Thanks to mirrorkinomoto for reviewing the previous chapter
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Chapter Twenty Four: Broken Wings
He walked towards the den's entrance then stepped outside, spotting the Rising Badge on the floor. It was red and black, and shaped in the head of a dragon. There was also a vial of purple sitting beside it. He picked it up, placed it in his pocket and waited outside the entrance. Lyra had spent a fair bit of time with his grandfather – he wondered what words they had exchanged and what his grandfather had said about him. A few moments later Lyra stepped outside, looking as though she was struggling to hold back tears.
He tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. So he stood there in silence, waiting for Lyra to speak. Her eyes moved to his face, but they didn't quite meet his eyes. It was like she was staring at a space beside him, as if she wanted to be someplace else but here. "Clair won't be troubling you anymore. She's given you the final badge and the move, Dragon Pulse." He held it out.
It took her a few moments for her to accept it. "I thought she said she was never going to give it up."
"I convinced her." Well, forced was the correct term. He had stripped her of her gym leader title and forced her to leave town.
She continued to look at him, as if he were a complete total stranger. Which, well, he probably was to her now. He was the Champion, and she was a challenger. That was a relationship that would never work. It would be like a teacher and a student getting together. "Your grandfather gave me a lot to think about."
"He's good at that."
"I… would like us to remain friends."
A glimmer of hope. At least she hadn't shut him out completely yet. "I'm glad."
She smiled, but it wasn't a genuine one. "But you need to tell me the truth." She looked at him now, directly in the eyes. "If we are going to continue being friends, I need to know who you really are. What did you do in the past that was so bad?"
He knew this question was going to be asked eventually. His grandfather had probably mentioned it just to make him feel more uncomfortable than he already was. He fidgeted slightly, turning his head away. How could he tell Lyra that he had forced his own Pokemon to evolve, after telling her how wrong it was? It made him look a bit like hypocrite. It wasn't like she needed another reason to distrust him. He turned back to her. "It happened a long time ago, it's no longer relevant."
"I need to know, Lance." The way she said his name made his heart ache.
"You won't like what you hear."
"I won't know that if you don't tell me."
A few moments of silence passed by. He never imagined he would be in this position sharing a part of his history with someone else other than his grandfather. Heck, he never thought he'd enjoy the company of someone else outside his own family and his Pokemon. For as long as he had been a trainer, Pokemon had been the biggest part of his life. But now Lyra had wormed her way into it and he wasn't willing to lose her. Clair was right about something. How he felt about Lyra was different to anything else he had ever experienced. "I was once the gym leader of Blackthorn," he started, pausing briefly, examining her face.
She was calm for the moment. "Go on."
"But I wasn't in that position for very long. I aspired to be part of the Elite Four so I could eventually become Champion, but getting to that position was difficult. To gain a position within the league, I had to defeat all the gym leaders. I managed to get to the final gym, but it didn't really go the way I wanted it to." He ran a hand through his hair, feeling fidgety again. "Pryce was the final challenger, and as you are well aware of, dragons are super-weak against the ice-type."
"What did you do?"
This was the moment of truth. "I lost. I came back for a rematch and I lost again. I had three Dratini's on my team, and I… decided the only way to defeat Pryce was to have more power. I found a way to force them to evolve to the next evolution and won myself the battle. I earned a spot in the Elite Four after that." He searched her face. He did not see anger; he saw hurt instead.
"That's why you knew so much about forced evolution," Lyra whispered.
"And I pulled the same stunt again in my second year as an Elite Four member, to evolve one of my Dragonair's into a Dragonite."
She averted her gaze. Another brief pause. "Is that why you hate Team Rocket so much? Because they remind you of what you did?" she asked, looking at him again.
"What I did… I'm not proud of it. If I could take it all back, I would. But what happened in the past can't be changed. It's something I have to live with."
"I…" She looked physically sick to the stomach. "And all this time I thought… you could be trusted. I believed that you were a good trainer. I believed you had good morals." She forced a dry, bitter laugh, shaking her head. "But it's all just a lie. You don't even deserve to be called a Champion. You wouldn't even hold that position if Red hadn't have given it to you." She chewed on her bottom lip.
