A/N: First update of the new year. Whoops. :D

After Being Blue
Poke Ball 7: Refrain

He was pretty sure Lance wasn't expecting him any time soon.

He had to thank his grandfather's Dragonite. Granted, his grandfather didn't know where he'd needed a dragon Pokemon to carry him to. He'd caught a lot of Pokemon during his time, but not one of those.

He didn't think the old man would be disappointed though.

Lance might have been though, when he opened the door to find Blue on his doorstep and Professor Oak's Dragonite vanishing into the distance.

'I've set my ride back,' Blue said.

'I see you have.' Lance watched the shadow disappear behind some clouds. 'Why have you come?'

Lance was always blunt. Blue liked that. He was sure Red liked that too.

In fact, Blue had a sneaking suspicion he was now acting on.

'I'd like to hear about your reign as champion.' When Lance opened his mouth, he quickly added: 'specifically how powerful – or powerless – you felt.'

Lance closed his mouth, frowned, and glanced at the sky again. 'Come in,' he said.

Blue did.

.

Lance didn't seem like a tea person somehow. Or the sort to go through the long ceremony instead of answering a question asked of him. But Blue let him. The body said a lot of things as well – and who knew? Maybe the tea came from being a Champion.

But if Red ever served him a cup of traditional-style tea, he was tossing it in the other's face.

He couldn't say he knew Lance well enough to treat him the same.

'It seems odd, doesn't it?' Lance commented, once he was sipping his own tea. 'I assume Red's told you?'

'You could say that,' Blue said carefully. 'Some things speak for themselves.'

Granted, Red had literally smacked him in the face with it – but he wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell a member of his Elite four (and the ex-Champion to boot) that information. Especially if they didn't feel the same.

'It's crap.'

Blue blinked. Lance's bluntness was back.

That was better. He could talk like that.

'And you didn't do anything about it?' It wasn't an accusation. Just curiosity.

Lance smiled grimly. 'You need powerful friends to pull off a coup-de-tat. Not just a pretty little throne at the top.'

Red had said as much as well.

'I take it Red spoke to you first?'

Lance chuckled somewhat bitterly at that. 'No. What we exchanged was on the battlefield.'

Blue felt his own lips twist into a frown. He remembered some battles. Not all of them. He remembered the Elite Four. And Lance. And Red; he remembered every battle he ever lost and he could count them on both hands.

'Do you feel like a failure?' he asked.

'And now we come to the crux of the matter.' Lance took another sip of tea. 'You, me, Red – we're not the type to dwell on the past. But there are still lessons to be learnt from it. But you lack something more important than that.'

Blue waited. Lance did not expand. 'What do I lack?' he finally asked. 'My grandfather said the same.'

'What you lack is something you need to find yourself,' was Lance's reply. 'My suggestion is to retrace your steps. Look at things you missed before.'

Somewhat cryptic, but something plain as well. A direction for him to start. Blue drained his tea and stood. 'Thanks,' he said bluntly. 'I suppose I'll be challenging you again.'

Lance nodded. 'And maybe this time, we'll have our own conversation on the battlefield.'