Lance brought a hand to his nose then lowered it. Indeed there was blood. Pinching his nose together to lessen the flow, he climbed to his feet and hurried over to the freezer. Another implosion of pain occurred in his forehead. He collapsed to his knees and hunched over, squeezing his eyes shut, as blood continued to leak down his face and neck.
"Those journalists are still waiting at the entrance of the gym and I-Lance!"
Someone dropped down beside him and helped him into a sitting position. He looked up and spotted Clair staring at him with wide eyes, her expression laced with worry. "Clair," he murmured. A sudden weariness poured through him and he fell forward, but fortunately Clair was there to stop from landing on his face. She held him upright.
"I'm getting you to the pokémon centre!"
He gripped her arm. "No… You can't do that. The council… it'll give them another excuse to get rid of me… They'll think I'm weak and unable to lead…"
She shoved his hand off and growled. "Screw what the council believes! This isn't normal, Lance!"
"Get me some ice cubes to stop the bleeding," he ordered.
Clair shook her head. "You need medical assistance."
He glared. "What I need for you is to remain calm. Now go to the freezer."
She studied him for a few moments longer then stood up, hurrying over to the freezer to grab him some ice cubes. She returned several seconds later with two and handed them over. Taking them with both his hands, he pressed them against both sides of nose and waited until the blood had clotted before removing them. He dropped them on the floor and drew in a deep breath then turned to Clair again. He had never seen her so frightened before. She was as pale as the dead.
"Lance…"
He looked away, feeling the throbbing pain in his head subside. Whatever had caused it had stopped. Was this a one-off thing? Would it happen again? A migraine perhaps? Did migraines normally result in nose bleeds? Was it a genetic thing? So many questions raced through his head, but not one question had an answer. "It was just a nose bleed, Clair. Nothing to be concerned about."
"Nothing to be concerned about? I found you lying on the floor, Lance! You better damn hope that this is nothing serious!" Clair scolded. Her anger was justified though – this time, her anger came from concern. "People normally don't drop to the floor because of a nose bleed. You're lucky I came after you otherwise who knows what might've happened next?"
He remained seated on the floor, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. She was right – this wasn't normally something happened during nose bleeds. What had brought on the random headache? Was it some bizarre sickness spreading throughout the region? He hadn't heard of anything, but the doctors and scientists might have missed something. "I'm fine, Clair."
She wasn't convinced. "No, you're not. I'm going on that vacation and you are coming with me."
"I can't leave."
"Then what?" she challenged. "You're going to hang around here? What if this happens again during a council meeting? You won't even have a chance to defend yourself if you bleed all over the place!"
"You're not making things better."
She scowled and poked him in the arm. "You're damn lucky it was me who walked in and not someone else. I'll keep my mouth shut for your sake, but if it happens again I'm going to seek help, you got that?"
This was an argument he couldn't win. He resigned himself to agreeing with her and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, but you won't have to since it's not going to happen again. Help me up, will you?"
She rolled her eyes and helped him to his feet. "And they say I'm the reckless one." She gestured to the kitchen table. "Sit down. I'll make you something to eat and." She strolled over to the cabinet and poked her head in. "We have cereal… more cereal… and more cereal. When was the last time you went shopping for food?"
"A couple of weeks ago. I haven't had the time to carry out grocery shopping duties, Clair. I'll just have a bowl of cornflakes or something."
She grabbed the biggest box she could find then prepared his bowl, while he thought about Clair's earlier suggestion about taking a short vacation. Now that he thought about it, going away for a couple of days would do wonders for his mental health and for Clair's as well, but it just wasn't possible. The council members would be all over him.
"I want to see Lyra. I haven't seen her in over a month." Having a long-distance relationship was much more difficult than he had originally assumed, especially since his girlfriend was the current Champion of two regions. Getting time to chat with her over the phone was difficult since she was so busy with interviews and other Champion-related business. He wasn't sure how other people managed it.
Clair walked over to the table with his bowl of cereal and placed it down then grabbed a seat. "You can't leave – you said it yourself. She'll have to come to you instead. I'll drop by the league and drag her over here myself." Clair's relationship with Lyra had changed a fair bit over the past few months. They hadn't reached the status of best friends and he didn't think they ever would, but at least Clair spoke to her in a non-hostile manner now.
