AN: Part 2 of the Past, Present & Future Chronicles but this can also be a stand alone story. This is PURE COMEDY too, so it's not sad like Part One. You don't have to read Part One, but if you want more clarity on some things, then check it out. Link is s/13571033/1/Deciding-Our-Pokémon-Journey

Chapter 1: Annoying Lance

Lance – topless, and wearing short navy-blue swim trunks – was looking for a decent place to park it on the sand. He was going to spend all day today relaxing on the beach; well, Galar didn't have any official beaches, but as long as it had sand and a coastline, he was content. When he found the perfect place directly under the sunlight, Lance unfolded his striped lounging chair. He then placed a cooler, umbrella, his belt with six Pokéballs attached to it, keys to his rental car, and a large ball that was practically impossible to break by his feet. But, before he went and made himself comfortable, he took all six of his Pokéballs and threw them into the air. The Pokéballs all opened and soon they revealed a Haxorus, Gyarados, Dreepy and three Dragonites. The Gyarados immediately went for the water, but the other dragon Pokémon were eager to play. Smiling and chuckling to himself, Lance tossed the ball with two hands. The ball was heavy and like stated before, hard to break. The last thing he wanted was a dragon claw or one of Haxorus' tusks popping it; if that happened, he'd have to deal with sad Pokémon for the remainder of the day. For a minute or two, he watched his Pokémon happily kick and toss the ball to one another before putting on his shades and making his way towards the lounging chair. He then opened the cooler, popped open a beer and started baking under the sun. He sighed in relaxation. It was a gorgeous day; not a cloud in the sky. Finally, he could enjoy something that wasn't G-man related. He had some time now.

Last year – at the age of thirty-five – Lance retired from the Pokémon League. Before making the tough decision, he had looked inside himself, and eventually came to realize that he had become a washed-up, has been after losing yet another tournament in the finals. Reluctantly, he stepped down as Champion and refrained from participating in any Pokémon tournaments or gym battles; however, now that he wasn't bombarded with Champion duties and paperwork, Lance now had the time to work as a G-man full time. He knew he could battle others in that department. The man was only thirty-six, he had more than enough life left in him for disguises and bringing down the bad guys who were engaging in illegal Pokémon activities. Unfortunately, he was so passionate with his work that he had forgot to take any holidays this year, so his boss took him aside and forced him to take a week off, so he decided that he would enjoy that time off in the Galar region. His whole goal was to tour the region, and then sit on his ass and do nothing. He had no reason to look around, and catch any Pokémon; those years were done too. He had his six Pokémon that were mainly used for G-men assignments and emergencies. He would also allow them to walk around too and get some exercise, but that was it.

The unofficial beach in Galar was an isolated area, so he could enjoy the time to himself, and stay away from the general public for at least a full day. Despite leaving the Pokémon League, people continued to recognized him, and ask for pictures and autographs, but since he was no longer in any hurry to go anywhere, he could now take his time and actually engage in conversation with these people; eventually though, he could only hang around and chit chat for so long before going crazy.

Speaking of the general public, Lance suddenly heard two voices jumping around in the area. He tried his best to ignore them in the midst of their yelling and laughing, and attempted to focus on the sound of the tide instead, but alas, their noises were much more overwhelming to his senses. It's too bad that he forgot his wireless earbuds at the hotel, where he could block out all sound and drift into a blissful sleep.

Lance opened one eyelid. He observed two young men – around sixteen or seventeen years of age – near the water, kicking and splashing around as if they were Magikarp. He assumed they were the same height, but it was hard to tell when he was lying down. Also, they both obtained black hair, but one of the boy's skin was a little bit darker than the other. There were also Pokémon at their feet, but he wasn't going to be a snoop and examine what they were, because he had one goal in mind today, and he was going to achieve it.

Lance then closed his eyes again, and tried finding the sound of the waves again, but the boy's laughs were still in the way. They then began talking, and Lance decided to eavesdrop. It's not the first time, and he found it fun and sometimes useful; especially if he discovered that there were cases of improper treatment of Pokémon.

The first boy said, "I wonder what kind of Pokémon we will discover here? A water type would be awesome."

