Traveler

by The Straight Elf

Ash Ketchum has been determined to become the best since he was a toddler. He has his eyes set on a charmander, but a twist of fate led him to the humble Nidoran. Note: Mix between anime and the games.

52. Chapter 52: The Wataru

Silence filled the arena as Ash returned Bruiser and whispered some congratulations, broken only by Clair's furious howl that projected across the ravaged battlefield. Her face was red, her palms clenched tight, and her whole body trembled with something. Ash just looked oddly at Clair, a little worried that she was about to snap and have a heart attack, go on a killing spree, or both.

Well, at least her team was mostly out of commission. That might save a few lives.

He looked to Gary. The other boy didn't bother holding back his snigger - Ash knew he'd enjoy Clair's meltdown. "I guess you're up."

"Yeah," Gary grinned nastily and cracked his knuckles. "I guess I am."

A tall, blue-haired figure appeared in front of them with a crack. Clair towered over them both, arms tucked firmly behind her back. To be honest, he appreciated the gesture. Her stormy snarl told him she was probably struggling not to sock him in the mouth. His lips twitched. That would be a fun story to tell Lance.

He wasn't even bothered, still riding the wild thrill of triumphing over Clair. It was a hard battle (and had definitely showed him a few spots he needed to work on) but he won! He met an equal and scored a decisive victory - he couldn't wait to tell Lance. Ash couldn't help but grin at the thought, and Clair's scowl deepened.

"Congratulations," the word came out as a hiss. Ash nodded at her. With the blue dragonfire glinting off her eyes she reminded him all too much of her majestic Dragonair… he didn't remember Dragonair this angry, though. "You beat me."

"Yes," he nodded with his same easy grin, all frustration from Torrent and Plume's losses completely washed away...for now. "Good fight."

Clair opened her mouth, then shut it. Her sharp jaw tightened. "Yes."

"Guess it's Gary's turn," he stepped back so Gary could take his place in the box. A vein in Clair's forehead pulsed. "Do you need a while to get the field cleaned up?"

"No," Clair bit out. She turned away, her cape fluttering around to settled on her shoulders. "I'm not accepting any more challengers today."

Ash frowned, but Gary stepped forward with a snarl to rival Clair's. "What the hell?" He growled, hand resting on his belt near Umbreon's pokeball. "Are you freakin' kidding me? What kind of bullshit is that? You can't do that to me."

Clair looked down at Gary imperiously, a small, mocking smile tugging at her lips. She folded her arms. "I can, you spoiled little brat," the tall woman mocked. Clair poked her pointer finger at Gary. It stopped just inches away from his red face. "I'm the Gym Leader. You're the challenger. I make the rules here, not you!"

"Why don't you just battle him?" Ash suggested, half out of not wanting to deal with Gary's tirade and half because Clair's attitude was breaking through his good mood. "We can come back in a bit so you can refresh your team."

"I wasn't asking you," Clair frowned, though with a little less vitriol. "This is my Gym."

Gary took another step forward. Despite his ugly snarl, he looked like a skinny Rattata next to Clair. She didn't look particularly impressed. "And he's in the Elite Four."

Clair's blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "He's just an Elite Four trainee," she stressed. "Your friend has no authority here. He can't tell me what to do!"

"Still doing a little better than you, huh?" Gary grinned and pointed out the battlefield full of fissures, cooling magma pits, countless ruined pillars, and a few shattered craters. He whistled. "You just lost to a twelve-year old, Gym Leader. How old are you? Thirty, thirty-five? I mean, you have to have a few decades on my boy here."

The Gym Leader's nostrils flared, but she didn't rise to the bait. Ash had to admit that was more than he'd expected from the irritable woman. "I'm not fighting you, little Oak. Get out."

Gary's lip curled. Ash could tell he wanted to rant at the woman and verbally beat her into submission, but he was smart enough to realize Clair was at least as stubborn as he was. "I can't wait to beat you. The bar's been set pretty low, though."

"Get out."

His friend shrugged and slid his hands into his pockets. "Sure, sure. Don't wanna infringe on your sulking time. You're a busy lady," he drawled, then glanced to Ash with a smirk. "Ain't ya gonna give Ashy-boy his badge? He earned it."

"No!" Clair smiled tightly. "I don't think I will. An Elite Four trainee doesn't need the Rising Badge," she said with a little too much satisfaction for Ash's liking. Not that she was wrong, but Ash found her smugness prickling at him. "Now get out. I won't say it again."

Gary scoffed, then looked to Ash and shook his head. "Man, and I thought I was a sore loser."

"Let's go, Gary," Ash found his good mood fading quickly. Maybe exploring the city a little bit would bring him back. He'd need to find the Wataru clan compound later, and even the thought of it filled him with excitement - then he was rapidly brought back down to earth when he realized Clair would be there. There were good odds she'd kill him in his sleep.

"You, Clair," the other boy's grin was particularly nasty. "Don't worry about getting your team cleaned up. I'll be back here tomorrow to bury them again."