He was losing her. She was pulling away from him and he couldn't find a way to hold on. "I've been trying to make things right since then, Lyra." He tried making her see reason, but he knew this was an uphill battle. Any form of respect Lyra had for him had disappeared. If she had harboured any romantic feelings towards him they were well and truly gone now too. Clair had been right. He had been a fool to think he could ever have a future with a trainer like her. But Clair was gone too thanks to him. And before long, he'd lose his title as well and then he'd be left with nothing. "Please… say something," he almost begged.
"There's nothing else I can say. I'll see you at Indigo Plateau." She turned away and walked off without sparing another glance.
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He stood at the entrance of the shrine debating with himself whether to enter the building or not. His grandfather was still in there and perhaps he could tell Lance what to do and how to fix the problem. He had answers to everything. He decided to ask for guidance and stepped inside to find his grandfather sitting down on the ground.
"What did you say to Lyra?"
His grandfather looked up at him, his brows furrowed. "I told her what she needed to hear."
"And you didn't think to include me in your little conversation?" he retorted, feeling a bout of anger rise.
"My words were for her ears only," his grandfather replied softly. "Where is Clair? I will ask her to confer the badge."
Lance felt his stomach tighten. His grandfather wasn't going to be pleased when he learned that Lance had banished Clair from Blackthorn. "She's given up the badge. Lyra is on her way to the league." And there he would meet her again and probably for the last time to. Would he have a chance then to explain himself better or had the chance already gone?
"I would like to speak with Clair."
"She's gone."
His grandfather searched his grandson's eyes, looking for answers. He must've found one because his expression changed to one of disappointment. It reminded him of the look he received when his grandfather learned about the forced evolutions, but this hurt more. He did not say anything – he didn't need to. His face said it all.
"Go on, say it. You're disappointed."
"I have nothing to say."
Lance wished his grandfather would yell, shout and scream even, but he did not raise his voice at all. He looked away and tightened his jaw, curling his fingers into fists at his side. Lyra felt betrayed. Clair hated him. And his grandfather was disappointed in him once again. "I see it was a mistake coming here then. You probably don't want to be around me either," he scoffed, trying to make a joke but failing miserably. Again, his grandfather remained silent. Lance rolled his eyes then exited the shrine, feeling like he had been the one banished from the clan. It reminded him of one of his early conversations with his grandfather where the man had warned him about not listening. As soon as he stepped foot out of the building, he was approached by the Blackthorn nurse.
"Lance, since you're back in town, do you think you could show me a few new moves and such?" she asked, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks, as she twirled a lock of hair around a slender finger. "I'm having trouble trying to evolve my Dratini and I was thinking maybe you could assist?"
He knew what she wanted. A chance to spend some quality time with the one and only Lance, the dragon master Champion! The nurse had been trying for months to get her Pokemon to evolve but she just wasn't capable of doing it. She might as well stop trying because she would never get it to evolve because she lacked the skills. "I don't have the time."
She clung onto his arm. "Please!"
He shook her off. "Don't touch me."
"But…"
He glared. She took a few steps back, afraid. "I know what you are trying to do, but you should give it up. I'm not interested in you – or any other stupid member of my fanclub – and I never will be, so do me a favour and back off," he snapped.
"Lance." Lance turned around to find his grandfather standing outside. When did he come out? "I know you're upset, but please, don't take out your frustrations on fellow tamers," his grandfather said. "That is not the way a Blackthorn dragon master should act, nor should a Champion." He turned to the nurse and bowed. "I am sorry, but I must ask you to leave. Lance did not mean to cause any offense." The nurse bit her lip, threw Lance a fearful look then darted away.
Lance spun around, eyes burning like black fire. "What? Did I disappoint you again? I'm sorry, but some habits are hard to break," he retorted, voice laced with mock sarcasm.
"I understand what you are going through."
He snorted. "No, you don't understand a damn thing and I'm not going to waste my time trying to make you understand!"
His grandfather looked at him calmly, not at all thrown off by his grandson's attitude. "Then why have you come?"
He had a reply ready, but the words got caught in his throat. He had originally come to get some advice about how to deal with Lyra, but that didn't look like it was going to happen. Besides, he didn't feel completely comfortable telling his grandfather how he felt about the girl anyway. He still wasn't quite sure himself. "It was a mistake coming here. You don't have anything useful to say." He turned around and stormed out of the den, his grandfather watching his retreating form with sad eyes.
