To anyone reading this... Hope you like :D

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Chapter Four: Strange Happenings

The week had been long and consisted of many long meetings with leaders from around the region. People wanted to know if the laws were going to be changed now that she was the Champion and Lyra had to tell every single person that everything was going to stay the same. She was so worn out at the end of every day she was asleep before she even hit the bed.

Lance had promised her it would get easier in time as people became accustomed to her being the Champion, but three months had already passed, and it seemed there were more people organizing meetings with her and the elite four members. It was getting to the point she wanted to rip out her own hair and inform the media she was resigning.

But she couldn't do that. She promised Lance she'd remain the Champion for as long as she could defend her title. "Who is next?" Lyra said, bored. This was the tenth discussion today. The other elite four members shared her frustration as they too had been in this conference room all day long.

"It's Karen, you know, the dark-type specialist."

Lyra didn't fail to notice the annoyance laced in her tone. Truth was, she hadn't had the chance to spend much time with the elite four since claiming the title. "I haven't forgotten who you are, Karen."

"Sorry. I don't mean to snipe at you," Karen answered, crossing her arms across her chest. "These meetings are driving me crazy. Do you know some of them have tried camping out the front? Maria and her fanclub have even pitched a tent, claiming they're going to try and have you removed from the top job." She rolled her eyes.

Bringing both her hands to her head, Lyra rubbed her temples to calm herself down. Many people across the region still felt Lance deserved to be Champion. An even larger number of people were hoping Red would someday return to the rightful throne. "And he told me this was supposed to get easier…" she mumbled.

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Lance said that? He had it pretty rough in his first term as Champion, but he coped."

"How?"

"Lance answered their questions with closed statements so they couldn't carry the conversation on further," she explained, twirling a lock of hair around a finger. "He quickly earned himself a lot of anti-Lance fans, but there was no one else deserving of the title… Until you came along of course. I have to say, it's nice to have another female in the league. Do you know how hard it can be being forced to live with four guys?"

Lyra chuckled. It was the first time she had laughed at anything in weeks. "How on earth have you survived all these years?"

She shrugged. "I often ask myself the same question… But anyway, I came here to tell you our least favourite former Champion has arrived. You know him, Oak's grandson, Blue. He's out in the foyer making a nuisance of himself as usual." She turned to the door, walked a few metres then stopped at the doorway. Glancing over her shoulder, she added, "He won't talk to anyone but you. "

Blue Oak, the troublesome original Champion of Kanto-Johto. That was a name she wasn't going to forget anytime too soon, not after all the trouble the trainer had given her. "Send him in. I'll deal with him quickly." She tried to get along with everyone since that's what people expected of their Champion, but Blue was an exceedingly difficult person. It was almost as if he enjoyed annoying people.

Karen nodded. "I'll talk with you later then. Good luck dealing with Blue Oak." She headed out the door while Lyra waited at her desk, her eyes resting on the papers scattered across her desk. So many papers to read and sign. Event organisers wanted her signature so they could host their events. Reporters had sent her invitations for interviews whilst gym leaders had organized training sessions at the Kanto fighting club.

Perhaps talking to Blue Oak wouldn't be so bad after all. At least it would temporarily keep her distracted from reading through a stack of papers. She wondered what the former Champion wanted this time – somehow, she didn't think a congratulations was on his mind. A few moments later, Blue Oak entered the room, striding in with a slight swagger in his step.

"So, you did survive the trek up the mountain, after all," he said, closing the door behind him. "I didn't think you had it in you, but you're not that flimsy after all."

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Hello, Blue. How can I help you today?"

He strode up to the table, pushed her papers to the side (successfully knocking a few over onto the ground in the process) then sat on her desk. "I've got a preposition for you if you're interested in hearing it."

"I don't think I'm too keen to hear what you have to say after what happened last time."

He rolled his eyes. "Hey, you survived the trek up Mount Silver, right? Do you know how many trainers aside from Red, Lance and myself have made it? None. I think you're worthy of my attention. You've proven yourself… I think you should stage a new challenge. Expand the competition a little bit, you know."

