This fanfiction is based of a role-play that do with my sister and younger cousin. In this role-play, a new region called Vestige has been discovered. It has no native inhabitants and no new pokemon. People from other regions looking for a fresh start have moved there. This area is made up of factions, with the port city of Blueport being the most prosperous, followed by Black Territory, because they make all the power.

In this game, the events of Ruby and Sapphire happened about twenty years before the events of Red and Blue. Red and Blue were followed by Gold and Silver, all of which was resolved without the titular character. Between Red and Blue and Gold and Silver, Kanto rejected the Elite Four and the Police, lead by Lt. Surge, took over in the name of peace, prosperity, and the final eradication of Team Rocket. They hold the populace under strict laws and propaganda.

The events of Diamond and Pearl are ongoing. Team Plasma is established, and they have bombed the lakes, but the titular character is not there to stop them.

The events of Black/Black 2 and White/White 2 have concluded about two years ago.

The OC Tracey is actually May from Ruby and Sapphire, but when I played through my Sapphire, Tracey was her name and writing "May" feels wrong. Tracey married Steven Stone.

Taiga is my cousin's OC.

This fanfiction is my attempt to understand Lance's character well enough to play him convincingly. Having only encountered the Dragon Master in the video games, his real personality doesn't really shine through.

This is also based on the presumption that when Lance had Dragonite use Hyper Beam on that Rocket Grunt, it was with full knowledge that it would kill the Grunt. This fanfiction assumes that the Grunt died. I wondered, what would cause a man to murder someone that he did not have to?

Bishup.

Chapter One

Lance was not happy. He was off the boat before it even docked properly. He heard Tracey's gasp and Wallace's panicked "careful now," but they did not deter him. The Royal Unova had delayed them enough. Steven had been reluctant to dock with the giant cruise ship so close, but no one denied Lance. Thus the Precious Gem was brought to bay and Lance, the dragon-master, the Indigo League champion, and the unquestioned President of the Champions, stepped onto the docks of Blueport, the gateway to the Vestige Region.

It stank like fish and the salt sea air. He disliked it immediately. He strode up the dock, mindful of the way his cape billowed in the wind. He cut an impressive figure, he knew it. This was pure intimidation. Vacationers scattered, and even the tough sea men wanted nothing to do with him.

One man did not move. He stared down the tempestuous champion with a look of disdain that he did not bother to hide. He was alone and leaned heavily on a driftwood cane, but the silent challenge that he issued made his identity unmistakable. This man considered himself this city's ultimate, its first and final line of defense. This was his territory, and Lance was unwelcome.

"John Blue," Lance said. He stopped at challenge distance, his cape whipping behind him.

"Welcome to Blueport, Champion," John Blue replied. His tone was anything but welcoming. "What brings you so far away from where you should be?"

"Your little tournament," Lance said. His voice was calm, but his arms were crossed and he caressed Dragonite's pokéball. "You've overstepped your bounds."

"You aren't exactly in your jurisdiction, matey. There's no Team Rocket to bust here." John Blue said. He looked Lance in the eye, no fear, but the old hands tightened on his cane.

"Lance!" Wallace called out. The Hoenn League champion raced up to Lance. His cap had blown off and his light cape was no match for the heavy wind.

For the umpteenth time, Lance felt disgust at the sight of the Water-type specialist. He was too soft to inspire the awe that a Champion should. He spent too much time preening in the mirror. The wind had ruined his carefully styled hair and picked viciously at his fancy clothes. He looked frazzled, and Lance liked him better this way.

"You should have waited for the rest of us," Wallace huffed. "This is a group effort after all."

John Blue shifted warily, something Lance did not miss. Was this upstart impressed by numbers, then? Lance felt the little respect he had accorded the man ebb. A true trainer did not fear something so insubstantial. Nothing about Wallace should inspire unease in his man, when he seemed so unafraid of Lance.

"So, you brought a friend. Doesn't matter. He has no power here, either. You are wasting your time," John Blue said. "Vestige is free of your little power play, like Kanto is now."

Lance grit his teeth and pressed the mechanism on Dragonite's pokéball. How dare this worthless pretender mention Kanto to him! He would show John Blue why he was the most feared Champion in all the Leagues.

"Kanto is anything but free," Cynthia said. Her sure voice stayed Lance's hand.