The Gym Leader's smile wasn't any nicer. "Sure thing, little Oak. Be here bright and early."

With their posing and posturing done, his friend reluctantly turned to follow him, but before they left Clair frowned at him. "You, Ketchum."

Ash stopped, turned away from Clair. "Yes?"

She sighed heavily. Ash thought she sounded a little pained. "The Elder of the Wataru Clan formally extends an invitation to join us at our compound tonight for dinner," Clair said tightly. He turned to accept a small scrap of crisp, masterfully folded paper. "Your invitation. Present it at the gates."

He nodded, then turned back to leave. The last he saw of Clair was her stalking back to her chiseled throne, cape waving erratically behind her.

"Hurry up," Gary grumbled at Ash as he caught up in the atrium. The other boy's face was twisted into an unpleasant grimace. "I can't believe her! She can't say no to me. There's no way she doesn't have backups! You only went five-on-five!"

Ash shrugged, quite a bit annoyed himself but not really interested in Gary's ranting either. "You'll just have to come back, I guess."

"I think she's just scared," Gary said as they walked up to the counter. The receptionist guiltily put down her PokeGear again. "You! When can we come back for another Gym challenge? She said tomorrow morning."

"Oh, sorry to hear that you lost!" The Wataru said. She actually sounded genuine. "Leader Clair usually accepts one challenge per day -"

Gary snorted and jabbed a finger at Ash. "You think he lost? He crushed her! It wasn't even close!"

Ash wouldn't go that far... still, he didn't correct the other boy as the Wataru girl (it was still a little disturbing how similar she looked to Lance) stared at him with open interest. "Wow! You really beat her? That's...okay, it's not a first, but it's pretty close! Congratulations!"

He nodded his thanks even as Gary leaned over the counter. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's great. So when can I come back? She's crying on her stupid chair or something because she lost and won't fight me."

The girl - Hasta, her name tag read - bit her lip nervously. "Uh, you beat her, right?" She looked to Ash, who nodded. "Um, she doesn't really like losing. It doesn't happen often. Maybe come back tomorrow morning at eight? She just needs some time to herself to...vent."

"This is such freaking bullshit…" Gary whispered under his breath. Hasta flushed, although Gary's foul mood wasn't directed at her. "Whatever. I'll come back tomorrow. She's going to regret it!"

"Okay," Hasta said doubtfully as Gary stomped away. "It was nice meeting you! Congratulations on your victory!"

He smiled and waved as he followed after Gary who had already shoved the heavy doors out of the way and was striding past the statues overlooking the central path. Ash just sighed and chased after him.

The rush from defeating Clair was definitely gone…

XX

"...completely ruined my whole strategy!" Gary threw his hands up. A few passersby sent him a dirty look, especially when he nearly bumped into a bulky Wataru - the man's mouth twisted into a frown, though recognition sparked when he saw Ash. His Dratini hissed at Gary, who didn't even notice. "You had her all softened up for me, too. I don't want to fight that giant dragon thing!"

Ash snorted. "You're going to have to be more specific. You came to the wrong Gym if you didn't want to fight 'giant dragon things'."

"Screw you," Gary said without any real heat. "I've got most of her covered, but I don't have anything to counter that thing," his eyes slowly slid over to Ash. "Unless…"

"Unless?"

Gary grinned. "How do you feel about trading me over -"

"No."

"C'mon, you didn't even let me finish."

Ash frowned. "No."

"Just for a little -"

"No."

"You suck."

Ash cracked a grin. "Who did you want?"

"...Bruiser," Gary said after a moment's deliberation. Ash nodded along, already understanding where this was going. "Like, half your pokemon wouldn't even want to work with me. No way Magmortar would. I think Bruiser would be willing to play along...plus can you even imagine the look on Clair's face when she saw him again?"

He snorted. Yeah, he definitely could. The vindictive part of Ash - he dreaded facing Torrent and Plume after the way their fights had been ended by Clair - took quite a bit of pleasure in the thought. "You're tempting me."

Gary laughed. "I thought that would do it," he dodged around a small crowd kneeling outside a small shrine to a bronze Dragonite and its trainer, a look of disgust on his face. "Man, Clair's worse than Johnny. How did she get to be Gym Leader?"

"She probably scared everyone else away," Ash shrugged and took a moment to admire a few stalls selling old, carved figurines depicting men and dragons. This old street they'd wandered into was full of them, not to mention countless craftsmen exhibiting fine paper artwork, rolls of expertly drawn retellings of old tales, and intricately woven cloths and blankets with various Blackthorn imagery emblazoned upon it - a lot of tourists and traveling trainers seemed to be milling about, gawking at the wares and curiosities. "You seemed to like watching the battle."

"Oh, that was just nice because I haven't seen you get your ass kicked like that since that Unovan freak and the thug from Orre in the Conference. I just wish it was anyone but Clair," Gary spat, then looked at Ash curiously. "So what's the invitation say? Gotta be pretty fancy if it's from the Wataru."