Lifting an eyebrow, she said, "What sort of a competition?"

"The Kanto gym leaders are itching for some action too. I think before a challenger can even think of taking on the league, they should prove themselves against the Kanto Eight too. Some of us are tougher than the Johto leaders. It'll make the fight more interesting, yeah? No fun in battling against complete amateurs."

"And your point is?"

Reaching a hand down, he grabbed a piece of paper and scanned the document, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "They don't leave you alone, do they? There's always some prick wanting something."

He threw the paper aside. Lyra watched it flutter to the ground then glared up at Blue. "What do you get out of it?"

"I want to get back into the game myself," he answered. "It's been a few years, and I want to have the final say as to who makes it through to the league. I only want the best to face you, Lyra. Tougher competition makes you a tougher trainer. So, what do you think?"

She frowned. She had heard rumours of Blue Oak retiring from the professional trainer's life, so it struck her as a little bit strange that he wanted to return now. Surely, there had to be something more to it than simply wanting to get a taste of that life again. "You want me to be strong – why is that?"

The smirk faded from his face. For once, there was actual concern in his eyes. "It's Red. Something has happened to him. He's not replying to my letters, nor has he sent any in the recent three months. He always sends two. Something isn't quite right. There's something odd at Cerulean Cave. The Zubat are behaving strangely, and Red was the last person who made it the bottom."

"And you think he might know what's going on? It's been years since Red has been on ground level – why would strange things start happening now?"

Blue shrugged. "They say when there's a change in the fortunes of our world, pokémon all over the region start acting strangely… That's what my grandfather often said anyway. You started your journey and the legendary beasts appear. I think there's some sort of truth to those words."

Lyra raked a hand through her hair. "And you're expecting me to do something about it?" she replied curtly. "I thought you might have had some ulterior motive." Was he asking for her assistance to find Red? Wasn't he a powerful trainer in his own right? Why would he need her to find Red when he could clearly handle it himself? Red was likeable enough person – he had saved her life after all – but surely Red could look handle whatever the problem was?

He narrowed his eyes. "You're still all wound up about that trek up Mt Silver, aren't you? You might find it hard to believe, but I didn't want to hurt you. That mountain is a test of strength and you passed it."

"And what if I had failed?" I would've died, she thought. "If Red had not have been there, I would've died."

Blue rolled his eyes. "Do you think I am so cruel I would've sent you up the mountain if Red hadn't been there?" He paused for dramatic effect, then added, "Come on, I thought you had a brain between those ears of yours."

She opened her mouth to report, but her mind came blank. That was a good point. She would not have climbed the mountain simply for enjoyment considering the mountain's reputation. "But why Mt Silver? What's so special about that mountain that separates it from the others?"

Blue hopped off her table, bent over, and picked up the papers he had knocked over, placing them back on the desk. "It might look like a regular mountain to you, but it's important to Red," he answered, without meeting her eyes. It was almost as if he wanted to avoid answering the question though she did not know why.

Mount Silver had a reputation before she knew of Red's location as being 'The Desolate Mountain'. It was also the same mountain her father had perished before her birth. In her eyes, it was a graveyard, and she had no interest of ever going back up. "And why is that, Blue?"

"Because someone he loved died on that mountain and he swore to never leave," he replied sharply. The sharpness in his tone took her by surprise – that hadn't been the answer she had been expecting, especially from a crude person like Blue Oak. "Maybe one day I'll tell you the full story, but we're not quite at that level yet you and I."

"Your name isn't really Blue Oak, is it?"

He shook his head. "Just figured that out, did you?" he retorted. She was reminded of Clair. Both had quite an aggressive way of speaking, and always seemed to be on the defense. "No, Blue isn't my real name, but we're not on a first name basis yet. You really think my parents would call me that?" He forced a laugh.

"So why do you need my help specifically? Isn't there anyone else you could ask?"

"I'm asking you because no one else will help me."

"Why am I not surprised? From what I've heard, you weren't exactly the most popular Champion."

