Being in the forests and mountains made Ryu as strong as he was and that's why counts on him for his battles.
Ryu is the reason for most of the scars on his body and while Lance can throw himself around at the pokemon back, it wasn't enough for markings of his own. They were tested while they trained, to ensure that Ryu and Lance were equals in a way. That Lance wasn't abusing their trust and Lance knows he passed each with flying colors. He earned Ryu fighting by his side each time they went out and he would fight for his pokemon to the death if it came to it.
"Come on, let's go hike it up so we can meet Layla at the lake tomorrow," he presses forward, leaving the warmth of the town and trudging into the woods.
The call of wild pokemon swallows him up as his pokemon eagerly follows. Lance loses himself in the sound, forgetting his title, his mission and focuses on the now.
Tomorrow will be a new day to fight.
OoOoO
Layla wasn't too thrilled when she got a call from Lance in the morning. It was after an enjoyable weekend with Eusine and Morty. Chilling at home, watching movies, going to the beach and... realizing Jasmine and Eusine weren't meant to be. The gym leader took it all in stride, her resolve a lot stronger than Layla respected given how soft-hearted Jasmine could be. Rejection is tough, but Jasmine seems to be just as tough as her steel types.
The two have agreed to be friends and while they didn't ignore each other, their interactions were awkward and left a layer of tension between the three of them all weekend. While Layla had wanted to get away from it on the weekend, she wanted to be there for her friend during the week now that Eusine was out exploring.
He said it was important and even had Nurse Joy give her the day off to gallivant in Mahogany Town with him. When she called Morty, after begrudgingly agreeing, he seemed a little worried, if only about the investigating part. Other than that, he was also curious about what was causing the Magikarp and Gyarados to enrage and even evolve in that state.
So, now, here she is. Dressed in fleece lined leggings, boots and a long-sleeved shirt under a thick sweater. Winter in Olivine is much more bearable than the rest of the region, but Mahogany and Route 43 are going to be freezing. Another thing she won't miss about living in Celadon, the cold winters, below freezing temperatures and mountains of snow.
She laces on her boots and greets the Abra waiting outside for her. Being called on by the Champion has its benefits. Not needing to drag Aves out into this weather being one of them.
The pokemon yawns, her fingertips gleaming as she stretches her body and teleports them without warning. Layla nearly loses her breakfast as the world spins fast and she gets tossed into the cold of northern Johto.
"Whoa," Lance catches her, sending the psychic type a scold. "Sorry, she's new to the center here."
Layla rights herself as a Kadabra appears next to the pokemon, scolding her with a pointed finger. The brunette swallows her breaths and holds up a hand to the older pokemon. "Hey, it's alright. Just gotta slow down next time."
The younger pokemon offers a sheepish grunt in return, her head lowering in apology before the two disappear.
"It's always the young ones," Lance snorts.
"Just like you were," she elbows him in the ribs. "When do we start?"
"Here," he holds out a to-go cup of hot chocolate to her. "It's freezing at the lake ahead. You'll want it."
She eyes it with a grin, cursing her forgotten gloves at home. "Thanks."
As they follow the snowy path up to the lake, Layla takes a tentative sip and hums at the warmth that spreads in her body. Lance explains what's been happening and how the frequency of the evolutions and fights have increased over the past few weeks. She gleans his concern is not just the pokemon and the surrounding area, but the building in Mahogany.
At the mention of the tree, she can't help but wonder why they're going from catching the legendaries to harassing a bunch of regular pokemon.
It's not adding up.
"And I'm here to help in case pokemon are hurt?" she asks for affirmation.
This sounds like something the Nurse in town could deal with, and interns in this part of the region can get experience on. If Team Rocket is truly behind this, which it would take a fool to think they're not, shouldn't she be far away?
"Yes, but you're looking for answers and if it is Team Rocket, then you might get them."
She smiles at that. The search her mother did came out empty, which wasn't a surprise to either of them. Sabrina's father isn't back yet for a few days more, and it's not like they know where this guy is. They're not hot on his trail, so there's no real use in rushing into anything.
If Archer, or anyone, in Team Rocket currently knows anything. Today she could figure it out, but if not, in a couple of weeks she can.
"That's fair," she ends up shrugging and braces herself against a chilly wind.
As they approach the lake, Ryu saunters over, giving Layla a once over. His light green eyes are a little distant as she returns the look. This is the same pokemon that held her gently when she was in Lavender Town. Now looking at her as though he were a bodyguard, assessing a possible threat.