"You'd do that?"
"I wouldn't do it for anyone else, but you. You know I hate visiting the league. They all treat us gym leaders like we're weaklings."
"You did leave a bad impression on them when you last visited in my first term as Champion," Lance pointed out, referring to the time Clair had insulted all four members on Lance's first day as Champion. From then on, the elite four members decided Clair was unworthy of their friendship and treated her coldly. The relationship with the other gym leaders was fine – it was just Clair, a fact she refused to admit.
She waved a hand around. "Whatever. I'll go and pick up your girlfriend, but I'm not going to do it again."
She stood up and walked away leaving Lance alone to eat his cereal. He waited until she was gone before taking a bite, feeling a wave of relief at the taste of something other than blood pouring down his throat. Would it happen again?
Most of the people within Blackthorn City didn't look his way twice, but he preferred it that way. Dealing with crowds and having to make small talk wasn't something he tried in. Keeping his hood pulled over his head Jacob walked to the base of the mountains and looked up. Many long years ago he had climbed up these mountains to prove himself fit to be a dragon master.
Those days were long gone. Nowadays, no hiking or climbing was permitted due to danger. How soft people had become over the years. Gone were the days of bloody battles in the arena and fighting to the death. There were no second chances before the league days. With a scowl on his face, he retreated from the mountains and headed towards the newly built Blackthorn Arena.
It was an outdoor arena with two courts – one with grass fields and the other with sand. Each court had two grandstands for members of the public to observe. Currently, there were two battles taking place. On the sand court, two young male dragon tamers were engaged in a heated battle. On the grass courts, an elderly woman was battling against a younger female using a Gabite.
He entered through the gates and made his way to the grass courts and sat down the lowest row of the grandstand. On the opposite side was a large scoreboard displaying the trainer's name and score. The younger female, a blonde girl dressed in a polka-dotted pink dress called Amy, had already lost two of three rounds.
The other woman was simply known as 'dragon tamer'. She didn't seem concerned at all about the match. In fact, she seemed quite content. One look at her told him immediately she wasn't a local. For starters, she didn't wear the cape favoured by the locals of Blackthorn. Rather, she wore a simple maroon shirt and matching long skirt. Her black hair trailed down her back freely, not held together by a hair tie like many other women in these parts.
What interested him the most was the necklace she wore around her neck. Green and orange beads with dragon teeth in between. Very odd, and unlike anything he recognized. Leaning forward, he focused his attention on her current pokémon. Even her companion was unfamiliar to him. A dragon of course, but not one he had ever seen before. It reminded him of a bat only its ears were larger than its head. The creature also had a mane of white fur sprouting around its neck and upper back.
"What a peculiar thing you are…" he drawled then glanced up at the screen. The name 'Noivern' appeared. "So, you must be from Kalos region then…" he added, leaning back in his seat, his arms folded across his chest.
"Gabite, use Dragon Claw!" the younger girl ordered, thrusting a finger forward.
Her Gabite roared then charged forward, swiping a claw at the opponent.
The Noivern evaded the attack. "Noivern, use Dragon Pulse!" The dragon drew back its wings then opened its mouth, emitting a powerful blast of purple energy. A pained roar left the Gabite's mouth as the larger dragon collapsed to the ground. Too easy. Obviously, this elderly woman was a seasoned trainer, but why had he never heard of her before?
"Why am I not surprised to see you here?"
Jacob shook himself out of his thoughts and looked to the left – besides him was Pryce. Holding back a groan, Jacob said, "Just taking a casual stroll around town or did you come here for another reason?"
"I'm checking on you."
The man sat down much to Jacob's disproval.
"And what do you think I'm going to do? Cause a bit of trouble among the locals?" He then snorted. "I'm well out of their league."
"I see your banishment has done nothing to your levels of arrogance," Pryce replied.
Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You know I could defeat any trainer in this city with a blindfold covering my eyes. There is no other dragon tamer capable of defeating me. Why do you think I was so highly respected in my peak years?"
"Times have changed since then, Jacob. Battles have changed – there are rules now." One of those 'rules' was simply 'do not kill'. You were only allowed to cause the other pokémon to faint. If the opponent's pokémon died, you'd be held liable and would be arrested by the police for murder. Ridiculous really.
