*NOTE: This chapter has a song from the "soundtrack" featured in it! As this site does not allow links, to listen along with the story, please copy/paste the below keywords into a new Google search tab and it will be the very first video that pops up. When you see the three stars in the chapter (***), that is the signal to hit play! Also important to note: Please slow the playback speed down on the video to .75 for best results! It sounds better slow!

The copy/paste keyword to the song, titled on YouTube as "Pokemon - Pokemon Center piano arrangement" by HypochondriacPiano, is this: "Pokemon Center piano arrangement Hypochondriac Piano"

Act 1: The Garden Gala

As she approached Dragonite in the new grassy field of Route 11, Maya was astounded at just how much bigger the dragon really was up close. It stood nearly 8 feet tall, a mosaic of fire-orange scales blanketing its half-ton body like sunny snakeskin armor. Though now that she was this close, she could also see a calming, kind demeanor behind its big, oval eyes.

As Lance settled himself at the front of the dragon by the base of its wings, Maya hoisted herself onto its back just behind him. She pressed her hands over its bronzed blanket of scales; so warm!

For a moment, she wished Kadabra could fit up there with them, but she knew it wasn't a fan of heights. She had pulled it safely back into its pokeball with the promise of a fresh Celadon lemonade when the journey was over.

"Ready?" Lance asked her, before nodding down to his trusty ace, "Let's go."

And with a quick thumping KICK, the dragon launched itself up into the Vermilion mist.

"Whoa!" Maya called out, gripping hard to Dragonite's leathered back as the wind immediately picked up speed, whipping at her face, tussling her hair wildly in all directions. As they ascended higher and higher, Maya could barely keep her eyes open as they parted through the ocean air's thick white haze.

She could barely take it; with the shock of the new cold air and gravity's pull, an instinct quickly kicked in. Maya lurched forward and grasped firmly around the Dragon Master's body for balance, holding on tightly to his ribs as they climbed higher and higher, eyes slammed closed, fighting a wave of elevator nausea as they soared through the sky.

But then suddenly, the dragon began to coast; it had reached its perfect altitude, and the vicious winds began to die back down.

Maya finally opened her eyes and peered down over through the parting clouds.

"...Whoa!"

From up in the midnight sky, all of Vermilion City was laid out in front of them, an unfurled blanket of harbor lights and steel apartment stacks. Maya could see the waterfront all lit up in the distance, stretching far down the mouth of the port where the rocky cliffs met the shore. Further north was the bright calling of the Downtown District's signs, now as small as a Weedle's eye, bright and beckoning all the little tourists to feast on imported Kalosian breads paired with sweet Vermilion wine.

Maya couldn't believe how fast they were going; before long, they were soaring over the winding grassy roads of north Route 6, now a groomed garden labyrinth from the sky, its red-bricked pathways as wide as her little finger.

What a sight, she thought; She had never seen Kanto like this before, so fleeting and so small.

Just up ahead approaching fast was a new dense ocean of trees, a flock of sleeping forest pines, the final line along Vermilion's city boarder. And as Dragonite crossed over above the massive sea of green, a new silence fell upon them, the calls of the old port city now fading to their backs.

Finding herself again, Maya realized what her hands had done; she was still wrapped around her pilot's body! She pulled away suddenly, before loosely settling her fingers further back to gently grip onto Lance's cape. It was thicker than she imagined; woven tight with a heavy, hard-knit fabric, and blacker than the sky. She peered up to him, his rusty hair dancing on the winds of the currents of Kanto.

"Do you do this a lot?" Maya finally asked, "Flying at night?"

"I prefer it," Lance said earnestly, "It's easier to do everything under the cover of darkness, after all."

Maya smiled at the thought; a night owl, she wondered.

"It's incredible, up here," She said with the smile, "Makes me wish I had caught a Flying-type back when I traveled around."

"So you traveled," Lance retorted, glancing back to her, "But you were never interested in visiting more Gyms?"

She chuckled a bit at the thought.

"I don't mean to offend," Maya replied over the winds, "But I just had other things I wanted to focus on, like my career."

Lance nodded at this in understanding as she continued.

"I had a lot of friends try the Gym challenge though. Not many of them made it that far."

"I guess it's not for everyone," he replied softly, "But hopefully you still enjoy the battles that you cover at the Saffron."

Her head nodded with the thought.

"I really do," she replied, "The best perk of my job is being able to watch the best battles, up close. Well, at least from behind the camera. Seeing other Trainers make it, and go pro is amazing. But I'm happy with what I do now. And besides... I think I prefer just to watch."

Lance nodded at this with a sly little grin; he knew that part already.