The other boy gasped, "How cool would that be!?" He then clenched his fists and said, "Do you think a legendary Pokémon could be around here too?"

"Maybe."

"Yes! I'm praying to Arceus that we find one. I can't wait to add it to the Rotom Dex!"

The other boy placed his hand just over his eyes to block out the sun as he gazed into the horizon. He said, "There might be another island here with rare Pokémon; just like the one with all of the Dragonite!"

With his eyes still closed, Lance thought. "Dragonite? Here in the Galar region? That's strange. I've never heard of such a place. An island with Dragonite? Before I leave, I'll have to approach them and ask where this place is. Maybe there's some illegal activity going on there. I'll have to investigate. Wait – what am I saying? I'm on vacation. Okay, let's just enjoy today." Without warning, Lance's Dreepy decided to appear on his stomach and tried to take a nap. Ugh, he hated it when it did that. The unnecessary weight was the last thing he needed.

Just then, the two boys looked to the side and saw five other Pokémon.

"Cool," the darker boy shouted, "It's a Dragonite; there's three of them…and a Haxorus! I can't believe my luck!"

The other boy said elated, "And a shiny Gyarados!"

Lance slightly smiled. "Hmm…it's so nice to see and hear that people continue to appreciate dragon-type Pokémon. It's music to my ears."

"They must be wild!"

Lance furrowed his brows. "What? Wild?"

Then, the darker boy shouted, "LET'S CATCH THEM! I BROUGHT MORE POKEBALLS THIS TIME!"

Lance's eyes immediately opened after hearing that. "NOPE!" He quickly shot up, almost falling out of his chair in the process. Whilst holding his Dreepy close to his chest, Lance exclaimed, "Hey, you! Get away from my Pokémon!"

The young men then looked at Lance with a startled expression. The darker one said, "Oh? They're your Pokémon?"

"Yes," Lance said, getting out of the chair with his Dreepy, and marching over to the potential troublemakers. "Now, get away from them or I'll hyper beam your ass into oblivion!" He didn't like talking to young people this way, but if it meant protecting his Pokémon, then he wouldn't hold back.

As if sensing their trainer's anger, the three Dragonite and Haxorus turned to the two boys and growled. The Gyarados in the background was busy lurking in the water, looking for a bite to eat.

"Oh," the darker boy said while slowly backing away from the Pokémon. He thought, "This guy isn't kidding around."

Suddenly, the other boy with the hat said, "Lance! Is that you? No way!"

Lance was immediately taken aback. There weren't many strangers that called him by his name in such a cheerful manner. He then took off his sunglasses to get a better view of the boy. Well, he wasn't really a boy anymore. He was taller, older, but still had that babyish look to him. "Ash?"

Ash nodded, then laughed. "Yyyep!"

"LANCE?! Do you mean the Lance? Champion Lance of the Johto region?" The other boy then turned to Lance and examined him. No doubt it was Champion Lance; the red hair and dragonesque eyes gave him away easily.

Lance said to Ash with a smile, "Well, long time no see. I didn't think we'd meet again in the Galar region. How did you know it was me?"

"I'd recognize that wild, red rat's nest anywhere."

Lance comically cocked his head the side. He gave a look of defeat. "So, its true. My cape is not how people recognize me. I'll never be able to walk anywhere in peace now."

The boy beside Ash looked shocked. The last time he had seen Lance was from a distance at the World Championships in Galar a couple of years ago. The man had lost, but gracefully accepted it. He was so cool, but it was odd seeing him without his iconic Johto attire and cape. "Wooooah Ash, you know Champion Lance?"

Ash replied, "Do I know him? We met a long time ago when Lance was working as a Pokémon G-man."

"Yes," Lance confirmed, "It was a time when I was much younger. I still work as a G-man though." He then looked at the young man beside Ash, held out his hand and said, "Oh – forgive me. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm Lance."

Ash raised a brow. That was weird. Ash wondered why he didn't say that he was a G-man or a member of the elite four in the midst of his introduction.