Ash pulled the invitation - he'd refolded it as best he could after reading it - and handed the slip of paper over to Gary. His friend snatched it away and rumpled the invitation as he unfolded it. He just sighed. What else had he expected?

"Honored visitor, it is a pleasure to have you grace our humble city with your presence. I am Wataru Yari, Elder of the Wataru clan. As a close friend to the clan and its Drake, in addition to various services provided to the clan and the world, we invite you to join us for dinner and to spend a night with our clan...blah, blah, blah. He sure did take a long time to say jack shit."

"Give me that!" Ash snatched it back and carefully refolded it. A few onlookers stared, but he ignored them. "You messed it up."

The other boy rolled his eyes. "Cry me a river. Who cares?"

Ash stared daggers at Gary, who didn't seem to notice. Or, if he did, he just didn't care. Probably the latter. "Now you're definitely not getting Bruiser."

"Oh come on!" Gary whined as the Blackthorn Pokemon Center came into view, surrounded on all sides by the boxy, primitive rows of buildings that made up Blackthorn's core. "Just for a little bit?"

He ignored Gary and picked up the pace - his team was hurt, and he wasn't about to just wander aimlessly around while they were in pain.

Gary squawked indignantly and sent a few foul words his way as he hurried to catch up.

XX

Once Ash's team was left with the Pokemon Center's staff (Nurse Joy had informed him that they would be fully ready by tomorrow morning), Ash and Gary chose to explore the city a little. To be honest, they were just burning time until Ash had to part ways with Gary for the night. The invitation weighed heavy in his pocket, and even as he and Gary walked the flat, brownstone streets of Blackthorn and traded barbs back and forth, he couldn't help the thrill of anticipation that burned in his veins.

What would the clan think of them? What would the clan compound be like? Would they find him wanting?

It was stupid, he knew. After the things he'd done, the things he'd seen, there was no reason for this anxiety. Who cared what these dragon-tamers thought of him? His actions spoke for themselves.

But the logical, reasonable portion of his brain couldn't entirely escape the other voice: the voice that reminded him these were men and women with centuries, thousands, of years of history and legacy and painstakingly traced ancestry. Their ancestors had shaped an entire League's history, and each one of them knew exactly how. They were raised on tales of valor, epic struggles, and momentous events.

Ash was a boy from Pallet Town.

He shoved the thoughts away. If Lance had heard a single word of that, he'd smack Ash in the back of the head and tell him to stop being a Steven. The thought left a small smile on his face… which Gary was quick to notice.

"What's got you so happy?" Gary sneered and tossed a heavy bronze figurine of a Dratini between his hands. The owner of the small shop they'd entered, a cozy space full of countless shelves stacked to the point of bending with dusty figures and icons. Most were of little golden Dragonite and humans, but plenty were expertly carved of a dark, polished wood that shone with the faint light cast from the flickering lamp.

Ash rather liked them. He put down a golden replica of a Dragonite's scale and snatched the Dratini figurine from Gary's hands. "Hey! What's your problem?"

He rolled his eyes and slid the Dratini back into its spot on the dusty shelf near a 'genuine' dragon's tooth, which he remembered was supposed to be a good luck charm in the Blackthorn territory. They really loved their dragons. "Don't mess with this stuff. It looks expensive."

"I can pay for it," Gary scoffed, then looked accusingly at Ash. "I know you can pay for it, Mr. Elite -"

"Shut up!" Ash hissed. The shopkeeper, a hunched, ancient, wrinkled woman who had probably been old when Blackthorn was first founded, looked over at them curiously. She scribbled something down in her ledger and looked down, but he sensed her attention was never far from them. "Did you have to do that?"

Gary grinned. "Yep."

He snorted at Gary's lack of shame, and felt a slight grin tug at the corner of his mouth. "If you're feeling so confident, how about we talk about how you're going to handle Clair tomorrow?"

That took the smile off Gary's face. The boy kicked at the corner of the frayed, handwoven rug they stood on (adorned with images of the Dratini line, of course) and scowled. "Well, it would have been better if I could take her on today. Her Gyarados is supposed to be tough, but I have some options for it."

"Like what?" Ash couldn't think of any of Gary's teammates that would be particularly useful against a monster like Clair's Gyarados must be - it would be hampered by the (relatively) cramped space of the pool, but it would still be a powerful foe even when it took to land.

Gary eyed an old wooden figurine of a Dratini. "I'm going to ruin that pool with my team as soon as I can with Nidoqueen. Weakens her freak of a Kingdra - not that I have to worry about Attract of all things, what kind of idiot doesn't have a counter for that? - and Gyarados by forcing them out of the pool."

His teeth grinded at Gary's underhanded jab and the reminder of Torrent's ignoble defeat. "I don't see how that's going to finish off a Gyarados."

