Chapter 2: Annoying Lance Some More

After a forty-minute walk to Hammerlocke, Lance went to the city's Pokémon centre. There, he used the video phone, and called a tow truck company. He said that they ditched the vehicle on the highway and that it was one of the worst rentals he'd ever used.

"Where do you want it taken to, sir?"

"Back to where it originally came from," Lance said calmly. He told them the address, but what he really wanted to say was to send it to where it truly belonged – the junkyard. Unfortunately, he didn't want to have any lawyers or insurance companies on his ass again, so he kept quiet. He then told them that he left the door unlocked and hid a $100 bill in the glove compartment. He preferred to pay with cash when he was in a different region. By paying with cash, he could call himself whatever he wanted – like John Doe – and they wouldn't be able to trace him or care for that matter.

After he finished, they left the Pokémon centre and headed for their original destination. Lance made sure to keep his shades on as he sauntered down the streets with the Ash, Goh and Pikachu behind him, still carrying his shit. He did this to keep his identity a secret; after all, he was 'undercover' as a civilian; however, he was pretty sure it wasn't going to work since his hair was what made him stick out like a sore thumb. He was used to being in the public eye, but he didn't feel like being bombarded by crowds today. He just wanted to get Ash and his friend away from him, so he could enjoy some sunshine while he still had the chance. According to Galar's weather network, it was supposed to rain for the next few days. He looked at the sky. Why did this have to happen to him?

Struggling to carry half of Lance's stuff, Ash whined, "Lance, where are we going? We've been walking for at least an hour, and I'm tired. Laaaance."

Lance answered, "There's an old restaurant in this city that makes food suitable for lunches, but I can't seem to find it." After ten more minutes of searching the big medieval city, Lance eventually found the place, but it was no longer the restaurant he remembered. It was a battle café; whatever that was. He then thought to himself, "Damn it! Why is it that everything I like either goes out of business or comes off the menu? It's frustrating!"

Ash said, "Quit being melodramatic. What happened to you, Lance? You used to be so nice and humble. If this is the real you, I should go straight to the press and state that LANCE THE DRAGON MASTER IS A COMPLETE ASSHAT!"

Lance snapped, "Don't you dare, Ash Ketchum. I've always been a nice and humble human being. I'm just being nasty today, because I was having a great start to my day at the beach until two young men tried to steal my Pokémon."

Then, an awfully unfamiliar voice said, "Lance the Dragon Master, huh?"

Lance quickly turned around to see where the voice had come from. Surprisingly, it was an older gentleman, who dressed like he didn't belong in Hammerlocke. He was freshly cut, in a business suit, and bore a condescending look. Lance noticed that the man's hand was rubbing against his chin, and he was squinting, giving Lance the indication that the man was trying to recall something. Lance recognized what was going on right away. He thought, "Oh no, it's one of those people who half recognize you. They're worse than the ones that are insanely obsessed with you."

The stranger approached Lance confidently. He said, "So, you say you are The Lance?" He then placed his hands on his hips and leaned forwards. The man towered over Lance, but mind you, Lance wasn't as tall as most men. "How dare you identify yourself as one of the greatest dragon trainers in the entire league? What would he be doing out here anyway? I mean, I know he retired, but it's no reason for you to use a false identity."

Lance jerked. "False identity?!" He thought again, "I can't believe this. Why do I get the feeling that it's going to be a chore to walk away from this guy?"

He then heard Ash and Goh snigger from behind. He was about to turn around and ask what was so funny about the whole situation, but then he told himself that he should really focus on the problem in front of him first. Lance tried, "Sorry, but I'm not using any false identities. I really am Lance the Dragon Master. I'm also a former member of the elite four and former Champion of the Indigo Plateau."

The man laughed. He continuing laughing until it eventually faded into a, "I bet you wish you were."

"Seriously," Lance said whilst placing a hand against his chest, "I really am Lance. I just decided to take a trip to Galar for a vacation…"

The older man interjected. "Oh yeah? If you're the real Lance, where's your cape? Where's your Johto attire? You are an imposter, and that's not cool."