The boy accepted the man's gesture. Upon touching Lance, he immediately stiffened. He couldn't believe that he was shaking hands with a Pokémon League celebrity. "I'm Goh. We totally watched you at the World Championships in Galar. You know, the one you lost."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Goh. Yes – I thought that Dragon Dance plus Aqua Tail and Ice Fang would've KO'd Champion Leon's Charizard, but unfortunately, his Charizard had a bit more edge than the other elite Charizard trainers I've come across." He looked back at Ash. "How's Pikachu doing? He wasn't feeling so hot the last time I saw you."

On que, Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and chirped with excitement, "PIKA! PIKA!"

Lance raised a hand and scratched under the electric Pokémon's chin. Pikachu didn't mind it. "It's nice to see that you're doing better. So, what are you doing in Galar Ash?"

Ash replied, "Goh and I have decided to go on another adventure here in Galar. There's still so much we haven't seen, and we thought we could find some new Pokémon here in this spot."

"Be careful, Ash," Lance said in all seriousness, "Recognize your surroundings, and refrain from trying to catch other trainer's Pokémon, because you could get seriously hurt; and there are people around here who aren't as forgiving as I am." Lance then took a quick look at the sky and saw that the sun had changed its position. He couldn't stand here and chit chat much longer, because knowing Ash, the longer he talked, the better the probability that something was bound to happen. The young man was a trouble magnet, and he wanted nothing to do with any problems that would occur while on his forced vacation. He also wanted to soak in as much daylight as possible.

Without further ado, Lance placed his shades over his eyes. He said, "It was nice seeing you again, Ash, but unfortunately I must get back to work." He then went back to his lounging chair and laid back down in comfort.

"WHAT? That's it?" Goh said, absolutely flabbergasted, "I thought a Champion would be a little more sociable with his audience!"

Ash said, puzzled, "What're you doing here, Lance?"

Lanced waved off Ash sloppily, "I'm a G-man, I'm working undercover."

Ash and Goh looked at one another before peering over their shoulders to see the older man's Pokémon playing happily on the beach. Working? Undercover my ass.

"Uh – undercover?" Ash said while scratching his temple. Why was Lance acting so weird?

"I'm disguising myself as a civilian. My mission is to relax today with zero interruptions." He placed a finger against his mouth. "Now, shush."

Goh couldn't believe this man's demeanor. "What?!"

"I said shush."

Ash crossed his arms. "Are you getting paid while you're disguised as a civilian?"

"It's paid vacation, actually."

Bull. Ash marched over to Lance's chair and ripped off his sunglasses, allowing the sun rays to blind the man. "ACK! What are you doing, Ash?"

"You're acting strange," Ash said.

Lance retrieved his sunglasses from Ash with a deep frown. Should he tell him? He wasn't sure if Ash knew about his retirement or not. It was breaking news in the Pokémon tabloids for at least six months, so it is hardly new news, but knowing Ash, he would've been on a dangerous adventure during that time, and would've skipped past that whole mess. "Strange how?"

Ash answered, "When you introduced yourself to Goh, you just said you are Lance. You said nothing about being a Champion, an elite four member or a member of the Pokémon G-men. To be honest, I think Goh knows about all of that already, but it's just…weird. You're not acting like the Lance I once knew. He was humble."

So, Ash didn't know. Lance put his sunglasses back on his face. He leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. He said, "I retired from the Pokémon League last year, and stepped down as Champion. You won't be seeing me in anymore in the elite four or any tournaments."

Ash answered, shocked, "What? Are you serious?"

Go shouted, "WHAT?! HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?"

Ash said, "But…why?"

Lance shrugged, "I got tired of losing, I guess. The Champion title was also becoming cumbersome." There was more to it, but he wasn't going to delve into the subject any further. The emotions that came with his retirement were still raw. "If you've paid any attention to my career, you'll see that my statistics aren't favourable in the last five years. The elite four is one thing, but championships are another."

Ash grumbled, "That's a silly reason." Was he in denial?

Lance tried to reason, "Ash, as trainers, we all become washed-up eventually. It happens to the best of us, and some sooner than others. I just realized that my time in the League is over. The Pokémon G-men are what keep me busy now. Hmm…but I still have free time."

Ash smiled. He then said with excitement in his voice, "Wait – that means you have the time to battle me!"