Peering down along the endless waves of trees, Maya closed her eyes with a blissful thought; With the feel of Dragonite's wings beating elegantly into the eastern breeze, and her fingers coursing through the Dragon Master's cape as it trilled with the winds, memorizing its silk-stitch patterns as it rolled over the pads of her fingers, and the warmth of the dragon's body radiating beneath her own... she took a deep, cold breath; I want to always remember this, she thought.

"Take a look." He hushed out, pointing just beyond the edge of the massive treeline. There out in the distance, growing closer every second, was the colossal, brimming skyline of Celadon City.

Maya sighed in reverence at the enormous metropolis, its modern midtown buildings shining under the spotlight of the moon, the epicenter of Kanto commerce and big-city dreams. As they flew closer, the tiny rows of distant lights became an endless stack of windows, each light switched on inside, its own new tale.

As they entered the city's limits, they soon found themselves surrounded by the urban vibe, dodging wistful walk-ups and posh progressive skyscrapers as they began their great descent. Although it was almost 1am now, this city certainly never slept: in the distance, Maya could see the lively fashion district still teeming with open shops and tourists posing with the famous glowing signs. Over on the eastern borough, a snaking line of gamblers and movers and shakers were awaiting entry to the famed Celadon Game Corner, whose weekend dance parties always gathered the record crowds.

Before long, Erika's massive greenhouse Gym came into view below them as they approached the southern district. But something peculiar came along with it; the thumping sound of music. Maya also noticed streams of colored lights flashing out from the gym's massive windows. A small crowd was formed around the building, of young 20-somethings donning elegant garden dresses and hip streetwear suits.

"What's going on?" Maya asked out loud, "Some kind of party?"

"I'm not sure," Lance replied, signaling for Dragonite to pick a landing spot, "I figured it'd be empty."

Touching down to the ground not far from the gym's front steps, Maya & Lance hopped off Dragonite and took a look around, before withdrawing Dragonite back into its ball for a well-deserved rest.

They began advancing up the stairs toward the entrance. All the excitement seemed to be leading right into the gym's front greenhouse doors, where the atmosphere seemed anxiously keyed up, with crowds of party-goers clasping onto their posh martinis and laughing with one another.

As they entered through the doors, they found themselves inside Erika's enormous greenhouse garden. The gym was lush with rolling stacks of emerald hedges, with sweet blooming trees & gorgeous floral arrangements lining every corner. The party was spilling into here with a curious energy, a calming music playing quite loudly from the speakers in a funny frequency that made Maya's hair almost stand on end.

Although the crowd was maintaining a surprisingly polite demeanor, they for sure had noticed their Champion's entrance. Maya could see them pointing, whispering with one another the further they walked into the room. Lance seemed to ignore them as he casually strolled deeper towards the center of the greenhouse, but Maya was intrigued; to imagine everyone knowing your legacy, and everyone knowing your name. For a moment, she felt a little special just to enter with his company.

In the center of the room stood a giant pedestal beneath a string of lights, on which a massive, fat plant was propped up inside an extra large, extra ornate vase. Whatever it was, the body of the plant was all curled together and unbloomed, but it was its colossal, veiny leaves & wrapping vines as thick as an Arbok's tail snaking around its base that made it impossible to ignore. They both peered upon it curiously, before a familiar voice called out to Lance.

"You're too early for the show," Erika appeared behind them, her slow, calm voice just barely able to beat out the sound of the music, "But I'm glad Vileplume won't miss the main event now."

She donned a kelly green kimono, her blunt black haircut hugging close beneath her ears as she peacefully smiled & held out her open palm to Lance. He placed Vileplume's pokeball into her waiting hand.

"What is this show, exactly?" Lance asked, crossing his arms. She gestured to the massive plant.

"This is a Lavender Corpse Flower. It blooms once every 10 years, and the time is almost upon us." She looked at the plant with reverence in her eyes for a calming moment, before another set of arms wrapped around her from behind.

Maya peered up to find a woman embracing Erika, her arms hugging tight, her unexpected squeeze catching Erika off-guard and beaming with a smile. But Maya recognized her; it wasn't just any woman- it was Lorelei, the Ice-Type master of the Elite Four! Her ruby eyes sparkled beneath the greenhouse lights from behind her narrow-framed glasses as she held tightly onto her girl.

"Legend says that happy vibes will make it bloom faster," Lorelei said with a knowing smile, "So Erika wants to keep the party going until it makes it's grand debut."

"How... interesting." Lance said, his serious glare unchanged.

"Did you lower the music? And change the setting on the lights? And refill the drinks?" Erika asked hastily to Lorelei, an unfamiliar urgency in her voice.

"Yes dear. Yes, I did it all." Lorelei kissed her softly on the cheek, much to Erika's satisfaction.

Lorelei's eyes ran down Maya as a curious expression fell over her face. No, she thought...did Lance bring this girl with him?