Lance said, "I'm retired! Everything is at home." He should've walked away long ago. This was getting out of hand.

The stranger then said, "Besides, why would Champion Lance want to come to Galar? He knows that Dragonite are banned in the Galar region."

Quickly, Ash appeared beside Lance and muttered to him, "Wait – you didn't tell me that Dragonite are banned in Galar."

"Shut up," Lance said to Ash in a harsh whisper, "There are restrictions when it comes to Dragonite. I could bring one over legally, but I had to smuggle the other two through customs. It was bad enough going through that." He then focused his attention back onto the confused stranger. "Look, I don't know what else to tell you, but I am Lance."

Lance then started rambling, and giving the stranger information that only the true Dragon Master would know, but it seemed that the more he tried to convince the man that he was really Lance, the less he believed him.

"I still don't believe you, but," the man said with a small smile, "the resemblance…is uncanny."

Lance shook his head. Why? Why him?

The man continued, "Have you ever thought about doing those – you know – look alike shows? Your headliner could be 'The Dragon Tamer.' It would be like a circus or something."

Lance finally decided to play along, "No, I haven't thought about that."

"Because you could make an absolute fortune."

When Lance was finally able to get rid of the guy, he immediately grabbed Ash's ear, and started dragging him to wherever the city sold something edible for human consumption. Goh wasn't too far behind; he was still struggling with Lance's belongings. Lance stated, "I'm undercover, Ash. You're not allowed to say my name anymore." At this rate, he wasn't going to make it back to a beach at all.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Ash yelped, "Lance, you're a big meanie!"

Then, another voice, however wavering, stopped Lance in his tracks, "So…it's really…you?"

Lance winced; not another one. He squared himself up with the voice and took off his sunglasses to get a better look at the figure standing a little too far away. The man was much taller than him, and had a darker complexion. He had black hair that looked like it was in a ponytail with an orange cap of some sort on his head. His shoes were enormous, he was sporting a weird looking hoodie, and the design on his blue-ish/purple shorts reminded him of his Johto getup. In the end, Lance determined that if he were ever stuck in a frozen wasteland with this guy, that he surely wouldn't lose him in the snow.

"Who're you?" asked Lance.

The stranger scurried over to Lance's side with stars in his eyes. He introduced himself, "I'm Raihan! Holy sh – it's a pleasure to meet you!" He then aggressively grasped the Dragon Master's hands, and said with an excited tone, "I'm your biggest fan! I've got to take a selfie, quick!"

Lance was startled by this fan's personality. "A-and you are?!"

"I'm Raihan; the gym leader of Hammerlocke Stadium!"

After that statement, the costume suddenly made sense. Memories were quickly falling back into place. "Wait – what was your name again?"

"Raihan!"

Lance said, "Raihan? Hey, I remember you when I came to Galar to polish up my dragon-type techniques and strategies. You were just a boy then."

"I…stood out to you?" Raihan said, a little sheepishly.

Lance said with a smile, "Yes – every time I looked at you, you were always hiding behind a corner. And to think after all these years I thought you were scared of me the entire time!" He then laughed.

That was a punch in the gut. Raihan couldn't believe that Lance thought he was scared of him for a full year.

"Well, time flies. It's good to see that someone so shy grew up to be a gym leader with remarkable skills no doubt."

Raihan laughed. He didn't know what to really say; he was still a little starstruck. It was hard to comprehend that your childhood idol you met once in your past was in the very same room as you just making basic conversation.

Raihan then suggested, "Hey – why don't you come to Hammerlocke Stadium for nostalgia's sake? Trust me, it'll be fun."

"Um," Lance said hesitantly, and with a weird smile, "I'm sorry, but I have to decline. I'm unfortunately busy for the remainder of the day." Shit. He had to get out of here. "I must go back…"

Suddenly, an arm harshly wrapped around Lance's neck. Raihan said with a bright smile. "Come on, it'll be fun! Besides, what is a retired Pokémon Champion busy with on such a beautiful day?"