"He's a little too serious for his own good," Lance explains, catching the stare his pokemon gives her. "Relax."
The pokemon does so at the command, his wings drooping a bit and his tail dropping to the ground. Layla admires the pokemon towering above her, his shining scales that seem to emanate heat despite the type's weakness to ice. Winter temperatures today wouldn't hurt a dragon type and they can survive remarkably well in below freezing and colder.
They can, however, be susceptible to cold when drenched in water during freezing temperatures. Not that today is anywhere near that.
"He looks like you," Layla blurts, eyeing the serious stare from the pokemon. Less intense than before, but still piercing. As if daring her to take a menacing step towards his trainer. "Angry."
Lance pauses in his walk to glance back at her and laugh. "Seriously? I have you here on a mission and that's what you're thinking about?"
"I've been on tougher missions," she replies with a shrug.
He laughs at the incredulity at it, grinning more when Ryu huffs and her hair ruffles. "Uh oh. I'm not sure he liked that."
"Hmm, I think I can convince him," she replies, digging around in her bag. She pulls out a tomato berry and immediately, he knows he's lost. "Morty may or may not have revealed your pokemon's eating habits."
"I'm docking his pay," Lance groans, watching his most trusted partner melt at the sight of the berry as he accepts it from Layla.
"There we go," she reaches out to pat the pokemon's arm.
She's surprised he lets her. She was sure the dragon type would recoil at her touch, but he doesn't and she gets the pleasure of feeling his scales. They're tough, but they don't hurt as she runs her fingers over them a couple of times. It's not often she gets to touch dragon types. A lot of the newer trainers don't have many, and the veteran trainers rarely need to stop at the center.
"Wow," she comments, grinning up at Ryu. "Thanks."
He nods and pops the berry in his mouth completely.
Lance grins. "Come on."
Their dirt path covered in snow, flanked by uneven waves of coniferous and deciduous trees, winds its way in an upward slope. The forest remains calm, with little noise or any calls from the branches above them. It's as if the forest itself knows there's trouble afoot, something brewing in the distance.
Layla eyes the peaks of the mountains beyond the tips of the trees, looming over them as if watching their every step. She never went on a journey around Kanto or Johto, she's seen Mt. Coronet at a family reunion for her father's side. It was in the distance from her aunt's backyard, and it looked just as Mt. Silver does.
Solemn and full of mystery.
As the Lake of Rage comes into view, Layla feels her blood pumping and chest heaving. Even in the winter, the view is spectacular. Trees flank the lake on all sides, covered in snow, and some laid bare to the cold. With Lance next to her, unphased by the distance they just hiked, Layla tries to breathe gently out her nose to seem more fit as she takes in the sight before her.
It's beautiful and serene despite the deadly pokemon that reside beneath the surface. The Gyarados that live in their own states of peace and war. It's been quiet in the past year though. Some trainers coming through tend to stir the pokemon into appearing. That's what the rangers are for, not like the ones in Almia or Fiore. These have their own pokemon to fight and calm others.
Around the Lake of Rage, many of them are dragon tamers from Blackthorn, or high-ranking rangers vetted through the Pokemon League to ensure safety. There were too many accidents in the past, too many deaths from the destruction brought on by the known Atrocious pokemon that people begged for something to be done. Short of outright destroying the pokemon themselves.
"Do you feel it?" Lance asks as they approach the shore.
Layla's eyes survey the area. There's a nearby house with the lights out and some trainers meandering around the lake itself and in the open area behind them. It feels normal, and yet, like they're in a different dimension. Different world. As though they're walking through water and just waiting for something to happen.
"Yeah," she finally answers. "This is weird."
"There hasn't been a surge for a few days, but I'm trying to find the source," he replies, his gold eyes scanning the calm waters. "We're going to follow the shoreline East, to see if there's anything amiss. I checked West last night and decided to call it quits before it got too late. I'm not sure what we will find, but I'm determined."
Layla shrugs. "Whatever you say. I'm just here for the fun."
"And the danger?" He eyes her warily.
"Well, that's why you're here," she shrugs again, though her voice is much more quiet this time around.
He studies her carefully. Archer was intent on killing her the last time they met on the field. It was something Morty told him about two seconds after he'd called Layla to come up here. To say that he wasn't worried is to lie, but he needs her. If they're using radio signals to harm pokemon, she's shown considerable skill in helping out.
"I'll do my best," he promises under his breath.