"I'm Lorelei, it's nice to meet you." She outstretched a hand for Maya to shake, the bangles on her wrist jingling as Maya took it with a cautious smile.

"And I'm Erika, the leader of this Gym." Erika coolly added.

"Maya. Very nice to meet you both," She peered back to the centerpiece as she spoke, "I think this is really cool. You're sure it's not ready to bloom tonight?"

"No," Erika said thoughtfully, "It's still wrapped up tight, behind it's protective shell. But the last time it bloomed was just after my 15th birthday, and number 25 is right around the corner."

"Oh," Maya replied, "Well Happy early Birthday."

"Why thank you," Erika nodded in thanks, turning back to Lance "I trust Vileplume behaved while on your little field trip?"

"Oh yes," Lance replied pensively, "It did wonderful, as usual."

"It was beautiful," Maya added, "It was amazing to watch Vileplume just heal everything in the forest." She recalled the little flower's sacred dance in the grass.

Lorelei looked upon her even harder now; this girl was training with Lance?

"You should go grab that lemonade and I'll meet you at the door." Lance said to Maya, gesturing to the table of refreshments across the floor. "We shouldn't stay here long."

Maya nodded, before heading off to grab Kadabra's little treat.

"Very nice to meet you two," Maya said with a smile, "When the flower does bloom, I'm sure it'll be a beautiful sight."

As they watched her walk away, Lorelei and Erika couldn't help their cheeky smiles.

"I didn't even know Dragonite could fit two people up there." Lorelei couldn't stop the grin if she tried.

Lance eyed daggers at them, which didn't help his cause.

"You didn't see her here tonight. Understand?" Their smiles faded, hearing the seriousness in his tone. "If anyone asks, she's doing a story on me for the Saffron Times. Tell me you understand."

His silver eyes brooded with a grim strike beneath the greenhouse lights. Erika nodded, remembering all the secretive hurdles she had to jump through to even spend time with Lorelei in the beginning; Elite Four security was no joke. She gave her partner a knowing look.

"Okay, okay, I understand." Lorelei scoffed, "I know how it is. She seems sweet, is all. Probably too sweet for you anyway."

Lance peered back over to Maya, who was now waiting by the door, her cerulean eyes scanning over the stylish crowd with a quiet awe.

Yes, he thought. She did seem very sweet.

Act 2: The Only Ones Awake in Fuchsia City

Back in the air on Dragonite's wings, Lance and Maya were again casting off into the night air. The moon hung lower in the Kanto darkness than before, with the Celadon skyline now fading fast behind them.

"Where to now?" Maya asked, squinting her eyes to view past the upcoming line of dense misty clouds. Just below them was the famous Cycling Road bridge, but she had never seen it so empty before. From her view up above, she could only spot one lone, faceless trainer zooming northbound in the night over the famed ocean causeway.

"Fuchsia City. The Pokémon Center," He replied over the wind, "There's a package waiting there for me."

Lost in the heat of Dragonite's back, Maya's thoughts turned to the Celadon party.

"That party was so cool. And Lorelei seemed nice," Maya wondered aloud, "I always heard she was kind of, cutthroat. But her and Erika seem really, balanced, together."

"I actually introduced them at the annual Elite Four dinner last year," Lance replied, "I always thought that they'd get along. They've been inseparable ever since."

"Ah," Maya deduced, "So that's why she owes you a favor."

Lance nodded with a tiny half-grin.

"They have more in common than you'd think," He replied, "They're both very strong trainers."

"Seems that Erika wears the pants, so to speak," Maya thought aloud.

"Yes," Lance replied, "Grass types are so weak to Ice types. And yet, Erika is always the one in charge."

Maya thought on this; a power switch. How interesting.

"We could have stayed longer," Maya suggested, "If you wanted to."

"No. We couldn't." Lance voice was softer now. He took a pause, finding the right words. "It was too crowded in there. Too risky."

Maya digested his words, but didn't quite understand them. She could tell that whatever he meant, he was serious; his shoulders had rolled even tighter with the stress of his words.

She stared at them for a moment, still squared and tense as they steadied his body through the current. They seemed much larger up close; she could almost feel the heat radiating off from them now, blades locked back, the seams of his cape stretching down firmly over the thick terrain of muscle.

Before long, Dragonite began descending into the mist of Route 18 and the sights began to clear. The grass was lighter here, made wispy and blonde by the ocean air coming in north from Fuchsia's bordering beaches. With wide eyes Maya spotted a sleeping family of Doduo in the distant fields, necks tangled together and huddled close for warmth, just off the tail end of the vacant biking paths. The finish line where tired trainers usually rested their wheels was as now as empty as a Psyduck's mind.

