Chapter 2

Leaf was on edge for the remainder of the tour.

Their second destination was Azalea Town: a small, isolated place on the southern peninsula where the houses looked more like cabins and the roads weren't paved. Most of the population either worked in the fields or the nearby Ilex Forest, producing charcoal from its trees. So simple was this town that wild Slowpoke visited to drink from its wells. The most notable one was the Slowpoke Well, a man-made cave that had become the home to many wild Slowpoke. Leaf loved seeing the funny pink creatures lazing around. The Slowpoke Well, however, wasn't the significant landmark they had to visit. It was in the Ilex Forest, a shrine built for its guardian. People called the guardian Celebi, though no one could seem to agree on what it looked like. The shrine was a small, plain wooden structure. Maybe because of that, Leaf believed the descriptions of Celebi as a fairy, rather than some terrifying beast.

Azalea Town was the bucolic dream, but Leaf couldn't relax. The Azalea Gym Leader, Bugsy, told her that the Slowpoke had recently returned after being gone for several years. The purple-haired Gym Leader wore a light green boy scout uniform and carried a bug catching net. He was so young and friendly that Leaf knew his comment contained no malice. But the thought that the Slowpokes' disappearance was related to the war made her stomach twist.

They returned to Goldenrod City afterwards. Leaf met Whitney, the normal-type Gym Leader. She was a pretty, vivacious girl with magenta hair tied into spiky pigtails. At the corner of her bangs was a yellow hair clip that matched the buttons on her white and red shirt. Together, they were interviewed at the Goldenrod Radio Tower. Leaf didn't understand before why Tasha had been so stressed about the interview. As far as she was concerned, it was supposed to be a fun conversation with Whitney and the radio show hosts. But she quickly regretted not taking her practice sessions with Tasha more seriously. Whitney gushed over how adorable her Pokemon, particularly her pink cow, Miltank, in a way that was fun and charming. Leaf struggled to match her energy.

Leaf gave her speech at the Global Terminal, a convention center, since there wasn't enough space in front of the Gym. Outside the Global Terminal, there were protestors. They chanted and held signs demanding the end of Kanto occupation.

"Does this…happen a lot?" Leaf asked when she saw a sign with colorful language written around President Ken's face.

President Ken didn't seem bothered in the slightest, barely even seemed to notice the protestors. "Some people just have nothing better to do."

Ecruteak City, the ancient capital of Johto, was next. It was hands-down the most beautiful city in Johto. Like Violet City, it had traditional architecture, but there was a regalness to it. They crossed a crimson gate to enter the city. The houses were tall and polished; Leaf imagined wealthy scholars used to live in them. Cherry blossom trees lined the stone roads. At one corner, there was a pond with lily pads and a mini waterfall in the center.

In the northern part of Ecruteak was a nine-tier tin tower: the Bell Tower, the most significant landmark in the entire region. Only select people were allowed inside and naturally, Leaf was among those people. They first passed through the Barrier Station, a grand gatehouse where they were greeted by three monks known as the Wise Trio. Then they walked on the Bellchime Trail, a short path to the tower that was surrounded by trees. Apparently, the Bellchime Trail was breathtaking in the autumn, when the trees looked as if they were on fire.

They ate brunch on the top floor. From the window, Leaf could see, at the northwest corner of the city, the charred and dilapidated Burned Tower. The Wise Trio told them the story. A hundred-fifty years ago, the formerly called Brass Tower was struck by lightning and burned down. Three unknown Pokemon perished in the fire. The legendary phoenix, Ho-Oh, revived them and they became Raikou, Entei, and Suicune: legendary beasts who roamed all of Johto.

Leaf had noticed statues of a majestic phoenix around the tower. "Who's Ho-Oh?"

Monk #2––Leaf couldn't remember their names because they looked exactly alike––answered, "Ho-Oh is the guardian of the skies, the creator of rainbows. Anyone who sees her is promised eternal happiness. Ho-Oh once roosted here, but she has gone to search for someone with a pure heart."

Someone with a pure heart. Leaf didn't know what that meant, but she found the lore interesting.

Her speech went smoothly; no one protested or heckled. Morty, the Gym Leader, was friendly, which surprised Leaf because he specialized in ghost Pokemon. He was also quite handsome with his stylishly messy blonde hair and tall, lean build. His violet eyes matched his headband and scarf, the latter which had a yellow pin and was red and jagged at the end to resemble flames. Her Gengar played with his Gengar and Haunter, snickering over things Leaf didn't know.