Layla acknowledges with a nod, relief clear on her face as he leads the way into the forest and away from prying eyes. With Ryu at her back and Lance in front of her, Layla tries her hardest not to feel like a heroine in a romance novel. The shining knight helping her glean clues to her mysterious path, his trusty pokemon beside her...
The ground shifts up, and she tries her hardest not to groan at the thought of another hike.
At least the view is nice, she thinks to herself, glancing to her left to see the lake greeting her.
Its gentle waves lap at its shores, as if beckoning her to enter the waves and just soak the day away. As though there aren't Gyarados lurking beneath the depths, probably at their wits' end with this torture they're enduring.
Lance had said early he thought it was Team Rocket, but it made no sense. Why go from Suicune, Entei and Raikou to Magikarp? A complete turnaround. Even if they were trying to build a base by going back to square one to make a stronger capture device, it still doesn't add up.
Still, Layla surveys the lake and the surrounding land, trying to see if anything sticks out.
As they reach the East side, Ryu takes to the skies to get a better vantage point as the path continues to wind like an Ekans or Arbok around the lake. The uneven path often causes them to focus on the branches jutting out of the ground, or climb over displaced rocks. Lance doesn't seem fazed by it all, or even with helping Layla climb or catch her if she trips. He's unnervingly patient the whole time, offering a firm grip and gentle smile when she slips up or when she needs to pause in climbing to breathe.
This is why I don't workout, she comments to herself, wiping some sweat from her brow.
As they come to the center of the right side, Layla feels something beneath the earth, a powerful hum that vibrates up her legs. She glances at Lance to see if he feels it, her feet stopping to check and see if she's about to pass out from hiking or if it's real. When she kneels to the ground and lays her hand on the cold earth, she shivers at the hum under her palm.
"Lance?"
"Yeah, I just felt it," he pauses a few feet away and looks at her. "I think it's coming from up ahead."
"Me too," she confirms with a nod.
He whistles a brief note and Ryu comes sweeping down immediately. "Stay with us."
Ryu grunts in return, waiting for Layla to catch up before closing the protective line behind her. She keeps close to Lance, almost daring herself to grip his cape as if to fulfill some teenage fantasy she had in her early days, to keep sane. The tension in the air continues to thicken as they follow the hum until they can hear it clear as day.
Lance picks up his pace to find a canopy of leaves, clearly sewn together, bunched over something on the edge of the lake. Hidden from the skies by some bushes and a cluster of trees, it was well placed.
"What the-" Lance approaches, wrenching away the canopy to find a large metal box beneath it.
He rounds it, trying to find a way to stop the humming coming from it while Layla inspects two prongs digging into the ground behind it and two more into the water in front. There are no external buttons, but a square on the top hinting at some sort of control panel. She watches as Lance pulls out a knife and wiggles the tip between the tiny space and shakes the panel open.
"Well, this is something," he grunts, staring at the screen with a few buttons beneath it staring at them.
"What do we do?" Layla clears her throat, her brows have furrowed as she studies the screen.
"I can make a call to get a tech out here to see if they can get this thing to stop," he muses, pulling out his phone. "That's the safest idea. The other one is to have Ryu destroy it."
"Hmm, I think we should destroy it," she replies as the humming gets louder. "I think it's going to do something."
Lance's gold eyes flicker with anger as he stares at the machine. Ryu readies himself as if signaled by an unseen gesture. "It'd be great for evidence, though."
"Well, if they can get here quick..." Layla's voice cuts off as the machine suddenly blares out feedback.
The sound goes over Lance's senses but snags Layla, causing her to cry out and fall to the ground in pain. Lance is at her side in an instance, Ryu's glowing claws slash through the box like its butter, hauling her away from it.
"Layla," he calls her as the noise cuts out and the rippling waves disappear. "You okay?"
She huffs, sitting up and holding her aching head. "Yeah, didn't you hear that?"
"Not really," he replies. "I felt it more than anything."
"We should go back. That's strong," she states, accepting his help to stand. Her head spins, but she forces herself to remain calm. "Do you think-"
As if meant to prove her worst fears, there's a whoosh in the air and Ryu's wings twitch as if something is evolving. Something big and something angry.
Layla watches Lance's eyes go cold as he pulls her onto Ryu and takes a spot behind her. Childhood fantasies aside, Layla feels relief to be off her feet and in the air as Ryu takes off without another look back at the box. She flattens her palms on his rough back, marveling at the muscles contracting and expanding beneath her. All flying types have an amazing series of muscles to aid in flight. They may be arranged differently given their specific biology, but the muscles remain. She's always so entranced by the biology of pokemon, it almost makes her forget the issue at hand.