He shrugged. "You really think I care what people think of me? All that matters to me is finding Red and carrying on his wishes. He wants strong trainers to follow in his footsteps – he wants trainers such as yourself, Lyra, to be the Champion he could never be. He saved your life once – I think you owe it to him to save him."

"But I can't just leave. I'm the Champion."

"You're not restricted to a certain place, Lyra. You said it yourself – you're the Champion, and it's your duty to protect this region from danger. Why do you think I suggested expanding the competition in the first place? It'll give you, us, extra time."

"You could've said that first, you know."

He snorted. "But then you wouldn't be so interested in hearing my proposal." He dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small white card then extended his hand towards her. "I'll give you a few days to think this over. When you're ready, visit me at my home in Pallet Town on that date. We can talk in a less stuffy environment. Do come alone – I don't want any other tag-a-longs."

That was an obvious reference to Lance which was a shame because she hadn't seen him in a few weeks. She supposed there was a history of bad blood between the two though she could not fathom why. Perhaps Lance had found out Blue had encouraged her to seek out Red on Mt Silver. She'd have to ask him about that one day… but Lance might not be pleased to hear she was spending personal time with Blue.

She took the card and put it away in a pocket. "I'll think about it."

He headed towards the door then stopped at the doorway. Glancing over his shoulder, he added, "This isn't for me. This is for Red. Keep that in mind when you're thinking about what to do next." He stepped out into the hallway, closing the door shut behind him. Once gone, Lyra dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out the card.

"Pallet Town, Number 2, Saturday the 6th of February," Lyra read.

Did she have any plans on that date with the media? It felt like almost every day had some interview or event happening, but surely she could reschedule? She might not know Red on such a deep level, but if he had gone missing… Blue was right. She hated to admit it, but she had to find Red even if it meant having to work alongside the notorious Blue Oak.

Putting the card away again, she rested her elbows on the table and sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

.

"You need to bring his hit points down lower until the pokémon looks like it's going to faint otherwise it's going to be harder to catch, runt!" Silver explained, his arms crossed over his chest. He shook his head and sighed. It had taken three months to persuade Joey that having more than one pokémon was essential to becoming a great trainer. Joey was finally convinced, and Silver took it upon himself to help the boy improve. It was a mystery to Lyra why Silver wanted to assist – from what he had heard, the boy hadn't exactly been a great neighbour.

But rather than the abandon the boy to his fate, Silver had taken it upon himself to start training the boy. Well, provide partial training anyway. The boy had to get the basics right at the most otherwise he'd never make it far in the journey. Fortunately, he was willing to learn. He wasn't completely bull-headed like Ethan claimed. Ethan was standing beneath a nearby oak tree making notes on the training. Lyra was supposed to have come too but she was buried beneath mountains of paperwork and had pulled out.

"Now is the time to use one of your pokéballs, Joey!" Ethan called out from her position under the trees. It was another hot day in this part of the region.

Joey nodded and reached down to his pokébelt to grab one of the pokéballs he had recently purchased. He hurled the ball and the poor Mareep was struck on the head. In its weakened form, the Mareep collapsed on the ground and was encased in light. A few seconds later it was absorbed into the ball. It rocked back and forth – left, right then left again – and stopped. "I did it!" Joey exclaimed, fist pumping the air as he rushed forward to retrieve his new pokémon.

"Congratulations Joey," Ethan said, giving the boy a smile. According to Ethan, many long years ago Joey had been a rather annoying impulsive brat, but he had matured greatly into a determined trainer. However, he still had a lot to learn about being a trainer. For example, Joey had yet to understand that power wasn't everything. It took more than pure strength to win a battle, but the boy was willing to work extra hours to ensure he became the best.

Ethan's Azumarill sat next to him, curled up into a ball against his legs while his recently acquired Spearow roosted in the tree above. "Joey's certainly improving, but he's going to need to improve more if he wants to have a chance at defeating you and Lyra." He gave Silver a sheepish smile.