Ash's acidic tone was completely ignored as Gary, bored, effortlessly completed a small puzzle box resting on a chipped and worn table in record time. "Gonna Overheat it with Arcanine. They dehydrate and overheat quickly and get worn out without being supported in water. With Extreme Speed, Gyarados will never touch Arcanine and it'll be exhausted. Easy to finish it off with a Hyper Beam from there."

"Uh huh," Ash said, more than a little doubtful. He doubted Clair would just let that happen, but Gary was also annoying him so he didn't raise the point. "And the rest?"

"Well…" Gary trailed off. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with that freaking monster dragon, but it might be able to fight. It'll be softened up, though. No way it'll be able to regrow its scales that quickly and it might not be able to fight at all with that stupid move Clair tried. Thanks for that."

He snorted. "If she does use it, it'll be faster. And it can still take a hit without the armor. Kommo-o's tough," Ash said. He found it all too easy to remember the dragon's impressive endurance and raw power. Maybe he'd get a rematch some day… "But it was pretty beaten. You think that's what she'll switch out for the Gyarados?"

Gary was clearly tired of the store and led them out, although Ash stopped to buy a small brass Dragonite that weighed heavy in his pocket as he left the musty shop. The old shopkeep's sharp eyes followed him as he pushed past the cloth flap guarding the interior.

"Did you really have to buy that crap? It's probably worthless," his friend rolled his eyes and pushed his way through the small crowds bustling through the flat streets. Before Ash could answer, Gary plowed on with the conversation. "And yeah, that freak dragon is the only one that took heavy damage. The rest might not be in top shape, but a night in the Pokemon Center will get them back to fighting condition. Maybe the Shelgon will be replaced. It probably thought it got hit by an Onix!"

Ash couldn't help but laugh at Gary's nasty grin. Bruiser had gotten some tough hits in - that would be bad enough normally, but with Rampage his blows were absolutely devastating. Most pokemon would have broken underneath that kind of force. Princess' leg certainly had.

He felt a little guilty for taking a little stab of pleasure in that small victory against Cynthia, especially considering how that careless display of power haunted Bruiser. Cynthia had manhandled him, though, so he didn't feel too guilty. Especially after Spiritomb…

"Earth to Ash?" Gary snapped his fingers in front of his face, vaguely annoyed. Ash blinked. "Finally! What do you think she could replace Shelgon with? I'm just glad the stupid thing didn't evolve fighting you. I'd rather take on her Komm...whatever you called that, than a freaking Salamence."

"Charizard," he said absentmindedly. Ash stepped around a small Sentret digging through someone's discarded sandwich and chips (it hissed viciously and chased away a lone Murkrow that had hopped over for a look) and glanced to Gary, who listened raptly. "She uses it in her six-on-six battles. Pretty standard Charizard, but it focuses more on physical attacks than normal. Opens up by flying, softening up the target with Flamethrower and long-range dragon-type attacks. Once it's ready, Charizard likes to get up close and overwhelm."

Gary nodded, filing the information away into his memory. "Cool, I can handle a Charizard."

He stepped behind Gary as a small group of laughing Wataru (most with a Dratini wrapped around their necks or trailing behind them) swaggered past without a care in the world. They'd left the alley now and had moved into a more residential part of Blackthorn lined with plain homes, the occasional school or community center, and a few training facilities. Every building was in the traditional boxy Blackthorn style and flat-roofed.

"Alakazam?"

His friend nodded. They walked slower now, no longer quite as rushed by all the people. Gary always kept the pace a little faster than Ash would prefer, though. He barely had time to examine their surroundings or admire the occasional relic or temple hidden amongst the residences.

"Yeah. I'm gonna keep Blastoise for Kingdra. He's tough enough to handle anything it can throw at him - Shell Slide would knock the crap out of it. Alakazam is gonna take care of Kommo-whatever or Charizard. Pidgeot can blitz Altaria now that we know not to fall into stupid traps like you did," Gary snickered, and Ash fought the urge to kick him from behind. It would be so easy, he wasn't even watching… "Umbreon can take giant dragon thing or Gyarados with Confuse Ray, like how I beat Oz in the Conference. Dragonair won't be too bad, I've got options for it."

Ash scowled. Was it really necessary to bring up Oz's defeat? Knowing Gary, it was. "Confuse Ray on Gyarados is probably a bad idea."

Gary shrugged his advice off. "Why? I don't care if it rampages and messes up the Gym. It's not like it's mine. That's Clair's problem."

He sighed, and dropped the point. Well, hopefully the psychic barriers would hold. The psychics supporting Clair's Gym were probably used to ridiculously destructive battles at this point. "Okay, so tell me about your options for Dragonair. Nidoking was a good counter, but if it can actually use its abilities it can be a nightmare. I've seen it wipe out whole teams, so…"

As Gary boasted about how easily he'd crush Dragonair (and Clair's spirit), Ash couldn't help but enjoy the brief moment of contentment he'd found walking the streets with Gary.

Who knew when he'd get another chance to do this?