Almost.
Her heart leaps at the sight of a Gyarados wreaking havoc in the southern part of the lake. The trainers, once enjoying their day out, have fled either to the house or beyond. Layla doesn't know. What she does know is a certain trainer guiding the few stragglers away while her Meganium staves off Gyarados's hyper beam.
Layla grins at the sight of Lyra and her companion, a dark-haired boy, as they face her and Lance.
"Lyra!" Layla calls as they land and Lance helps her off.
Said brunette recognizes her quickly and pulls her friend over, urgency on her face. "It's nice to see you again."
"You too," Layla breathes before an explosion stops their reunion. "Good job helping those people."
"Do you need help?" she replies with a glance behind the woman in front of her. "Who's-"
"Ryu, Dragon Claw!" Lance's voice cuts through the question, the dragon type twisting himself in the air to swoop down on the Gyarados.
Layla twists around to see the fight, her eyes widening at the sight of the Gyarados and her beautiful red coloring. It seems to match her level of rage as she takes the hit with little issue and retaliates with an aqua tail. Ryu is quick, but not fast enough to dodge that attack and get blown away into the water.
"That's Lance," the boy whispers to Lyra. "He's the Champion."
Her eyes widened. "He looks so different in real life."
Layla can't help but snicker. She knows Lyra knew who that man was, had no doubt seen his face plastered on magazine covers or featured in ads all over tv. She sees it in the way the girl suddenly flushes when Lance glances back at them to ensure their safety before approaching the shore again.
It feels weird to stand by and watch as he whittles down Gyarados's energy to almost nothing. The two behind Layla stay close but watch Lance as he battles, Ryu easily gaining the upper hand and possibly even restraining himself as the battle continues. Gyarados's rage encompasses her instincts causing her to lash out wildly. Even for one of her kind, Layla feels so bad watching her. Desperate for the pain to end and the peace to start.
Finally, Lance chucks a Luxury Ball at the tired pokemon and watches it float on the waves. It trembles a few times, Layla's finger crossed, before stilling and flying back to him. Ryu floats down, only a little tired from the work and preens under Lance's affection at a job well done.
Layla comes back to herself, her pumping blood keeping her warm in the biting cold, as she approaches to care for Ryu. "Good job."
It feels stupid to say to a Champion, one who has caught many pokemon and battle many, many more in his time. But it felt strange to see it in real time. The ease of capture and the ease of a battle that had lives at stake.
"Thanks," he grins at her before taking in their company. "Ah, I've heard of you two."
He launches into a conversation with them, easily grinning and laughing as though it were a regular day. Ryu is a little hesitant to let Layla touch him, pulling away from her hand and offering a little grumble in warning, but one look from her holding a Max Potion and he eases a bit. Still stiff and eyeing her as though she had a knife rather than a healing tool, and seems to relax once Lance bids the two farewell.
"Bye Lyra," Layla turns in time to wave her off.
Lyra squeaks a response, her face still red while the boy next to her teases her. The two disappear down the path back to Mahogany Town, leaving her to face Lance as he stares at the expanse before him.
"That was close," he admits and Layla nods, moving to stand next to him. "I wasn't sure catching her would help. But I couldn't leave her alone here."
"I think it's good you caught her," she grins as the sun sets. "Who knows what would have happened if you left her here? She's the only pokemon to respond to the signal. She more than likely would have been carted off to a lab."
Lance starts at her words. "I think you're right... I want to call her Red, or Scarlet."
"How original," Layla chuckles, her eyes gleaming as she regards him. "That catch has you excited, huh?"
The sparkle in his eyes doesn't dim as he mulls over her words and nods in response after a moment. "Yeah. I love being a trainer."
"I can tell," she laughs.
She pats his back, not really thinking about the notion until it's done, and turns to head back. He joins her, his footsteps light as they make their way to town. The smile on his face fueled by the normalcy of the moment. How, for a moment, he wasn't the Champion investigating Team Rocket. He was at the lake with a friend and just caught a new pokemon. A pokemon full of potential.
The glee doesn't last long as he remembers the box and hops on Ryu with Layla to go salvage what they can for analysis. His anger flares when they get there and find the thing gone. Even the spot that it sat on has been dug out from the ground. The only evidence it was there being the gouged earth uncovered by the waves.