He stuck out her tongue, giving him a mocking wounded look. "It's going to take him a couple of years…Maybe a decade even. Sure, he's picking things up quickly, but battling isn't just about raw strength. It requires brains too." He cast a look in the boy's direction again. Joey was patting his new companion on the head. The pokémon didn't look too thrilled – but then again, the pokémon hadn't had a chance to rest.

"You speak as if you know from experience," Joey said, glancing up from his new companion.

"Let's just say I've learned a few important lessons. You can learn something new from every opponent you battle. Don't get overconfident – it makes losing hurt so much more," Silver explained. He learned that lesson the hard way – a loss to Lance, and repeated losses to Lyra. The only time he had ever claimed victory over her had resulted in cheating. "One of the days, I'm going to show you how a real trainer battles."

"Oh, are you going to fight Lyra?"

"She's too busy… But I hear Blue Oak is about and has no commitments."

"There's also Lance," Ethan said.

Silver scowled. Lance. Lyra's tamer. He never thought Lyra would fall for the noble knight personality, but he had been wrong. Lance's holier than thou attitude was annoying, and he looked as stupid as he sounded, but Lyra was so in love with him, he didn't dare complain about Lance. Still, it didn't mean he had to like him. "We should drop by the Dragon's Den one day. I've got a score to settle with that guy."

"One day… But not now. We must go to Kanto and check out the fossil place. I promised my grandparents I'd place an order for a new egg there." Right. Ethan had been asked by his grandmother to visit Pewter City about some egg they wanted. The boy was going to go alone, but Silver insisted he should come along too. Ethan wasn't a serious trainer – if there were wild trainers around, someone had to protect him from harm otherwise Lyra would lose her head. Getting on the wrong side of the new champion wasn't on his priority list.

"At least we no longer have to concern ourselves with Team Rocket," Ethan said.

"Oh Team Rocket – Yeah, I heard about those guys," Joey commented.

"Last I heard the executives are in hiding," Silver explained. Some of the grunts had joined the work force. A report on Team Rocket had been broadcasted on television earlier in the week. Quite a few grunts had joined the mining force in Kanto and others wanted to redeem themselves by becoming better people. Some grunts joined the police force, some opened shops and some even trained hard to become hairdressers and pokéathletes.

"You can't just rely on two pokémon, runt," Silver said, pointing a finger at Joey. "You won't even make it past Violet City with just two weaklings."

"My pokémon aren't weak!" Joey retorted. "I'm not as experienced as you yet, but one day I will be your equal."

Silver snickered. "That's what I like to hear. Keep on dreaming, runt."

Joey glared and readjusted his cap. "Hey. If Lyra can come from nothing then so can I. She gives us commonfolk hope that we too can aspire to greater heights."

"That's it. Positive thinking. Can't say no to dreams."

"Silver's right. You got to follow what your heart desires," Ethan added.

Rolling his eyes, Silver said, "Okay, okay. Can we stop with the cliché speeches? This is a little too much for me. Let's just… focus on heading to Kanto, yeah?"

"Why are you so eager to go to Kanto anyway?"

Silver shrugged. "I hear Blue Oak lives there. I'm hoping we run into him. I'd like to trade a few words with him." Especially after what he had done to Lyra. Blue hadn't been shy about the details about sending Lyra away and Lance punching him in the face. "So… let's get a move on. We're not going to get anywhere if we're just standing about."

"You two move on. I'm going to hang around here a little and train up my pokémon," Joey said.

"Just don't get yourself killed."

"In other words, don't do anything Silver would do," Ethan added. Before Joey could ask for an example, Silver turned his back and walked away. Ethan hurried after him. "You're not even going to say goodbye? I mean, it's no secret that he can be difficult, but he's not a bad kid."

"Like I said – we don't have time. I want to get to Kanto as much as you do so let's get on this train." The Magnet Train. The main source of transport between the two regions for people who didn't have flying-type pokémon on them.

"Lead the way, Silver."

"What do you think I'm doing?"

