Maya was so glad to finally be home. She had to hide for the rest of the workday, lest her coworkers notice the pale wash of her cheeks and the vibration in her knees from the shock of the Orchid's invitation.
She couldn't even bear to look at it again until she was in the privacy of her own apartment, with the doors locked and valance curtains drawn. But the moment she opened the box again, it all came rushing back; the heat from Charizard's flames, it's Master's eager eyes as they carved right through her, and the shaking earth between them, an ominous omen of the fires they could start.
Vermillion orchids were usually found in a spray, lined up on an arcing stem like Wingull on a wire. And you could only find them on Route 11 in that Southern part of Vermillion, because of the Diglett-dug-soil's blessing, mixed with the moisture from the bay.
But this one had grown alone; a single bloom on at the end of its green little lead where it had been plucked by the Dragon Master himself.
Maya cupped it in her hands gently, admiring its rich, royal red petals and the tiny scatter of white-star dots in the center where the fragile folds came together.
Kadabra sat on the other side of the room, its interest in the flower lost hours ago, as it already knew what this meant. It didn't like the idea; but it could already sense the excitement in Maya's heart at the thought of seeing him again. But if things turned dangerous, it would be by her side and at the ready to protect her.
I barely know him, she thought. Beyond the articles she had researched, and the myth of the man whispered about along her past Kantonian travels, she truly didn't know what lay behind that stoic face. They had barely even completed one real conversation, before things got so out of hand the last time they met.
This is where the danger was, she thought. She wasn't going to walk back into the same situation as last time, so lost beyond her depth, and she certainly wasn't going to risk Kadabra's safety again, not for the sake of a battle, not for anything.
She needed to learn a little more about this mysterious man...
Because she wanted to know him. Because she truly did not.
If only she knew someone who did.
"Iris, tell me about what you were feeling when you brought out Haxorus. Did you always intend to save it for the last stand?"
Iris was sitting pretty in the interview chair in Studio A, her exorbitant Champion's dress flowing down over her crossed knees as she paused in thought at the Lead Producer's question. The microphone clipped to her collar was drowning in a sea of pink and white tulle, awaiting her every last word as the cameras and the crew watched on.
Maya stood near the back of the studio, watching her friend from afar beneath the stagelights. Iris had come so far from the young girl she had met all those years ago.
"Haxorus and I have an unbreakable bond. I had a funny little feeling it was all gonna end with a showdown against Garchomp, so when Haxorus hit the field with me, I had never felt more proud." Iris smiled at the memory of her trusty ace, it's enormous blades glinting in the Wyndon sun. The Producer nodded with the answer.
"Tell me. Did you two train for strategies against Draco Meteor? I'm sure you knew it was a possibility."
A sad, distant look crossed Iris' face now.
Videos of Cynthia & Garchomp's heart-stopping Draco Meteor attack was replayed over and over again for days after their battle on every channel. Maya could still see it; the massive meteors raining down, exploding one by one in a spectacle of unforgettable fury, the entire stadium on their feet, until one rogue comet landed the fateful destructive blow that left her sweet Haxorus laying in the dirt.
"Draco Meteor is... a devastating attack. So, so powerful." Iris began, a new seriousness in her voice, "A lot of trainers have tried to come up with techniques to counter it, including Haxorus and I, but... I'm starting to think that there really is no hiding from it. If you're not ready for it, if you don't stop it before it starts, you'll be left completely open... completely vulnerable."
Her smile was gone.
The Producer nodded, feeling the energy leaving the room.
"Let's take a break." He signaled for the cameras to cut.
Iris breathed a sigh of relief, before spotting Maya standing across the room. Her grin came speeding back as she waved her over.
"I'm so glad you're here today!" Iris said cheerfully as Maya approached, finally relaxing without the camera's watchful eye, "How are you?"
"I'm good, I'm good," Maya began, "I'm so proud of you. You and Haxorus really battled your hearts out in Wyndon."
"Thank you," Iris smiled proudly, "It was an honor just to be there with all of those other Champions, I even got a selfie with Cynthia and Diantha!"