"Shit," he swears, kneeling down to feel for anything, any sliver of evidence.
"Well, that means Team Rocket, or whoever, is still around," Layla states, spinning around to see if they can catch anything.
Ryu's eyes scan around them, his wings perked up, but the pokemon releases a huff of air as if to say, no one is here.
"We have to check the store." Lance stands up, his back rigid as he gestures for Ryu to prepare for flight.
Layla doesn't argue as she accepts his help to climb onto the pokemon's back. The tension and anger rolling off of him is too volatile, and she isn't about to find out how deep his anger goes if it is Team Rocket.
They get to the edge of town fast, with Lance dismounting with Ryu mere feet from the ground. The pokemon lowers himself to let Layla down and joins his trainer in an instant as he crosses the dirt path to sidewalk.
She catches up with him, watching his gaze as they come to a strange-looking shop on the corner on the edge of town. The tree emits a low hum as well, one that has her head threatening to crumple, and Lance looks at her for confirmation. She doesn't flinch at his harsh gaze, only nods silently at the question in his eyes.
Yes, this is the same as the box.
It's all he needs to kick the door down and enter the space.
Two men inside pause their conversation to face Lance, their faces ready to greet him as shopkeepers would, but falter at the sight of him. Layla tries to remain invisible as he saunters forward, power in each step and confidence in the way he holds his head high, and eyes them. She's not sure if the silence is to intimidate or try to calm himself. Either way it's working.
"H-how can we help you, sir?" The first man, dressed in a karate gi, steps forward.
"So, the radio signal is coming from here," Lance responds, his tone deadly as he eyes some merchandise next to him.
With the movement, Layla can spy a huge cupboard at the back of the small shop, gold in color, and a sore thumb compared to the rest of the shop. It doesn't take a genius to know it doesn't belong, and she knows Lance sees it. She hopes the two don't put up a fight to protect it. There's no telling what the man in front of her would do.
"What?" the same man frowns in feigned confusion.
Layla curses him. He could at least pretend better. "Lance."
He ignores her. "Either you let me go in there or there's trouble."
To their credit, they glance at each other to debate it, as if it should be debatable in that tone, giving Layla the chance to walk up to Lance. He's stiff as she tries to peer up at him, but he moves her with his arm to stand behind him as Dragonite moves forward.
It appears they choose the wrong consequences as the man pulls out a pokeball from his pocket, his unsure smile turning cruel as the second man presses himself into the wall next to the cupboard. The air gets tight, Layla's heart hammers against her ribs so hard she swears everyone can hear as the man says something she wishes he didn't.
"Team Rocket is back and even you couldn't stop it," he states, holding the ball up as if whatever pokemon inside stands a chance.
"Lance, please," she starts, but he waves his hand, swinging his right arm out as the command rings clear.
"Hyper Beam."
Horror freezes Layla's veins as Ryu does as told, without hesitation and without an opponent pokemon as a target. Violence between pokemon and humans has littered their history. Accidental or not, there's always a story somewhere about a pokemon killing a human or a trainer using a pokemon to harm another. It's a part of the world Layla struggles with the most. Often the pokemon gets put down, and the trainer stripped of their rights to pokemon as they're tossed in prison. Lance will not kill him, but still...
She watches the beam charge in dragonite's mouth, taking his time as if to allow the man time to run, but he stays where he is as if to call the bluff. He really has a death wish. The beam itself isn't the thick, powerful beam she knows the pokemon can create. It's smaller, but still just as powerful as it hits the man in the chest, blasting away his clothes and burning his skin as he gets knocked back into the cupboard.
The way the cupboard buckles under the man's weight, the crunch it makes, has Layla praying it's just the wood breaking. Lance doesn't even eye the man as the cowering one drags the first to the side, cursing Lance's name and holding his friend steadily.
Layla forces herself to look at the man. His chest reddened, bloody and disfigured from the energy attack. Forces herself to stare until she sees his chest move.
Alive!
He's alive. Good.
Lance stands at the door of the cupboard. The frame crumpled, and the door mangled enough to fall off as he swings it open. It reveals a door, and he goes forward, Ryu waiting for Layla to follow him before sauntering in after her.
"L-Lance..."
"I know."
There's a sound of a pressure release and a stinging sensation on Layla's side. She replays the pain in his voice, the raw regret that can only follow a decision formed in rage and made rash by desperation, following her into the darkness that swirls and pulls her under.