"Yeah," Goh said with stars in his eyes, "It would be so cool to see Lance the Dragon Master in action one last time."

"No way!" Lance said quickly, too quickly.

The two boys were taken aback. "Huh?"

"I don't do that sort of thing anymore. My focus today is to relax, and nothing is going to stop me from doing just that."

Ash said with eyes that could melt one's heart, "Please, Lance?"

Goh said with his hands folded too, "Please, Champion Lance? It would be an honor to take a picture of a battle between the former Champion of Johto against the current Champion of Alola!"

Lance blinked. That was new. "I'm sorry…you said…Champion of Alola?"

Ash huffed, "If you've been paying any attention to my career, you'll see that I'm Champion of the Alola region."

Lance grinned from ear to ear. It was exciting to see such a young man grow up to be an excellent trainer. Now the hard part was the paperwork and defending the title. "Congratulations, Ash. I'm truly happy for you! It's good to see a friend reach the elite ranks. It's too bad I won't be able to see you during meetings or tournaments. And my sincere apologies. I must've been infiltrating a team Aqua base or something during that time. HAHA!"

Goh turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He said to the audience, "This guy is weird."

"Anyways," Lance said, still kicking his feet back, "Sure, I'll battle you. Dragonite?"

All three Dragonites turned to look at Lance, but only one went to him. It was his most trusted Dragonite out of them all. "Dragonite, Ash here wants to battle." The Dragonite nodded towards its trainer without a second thought. It understood.

Ash said, stepping back and ready with his Pokéball, "Wait – aren't you going to get up or something?"

Lance pursed his lips. "No, I don't need to. I told you that I'm supposed to relax. Boss' orders."

"Fine," Ash said in frustration. Lance was being a pain. "Go, Dragonite!"

Lance sat up, lowered his head and peered over his sunglasses. He couldn't believe his eyes. Ash caught a fully evolved Dragonite? Holy shit. They were hard to come by in Galar. Where on Arceus' green earth did Ash manage to find one without raising a Dratini? It took Lance years to fully evolve his Dratini into a Dragonite. "Well, I see you've been busy with your training. That's quite the Dragonite." He then went back to relaxing.

Ash compared Lance's Dragonite to his. His opponent's dragon Pokémon was much bigger, and was probably the most intimidating Dragonite Ash had ever seen. Meanwhile, if you put them side to side, his Dragonite looked like it was ready to hug the opponent to death and win it over with friendship rather than properly engage in a fierce battle.

Lance said with a sleek smile. "Dragonite, you know what to do."

Lance's commands were vague, but Ash knew it was because he had trained his Pokémon so well that he didn't have to tell them what to do. Lance's Dragonite slowly marched over whilst giving an imposing glare. It then roared.

Ash ordered his Pokémon, "Dragonite…"

But before Ash could finish his command, Lance's Dragonite appeared behind his, grabbed the back of its head and shoved Ash's Dragonite's face into the ground rather hard.

Ash gasped, "No way! Dragonite, get up and use twister!"

However, as Dragonite got up, it suddenly noticed a large beam of light released from the other side. Unable to get out of the way from the vicious Hyper Beam, Dragonite was hit square in the chest and fainted. The battle was over in less than ten seconds. "What? Are you kidding me?"

Lance and his Dragonite quickly high fived before it went back to its friends, and continued playing catch.

Ash stood there frozen. His legs were shaking. He murmured, "I can't I believe I lost so easily."

Goh went up to his friend cautiously. He said, "It's okay, Ash. You'll do better next time. Lance is just on another level. That just means you'll have to train more and get stronger. Besides, there was a reason why he'd been Champion of Johto and leader of the elite four for so long."

Lance closed his eyes, further attempting to bake in the sun. He was hoping that Ash losing the battle so terribly would make him go away.

Meanwhile, lurking in the distance behind some trees, were Team Rocket consisting of Jesse, James and Meowth. They were carefully watching between the tree trunks in their usual white uniforms. Jesse started, "Did you see how strong that Dragonite was?"

James answered her, "It took down the twerp's Dragonite like it was a puny little Caterpie."