Lance looked at the sky and gave a defeated look. He thought, "All I wanted to do today was go to the beach and relax. Is that so hard to comprehend? Sigh, the ice in my cooler has probably melted by now. Rest in peace my beergaritas."

Raihan then noticed Ash and Goh behind Lance, who looked a little starstruck themselves. "Are they with you?"

Lance bowed his head and sighed, "Unfortunately."

After some more walking, Lance and company all reached the Hammerlocke gym. Lance, Ash and Goh all took a quick glance at the front entrance of the stadium. Lance squinted. The outside looked a little different than what he remembered, but mind you, he hadn't stepped foot inside this stadium for over fifteen years. To be honest, after being a member of the elite four a couple of years later, he had no reason to return. The journey was also too far.

Raihan then led the group into the arena itself. Lance's eyes widened. Unlike the front entrance, everything from the battlefield to the seating looked the same. The hundreds of dragon décor and paintings were still in their rightful places. Upon seeing this, he got a little emotional. He needed to get out of here or else he'd snap. This was the very reason why he didn't want to leave the Pokémon League in the first place, because he knew he'd miss it and it would hurt; but in the end, he knew that retiring was the best decision for everyone.

Lance looked at the ground with a hint of sadness. Raihan saw this and immediately panicked. Did he do something wrong? What should he do to make him feel better? He had no idea what to do with an upset Champion. "Champion Lance, are you alright?"

Lance snapped out of his rancid thoughts. He said, a little embarrassed, "Oh – sorry." He didn't want Raihan to think he or his gym were to blame for his painful reminiscing. He said with a soft, assuring smile, "I'm fine, Raihan. It's just hard walking back into a gym right after retiring from the Pokémon League. After a year, it's still hard to get used to." Maybe he should run while he had the chance, but that would just look bad for his reputation, and in front of another dragon trainer no doubt.

Ash and Goh looked at the former Champion and pitied him. Ash wouldn't wish this on any Pokémon trainer; especially someone who had accomplished as much as Lance has. Ash said quietly, "Lance…"

"I understand," Raihan nodded. He then forced his arm around Lance's neck again. For a second, Lance thought that Raihan was going snap his neck and that he would die a very early death.

"ACK!"

"Let me show you more around the gym. Although it hasn't changed much, there are some differences."

And with that, Raihan gave the grand tour, but not the tour that Lance and his party had in mind. First, he brought everyone to the men's washroom and talked about the new tiling, urinals, and how great the flush capacity on their toilets were. He then took them to the concession areas that were sort of unnecessary, and then wandered in the common areas where he talked about each light fixture. Basic maintenance was the main topic of Raihan's tour, and by the end of it, Lance and Ash felt as if their souls had left their bodies, and Goh wondered what kind of tour he signed up for.

Forcing a smile, Lance said, "You must be very proud of your gym."

Raihan clasped his hands together, and said with great enthusiasm, "You like it? You really like it?"

Lance's eye twitched. "Yyyeeeah." He thought, "That was a waste of time. Hmm…maybe Raihan was just trying to make me feel better." He then looked at his watch; it was already two in the afternoon. The sun was at its peak, and if he didn't eat something and ditch Ash and his friend in a forest somewhere that he sort of made up soon, he would be too late for any sort of isolated relaxation.

Raihan said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I…" he trailed off when they heard a noise coming from the other end of the arena. They were women, and they were just entering the area from the changerooms. They were all around Raihan's height and showing off their new purple uniforms with orange stripes. Raihan waved to the women. "Oh, laaadddiiieesss! Come over here and meet Champion Lance!"

Lance grumbled, and said to himself, "When will people realize that I'm not a Champion anymore?"

The women all stopped for a moment, wondering what on the earth the gym leader had just said. Well, they were aware of what was said, but they weren't sure whether to believe him. "Who are they," Lance asked.