XX

After bidding Gary goodbye near the northern gates of the city, Ash pulled out his PokeNav and checked out the maps of Blackthorn he'd downloaded. He ignored the entertainment map - Ash had dragged Gary to one of the largest museums in Blackthorn, which would have been great if Gary had stopped whining - and followed the path out into the thickets of trees guarding Blackthorn's northern edge. The walls were nearly thirty feet high and quite thick as well, created from countless boulders taken from the nearby mountain ranges and shaped with the sharp claws of Dragonite.

The northeastern path was straight and well-kept, a far cry from the twisting, overgrown paths that Ash and Gary had traversed in the Mahogany territory. It was an ancient thing, shaped of countless flat stones laid closely together and packed hard into the dirt. Every step took him further uphill through the masses of pines and oaks that blocked him in on all sides, slowly directing him toward the Wataru clan compound located just outside the city.

I am capable of teleporting us there directly, Friend-Trainer. I can sense hundreds of minds a short distance away. This feat is within my capabilities.

He smiled and relished the sweet mountain air as a breeze rustled the trees. "You're not getting out of walking that easily," he laughed. Dazed was silent as she shuffled alongside him, none too impressed with actually climbing. Hypno were adapted for life in plains, flatlands, and tended to fit in quite well in the flat terrain of human cities. She wasn't a climber. "I can return you, if you'd like."

It is not necessary.

Ash nodded, but slowed down all the same. A faint sense of appreciation filled him, and he dipped his head to Dazed. It wasn't as if he wanted to force his way through this area too quickly - it was rather pretty, albeit fairly dark and foreboding due to the walls of trees all around them. Most were evergreens, though a few oaks were already colored with rich golds and reds and oranges that brought a spark of beautiful contrast to the forest.

The path slowly grew steeper, then changed to stone stairs of varying heights the farther they walked. Soon after the forests thinned and finally vanished altogether, replaced by towering walls of tan rock that cocooned him, coming together to form a tunnel as the path took him up the mountain. There were plenty of holes and gaps in the walls, so the tunnels were still filled with golden sunlight.

His breath came out in short pants, fogging the air ahead of him, and it didn't take long for his legs to burn as it turned into a proper climb. Despite her protests, Ash returned Dazed once she reached the point of just teleporting ahead of him and waiting.

No need for her to push herself like that. They'd have plenty of time to spend together later on tonight. Ash knew she'd appreciate getting to learn about the Wataru - she'd loved the Blackthorn Museum of History, and if they were left to their own devices they could have spent hours examining the different exhibits.

Instead, Ash released Sneasel to accompany him. His friend was all too happy to clamber up the stairs (which all seemed to be different heights and lengths, making it even more difficult to climb) and took great pleasure in taunting Ash as his breaths came faster and harder and his legs filled with lead.

"Don't laugh. Or is this payback for Hunt the Sneasel?" Ash wheezed at Sneasel as the little dark-type snoozed at one of the top steps. Sneasel's ears twitched and he stretched, making a big show of it, just as Ash finally reached his step. The moment he did, Sneasel shot up ahead, around a curve in the tunnel, and Ash hurried after him.

It was never a good idea to let Sneasel leave his sight.

He ignored the burning in his limbs as he rushed up the stairs, turned the corner and -

Ash stared.

Ahead of him was a vast gap in the ridge nestled between two of the Ore Mountains that towered above Blackthorn,. There was nothing but plain grey, brown, and tan stone to see - no vegetation, no trees, nothing green or living. By all accounts, it should have been unremarkable as anything but a dead, barren valley. The only natural features of any note were the two peaks jutting far, far above in their craggy splendor.

The natural features were unremarkable. The unnatural features, however…

All around him, etched and hewn from the hard stone of the enclosing mountainsides by dragonclaw and chisels, loomed countless figures. There were hundreds, thousands of the men, women, and dragons carved from the mountains to greet new visitors. Ash craned his neck to look around, yet the statues were so numerous and paced together he could barely discern a single detail.

None were on his level. They had been carved out of the looming cliffside, the lowest of the endless ranks nearly thirty feet above Ash on either side. Every figure held sharp features, their unseeing eyes glaring down at this intruder, and a great stone mantle set about their shoulders. There were plaques and etchings carved deep beneath each figure and their dragon, though at such a distance Ash could never hope to read them even with Lightning sharpening his senses.

Notably, Ash realized not a single pokemon roosted amongst the outcrops. No Pidgeotto had made their nests there, no Noctowl or Geodude or Skarmory hid between the carved idols.

He'd have to be a fool to not realize what these rows and rows of regal, cloaked individuals represented however: the Drakes of Blackthorn.

There were hundreds. Would he find them all here if he looked hard enough, or had some Drakes been struck from history? Had the Wataru ever torn down a Drake or denied them a statue, or had they embraced their heritage fully? Ash knew there had been hundreds of Drakes, multiple claiming the title at once as the Wataru fell into bloody civil wars or periods where multiple Drakes ruled for less than a year before being deposed.