Meowth then said, "Let's catch it for the boss, and we'll take the Pikachu while we're at it." The talking Pokémon was ready to move forwards and pounce on his enemies, but Jesse grabbed the cat by the scruff and pulled him back.

"You idiot," she said, "You saw what that Dragonite is capable of. Our Pokémon aren't strong enough."

"Even if they work together?"

"Yes."

"That's right," said James with a smile, "Instead, we have this super uber new metal thing that'll catch that Dragonite and Pikachu without a problem. We just fire it, and BOOM, a net comes out and the Pokémon will be in our possession."

Jesse said, "Not to mention that the net can be coated with any nature type. For example, if the Dragonite is caught in this net, we set it to ice, and the Dragonite will faint right away."

Meowth comically cried, "And the boss will finally recognize us!"

Jesse and James said together, "And we'll go down as one of the greatest Team Rocket members in history!"

When Dragonite was back inside its Pokéball, Ash approached Lance with a frown. He said adamantly, "Lance."

Lance sighed, "What do you want now, Ash?"

"I want a rematch."

"No."

"But why?"

"Because I'm on vacation!" The man then calmed down before taking his shades, and placing them over his head; no doubt his hair would tangle around the frames. He exhaled before saying, "You want something from me, Ash? What is it?"

Ash looked at his watch. He then said, "Lance, it's almost lunch time, and I would really appreciate it if we could catch up. After all, it's been forever since we saw each other last. I have so many adventures that I want to share with you."

Lance's right eyebrow twitched. When was he going to get any peace today?

The red-haired man said, "Ash, what is there to catch up on? My life is uneventful."

"But mine is."

Lance examined Ash further. The young man decided to make himself look like a kicked Dratini. Lance liked to call this kind of expression The Power Glare, because it always worked on him. Ash tried again with this look, "But Laaaaance, I haven't seen you in so long." Lance sighed. This was Ash. How could he say no to such an interesting and loveable character? He was too nice sometimes.

"Fine," Lance said, "I know a good restaurant in Hammerlocke. I haven't been there in a long time, but I remember it had decent lunches." He then rose to his feet again. The Dreepy in his arms decided to vanish. "But after that, I need to spend some time on my own, is that understood Ash?" He found that when he was confident and assertive with the young man, that he would agree with him on anything and everything.

Ash smiled, "I totally understand."

Goh said, "Awesome! Lunch with a former Champion. I can't wait to hear all of the cool stories!"

Lance started folding his lounging chair. He responded to Goh's statement with a slight chuckle, "To be honest, my stories aren't that exciting, but I'm sure Ash has ones that will stand the test of time." He then lightly smiled. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Team Rocket watched the sorry bunch gather their Pokémon and belongings before sauntering over to Lance's rental car. They then took a quick glimpse of the red-haired man who was looking at the sun and then his watch. James said:

"Hey, that guy looks familiar."

Jesse replied, "Now that you mention it, he does."

Meowth added, "It's goody-two-shoes Lance the G-man!"

"The what?"

"The G-man!"

Jesse placed a finger on her chin. "So that was his Dragonite."

James said, "Which means that it's really strong. The boss will surely be pleased with us!"

Jesse shifted her eyes from side to side before saying to her teammates. "Come on, let's go follow them."

But before they could go anywhere, a Dreepy appeared in front of them, and made a nightmarish face. Team Rocket jumped three feet and screamed before making an escape. The Dreepy laughed before flying back to its trainer.

Lance and the two boys were well on their way to Hammerlocke. They had been on the road for at least an hour and had another twenty minutes to go before entering the city's gates. On the passenger's side, Ash's hand was resting underneath his chin as he gawked at the beautiful scenery in front of him. He had a gut feeling that the drive was long, because Lance which taking the scenic route which consisted of a one lane highway. Lance kicked himself for it later, because he found one lane highways were a death trap. There was no room to maneuver if something were to happen.

To be honest, Ash was elated to see Lance again, but he hated the fact that the Dragon Master retired from the Pokémon League; he really hoped that he could've officially battled him one day. Then, he thought about their Dragonites on the beach earlier. He battled Leon pretty iffy, so why couldn't he do the same with Lance?