"That's awesome. We need to find some time to really catch up in the next few weeks." Iris nodded with Maya's words as she continued, her posture shifting, "Speaking of the other Champions. I have a... question for you."
"On the record, or off the record?"
"Off the record. Very off the record."
Iris' eyes grew curious. She crossed her arms and nodded, awaiting the question. Maya took a shallow, short breath.
"Have you ever spent any time with... Lance?"
Iris let the question hang above them for a moment, before Maya continued.
"Like, have you ever trained with him or anything?"
Iris' eyes narrowed slyly at her words.
"Is this for a story?" She asked coyly. Maya could feel her cheeks getting hot.
"No. But, lets just say that it is."
A modest grin crossed Iris' face, before falling into thought. She slowly shook her head.
"Honestly? I don't really know him that well," she began, "I did train with him for a few weeks at the Dragon gym in Galar. And it was brutal; Lance woke us up at 4am every morning to run drills. So I guess you can say his training style was the opposite of fun. But that's a by-the-book Dragon Master for you. He didn't talk a lot, but when he did, it was usually really good advice about dragon pokémon & how to bring out the best in them."
"What do you mean, 'by-the-book'?" The phrase stuck in Maya's mind.
"Well, you know, Lance is an OG Dragon Master, he's from the Blackthorn Dragon Clan." Iris continued, "those guys still live by the more...ya know, religious, parts of it. The 'Code of the Dragon', I think they call it. My mentor told me about it once. It's super duper strict, almost like a cult. It's this old book of rules that a Dragon Master has to follow. It's all about living in honor of the Dragons, or something like that." Her voice trailed off, "That's not really how it's done anymore though, to become a Master. It's ancient history at this point. But I heard Lance and his Clan still do everything by the Code, and that's why he's always... well, you know, Lance!"
"He does seem very serious." Maya retorted softly.
"Yeah, he is," Iris continued, "But sometimes I think he was just born with that frown on his face. You know what I always thought was so weird about him?" Iris put her hand to her chin in thought, "Whenever I saw him anywhere, like at any big event, like the opening of a gym, or a party where all the Champions had to go. He was always there by himself. One time we went to Steven's birthday party at the Petalburg Gardens, it was amazing, this big red carpet and all these cameras and stuff, even Agatha from the Elite Four brought a date. But Lance was there alone. He seemed okay, but I felt kinda bad for him."
This strikes Maya; a lonely Champion, she thinks.
She pictures him there, his heavy cape hugging his back, standing under the glass of a Petalburg greenhouse, watching the others dance and drink in pairs. She hated the thought.
"Do you think," Maya pauses to find the words, "That he's... dangerous?"
"Dangerous?" Iris says back with a curious look, "Is he dangerous." She poses the question to herself.
Iris wasn't just a master at knowing what dragon-type pokémon were feeling; she could also get a sense for the souls of other dragon masters as well.
"Lance is an amazing trainer. He has amazing power, with a super strong team. He's dangerous on the battlefield, if that's what you mean, with all that power. But if you're asking if I think he'd hurt someone? Someone who didn't deserve it, I mean? No. Never. I don't think he has that in him."
Something in Maya's face must have given her away, as a wide smile began creeping across Iris's cheeks.
"This isn't for a story, huh?" She asked slyly, "This is for... something else?"
Maya held in her smile. She nodded slowly.
"Well," Iris continued, "If you wind up talking to him. Or anything. Just... be careful. He may be stuck in the old traditions, but he's still a well connected, super powerful trainer."
Maya rested her hand on Iris' shoulder as the cameras began switching on once again, smiling at her in thanks.
"Thank you," Maya hushed down at her, "I'm glad I have an insider like you to give me the scoop." Iris chuckled at her words.
Little did they know, someone was still listening in to Iris' still-hot microphone, hearing their every word... But in this moment, Maya was blissfully unaware, still lost in thought at Iris' warning.
Her thoughts then turned back to the memory of him; the look in his silver eyes as they gazed across the flames.
Yes, Maya thought. He certainly was very powerful.