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Lyra didn't set out for Victory Road immediately; after the episode with Lance, she wasn't too keen on reaching the league. Instead, she headed back home to spend some time with her mother. It had been years since she last spoke to her and right now all she wanted was her mum. "Hello, who is i-Lyra!" her mother exclaimed, as Lyra embraced her. Her mother stroked her daughter's hair, shocked by the sudden wave of affection.
"I'm so glad to be back at home," Lyra said, wrapping her arms around her tighter. "I missed you so much." She held her arms for a few brief moments then pulled away, looking up at her mother's smiling face.
"It's good to have you back at home, sweetie."
Lyra walked inside and sat down on the living room couch while her mother went to the kitchen. The house still looked exactly the same as it had all those long years ago. The only difference was that her mother had changed the curtains. They were pink now, not an olive green. "I don't know if I want to go on."
Her mother returned from the kitchen holding a jar of biscuits, and a mug of hot chocolate in the other. She laid them down on the table then sat down besides her daughter. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know if I want to head to the league anymore… the people there…" She closed her eyes, inwardly wincing as an image of Lance appeared in her head.
"Oh sweetie, have other trainers been giving you a rough time?" Her mother pulled her into a hug, stroking her back. "Was it Team Rocket?" Her mother's eyes searched her own.
Lyra shook her head, tightening her jaw. A brief image of Archer appeared in her head. "No… it's…" How was she supposed to tell her mum that Archer killed himself because of her? Some things were best left unsaid, even to her own mother.
"Has a boy been giving you trouble?"
Lyra pulled herself free from her mother's embrace. "Wha-what?"
"You've been on a long journey, I'm sure you've encountered heaps of people," her mother said, smiling. "It seems like a week ago that you departed on your journey… you were so young and innocent, and now look at you. You've matured into a smart, beautiful young woman. You've probably attracted a fair bit of attention from people."
Well, there was Morty. He did seem quite interested in hanging around her whenever he had the chance. And then there was Silver, but that was a different form of interest. He was only interested in making a fool out of her. And of course, there was Lance. "Well… uh…" Her face turned red.
"Who is it then? Who does your mother have to tell off?"
Lyra had to chuckle at that comment. "Well, he's a trainer."
"It's not that boy from across the street is it? Joey?"
Again, Lyra chuckled. "Of course not!" She stopped laughing. "He's in a position of importance. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here now." Her thoughts drifted back to the events at the Lake of Rage. Her Pokemon had managed to bring her back to the shore, but he had kept her warm. That silly cape of his had served as a blanket to keep her from catching pneumonia or something equally as bad. He had chosen to give it to her, even though he too had dived into the water. He placed himself at a risk of catching something nasty just to keep her safe.
He had also returned to assist her against the two Rocket grunts down at the base. He could've left her alone, but he willingly returned. It would have been easy for him to simply neglect her then take all the glory for himself. But he didn't. Regret poured through her. In the wake of hearing about his shady history, she had overlooked the good deeds he had done. Not only that, but he had chosen to visit her to personally give his congratulations on defeating Team Rocket when he could've just passed on a message. And he had defended her against Clair's attacks.
Now she felt like a fool. He may not have earned the Champion title the right way, and he might have forced his Pokemon to evolve to get to that position in the first place, but helping her hadn't been an act of selfishness like she had accused him of. Lance was under no obligation to protect her; his grandfather might have asked him to, but he didn't have to obey. He had chosen to help her because he had wanted to, not because he had to.
"Sweetie? Is everything all right?"
She needed to speak with him again. Urgently. But he was most likely at the Pokemon League preparing for Lyra's arrival. Would he even want to talk with her again after their last meeting? He looked pretty shattered after that. "I…" It was then she realized just how much Lance had grown on her in their past few encounters. For awhile she had tried to convince herself he was just a friend, but he was so much more than that. It's why it hurt so much to hear him confess he had forced his Pokemon to evolve.
He will tell you things that will make you angry, but I know you will be able to find it within your heart to forgive him. The Elder's final words came back to her. "I've made a mistake," she said glumly.
"No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, Lyra, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow," her mother said softly. "You always have a second chance to make things right."
"But what if it's too late? He's probably forgotten me already."