They finished the day at the Ecruteak Dance Theater. The theater, which had two blue tiers, was lit up by red lanterns. They watched a group of beautiful women in pink and green kimonos, hair intricately tied up with gold flower pins and faces covered in white powder, perform fan dances. Since Leaf's party was private, the women, called the Kimono Girls, also chatted with them and poured tea into their cups. They were all so charming that it was hard to tell how much of it was an act.

Needless to say, Leaf was sad to say goodbye to Ecruteak.

Olivine City, at least, hadn't been too bad either. It was a major port city, similar to Vermilion but smaller and cleaner. Flags hung over the main streets and tables with cute umbrellas were placed near the dock. They visited the Glitter Lighthouse, illuminated by a Pokemon called Ampharos. The Ampharos, nicknamed Amphy, was a yellow bipedal electric sheep with a white belly. His conical ears, neck, and tail had black stripes. On his forehead and tail tip were red orbs. It was the orb on Amphy's tail that served as the beacon. Amphy was close to Leaf's height, but she found him so cute and sweet. It was after they left the lighthouse that it occurred to Leaf how little she knew about Johto Pokemon. She'd heard before that there were few Pokemon unique to Johto, that many of them came from Kanto. While Leaf did recognize some faces among the Gym Leaders' teams so far, she found herself learning a lot.

Jasmine, the Olivine Gym Leader, was a pretty, demure young woman with light brown hair. Some of her hair was tied up into two small buns: the shape of them and the red ball clips reminded Leaf of Amphy. She wore a light blue dress with white sleeves and frills, and a red bow at the center. Matching sandals completed the outfit. Leaf was shocked when Jasmine said, in the gentlest voice, that she specialized in steel-type Pokemon.

From Olivine City, they took a ship to Cianwood City, which was on a mountainous island. There was barely anything to see, but an apparently renowned photographer named Cameron Mitchell lived in Cianwood, so Leaf and her team did a photoshoot with him. Cameron was an old man with a bald spot. He looked so normal that Leaf wouldn't have pegged him as the artistic type. But he had Leaf and her Pokemon in unconventional poses, with neon lighting over them. The photos ended up looking really cool; she hoped they wouldn't be edited too much. Tasha was uncomfortably focused on how flattering the angles and shadows were.

"Sorry there isn't much to see here," President Ken said when they left. "Cianwood is rather underdeveloped."

"It's fine," Leaf replied. "I liked doing the photoshoot. And it's not that bad here."

The city was built near the beach, so while it looked like a poorer version of Cinnabar Island, it still had charm. Lots of people were in the ocean swimming, surfing, and fishing on small boats.

"But it could be better. As you may have noticed, it's not the wealthiest place. President Jeffries and I were discussing building a Safari Zone here. The one in Fuchsia is popular, so that should invigorate Cianwood's economy."

Leaf was still fascinated by the two presidents' dynamic. President Jeffries was often villainized in Kanto, so it was a surprise that she found him quite likable. She did notice, however, the way he shrank under President Ken. Whenever something went awry, he would apologize fervently even though it hadn't been in his control.

She witnessed that again in Cianwood.

The Cianwood Gym Leader, Chuck, was a heavyset middle-aged man with short brown hair, thick brows, and a mustache. He was shirtless and wore ragged red pants tied with a black sash, reminding Leaf of Bruno. Unsurprisingly, he specialized in fighting-type Pokemon. He was nice enough to Leaf, but noticeably gruff with President Ken. As usual, President Ken wasn't bothered, but President Jeffries' face was pale.

Barely anyone showed up to her speech. The ones who did seemed to be there out of amusement rather than genuine interest.

"My apologies. I should've made this event mandatory," the Cianwood mayor, who looked like a twig next to Chuck, sputtered.

"No, I'm the one to blame for this," President Jeffries insisted. "I was the one who notified everyone of your arrival. I should've been clear that this was as important as the last two tours."

"It's alright," President Ken said. "No need to force people to attend."

It took two days to arrive at Mahogany Town, which was in northern Johto. Settlements were spread so far apart that Leaf imagined it took a long time to travel the region by foot. Based on President Jeffries' descriptions of natural landmarks they passed, it was also quite dangerous. Leaf was beginning to suspect that was part of why the Indigo League didn't see many challengers from Johto.

Johto was definitely a beautiful region, though. Much more beautiful than Kanto. Except when Leaf saw remnants of the war. Graves, burned down forests, trenches. She always looked away when she saw them.

Leaf thought Azalea Town was small and isolated. Mahogany Town was barely a town. It was tucked in the mountains ("That's Mount Mortar over there. Countless hikers and trainers have gone missing in it.") and as a result, had a tiny, mostly self-sustaining population. There wasn't even a PokeMart; trainers had to purchase items from a small shop run by a middle-aged man with a creepy smile. The only thing they could do was have a barbecue by the Lake of Rage, just north of Mahogany Town. The Lake of Rage was by far the largest lake Leaf had ever seen. But that hadn't been what stood out to her.