"Oh, they're my students. These lovely ladies range from ages 18-30. There's a women's only league tournament happening next month."

"I see…"

Then, realizing that their gym leader was speaking the truth, the girls suddenly ran across the battlefield; and upon gawking at their stares, they were all aiming for Lance. There had to be at least twenty of them, and after seeing the possessiveness in their eyes and how fast they were running, Lance was ready to run as well, but he couldn't do that. These people were the next generation of dragon trainers. He was not a legend in their eyes, he was an idol.

He then made the decision to run for his life, but before he could move a single step, the hoard of women were on top of him. Over the years, he had dealt with overly enthusiastic and obsessive fans every day; however, having twenty women on him at once was quite daunting. It scared him a bit.

The girls ogled all over their guest.

"It's really Champion Lance!"

"He's so much prettier in person."

He then came to realize that these women were very beautiful. They then started touching him, as if confirming that he was really Lance in the flesh. He didn't mind as long as it meant he could look at their large breasts just a little bit longer.

"Where's your cape? It makes you look terribly sexy."

"Can I have your picture? How about your autograph?"

"No, I want a picture!"

"I asked him first!"

"What's your favourite dragon?"

Goh and Ash looked at the scene in front of them. Astonished by what he had just witnessed, Ash murmured, "That's no fair. I'm a Champion too, and yet they all flock to him."

Goh commented, "Yeah, it makes us look like losers."

Then – without warning – another woman harshly grasped the collar of Lance's red jacket, and shook him violently. "Oh, my Arceus! You are real! I can't believe that I'm in the presence of a legend. I don't deserve to walk on the same ground as you! Love me!" She then shook him some more.

Seeing that Lance was trapped and overwhelmed by this cluster of affection, Goh came to the rescue and shouted, "Get off of him! You do not deserve to walk on the same soil as him."

The girls stopped, and Lance looked as if he had lost all of his HP.

Ash then exclaimed, "Lance, are you alright?"

Lance – red in the face – slightly turned his head towards his friends. He said gently and with a smug grin, "Hmph, nothing I can do about it now."

Ash shouted back, "What?! You mean you actually like this? I thought you said that you didn't want the attention!"

It was now three o'clock and Lance couldn't believe he had actually been suckered in to doing a masterclass with his red Gyarados. It was all about how to raise dragon-type Pokémon, and how to properly train them, so that they'll work with you rather than against you. Dragon Pokémon had unpredictable personalities, and that's what made them fun and unique.

Of course, Ash and Goh were reeking of jealousy, and grumbling in the background. "Now he's just showing off," said Ash.

Lance was showing off. After all, he was going to try to take at least one woman with him to the beach today. He looked at the group and saw that they were watching him only. He tried to show them what the Gyarados could do and what its potential was, but their eyes didn't move to the Gyarados once; they really weren't listening to him. He might be leaving with two more women if he wasn't careful.

Lance then said, "Alright everyone, any questions?"

All of the girls and Raihan raised their hands. Lance didn't have time for this. He had kids to abandon and beaches to claim as his land. He scanned the crowd of raised hands from left to right. "No questions. Good."

Everyone sat there, shocked.

"Any comments?"

The girls and Raihan raised their hands again, but much more aggressively. He scanned the crowd from left to right again. "No comments. Good."

Everyone said, "ACK! What?"

Suddenly, a Dreepy appeared behind Lance's head without his knowledge. The Dreepy started making stupid faces and mocking Lance behind his back."

The dragon trainers in front of Lance laughed hysterically. A comical sweat drop ran down the back of Lance's head. "W – what's going on? Did I do something?" Then, he knew something was really going on when Ash and Goh were laughing alongside them.

Raihan then said, "Alright, ladies. Let's get back to training. We don't have all day."