Ethan remained silent. Silver snorted. Sometimes Ethan was lousy company. Without speaking again, Silver led the way towards the train. It would take a few days to reach their next destination, but at least he'd have company.

.

Stepping into the role as Blackthorn Clan Elder was much more difficult than Lance assumed it was going to be. He had presumed his transition would go smoothly, but there were quite several people who thought he didn't deserve the title. These people hailed from dragon clans from the surrounding regions and they had come here today to inspect him closely to see if he was worthy enough.

But inspecting the new Clan Elder wasn't their only task – they wanted to establish the Dragon Tamer Training Facility within the heart of Blackthorn City. His grandfather had fought against the idea for so long, but with his death, resistance against the idea of an education centre had also died. The people of Blackthorn loved his grandfather and when he had died, a part of themselves had died along with him.

Lance planned to hold off the foreign tamers for as long as he could though. This wasn't about helping other tamers – it was about purchasing land and the properties around it so they could make extra income for themselves. "I never realized how difficult it was to deal with these tamers," Lance muttered.

"We're not going to let them take our land," Clair replied. "They'll have to go through us first."

He forced a dry laugh. "I don't know how grandfather did it, but he held them off."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, cousin. Tell them we're never giving them the rights to our land."

"I'll do my best, but I'm dealing with some highly influential clan heads." There were three of them and three males stuck together like glue. Their names were: Malcolm, son of Drake, Pete, great grandson of Drayden, and Blake, great grandson of Drasna. Each tamer had yet to achieve what Lance had, but they showed a lot of promise according to the stories he had heard. It was just his luck he had to be the one dealing with them.

Clair stood outside the entrance of the Dragon Den and Lance entered the cave. He made his way over to the Shrine which had now been turned into a Council Room. Three heads turned in his direction.

"You must be the legendary Lance that I've been hearing so much about," the first male said. His name was Malcolm, the self-proclaimed leader of the group of three. Malcolm leaned forward to speak further, his bright blue eyes holding a piercing gaze. He ran a hand through his shaggy blond locks then opened his mouth to voice his opinion, his baritone voice laced with arrogance. "How does it feel to no longer be the revered Champion of your region?"

Lance held back a bitter response. Arguing with them now was only going to prove what his grandfather feared – the Blackthorn Clan consisted of vile-tempered tamers unworthy of being called a tamer. "Good things don't last forever," he replied curtly.

"And now you're the clan elder… like us, although you were forced into the role because of your granddaddy's death and all, while we were chosen by our relatives to speak on their behalf," Malcolm said lazily. His two companions, Pete and Blake, chuckled.

Pete was a scrawny looking male with high cheekbones and a bulbous nose. He had short curly ginger locks, emerald coloured eyes which looked at everyone but his friends with suspicion, and a high-pitched voice. His looks were deceiving though since he was a highly skilled trainer. "Lance was never worthy of being a Champion of one region, let alone two."

"He's more concerned about pleasing the ladies," said Blake, chuckling. He winked. "I saw that interview you had with that chick, Marina. Classic stuff, Lance. All that is fine and all, but you were the Champion at the time that interview took place. You should not have been slacking in your duties." Unlike Pete, Blake was anything but scrawny. He had a physique which strongly reminded Lance of a soldier; he bore a strong resemblance to Lt. Surge, only Blake had dark hair and dark eyes.

Malcolm smirked. "Anyway, in case you haven't already guessed, we are here to talk about Blackthorn's future. Your grandfather refused to have an education centre built because he claimed it would lead to a loss of identity for the people of Blackthorn." He raised his hands. "I think otherwise. He was an old man and stuck in the traditions of the past, but you are young, like us. Surely you can see the benefit of building a centre here in Blackthorn."

Lance crossed his arms over his chest. "And what if I don't?"

"Don't be a fool, Lance. This will benefit everyone. Think about the income your city will make."

"Money isn't a concern to me."

Malcolm's jaw tightened. "You can't hold us back forever. You're not even a true dragon master," he said ruefully. "Half your team aren't even dragons so you can't claim that title."