"Yeah! You can't just make an Elite Four and not expect us to show up!" Iris piped up.

The disgust Lance felt for Wallace paled in comparison to the absolute horror that Iris inspired. How dare her parents let her parade around in that costume! It was beneath all dignity. The horrid pink dress did not even fit the child!

He himself had approved the motion to allow her to replace Alder. Her battle skills qualified her, but he would never have approved if he had seen her costume. A Champion should inspire awe. Iris brought to mind only ridicule.

Lance did not believe in intimidation by numbers, one of the reasons he had skipped the boat early, so that he and Blue could take each other's measure; however, he wished that it was the hulking, physically impressive Alder at his side instead of this costumed toddler.

"Didn't realize how many of the Championships went to women nowadays. You have a regular harem here, don't you?" Blue said. Wallace hissed, and Blue smirked. "One of you has a really mouthy kid."

"I am not a kid!" Iris protested.

"I am not a woman," Wallace said snippily.

"Enough!" Lance roared.

The others fell silent at the dragon master's command. Lance was seething. This was the combined might of the Elite Four, made light of by one upstart mayor of a little city on a divided continent? It was maddening. The dock was filled with people, citizens and tourists alike. Some of these people may even have been his own subjects, Johtens and Kantens. This little game had gone on long enough. He mastered his rage using techniques taught to him at the Dragon's Den. This allowed him to speak in a calm, measured voice.

"This is not the sort of discussion to have on a public dock. We will discuss this further in private," Lance said.

"Is that so? Well, I make a point of transparency here in Blueport. We're a free town on a free continent," Blue said. He drew himself up and centered his cane with a bang.

"He's big like grandpa," Iris whispered.

Lance sighed. Yes, the mayor of Blueport was a big man. Tanned and weathered, it looked like he still went out and fished for a living. Age had taken some of his weight, and it had also turned his hair grey, but he still looked like a strong man. Lance longed keenly for Bruno, Chuck, or Crasher Wake even. He would rather have come alone, but his companions could at least do him the decency of looking like champions.

"Mayor Blue, we did not come here to publicly debate. With your permission, we would like to continue this conversation somewhere where it can be given proper weight," Cynthia said.

Of all of them, she was the one that he was proud to have by his side. Her eloquence cut to the heart of the matter in a way his anger could not. Blue was making him angry. People did what Lance told them to do. That was why he was President of the Champions, but Blue seemed immune. The mayor turned to Cynthia with a smirk on his face.

"I've lived on ships and docks my whole life. Nothing on earth can be given more weight than words witnessed by the big, blue sea," Blue said. "Say what you will but I..."

Blue faltered. He paled and rocked back a step. His gaze was fixed on something behind them. Lance looked, but it was only Steven and Tracey. They had finished mooring the boat and were standing quietly behind the group.

"Hello. Is this the welcoming committee?" Steven asked.

John Blue nodded wordlessly. He looked obviously uneasy and ashen beneath his tan.

"Let's get out of this wind, then," Tracey said. She clung to Steven's arm with one hand and held her sailing hat down with the other. Blue visibly flinched when she looked at him. He reached for something on his head, but there was nothing there. He tried to disguise the gesture as a scratch, but Lance did not miss a thing. The Stones made this bold, crass man uncomfortable. This was an advantage.

"Take us to your office," Lance ordered.

Blue looked unhappy, but he complied and limped up the docks toward the city.

"Well, this is Champion business. Tracey and I will go settle the lodgings," Steven said.

"No," Lance said shortly. "I want you two to stay with us."

"Lance, be reasonable. Neither Steven nor I are Champions anymore. It wouldn't be right for us to come. Besides, my daughter is in this city, and Steven and I have been dying to see our little girl," Tracey said. Steven nodded.

Lance fixed them with his commanding look, but Steven and Tracey had been tough champions in their time and they refused to be intimidated. Cynthia touched Lance's arm.

"Let it go," she said. "The discussion is moving indoors, and we are being left behind."

It was true. Wallace and Iris were following Blue. With one last glower in the direction of the stubborn Stones, Lance allowed himself to be led away. He stopped for a moment. He had seen a glimpse of a familiar cap, but it was gone, vanished among the press.

"This would be a good place for him to hide," Lance mused, but he did not linger long. Cynthia would not wait for him, and he had to put John Blue in his place.