"People will forget what you said and people will forget what you did – they have to be reminded through stories, but people will never forget how you made them feel." She brushed loose strands of hair away from Lyra's eyes. "From the day you were born, I always knew you were someone special. Coping with your father's loss was difficult, but I still had you. You are the light in my world. I'm not surprised others view you the same way."
Lyra sat in silence, letting her mother's words sink in. The light in the darkness. The bringer of hope. The key to redemption. "I'm not letting it end like this…" She looked towards the window, looking across the ocean. "I'm going to make things right." She stood up.
"That's my baby girl; don't let anything or anyone bring you down."
Mother and daughter embraced again. It was then time to leave again. Lyra exited her house when she was approached by Professor Elm. He was panting heavily, looking like he had just run a mile to find her… which he probably had. "There you are! I've been trying to contact you for long time now, Lyra! Don't you answer your calls?"
She had forgotten about that. She had been so caught up in the drama with Lance she hadn't even felt her Xtransceiver vibrate once. "Sorry, I have a lot on my mind."
"Well, now that I have found you, you can have this. This is a gift from me, a Master Ball! It will catch any Pokemon without fail!" He thrust the purple shiny ball into her hands and spoke some more. "You need to head to Ecruteak City. The kimono girl, Naoko, specifically asked you to appear. You must go now."
"The egg hatched."
"Nevermind that now, Lyra. Head to Ecruteak City."
Professor Elm seemed pretty eager for her to leave so she summoned her Staraptor, climbed on the avian's back, and flew back towards Ecruteak.
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Being within the walls of the league had once been a comfort, but now it made him feel repulsed. All the people who worked there thought he was someone special, someone who deserved to be called Champion, when he was nothing more than a fake. How would they feel if they knew the truth? How would his loyal fanclub members feel if they discovered his shady history? He was no better than a Team Rocket grunt.
So instead of returning to the league, he headed to Olivine City, and made his way towards the gym. Jasmine was the kindest member of the Johto leaders and the most understanding. She would be disappointed with him, but she wouldn't turn him away. He rubbed the back of his neck, pushed the door open and walked inside.
"Hey there, Lance! How's it going?" said one of the gym trainers.
Lance faked a smile, acknowledging them with a nod. Up ahead he spotted Jasmine sitting down on a chair. "I need to speak with Jasmine alone." The two trainers nodded and left the gym without asking any questions. Lance was grateful for that – the last thing he needed right now was nosy trainers trying to mess with his head.
"Lance!" Jasmine said, giving him a gentle-natured smile. She ran over to him and gave him a welcoming hug. "You didn't tell me you were dropping by."
"It was unplanned visit."
She pulled her arms away, and looked up at him. Concern crossed her face. "Shouldn't you be at the league? I would've thought Lyra would've reached you by now."
He gave a derisive snort. "That's exactly why I'm here."
"Is it over already then?"
"I feel like it's over." He looked down at the ground. "Is there anywhere to sit?"
She nodded. "Come into the lounge," she remarked, leading Lance towards a secret door. Every gym had a place for the leader to relax in before a challenger arrived. Jasmine's lounge was small and colourful. There was a couch pressed up against a flower papered wall. He sat down, looking ahead. "You can tell me anything, you know. I will not judge you."
He didn't say anything.
"Lance, you shouldn't keep everything bottled up inside. It's not good for your health."
Still, he remained silent. Having a deep and meaningful session wasn't exactly the way he pictured his afternoon. Usually, when he was upset about something, he'd challenge one of the Elite Four members to a battle. That was usually the best way to let off some steam without actually having to talk about feelings.
"Whatever it is that is troubling you, you know I will not judge you or hold it against you, Lance." She sat down right beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He tensed, and Jasmine quickly withdrew her hand. "Is Lyra in trouble? Did she get lost on her way to the league?"
He wanted to laugh at the awkwardness of the situation he had found himself in. Here he was, League Champion and dragon master, sitting in a gym about to engage in a deep and meaningful session about his mental state. What a joke. How the media would love to get their hands on this. "Lyra's fine."
"Then what seems to be the problem?"
"Everything," he said flatly. "I've lost everything… well, I'm about to." He forced a bitter laugh. Jasmine remained silent, prompting him to continue. He took in a deep breath and sighed. "My whole career has built upon a lie."
She shook her head. "That's not true."