Now, Lance didn't have a team. He had released five of them when he chased after Lyra on Mount Silver several months ago. Now that he thought about it, it was rather a silly decision, but he wasn't thinking straight at the time. He had the opportunity to start again though and this time specialize in actual dragon-types. "What exactly is the point you're trying to make?"

Pete supplied an answer this time. "The point we're trying to make is that we feel you aren't worthy enough to follow in your grandfather's footsteps," Pete said.

Lance suppressed a growl. He didn't think they were here to talk about business. They wanted to judge him instead because that was so much more entertaining. Don't let them get under your skin, he told himself. Taking in a deep breath, he forced himself to relax and think of other things that didn't make his blood boil, like spending time with Lyra. "You're wrong. He taught me well."

"It's funny that you say that Lance because I've heard interesting stories about you," Malcolm said dryly, eyes focused on Lance's face. "I hear that you punched Blue. You look surprised, Lance."

That bastard. "Where did you hear that?" Lance said aloud.

"Blue mentioned it on his blog, SmellYaLater."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"It was about a girl, right?"

Lance didn't like where this conversation was heading. Malcolm was goading him into making an error, so he'd have something to use against him in the future. He had to choose his words carefully here otherwise he'd find himself in a messy situation, but it was damn hard resisting the temptation to wipe that smug smirk off his stupid face. "Can you even trust a word Blue says?"

"He might not be a likable guy, but he tells the truth."

Blue was the brutally honest type. He didn't give a crap what people thought about him if he had the chance to express his opinions. Unfortunately, there was nothing Lance could do to stop Blue since blogging wasn't an illegal activity. How many people read the former champion's blog anyway? Hundreds? Thousands perhaps?

"There's a general perception that you are a dangerous person to be around," Pete said.

"So what do you want from me then? You can't take the role of the Blackthorn Clan Leader because you're not from here."

Malcolm leaned back in his chair. "That's true, but we can change that. All we need is the right to build on this land and Blackthorn City becomes ours as well which means we can appoint a new clan leader. A good clan leader with a good name."

Things weren't looking good for him right now. The dragon tamers knew he had punched a former champion out of anger and that was generally enough to put him on trial should the other clan leaders decide to hold a hearing. If a hearing happened, he knew the dragon tamer trio would do whatever they could to ensure he was banished from the clan.

"You'll never get permission."

"I wouldn't count on that, Lance. Your grandfather isn't here to protect you anymore and that means you're vulnerable… you and your cousin." Malcolm's smirk widened. The urge to teach him a lesson was growing.

"Leave my cousin out of this," he hissed. "Clair had nothing to do with what happened between Blue and I."

"So do you admit that you had conflict with Blue then?" Pete said. "You punched him out of anger."

"I-" Lance stopped. Dammit, he cursed inwardly. "What happened between Blue and I is none of your concern." His heart began to quicken, and his stomach muscles tightened. Keep it together, he scolded himself. Another slip up and the boys would have the rights given to them to build on the lands thereby damaging the Blackthorn Clan name.

"Isn't the first rule about being a dragon tamer is that you must not let emotions determine your actions?" Malcolm taunted. "You need to use your head, not your heart. You acted on impulse and never thought what the consequences could be." He shook his head, making a 'tsk tsk' sound. "The other clan elders won't like that very much should I inform them of my findings."

Lance growled. "You wouldn't dare."

"Are you threatening me?" Malcolm replied, rising from his chair.

"Malcolm…" Blake warned. "Cool it."

Malcolm ignored Blake and stepped towards Lance. Lance rose from his chair and glared back. "You think you're so high and mighty because you reached the Champion status, don't you Lance? You're not better than any of us!" He took several steps towards him until he was just a few feet away. They stood at eye level, staring each other down. "We will have the building rights and you and your goofy Champion won't be able to stop us."

"Her name is Lyra," he snarled, feeling his temper rise.

Malcolm lifted a brow. "Did I touch a nerve? Is she your girlfriend, Lance?" A smirk spread across his face. "I thought you had better taste, Lance. She is rather plain."