He rose to his feet. "I'm going to prove you wrong."
Pryce cocked a brow. "You're going to challenge a teenager?" he said half-amused.
"I'm going to challenge that old lady over there." Before Pryce could stop him, Jacob strode across the field and approached the woman. She smiled at him. Now with only an arm's distance apart, Jacob could clearly see the wrinkles around her eyes. Must be in her late forties or early fifties, he thought. A few years older than myself at the most.
"Hello, how can I help you?" she said in a softly-spoken voice.
"I want to challenge you to a fight. You caught my interest – can't say many people can do that."
She looked him up and down then nodded. "You're confident."
"I know I can win."
"We'll see about that. I accept your challenge… name please?"
"Jacob. And yours?"
Her smile widened. "I'll only tell you if you win."
She walked to the opposite side of the court as he did the same. He rolled his eyes at her retreating form then pulled out his main pokémon – his oldest and most powerful companion, Dragonite. "We'll make it a one verse one. Is that fine with you?"
"Yes, that's perfectly fine. It'll be enough to show me what power you have."
To his satisfaction, a healthy crowd of local dragon tamers had come to watch. Lance and Clair weren't present, but at least these young trainers would get to witness a true battle. The woman summoned Noivern while he summoned his Dragonite. The gasps from the crowd came immediately. Their gasps were not surprising. His Dragonite was often given the same treatment. Unlike most Dragonites, Jacob's one had black scales.
The woman didn't seem perturbed by it. "Well, this certainly has gotten interesting and the fight hasn't even started yet. Noivern, use Dragon Pulse!"
"An expected move to use when fighting against another dragon, but my Dragonite isn't like the rest. Dragonite, use Hurricane!" His Dragonite took to the air and flew around in circles, whipping up a powerful windstorm. The trees in the area swayed to the sides and the grandstand shook. The force in the wind was strong enough to cause the energy beam to disintegrate. He saw the panicked looks in the crowd and smirked. Just the reaction he wanted.
"Impressive… Your Dragonite still packs a powerful punch after all these years…"
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Do you not remember me?"
He raised a brow and tilted his head to the side. "Should I?"
"My name is Drasna."
"You're…"
"Tahlia's mother."
Right. Now he remembered. Edward's brother had married into a rival family who had ancestral roots in Sinnoh. Clair was a pure descendent of the Blackthorn tribe, but Lance wasn't. Not that he was aware of that or should ever know. "…I remember now…." he said slowly, his lower lip curling back. "I remember you were one of the judges that chose banishment as my fate. You chose public humiliation as my sentence."
"The sentence fit the nature of the crime."
"You made me sacrifice everything," he snarled. "And for what gain? So your people could have more power within my city? Is your appearance now tied to the sudden influx of foreign tamers arriving in my home that my people fought to defend?!"
"We saw you as a threat, Jacob. You were reckless. Under your leadership, the clan of Blackthorns would've fallen. I'm sorry for what happened, but it was for the greater good." Her Noivern sped forward whilst Jacob was distracted by her words. Fortunately, his Dragonite held his ground.
"Is that what you told your granddaughter? That 'I' was dangerous?"
"Yes."
Dragonite swung his tail and brought it around, slamming the side into the back of the Noivern. The smaller pokémon tumbled forwards then stretched its wings out to keep itself steady. "Did you come all this way to remind me of this or did you come for something else?" he demanded. Dragonite lunged forward and threw his weight against the smaller dragon. Noivern fought back, lashing out at Dragonite with his claws.
"I came here to warn your father, but it appears that I am too late."
"Why did you need to talk with him?"
"To make amends with your family, Jacob. I come with a warning – the dragon councils of neighbouring regions have come."
"Your great grandson Blake is one of the members who seeks to conspire against this city."
"That is why I am here to help – Without my support, your family line will end, Jacob."
"And you think I should trust you?"
"Who else can you turn to?"
Tightening his jaw, he glared. "Then speak."
"With your father's passing, the other councils believe now is the time to take control. Lance's recent behaviour has convinced them he is not fit to lead and therefore they feel a new leader should take control."
"That will never happen."
She looked at him with a calm expression. "They want to control Blackthorn to acquire the resources to capture Lugia."
Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas. A dragon that hadn't been heard of in years and one his people desperately sought its power. "You and I both know Lugia has been resting for a long time. No one knows where its whereabouts is, and you're telling me they're suddenly interested?"
"It's the perfect time to find Lugia whilst Blackthorn is weak. The other councils know that – Lance has spent the past couple of years serving as Champion for two regions. He's not prepared to be the Elder. He's had no training or any experience in this position. An inexperienced leader never lasts long at the top when it comes to politics." She withdrew her pokémon then closed the gap between them. "I can help… But you have to let me in."
"And why would you want to help?"
"I have invested interest in your family, Jacob. My granddaughter married into the original Blackthorn clan. I would like to see that continue for generations to come and that means keeping your son, Lance, off the banishment list." Her eyes remained on his face, her gaze unflinching. "I'll give you a few days to think about it. When you've made your mind, email me at Drasna at Kalos League dot com." Without giving him a chance to respond, she turned her back and walked away, her long dark curls bouncing off her back.
The world had changed a significant deal since the last time he had set foot on common ground. Becoming a trainer was so much easier now thanks to advancements in technology making it easier to find and train pokémon. He couldn't decide if technology was making it better for trainers to worse. In some ways it made life easier, but it did help trainers become stronger?
Fortunately, no one recognized him. Dressed in a brown tattered hooded cloak kept his identity a secret. He didn't want the crowd to recognize him – if they did, he'd never be able to get anything done. His faithful companion, Pikachu, was safe inside his pokéball. The rodent never left his side unless the situation called for it.
"Pallet Town," Red murmured, looking up at the brown wooden sign. The sign was leaning to the right slightly, almost as if someone had tried to break it but failed. Nothing much had changed since the last time he had visited home – his house and Oak's place was still standing, and the laboratory was still in fine condition. The flower beds nearby had grown, but they were neatly trimmed. "Home sweet home, I guess."
He walked to the water's edge and looked down at the reflection staring up at him. Blank expression. It had been so long since he had everyday contact with other humans that he had forgotten how to smile and laugh. He looked up towards the horizon. Articuno had warned him about the prophecy. Ho-Oh had returned, and now Lugia had awakened from its slumber. That didn't bode well for the rest of the region. If the prophecy was true… He shut his eyes and pulled his gaze from the water.
"You sent me here for a reason didn't you, Articuno?" he said, craning his neck back to look at Mount Silver in the distance. "You want me to be the Champion I was supposed to have been - the Champion to fulfil the prophecy. That's why you came to me." He looked up the sky for a few moments longer, his gaze lingering on the mountain. Another home he had left behind. Another life he had walked away from.
"Red? Is that you?" A woman said.
Startled, he jumped, caught unaware by the sound of the woman's gentle soothing voice. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed. The woman standing across from him had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and honey brown eyes. Delia. His mother. She had aged a fair bit over the years. There were wrinkles around her eyes and black bags beneath them.
"Mother," he replied, saying the word slowly, as if it was new to him. How many years had it been since he had uttered those words?
She had donned the usual pink and blue outfit she wore during his childhood years. Instead, she had taken to wearing a black dress. A smile spread across her face, and he could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she hadn't felt joy in a long time. It was obvious his absence had hurt her deeply. "I always knew that you would come home one day," she said slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I believed it. Everyone else had given up hope – some believed you had even died, but I never gave up believing."
"I'm sorry." What else was there to say?
She ran forward and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I missed you so much." He hugged her back. How strange it was to feel comfort and warmth again from another human being. "You've grown up so much," she added, pulling back, examining him from head to toe. "You might have grown your hair long and grown a beard, but I still recognize my baby boy."
Living in a cabin up in the mountains didn't help his personal hygiene matters. When Lyra had visited him, he had cut off his hair and shaved with a knife, but he hadn't bothered to clean up since then. "It's good to see you again too."
"Come inside and have something to eat. You're so thin," she said, grabbing his arm and squeezing tight. "You're all skin and bone. What have you been eating? Berries?" Frost berries to be exact; Miraculous healing berries which also just happened to be quite filling. He allowed his mother to pull him inside.