"Wild Gyarados can be found here," President Jeffries said. "They're rare, but this might be the only lake in the world that has them."

"Isn't that dangerous for Mahogany Town?" Leaf asked, ignoring Tasha who was snapping photos of them.

"I've wondered about that, but despite its name, the Lake of Rage is quite calm. The townspeople aren't concerned. And if disaster were to strike, they could take care of themselves. Mahogany Town was once a hiding place for ninjas."

Gazing at the Mahogany Town residents from the podium, Leaf wasn't surprised. They were strong, silent people. Even the ice-type Gym Leader, Pryce, though old and carrying a cane, was immovable. He was wearing a striped tee and shorts, but seemed completely unaffected by the chilly wind that made Leaf shiver.

Their final destination was Blackthorn City, the one Leaf had been most excited about. It was where Lance, the Dragon Tamer, was born and raised. She could see how Lance became who he was. Blackthorn City was a more intense version of Mahogany Town. It was also located in the mountains, but unlike Mahogany Town, there were no forests or lakes nearby. The city had been cut into a rock face and was thus rugged and barren. To get anywhere in or out of Blackthorn, numerous stairs and bridges had been built. One particularly long bridge was over a winding river. Due to its chaotic currents, the river was too dangerous to swim in, but it had an abundance of fish, making it Blackthorn's main source of food and income.

After eating brunch in Blackthorn's sole restaurant, they met with the Gym Leader, Clair. Clair was a beautiful, tall, slender woman. She had aquamarine hair tied into a ponytail; her bangs framed her face wildly. She wore a matching bodysuit that looked adorned with dark blue scales on the sides, and gloves and knee-high boots with black rings at the openings. Completing the outfit was a black cape, fastened by a stormy orb at her neck.

Clair, like her cousin Lance, wielded dragons. Leaf wouldn't have been surprised if Clair was an ice-type trainer instead because her cold gaze sent chills down her spine.

"I'd like to introduce you to our new Champion, Leaf Green," President Ken said after some rigid small talk.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Leaf said, extending her hand. She hoped her voice didn't sound meek.

Clair shook it firmly. "Pleasure." She glanced back at President Ken. "I guess it's time to take you to the Dragon's Den. Follow me."

Near the Pokemon Center was a pond. They crossed the bridge over it, arriving at a cave entrance. Inside the cave was a flight of stairs, dimly lit up by lanterns. Leaf's heart raced as they descended, excited and anxious about where they'd go.

When they reached the bottom and walked through another opening, Leaf felt a twinge of disappointment.

They were in a spacious cavern with a large pool of water. A wood bridge led to the center of the pool where a red shrine stood. It was sort of cool, but it looked like the cave version of the Ilex Shrine.

Leaf wasn't surprised to see bald, elderly men in robes. They bowed. "Welcome to the Dragon's Den," the leader, who held a cane, said.

They introduced themselves to each other. After over two weeks of constantly meeting people, Leaf couldn't retain anything except that the leader was referred to as the Master.

"Do you know why our Gym Leader specializes in dragon-type Pokemon?" The Master began. "A long time ago, the mountains were the home of dragons. As human civilization spread, dragons grew harder and harder to find. Some of our ancestors, however, were able to bond with them. You've seen yourself how powerful dragons are. To wield them, a certain strength is required that the average person does not possess. The bond between trainer and dragon is therefore a special one. Our clan strives to ensure that bond is not lost, that it is passed down from generation to generation."

The Master gestured at Leaf. "Come with me."

It took Leaf a moment to realize she and the Master alone were crossing the bridge. The excitement and anxiety she felt earlier returned. What was in the shrine that no one else was supposed to follow?

When they entered the shrine, Leaf was disappointed once again. There was a tall stone statue of a Dragonite, with incense burning in front of it, and that was it.

The Master's gaze, however, was serious. "I ask these questions to every trainer who comes here. It's how I evaluate their character. Since you are the new Champion, since you have a dragon yourself, it's especially important for me to see where your heart lies."

It made Leaf think of how the legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh, was apparently in search of a pure-hearted trainer. Johtoans, she'd learned, were more religious and spiritual than Kantonians, who valued science above all else.

"What are Pokemon to you?"

Leaf was taken aback. It was a broad question. How would she answer? Pokemon were many things to her. Sometimes they were her friends and partners. Sometimes they were rivals. Always, they fascinated her, inspired her, pushed her to be stronger.

Leaf wasn't sure how coherent she was when explaining this, but the Master nodded and asked, "What helps you to win battles?"