No doubt he could find plenty of the famed Drakes he'd read about or seen artifacts of in the museum - Drake Ryoto, who united Johto and fell to the First Champion, or Drake Hiro, the legendary First Drake who had discovered a Dragonite in the Ice Path who had gone onto become his partner, or even Lance…

Ash couldn't help but wonder what stories would they tell about Lance? In the modern world the Wataru had lost a great deal of the influence they once wielded. They were powerful and respected, but they only held sway in Blackthorn. Yet Lance had reclaimed all the old glory they'd once boasted, shattering records and becoming the youngest Champion in history. He'd become the pillar of Indigo, fought back the Rockets, and even became a servant of Fire…

Lance really was larger than life. It was like he'd made all those ancient stories about the Dragon Masters of Blackthorn into the real world, had heard endless tales of valor and sacrifice and chosen to embody it wholly.

He felt a surge of affection for Lance, and found himself eager to make his way to Indigo Plateau when his time in Blackthorn came to an end. Things might be uncomfortable, but Ash found he couldn't care less. He'd missed Lance.

Finally broken from his stupor, Ash scooped up Sneasel and looped the awed dark-type around his shoulders. His thick fur was soft and warm against his skin. Sneasel made a pretty good scarf, not that the cold bothered Ash too much. He couldn't help but grin as Sneasel's eyes darted from statue to statue, enraptured with all the different places to climb, scrape, and potentially topple…

"Easy there," he teased. "Stay away from those, alright? Let's not destroy the priceless historical relics."

Sneasel groaned, then went limp. Ash didn't mind, and reached a hand up to stroke Sneasel's soft ears. He smiled at the rumble that came from deep in Sneasel's chest and began to walk beneath the gazes of countless Drakes and dragons.

They were long dead and not at all real, yet Ash couldn't escape the heavy air that filled the pass. He couldn't help but toy with the Unown amulet, finding a little security in the rough stone and deceptively heavy weight to it. Even still, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as the statues seemed to stare down at him from their great height, judging him harshly with empty eyes.

His pace picked up ever so slightly. Sneasel grumbled at the jostling, but was too content being hugged around Ash's neck to be too upset. Ash stroked the itchy skin beneath Sneasel's feather to placate him, and set off down the path. It was a gentle slope now, no longer made up of the steep stairway that brought him here.

Before long he turned out of the ridge and followed the path a little farther - the Drakes still stood aloof and proud, but they numbered fewer here. They were less densely placed, their ranks thinning, and ahead of him laid a final stairway that led up to a pair of heavy wooden gates, painted a bright crimson that stood out starkly against the pale grey stone surrounding them. They were ancient, thick things, functional above all else, and held a certain charming simplicity that kept them from being outright ugly.

On either side of the gate were old guard towers, no longer manned in these days, yet when Ash stopped to stare at the impressive sight he felt a psychic brush against his mind. Certainly powerful to detect him despite Sneasel wrapped around him.

Rising high above the thick-walled towers were the two mountains that formed this ridge. This was their narrowest point, a natural defensive position the Wataru had happily taken advantage of. Guarding the towers as silent protectors rose two masterfully carved statues, etched in superb detail and incredible realism that made Ash certain that they would twitch to life and stride away if he only watched for long enough…

Each stood at least thirty feet high, dwarfing the true-to-life portions of the other statues. To the right stood a giant with pointed features, long hair tied in a ponytail, and a lance in his right hand. A short, bristly beard was etched onto his face and lent him an air of authority as his left hand extended to grasp the claws of the other figure: An enormous Dragonite, every scale shaped with agonizing precision, with its massive wings spread wide.

The First Drake Hiro and his partner, Keikok, who spawned the Wataru legacy. Or so Ash presumed - it only made sense.

His breaths were labored as he climbed up the stairs, entering the shadows of these legendary figures. An electric sensation filled him, and he felt a certain tension rising higher and higher as he ascended to the gates, which opened smoothly before him through some unseen hand or mechanism.

An icy flame kindled in the back of his mind. Ash couldn't find it in himself to care.

Behind the gates was a small gatehouse, and Ash immediately returned Sneasel as the little dark-type perked up and looked around with sudden interest, the distinctive click of his claws unsheathing harsh in Ash's ears. Dazed appeared beside him an instant later. She was a little more...diplomatic.

Two await us.

Ash nodded his thanks and took his last few steps to the sturdy old door of the gatehouse, which Dazed easily pulled open with her psychic powers. The fiery blue outline quickly faded, and his friend shuffled at his side.

His attention was immediately drawn to the two figures waiting inside the plain, unornamented room.

Naturally, he looked to the Dragonite first. The golden dragon stood tall and proud, the countless layered scales faded to a pale yellow or even white due to age, and its antennae brushing the high ceiling of the room. It was built thick and strong, only slightly slimmer than Dov, and its great wings were held tightly against its back. He couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful Dragonite - it was perhaps even taller than Lance's Dragonite, and in its prime must have been a mighty fighter.