The place was exactly how he last remembered it. Three brown leather couches placed around a small coffee table before the television screen. The news was on and not surprisingly, the journalists were talking about Lyra, the new Champion. Averting his gaze from the screen, he sniffed the air, picking up on the scent of roast pork, potatoes and gravy. Was his mother planning on having guests over for dinner? "Roast pork?"
She nodded. "The professor is coming over this evening with Daisy."
Samuel and Daisy Oak, but no mention of Blue. "No Blue?"
"He refused the invitation." His mother moved to stand behind the kitchen table, her fingers drumming idly on the surface. A sign of nerves.
That sounded typical of Blue. "…What's going on?" he said.
She jerked her head in his direction. "Nothing. It's just it's been so long since you've been home. I don't know if you're happy… or sad… what your interests are anymore…"
He wanted to say something that would make her happy, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he turned to face the television. At least he didn't have to communicate with it. "…News just in. Rangers have noticed odd behaviour coming from the Zubat in Kanto. The Zubat have been seen flying around the city in broad daylight, a sight that has never been recorded. This comes just after news of sailors lost at sea." Red looked at the television screen and frowned. Zubat in broad daylight? Another worrying sign.
"…Broad daylight… Cerulean City…" he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen as he tried to understand the situation. "Creatures of the night… Sailors lost at sea… it's happening. The time has come."
"What's wrong, Red?"
It was possible the ship had encountered violent rogue waves – he was no stranger to the stories of the ocean and life at sea, but to have lost contact? It must've been a super cell storm. That alone was troubling news – the last super cell storm recorded occurred during the battle between Lugia and Ho-oh many decades ago. Another sign Lugia had awakened. Only a legendary pokémon could summon that much power to break traditional weather patterns.
As for the Zubat in broad daylight, that only confirmed his suspicions that Mewtwo had indeed awakened. Mewtwo had only been a baby pokémon when they had parted ways, but a fully grown pokémon was troubling, especially knowing the immense power Mewtwo posssessed.
"So much has changed. That's all."
"You can't just leave now. You only came home. At least stay for some tea."
Red gave his mother a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I've been absent for too long and there is much to fix. I must make things right, mother. All of this is my fault. It's my duty to fix it."
The woman frowned, uncertain. "…Freak accidents, Red. Terrible tragedies have taken place, but we can't control the environment we live in."
He wished he could tell her the truth, but he couldn't. She'd never be able to understand it. Not many people would. He wasn't even certain if Blue and Lyra could. Only Leaf had known, and she had taken his secrets to the grave. "I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't today. Maybe one day you'll hear my story."
"…I understand." He saw the sadness in her eyes and the confusion, but the woman wasn't going to question further. "I see the determination in your eyes. You're not going to stay at home until you've done whatever that needs to be. I know you'll succeed."
Taking a few steps forwards, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close. Red hugged her back then withdrew. "Please don't tell anyone I've returned. I'd rather not have them worry… Or try to involve themselves in this." This was his battle, his fight to make up for the sins of his past. His mother nodded. "Take care of yourself."
Before his mother could speak again, Red turned around and headed outside. His first mission was simple – find Blue Oak.
"I'm sorry, Misty. You're a great girl and all, but I'm just not into you that way."
Misty punched the pillow. Hard. Not satisfied, she picked it up and hurled it across the room. The pillow bounced off the cream-coloured wall and onto the floor. She didn't even bother to pick it up. What was the point in even trying? It was always the same story. Fall in love with a good-looking boy then get rejected when you think he's the one.
His name was Peter, a local boy. He had a love for water-type pokémon too and aspired to become a researcher in marine pokémon. His seemingly good-natured personality and cute boyish looks had charmed her and for a short time, she thought he liked her too. What a fool she had been to think that. Peter was only interested in getting to know her so he could get closer to her sisters.
In other words? Her love life was a tragedy that would make Shakespeare proud. Every boy she developed a crush on only used her for information. Not even the plain looking boys were interested in dating her. She was commonly known as 'the ugly one' or the 'wicked witch of Kanto'. It was hard to look good when your siblings were everything you were not.
Beautiful, intelligent and famous were three words that best described her elder sisters. The Sensational Sisters, Daisy, Violet and Lily. In other words the three sisters with large busts who pranced around in skimpy suits as a day job! Ugh. It was vomit worthy, but everyone loved them. She may as well have been born from a different family. The only thing they had in common was a love for water pokémon, but rather than battle, they performed water ballet shows.