This question was easier. "Above all, hard work. My Pokemon trained so hard throughout my journey. I was constantly thinking of new ways to test my Pokemon, new techniques they could use in battle. They had the strength and perseverance to succeed."

"I see." The Master's tone was flat. For a second, Leaf wasn't sure if she answered correctly. "What kind of trainer do you wish to battle?"

Not what kind, but who. Red. "A strong one. A trainer who'll inspire me to improve."

"What is most important for raising Pokemon?"

Leaf stopped herself from saying, hard work. She didn't want to recycle a previous answer. She thought for a moment about what else tied her team together.

When the answer came to her, it seemed obvious. "Trust. My Pokemon are fighting for me, putting themselves at risk for me. They need a good reason to do that."

The Master's expression gave away nothing. Leaf really couldn't tell if she was doing a good job. "Final question. Which is more important: strong or weak Pokemon?"

Leaf felt confident about this one. "Neither. A strong Pokemon was once weak and a weak Pokemon could become strong. But even if they don't become strong, they're not unimportant."

The Master was silent for a second. Then, his lips twitched up. "I can tell you genuinely care for Pokemon. You have a good heart."

Leaf beamed. She already knew that about herself, but it was validating hearing that from a wise old man.

"There is another thing I wanted to ask," the Master said. "The moment I saw you had a Dragonite, I wondered, how? It's incredibly rare to see a dragon in the wild. The only dragons I knew of at all were the ones bred in this cave. How did a young girl like you acquire one?"

Leaf's hands felt clammy. It was a question she knew countless others wanted the answer to. Until now, she'd never been directly asked. What was she supposed to say? She bought Dragonite from a casino? She didn't need Tasha to explain to her why that sounded bad.

"I rescued him," Leaf replied carefully. "You've heard of Team Rocket, right? PRO has been trying to find new homes for trafficked Pokemon."

It wasn't entirely a lie. She did save Dragonite from Team Rocket, albeit accidentally. PRO was the Pokemon Rescue Organization. After Team Rocket abandoned their hideout in Celadon, PRO took in the trafficked Pokemon that were left behind.

The Master's face fell. He shook his head. "It pains me to hear of such cruelty. I'm relieved that your Dragonite is in good hands." He smiled. "I believe there's still some time before your speech. Would you like to introduce your Dragonite to our dragons?"

Leaf nodded immediately. This was the best suggestion she'd heard the past couple weeks.

They returned to their group. After the Master informed everyone that Leaf's dragon was going to meet theirs, Leaf sent out Dragonite. The Master tapped his cane on the ground a few times. Soon, Leaf heard movement in the water and then, Dragonairs and Dratinis emerged. Dragonite stared at them, dumbfounded, until they made sounds and gestures that Leaf interpreted as friendly, welcoming. He huffed in delight and stepped into the water.

"Clair, why don't you send out your dragons?" The Master asked.

Clair rolled her eyes, but tossed three PokeBalls. In the water appeared a Dragonair, a Kingdra, the final evolution of Horsea, and…a Gyarados. Leaf tensed from seeing a Pokemon she found so terrifying, so close to her. But when several Dratinis began to climb on top of it and slide down, which the Atrocious Pokemon happily obliged, Leaf's shoulders relaxed and she smiled.

Meanwhile, Dragonite was playing with the Kingdra. Kingdra looked a lot like its pre-evolutions, but larger and more regal. It had two branches on its head, pronged fins that extended from its cheeks, and a white fin on its back. With its narrow snout, it blew bubbles at Dragonite.

"You know, we've had eggs stolen from here in the past," Clair suddenly said.

She didn't elaborate. She didn't have to. When the Master said he didn't know of any dragons other than theirs, a small part of Leaf knew that Dragonite was likely born here. That Team Rocket had stolen him, when he was still an egg, from the Dragon's Den.

From the corner of her eye, Leaf saw Tasha pull out her phone. Leaf grabbed her arm, alarming her PR manager.

"Don't," Leaf said.

Tasha opened her mouth to protest, but a look from President Ken made her close it. After asking the Master for permission, Leaf sent the rest of her team out. Golduck leaped into the water. Fearow flew around with a couple of Dragonairs. Venusaur, Gengar, and Ninetales stayed on land, playing with the dragons that approached them.

Leaf smiled as she watched her team. She couldn't remember the last time they were able to simply enjoy themselves. And she had a feeling it might be some time before they could again.


Sorry for the wait! I was debating whether or not to dedicate more chapters to the Johto tour, but I didn't want to drag it out.

Writing about Johto was fun. Really takes me back to playing SoulSilver on my DS.

Thanks for reading!