Lance threw himself at Malcolm before the other boy could react, tackling him to the ground. The boy tried to climb to his feet, but Lance sat on his back, using his entire weight to keep him pressed to the floor. He grabbed a handful of Malcolm's shaggy blond locks and yanked his head back then lowered his face to his left hair. "You have no right to speak of Lyra," Lance whispered, blood pounding in his head.

"What are you two doing?! Get him off me!" Malcolm shrieked. Blake and Pete leaped into action and pulled Lance off Malcolm. Lance managed to push Pete away, but Blake, being much larger, managed to restrain him for attacking Malcolm again. "You're going to pay for this!" Malcolm blurted, pointing a finger at Lance, his arm trembling. "You will face the hearing and you'll be banished! Violence against other tamers is a crime!"

Blake released Lance. "You shouldn't have done that," he said.

Indeed he should not have. His anger subsided, replaced by shame. Hitting a former Champion was bad enough but striking another dragon tamer from a foreign clan while he was the Clan Leader was even worse. That lapse of control had given Malcolm and his cronies exactly what they wanted: a hearing to prove Lance was unfit to lead and thereby his title would be revoked and given to one of these loons.

He had single-handedly ruined Blackthorn's future.

.

Life after the elite four had been tough to grow accustomed too. Being an elite four member was easy – your days simply revolved around a schedule of training and battling trainers, but life after it was daunting. She was no longer Lorelei, the elite four member, but Lorelei, a former elite four trainer. No one really cared about her anymore. Some people didn't even recognize her name.

Bruno had been the only member to retain his place within the elite four. When Lance had taken over from Red, he made a few changes to the line-up, believing his choices made the strongest competition. Agatha had resigned, but herself? She had been forcibly removed. She suspected it was because she was an Ice-type Master and Lance had a certain dislike towards such trainers. Now she called the Sevii Islands her home where she could be with her friends and family. Sometimes, she visited Sinnoh to help the trainers at Candice's gym.

"I am an old woman, Lorelei. My life is coming to an end. I no longer have the energy I had in my youth," Agatha said, sitting across from the table, her right hand resting on the handle of a green cup of tea. "If I was younger, I would come with you, but my body tires easily."

The woman had aged considerably since the last time they had lived beneath the same roof. She was the oldest trainer recorded in the league books, and one of the fiercest. Even her temper had waned with her age. "You made it here fine, and I know there is more life in you than you think. Wouldn't you like to go on one last adventure?" Lorelei replied.

"Sometimes you need to know when to quit."

"But Mount Ember's-"

"-mysteries are best left alone."

"But the volcano-"

"-is showing signs of activity, but that doesn't mean anything. It's a dormant volcano, Lorelei. Sometimes, they come to life, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Why don't you ask that old fool Samuel Oak to come along with you?"

The past couple of weeks had been interesting to say the least. Mount Ember had been dormant for over a century. Naturally, signs of volcanic activity had the residents quite excited namely because the legendary bird, Moltres, lived atop the peak. Many of the locals believed it was a sign Red was going to return to take back his rightful place as Champion though she didn't believe the hype.

"After all these years, you're still angry at him?"

Agatha's expression hardened. "And why shouldn't I be? He allowed himself to become weak."

"But you loved him."

"That was a long time ago, Lorelei," she said heatedly. An obvious sore point for discussion. "I was a foolish girl then. I batted my eyelashes at the first man who took an interest in me and that happened to be the professor."

Everyone in the league community knew about Agatha's crush on the professor. It was partially for that reason many suspected she had offered herself to be part of the elite four – so she could be close to the Oak family still. The woman claimed to dislike the man, but it was obvious she still had feelings for him. If only Agatha would admit that to herself.

But Agatha was a stubborn woman. She was probably the most bull-headed trainer to ever enter the league. Many found her difficult to work with because of her short fuse, but Lorelei found it was just a façade. Most likely it had something to do with her relationship with Samuel Oak. Something had happened between the two and it left her bitter.