"Battling? No. Water pokémon are elegant beautiful creatures just like us."
"You might be our sister, but you're not like us. You lack the beauty."
She hated them so much. They were always on the bloody news each week getting interviewed and getting said out on dates by gorgeous guys. It just wasn't fair. Why did they have to be the ones blessed with good looks and charismatic personalities? "Bad time to visit?" said a voice from the doorway.
Wiping away the tears from her eyes, Misty looked over at the visitor. Brock, her old friend and fellow gym leader who also had no luck when it came to matters of the heart. Perhaps that's why they bonded so well – they were both failures. "Hi Brock," she said, swinging her legs over the bed. She stood up and sighed. "I hate men."
"That bad, huh?"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that. It's just… He never even loved me. This whole entire time he just wanted to get information so he could sleep with one of my sisters. Even my students at the gym snicker behind my back." Cerulean City Gym, the home for aspiring Water-type specialists of the Kanto region. Whilst her sisters conquered the world with their good looks, she was left behind with gym duties.
"You're going after the wrong guys, Mist."
Brock was the only person allowed to call her 'Mist'. Any other person who dared to give her a nickname would receive a slap in the face and a blast of water in the chest from her prized pokémon. "Just like how you're chasing after the wrong women?"
"All right, you got me there," he said, raising his hands up to concede defeat. "It just pains me to see you so upset all the time because of some guy who doesn't deserve you. You know you're better than that, right? Keep your chin up and keep being you. Don't settle for anything less."
"Should I start calling you father now?" she replied dryly.
He smiled. "You're my friend, Misty, and friends look out for each other."
She heaved a sigh. "I just… I'm sick of giving so much and not receiving anything in return. I hate the name-calling too – the three sisters and the loser, the ugly one, the wicked witch…. It never ends. I'm never going to be anything more than just the gym leader of Cerulean City because of my family."
"I know something that will cheer you up."
"What's that? Did Blue get punched in the face again because that was classic." Blue Oak, the one responsible for coming up with all the nasty titles and spreading spiteful rumours. How could a guy that looked so good on the outside be so ugly inside?
Brock shook his head. "There's a new restaurant that opened up in Vermillion City just near the docks. I'm sure you'd love it. It's a seafood place that even has its own aquarium. I want you to come with me and check it out."
She didn't like going out much. Too many people would look in her direction and she knew they were comparing her to her sisters. "I don't know, Brock. You know I'm not a fan of big fancy places."
"Come on, it'll be great. It'll take your mind off things."
If anyone else had said her, she'd say no, but how could she turn Brock down? Sighing, she nodded. "All right, but only because it's you."
"Thanks, Misty. I knew you'd say yes. I'll make a reservation now." He exited the room to make the call just as the edges of her mouth curved upwards into a smile. It was the first time anyone had invited her to a restaurant. It might not be an official date, but it was still something. Her anger fading, Misty walked over to her wardrobe and opened it.
What to wear? It wasn't as if she went out on dates or anything, so her wardrobe wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Brock wouldn't care himself, but she wanted to make some effort in looking good. This was a chance to show to the public she wasn't some plain trainer – that she too could look as good as her three sisters did.
She smiled. Perhaps this would be a fun night out after all.
Peace was starting to become a foreign concept for Lyra. She was supposed to be on a lunch break, but instead she was sitting in the media room, waiting to be questioned by her least favourite journalist, Marina. The woman had been waiting for weeks for a chance to interview Lyra and finally she had gotten the opportunity.
Lyra wasn't pleased, but what else could she do? It wasn't as if she could deny the interview otherwise that would give her a bad public image. She sat down on the chair, her palms pressed together, fingers interlocked on her lap. Tapping her right foot restlessly on the floor, she tried to calm her nerves by drawing in a deep breath. What was the worst thing that could possibly happen?
As if reading her mind Karen said, "Marina is a serial pest, and she knows how to push. The best way to deal with her is simply to not give her any ammunition – be neutral in your responses," she advised, pulling a loose lock of hair away from her face. "You know that she's not interested in talking about your job – she's interested in destroying your relationship with Lance. Don't let her get to you."