Lance commented, "It's such a beautiful day. You both said that you were looking to capture some Pokémon. There are plenty in these more forestry areas. When we're finished with lunch, I'll take you to a secret route just outside of Hammerlocke where I used to find Pokémon when I was around your age. Who knows, you might catch a dragon-type if you look for one hard enough."

Ash then crossed his arms. He said, "I don't need to catch another dragon-type. I have Dragonite."

Lance was taken aback by that answer, but nonetheless, "Oh – that's right. I've been meaning to ask either one of you. I overheard you two saying that there was an island full of Dragonite."

Goh added, "Don't forget the Dratini and Dragonair!"

Lance asked carefully, because he had a feeling that these kids were told to be quiet, "Is it a natural place? Or do you think there's Pokémon trafficking going on over there?"

Ash was told not to say anything about the island, but he trusted Lance with the information, "Don't worry, it's completely natural, and the Pokémon there look very happy. The one I caught was originally a Dragonair, and it took quite a liking to me."

Lance nodded. Maybe he should still investigate the area just in case. Lance then saw something out of the corner of his eye. He looked to his right and saw steam rising from the hood of the car. He immediately pulled over, and exited the vehicle. He popped open the hood and opened it only to find coolant bubbling and flowing out of the vehicle at a rapid pace. "Shit."

Ash got out of the car and approached his friend. He asked, "What's going on?"

Lance grumbled, "Piece of shit vehicle overheated. I paid good money for this rental too."

Hearing Lance's last statement, Goh got out of the car too. "It overheated? Do you mean the car broke down?"

Lance sighed, "Unfortunately. I guess that means we're walking to Hammerlocke. I could use my Pokémon to get us there, but seeing as there's too many of us, and too much to carry, I see no other option."

Goh then had an idea, "Hey, you have three Dragonite. Why don't we all ride one and carry stuff at the same time."

Lance squinted at Goh. He exclaimed, "No way. As if I'd let you ride one of my Dragonite on your own. Besides, you'd get thrown off before you get two feet off the ground." Lance then went to the back of the vehicle and rummaged through his stuff. He took out a black T-shirt and put it on, along with his red leather jacket. He then grabbed the rest of his belongings that he was going to use at the beach, and dropped it in Goh's hands.

"ACK!" Not expecting Lance's shit to be plopped in his hands, Goh shouted, "What're you doing?"

Lance said, "Since I left my Pokégear in Johto, I'll call for a tow truck when we reach a Pokémon centre in Hammerlocke. It'll be about a forty-minute walk. Who knows, maybe we'll be lucky and catch someone who can give us a ride.

"That doesn't answer my question," Goh yelled, "Why are you giving all of your stuff to me?"

This time, Lance answered, "You're going to be my pack mule."

"What? Why me? It's your stuff!"

"You look much stronger than me. I don't think I will be able to carry it."

Goh shouted back, "Dude, you have muscles! You are more than capable of carrying everything."

"Fine," Lance crossed his arms, and looked away, "then Ash can help you carry."

Goh tried to raise his fist. "That still doesn't help the situation."

"You both interrupted my day at the beach. It's only fitting that you pay for it. Besides, I know that I'll be paying for lunch in Hammerlocke, so this'll be the least you can do as appreciation for my good will."

Goh said, "I know!" He aimed a finger at Lance. "I challenge you to rock, paper, scissors. It's between you and me! Whoever wins has to carry your belongings the entire way."

Lance stared at the boy for a few seconds before saying, "That sounds fair."

"Alright, let's do this!"

"Goh," Lance said holding out his hand confidently, "I'm going to throw paper, ready?"

Goh was startled by that remark. He wasn't ready.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

Goh panicked. He threw scissors whilst Lance threw rock.

Lance then quickly turned away and made a dramatic pose, relishing in his victory. "Hmph, welcome to the real world."

Goh looked at his fingers that were still in the scissors position. "EHH?!"

Ash then placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you carry."

Goh made a sour face, "That lazy bastard."

Ash smiled, "Lance isn't usually like this. I think he just wants to get back to enjoying the sunny day as soon as possible. Here, let me help you…"

"No," Goh said, defeated, "I lost fair and square."

Chapter 2 is next…