"I've been wondering…. Why did you resign from the league? You never handed in an official statement nor mentioned it on television. You just… left." Generally, an elite four member had to wait for the new champion to determine the line-up, but not Agatha. The ghost-type specialist had pulled a Red. When Blue was officially sworn out, Agatha too had disappeared. Was it because of the changeover?

She crossed her arms over her chest. "It felt like the right time to retire. I can ask you the same thing – why did you resign?"

"I didn't resign," she replied stiffly. This was one of those conversations she hated being brought up. It always made her sound like she was too weak. Clearing her throat, she added, "I was forced out by Lance who thought I wasn't strong enough to be part of his elite four." Many claimed Blue was unlikeable because of his arrogant demeanour, but she found Lance to be worse. Dragon-type trainers were the worst of them all. For some reason, tamers thought they were superior to everyone else.

"Then you must be glad he's been replaced by that girl, Lyra."

Ah, yes, Lyra, the new champion. The region had become obsessed with her, showing her face on every magazine, and splashing her name all over the screen on the news. The poor girl was getting bombarded from all sides over her heroic deeds over the past couple of years. "You don't sound impressed."

"She's just another trainer," Agatha answered, bored. "People will rave about her now, but in a few years, she'll be forgotten, just like you and I."

Lorelei shook her head. "I think you're wrong about that. I hear she's dating Lance now. The media will write stories about that for years to come."

In some ways, it was kinda amusing. In all the years she had known Lance, not once had he ever shown interest in anything other than becoming the ultimate dragon master. To think that a girl who came from no professional background had caught his interest, and defeated him in battle nonetheless, was fascinating.

But the relationship of Lance and Lyra meant little to her - Agatha had touched on a sensitive topic. Washed up trainers no one cared about. She was no longer relevant to the general population, and that left a sour taste in her mouth. What would she be remembered for other than serving as an elite four member?

"So your retirement had nothing to do with Blue's defeat?" Lorelei said, refocusing on Agatha to distract her mind.

"The kid is a brat. I'm glad he was defeated. It just proves how weak the professor had become to allow his grandson grow up like that walking tragedy," she commented sourly. "Did you know he came to me for advice on how to raise Blue properly? Clueless fool… And to think he's now a global celebrity. It's sickening."

The disdain in her voice was strong. Whatever had happened must've been quite dramatic for Agatha to bear a grudge against him for decades. "He broke your heart, didn't he?" Lorelei said. It made sense. It would explain why Agatha didn't open herself up to people. She was afraid of letting them in. "You've never been able to forgive him."

What was it that people often said? That heartbreak was the painful thing to experience? Not that she would know anything about that since her crushes never worked out, but she could imagine it. "You said it yourself, Agatha. Your time is nearing an end. Don't you want to make amends?" To die with a heart heavy with regret - what a painful way to mark the end of your life.

Agatha's expression hardened. "I see it was a mistake visiting you," she said, rising from her chair, pushing her cup of tea to the side. "Did you invite me here to interrogate me? I have no interest in speaking with the professor, and I will be happy to never have to deal with him again. He means nothing to me."

Before Lorelei could apologize, the woman marched out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Perhaps Agatha hadn't lost her snark after all. Still the same short-tempered woman she had become famous for. "That stubbornness of yours probably drove him away in the first place…" she murmured.

But she couldn't worry about Agatha's personal relationship problems – there were other things that top her priority list, and one of them was monitoring the volcanic activity at Mt Ember. Perhaps Blaine would be interested in visiting. He was an expert when it came to such things.

The most important question was why? Why was this happening now? What was so special about this year? Surely it wasn't because there was a change in Champions. It had to be something else, and her curious nature wanted to know more. That was benefited to no longer being part of the league – she had a lot of spare time on her hands nowadays.

Was Moltres awakening? And if so, did that mean the other two legendary birds, Articuno and Zapdos, would reveal themselves to the public once again? "I'm going to solve this mystery first. I won't let the world forget about me," she said softly, entering her room. Walking over to her bedside table, she opened the drawer and grabbed her xtransceiver. Blaine would know what to do.

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