Right. Remain calm and be neutral. Sounded easy on paper, but what if she cracked under the pressure? What if Marina pushed too hard into her personal life and pried for details? Even if she lied Marina could probably twist her words and give her replies a different meaning. "I hate this," Lyra murmured. "Is this even legal?"
"This is what happens when your relationship becomes official, Lyra. You're a celebrity now and so is Lance – it's only natural people are going to want to know what is going on in your lives," Karen said, giving Lyra a sympathetic look. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now but know this – even if Marina succeeds in getting what she wants, Lance would never leave you for any of his fangirls."
Speaking of Lance, she hadn't heard from him in awhile now. Every time she wanted to make a call, something else would come up and she'd have to delay it. "I look forward to the day the league re-opens to the public." At least then all the journalists would stop harassing her. When the league doors opened again, no journalist could visit. "I haven't seen Lance in weeks, and I feel like I'm letting him down by not being there with him."
"He understands, Lyra. He's been in the position too. Don't over think it – just finish the interview and then call it a day."
If there was an award for worst girlfriend of the year, she'd certainly claim it. "Thanks, Karen."
"Hey – you're the Champion and my boss now. We're a team, and we help each other out. I've got your back and you've got mine. Now take a deep breath in and think nice thoughts – just think about lying in a nice warm bed with your lover's arms holding you close." She winked. Cheeks reddening, Lyra glanced down at the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow her whole.
"I don't even-nevermind."
Karen chuckled. "Aw, you're blushing!"
"This conversation is over," Lyra replied, refusing to meet with Karen's eyes. How was she supposed to look at her now without that question in her head? Arceus, how embarrassing! She hadn't slept with him – how was she supposed to do that if she hardly ever saw the guy, and even if she had… It was a little too soon to be talking about that. Karen winked at her again then exited down the hallway.
Moments later, Marina stepped through the door. She was dressed in a plain black dress and wearing heels. Her luscious locks of blue hair were held back together in a single hair tie and wrapped around her shoulder. The woman smiled as she sat down on the opposite couch and crossed her legs. "So… Shall we get started?"
Lyra nodded. "I'm ready."
Reaching down to her bag, she opened it up and grabbed a notepad and pen then placed it on her lap. "You are the fourth Champion to represent the two regions – naturally, there's a lot of expectation on you to live up to your predecessors. You're also the first female to become Champion in the Johto-Kanto region. What changes do you plan to make if any?"
Asides from granting Blue the right to start up his own gym, she didn't plan to change anything else. She hadn't given it a lot of thought. Besides, it wasn't as if there was anything wrong with the current system. "No changes."
Marina scribbled that down. Lyra wished she could see it. "Relationships between gym leaders are frowned upon because it often leads to scandals and unnecessary distractions. Do you think your relationship with Lance, your predecessor, will distract you from your duties to the people of Johto-Kanto?"
"No."
"You're also aware that female Champions are forbidden to marry during their term?"
No, she didn't know that. Was it even a legit fact or just something Marina had made up on the spot to make her uneasy? Lance hadn't said anything about it either unless he didn't know. "Uh, no. I didn't know that."
"If a female Champion falls pregnant during her term, she can't be fully committed to upholding the interests of the region," Marina pointed out, scribbling down more notes on her notepad. There was even a smile on her face. She was enjoying this. "Lance is the heir of the Blackthorn clan, and I'm sure you're aware of what is required of you."
She remembered Lance talking about it during the handover ceremony about carrying on the Blackthorn name, but it all seemed a little too soon to be talking about children. Right now she just wanted to survive her first time as Champion. "We're both focused on our jobs at the moment and haven't really talked about future plans."
"I see," she replied curtly as she scribbled down more notes. "Do you feel any pressure to perform as Champion? After all, you didn't rise through the ranks of the League."
"Blue and Red didn't either."
"Blue is the grandson of a famous professor."
"Red wasn't."
"Point taken." She wrote down more notes then closed the book. "Well – I think that will be all for today's session. I know it's a little short, but I have places to be right now and things to do. Look out for the interview – it'll be uploaded on my personal website. Hope you read it. Thanks for your time, and I look forward to meeting with you again, Champion." She stood up, put her notepad and pen away then left the room.
Lyra slumped back in her chair. What sort of lies would Marina come up with?