There was no missing the hints of age and a faint air of weariness that hung about the gorgeous dragon despite its splendor. Once he had overcome his awe, countless glaring wounds and losses became clear to him. Its horn was shattered, little more than a jagged stump remained from some old battle. One of its antennae was outright gone, and he bit back a hiss as he saw the old Dragonite's left arm was cut off at the shoulder. Several patches on its chest were white scar tissue, ugly and knotted, instead of the gleaming golden scales that should have been there.

It still carried the air of a ruler, however, and Ash did not linger on the kindly Dragonite for long. He flushed as the second figure - a towering old man with a shiny bald head and an impressive beard that hung to his chest - chuckled at his stare. He wore long navy robes in the old style, trimmed with gold thread the color of a Dragonite in its prime.

"My partner of so many years," his voice was still rich, smooth, and deep despite his ancient appearance. It held a nearly hypnotic quality, and Ash immediately felt the knot of anxiety in his gut loosen and uncoil. "Her name is Hana."

Ash grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Hana," he said to the Dragonite. Her kind eyes met his as a low rumble bellowed from within her powerful chest. Ash motioned to Dazed, who simply stared at the others. "This is Dazed, one of my family."

The old man's eyes lit up. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Dazed. My grandson has spoken of you," he smiled, the innumerable wrinkles carved into his face deepening. He bowed to the Hypno, and Dazed's mind brushed Ash with a vague sense of unease. She wasn't used to being addressed so directly. Ash found that he liked this man more and more. "I thank you for your service."

Dazed shuffled awkwardly, and the man seemed to sense he had made her uncomfortable. He smiled at her one last time before his dark eyes turned to Ash. "Forgive me my poor manners, Elite Four Ash. I am Wataru Yari, Elder of the Wataru clan and its former Drake. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Just Ash," he choked out, then quickly reached out to shake the Elder's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Elder."

"Just Yari, please," the Elder's eyes crinkled as he laughed. "Don't worry about standing on ceremony with us. We've always been a people of action."

Ash smiled, a little more at ease. "Sounds good to me."

The Elder - Yari - clapped his hands together. Hana perked up, her great nostrils flaring. "But you don't want to sit around talking to an old man like me. Come!" He said and led them out of the guard house. Ash squinted as the late afternoon sun struck his eyes, and he and Dazed both froze as the rest of the clan compound was revealed to them.

It was enormous. The compound was built upon a vast mesa hidden within the greater mountains he'd seen earlier that rose on and on and on until their peaks were shrouded in fluffy white clouds. Each of the taller mountains were crammed so close that their rocky surfaces were exposed, revealing dozens of alcoves carved into them. When Ash squinted, he exhaled sharply. They were homes, homes hewn out of a cliffside.

The mesa was so massive - too massive - that Ash rather thought it wasn't natural, as if some great beast had shorn the mountain top off countless eons ago.

Settled atop was a plain hall in the traditional Johto style, similar to the old buildings of Ecruteak. It was almost startling in how different it was from the surrounding buildings and countless residential sections that filled the mesa, splaying out around the central clan building while roads divided the different neighborhoods like spokes on a wheel.

The other buildings were in the same style as Blackthorn: tan and boxy, with flat tops to act as platforms for dragons to lift off from. Each and every home and building was designed for pure efficiency. Ash respected that.

"Hiro's Hall was once the private residence of the Lord of Blackthorn deposed by our ancestors," Yari smiled at Ash's stunned look. "We didn't always live here. For many centuries our people hid away in the mountains to the west. Once our ancestors conquered Blackthorn, we took this place as our prize and shaped it to our liking."

"The First Drake," Ash said slowly, methodically poring over the recalled information. "He conquered Lord...Chisaka?" He felt a little vindicated as Dazed touched his mind with approval, and it only deepened as Yari and Hana turned to him, obviously surprised.

Yari's wizened face broke into a not-so-toothy smile. "You know your history."

Ash shrugged, turning away from the assessing eyes. "Some. I'm learning."

"We all start somewhere," Yari said as he led them along the paved road towards Hiro's Hall. "What is the saying, hmm? Ah! 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'. Quite fitting, I think. Life is about improvement."

He nodded along, though he was honestly more concerned with craning his neck to look around at everything he could. It honestly looked identical to Blackthorn in many respects, even down to the sharp-faced people milling around and laughing. As soon as the Wataru saw the Elder, they lowered their head in respect. Many eyes followed Ash with blatant interest as he walked alongside Yari, obviously unused to seeing an outsider inside these walls.

They weren't hostile, at least - most, anyways. Ash could sense that much. Some even sparked with recognition, and he hurried to stay alongside Yari and Hana as they stepped forth with massive strides. Dazed simply shuffled behind at her own pace, utterly unconcerned with keeping up.