Now that he started talking, he couldn't make himself stop. "Everything is falling apart around me. Clair hates me for good reason, my grandfather doesn't believe in me, I'm about to lose my title as Champion… things aren't looking up for me." He managed to force another dry sardonic laugh.
"Everyone loses, Lance."
He had heard those words before. "Losing a battle I can deal with… it's what I deserve… but losing her?" He tried to keep his voice steady, but failed to conceal the edge.
"You are talking about Lyra still, aren't you?" Lance frowned. How had Jasmine jumped to that conclusion? "I heard how she defeated Team Rocket."
"I always thought it'd be me, you know? But it was never meant to be. I guess there are people out there that don't deserve to be happy… like me." He had experienced moments of elation before, but they were short lived and usually the result of winning a battle against a tough opponent. The happiest lasting moment he had experienced had been travelling with Lyra towards the Lake of Rage.
"That isn't true," she said sternly. "You are one of the most hard-working trainers I know. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you."
"If you were aware of the things I have done in the past, then you'd think otherwise," he replied bitterly. "I didn't earn my Champion title. Red gave it to me. I also forced my Pokemon to evolve just so I could be accepted into the Elite Four. Now do you think I deserve anything good to happen to me?" he retorted. "Go on, say it. You're disappointed that someone like me could do something so stupid."
Jasmine shook her head. "I told you, I'm not going to hold judgement. Everyone makes mistakes… we make mistakes and we learn from them. Even trainers at your level make errors, Lance. It's human nature."
Needless to say he was a little surprised by Jasmine's reaction. No anger, no hint of disappointment in those eyes at all. He almost felt angry – why wasn't she upset? "You are way too forgiving."
"You're a friend. I'm here to support you. That's what friends do." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Now let's talk about Lyra. She's the reason you dropped by after all. What does she mean to you to bring you all the over here when you should be at the league preparing?"
A great deal. He enjoyed her company and missed not having her around. It was like suddenly finding himself alone in a dark room with no light source. She was the light. Clair had called it infatuation. She insisted he was in love with Lyra without him not even realizing it. "She… well…" This was difficult.
"I'll make it easier. How does she make you feel?"
"She annoyed me at first. I didn't like the thought of her taking all the glory for herself," he said, recalling the days following the incident at the Slowpoke Well near Azalea Town. At the time Lyra was just some rookie trainer with terrible fashion taste. She looked stupid. How things had changed. "But then I found myself in Mahogany Town where I had a conversation with Pryce's wife about what it means to be a Champion. She changed my perspective on Lyra." That conversation had been awkward as well now that he thought about it, but Sheila had opened his mind to reason.
"And you unknowingly allowed yourself to care for someone rather than yourself."
He frowned. "I accompanied Lyra to the Lake of Rage. We talked a fair bit. I got to know her better, and she got to know me better without realizing who I really was. I had a chance to tell her my true identity, but I chose not to."
"You didn't want her judging you for your title."
His eyes narrowed. "I don't want to be judged because I hold some stupid title! Fans… friends… they only want to know me because I'm famous," he snapped, feeling a rush of hot anger pour through him. Embarrassment came soon after. He was a guest here. "And that's why I didn't tell her. It gave me a chance to be me without having to think my reputation for once."
"And Lyra got to know on a personal level – she saw a side to you not many people have had a chance to see," Jasmine pointed out, smiling. "That invisible wall you've had up for so long has fallen, Lance. The first few pieces started to crumble the moment you and Lyra set off together. Whatever events occurred during that journey changed you and it brought you closer to her without realizing it."
He looked at Jasmine, dejectedly. "And now she hates me."
Jasmine shook her head. "If Lyra cares about you the same way you do for her, she will forgive you for your mistakes. She's been hurt – and she needs some time to recover, to reassess her feelings." She smiled. "Everyone deserves a second chance."
Lance didn't respond this time. He hoped Jasmine was right. "I guess I'll find out after the match."
"Then you should probably head back to the league and prepare for the biggest battle of your life. I know you will get the outcome you deserve." Lance wished he felt as confident as Jasmine did, but couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen. These were the sort of the situations where bad things were more likely to occur. He put on a polite smile, said his goodbyes and made his way outside.
Indigo League beckoned to him. There he would have another chance to prove to Lyra of his worth.