Then, the gorgeous dragon trainers left, and giggled all the way back to their gym bags. Lance crossed his arms and pouted, "I guess I won't be taking any women to the beach later." He then looked back at Ash and Goh who were still standing there, laughing. Having enough, Lance took a quick peek over his shoulder, and saw his Dreepy with his sunglasses on, and imitating its trainer. It escaped from its Pokéball again.

Lance scowled; terrible shadows were masking his black irises. "Making fun of me again, are you?" He found that if he intimidated the Dreepy a little, it backed off on its practical jokes. Lance then drew his Pokéball and tried returning the Pokémon to its place of rest, but the red beam of light kept missing its target. Lance couldn't believe this was happening. He said, shocked, "Oh no, he doesn't want to go back inside his Pokéball."

Ash prodded the man with his elbow a sleek smile. "What's the matter, Mr. Dragon Tamer? Is this one a little too wild for you to handle?"

Lance clenched his teeth and growled in frustration as he continued trying to get his Dreepy back in its Pokéball. Finally, the Dreepy vanished while humorously waving. Lance put away his Pokéball and said in utter defeat, "Great. I'm going to have a loose Dreepy following me around, and pulling every practical joke in the book, on every person in public. I'm ashamed to even call myself a Dragon Master now when I can't even tame a Dreepy."

Ash said, trying to make the man feel a little better, "Relax, Lance. I had a Charizard once that didn't listen to me either, so you're not alone."

Then, without warning, Lance grabbed the ends of Ash and Goh's ears. "Alright, we've seen what we came here for. Let's get out of here, now."

But before Lance could drag the boys out of the stadium with his belongings and a Dreepy in tow, a voice carried, "Wait, Champion Lance! As your number one fan, and idol of Hammerlocke stadium, I hereby challenge you to a double battle!"

Lance said, "What?"

"Yes," Raihan said passionately, "I never thought this day would come. I forbid you to leave without showing you how strong dragon-type trainers in Hammerlocke are. By battling you, I will be one step closer to beating my rival, Leon. I…" Raihan stopped when he saw Lance on the sidelines in his lounging chair and sunglasses on. Lance had enough. If he wasn't going to be able to relax on the beach, he might as well relax somewhere else; even if it were the gutter. Raihan shouted, "Hey, what're you doing?"

While gawking at the ceiling, Lance said nonchalantly, "Sorry, but I humbly decline."

Ash then slid into view, saying to Raihan sarcastically, "This is your Champion."

"W-what? B-but…"

Lance shouted, "What part of I don't battle anymore don't any of you understand?"

Everyone was shocked at that outburst. Ash gave Lance a pitiful look again. He could tell that his friend was trying to push the world of Pokémon out of his life, and hated every minute of it. After seeing the disappointment in Raihan's face, Ash said, "Well, if Lance doesn't want to battle, then I will. I'm not the Champion of Alola for nothing!"

Raihan smiled in surprise. "Really? The Champion?"

"Yes, and just like you, although I lost, I want to get stronger and defeat Champion Leon!"

Raihan felt like he had just met his long-lost brother. "The same goals! Quick, I've got to take a selfie." The man made sure that both he, Ash, Goh and Lance – looking miserable in his chair – got in the picture. After, Raihan said, "Well then, if you're good enough to stand up against Leon, then I suppose that means you're a worthy opponent for me."

Ash and Raihan continued to talk in the background. Lance, in his own private world, decided to watch them straight through his shades. In all honesty, he was proud of Ash and what he had become over the years. The young man could go toe to toe with any trainer without fear, and that was what made Ash a truly unique character. Lance grinned from ear to ear. He almost felt as if Ash were the little brother he never had. Still with a smile, Lance then reached towards his other stuff, and pulled out a magazine to read. In the background, he heard:

"Alright, Go Pikachu!" Ash had shouted.

"PIKA!" Pikachu was ready to battle.

Then, Raihan said, "Let's go, Gigalith."

Lance knew he should've been paying more attention to his surroundings, and found a comfortable spot in the stands, because he wasn't expecting to be buffeted by a sandstorm.

Chapter 3 is next…