Fuchsia's fresh foliage and fruitful, verdant soil made the perfect place for pokémon pastures, where rare berries and wild pokémon alike could grow undisturbed. Though it was much more of a small town than a city; just about everything besides the Pokémon Center closed up shop at 7pm each day. As Dragonite silently landed in the town square, Maya took a look around; it truly was a ghost town, not one other trainer or pokémon in sight.

As the sliding glass doors smoothly parted, Maya & Lance stepped in from the black of the night, entering the sterile white lights of the city's only Pokémon Center. The clean stone-tiled floor was immaculate, the lobby dotted with a few empty tables and couches for trainers in waiting. But they seemed to be the only patients here.

As they approached the front desk, Maya noted the calming, joyful tune playing gently over the Center's speakers. She had heard it thousands of times before, this carefree little song; it seemed to have a soothing effect on her. But without the sounds of other trainers pacing around, it felt much louder than before.

"I had a feeling you were coming by tonight," Nurse Joy chimed, looking up to Lance from her computer at the Center's massive, empty desk, "Your prescription was delivered. I'll go grab it for you."

"Thank you." Lance replied earnestly, watching the nurse quietly stand from her chair to head back to the pharmacy.

Maya took this chance to study him where he stood, collecting her thoughts in this quiet little moment, the Pokémon Center's song chiming out faintly behind him like his own personal piano soundtrack.

Running all these errands at night must be convenient to beat the crowds, she thought, but it could also guarantee him a shroud of privacy. His stony eyes looked back upon her softly, catching her in the act, his stoic face lightening the slightest shade as their eyes locked. She was suddenly so grateful to be standing here at all.

"COMING UP next week on SAFFRON TODAY! We have KALOS CHAMPION DIANTHA in the HOUSE!"

They both suddenly turned to find the sound, discovering a small flat TV switched on and hanging from the corner of the lobby. Lance approached it curiously as the narrator continued.

"That's right! Don't miss her new tell-all INTERVIEW about the MASTERS 8 TOURNAMENT, and all about her NEW MOVIE!"

A clip of Diantha began to play, sitting with the flamboyant host of the show, her charming eyes smiling as the segment teased a clip:

"Pokémon battling and acting have a lot in common, you know. It's all about good strategy, and good technique!" She gave the camera a little wink as the studio audience laughed, and applauded.

Lance's face hardened again, his brows furrowing at Diantha's pretentious, lighthearted words, his eyes now cold as they remained glued to the screen.

Maya hated the sight; so haunted by his failure.

A wash of guilt swept over her now, recalling her angry commentary to Lance about that battle. She wished she could just erase it, the spite in her voice when she had called him out on the night of their first fateful encounter. She peered back up to Lance's stone-cold face, the pain stinging in his eyes; she knew he remembered them, too.

"You're all set," Nurse Joy chimed out again, placing a wrapped parcel down on the counter. He turned from the TV to face her again. "Always a pleasure, Lance. Please give the Warden my best."

The empty cobblestone streets of Fuchsia were a bit cold, but undeniably charming. As Maya and Lance meandered along the northern pathways, they seemed to be the only ones awake; not one nesting Pidgey nor scurrying field Rattata to be seen. Dragonite floated alongside them, seemingly ever cautious of an empty road, lest someone sneak up on its master without warning.

"The Safari Zone? I thought it was closed." Maya said, zipping up her jacket. The ocean winds always made this part of Kanto chillier than the rest.

"It is. But it's planning to reopen, in about a month from now," Lance led the way up the trail slowly, "The Warden is a good friend of mine. I'm caring for some pokémon in there for him, so he gave me a key so I could come in at night, if I needed to."

Maya nodded at the idea. She hadn't been to the famous preserve since she was a girl, but remembered it fondly; the sprawling nature, the educational exhibits, and the strong, wild pokémon who called the lush, protected parkland its home.

Edging to the northern border of the city limits, the well-groomed grass paid for by the townspeople was nearing an end, right where the parkline's boundary met the base of a tall, metal gate. As they approached, Maya spotted a small sign posted up beside its wrought iron door:

SAFARI ZONE; SOUTH ENTERANCE.

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

Lance gave her a nod, before withdrawing a key from his pocket and approaching the door.

Just before the gate swung open, he turned to his trusty Ace.

"Dragonite, you should take a rest for the journey home. Return." In a flash of light, he pulled the dragon back into its pokeball, tucking it in the first slot of his belt.

The gate now hanging fully open, Maya peered into the dark, winding forest ahead of them, a bit uneasy. Could it be dangerous to go in without a guide?

But with one look from Lance's silver eyes, she felt at ease.

This subtle pull in her chest; the thrill of this midnight adventure had tempered it until now.

His voice fell to a whisper as he stepped through the door slowly, before beckoning her to follow.

"Stay close to me."