"Would you care to stay for dinner?" Yari asked suddenly as they stepped into the Hall, and Ash nodded as he glanced around the entry room. It was fairly standard, honestly. Aside from countless paintings, tapestries, and models of Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite it was identical to some of the formal buildings he'd visited in Ecruteak, such as the Dance Theater. "Excellent," the old man then frowned and glanced around as they moved into a large communal dining room, mostly clear except for massive wooden tables, sturdy and old, set up throughout. A few younger Wataru were busy making preparations, laying hundreds of plates and chopsticks all around the room.

"There are a few things I must see to before dinner," the Elder said with a twinkle in his eye. Ash found himself smiling back. "But I've found a guide to show you around. If you've been to the Gym you've probably met her…where is that girl?" Yari muttered, then brightened as a tall girl entered from another door with a young Dragonair winding behind her. "Ah, marvelous. Hasta!"

The familiar girl hurried over with her Dragonair. "Elder Yari! I've been looking all over for you!"

Yari seemed quite pleased to have found the girl, and Ash immediately recognized her as the receptionist from the Blackthorn Gym: same sharp features, same height, and the uncanny resemblance to Lance that still bothered him a little. She beamed as she saluted the Elder and waved to Ash. "Hi, nice to see you again! I'm Hasta. We met at the Gym. I'm Leader Clair's apprentice, and I've been -"

The old man not-so-subtly coughed and Hasta immediately shut her mouth, her face a little red. Dragonair sang to her softly and rubbed its head against her shoulder. "Hasta, would you mind showing Ash around the compound before dinner?"

She saluted again. "Yes, Elder!"

"Nice to meet you," he said, only a little stilted. Ash was immediately struck by Hasta's height now that she was closer - she towered nearly half a foot taller than him and she was probably only two or three years older than him. She had plenty of time to keep growing. By the end, she'd probably be just as tall as Lance or Clair.

"Nice to meet me too!" The Wataru said, then flushed as Ash visibly tried to puzzle out her flub. She stammered something out, then Yari mercifully stepped in to spare them both.

We have found a kindred spirit, Friend-Trainer.

Dazed's amused voice slipped into his mind, a gentle warmth to it. Ash smiled even as Yari spoke, Hana waiting patiently at his side. Every person that passed - both human and pokemon - gave them a wide berth and whispered respectful greetings. "Now, I'm afraid Hana and I must be off. Enjoy yourself, Ash!"

With that, Yari stepped away with little sense of urgency. He seemed just as content to meander slowly through the halls, speaking with various Wataru and their partners, as to actually make it to whatever important business he had to attend to.

An awkward silence. Ash hadn't missed these - he'd been spoiled spending so much time with his human friends. They understood him, and nowadays their silences rarely ventured into uncomfortable territory.

"So…" Hasta kicked at the heavy rug under their feet - an old thing with unfamiliar names and tales woven into the pattern - and shifted. Dragonair cooed into her ear. "Want to see something cool?"

Yes. Yes he did.

XX

"It's incredible!" Ash's voice could barely be heard over the howling wind. Dazed polished her pendulum from where she hovered behind him. He stayed a safe distance away from the sharp drop of the sheer grey cliff they'd found their way to, but Hasta had sat on its edge without a care in the world with Dragonair at her side. To be honest, her utter ease at hanging off above the void left him with a little knot of anxiety. Thankfully, Dazed was quick to send a warm flush of comfort to him.

After an initial tour through the compound (and Hasta cheerfully introducing him to countless men, women, and children until his head ached) she'd guided him to the back of the compound, up a complicated series of bridges, tunnels, and even a few gaps between mountains or ridges that Dazed helpfully teleported them across. Hasta simply rode Dragonair, although the serpentine dragon couldn't carry her as easily as Saph had Ash in the past.

This expenditure of time, effort, and endurance had led them to a high point on one of the compound's neighboring mountains. It wasn't quite at the peak, which was still thousands of feet higher up, but the overlook was placed highly enough to offer a gorgeous view of the Ore Mountains, the clan compound, Blackthorn, and even the wild areas to the west that led to the Ice Path.

He took a moment to appreciate it. Snow-tipped mountains spread on for countless miles to the north and south, riding up and down like vast, craggy waves. Ash thought Plume would love to fly here - it would be surreal to be so high yet to see the peaks just beneath. He resolved to make it happen.

Perhaps a thousand feet below the cliff, separated from their mountain by a long gap bridged by rope and wood, laid the clan compound. It looked rather small from this height, though Ash knew exactly how massive it really was. He appreciated the view, finding it fascinating to see how the Wataru had arranged their isolated home.

Hiro's Hall towered above the rest of the compound, placed centrally where it could dominate the rest. Around it was a small plaza, ringed with various buildings facing toward the hall. Roads and paths shot out from it, dividing the rest of the compound...though now that Ash could truly appreciate its size, he thought it more of a village or town. It was difficult to pick out the purposes of any individual building other than the hall - they were all roughly identical, and it was only made more difficult by their flat roofs designed for dragons to fly off of. There were definitely different sections, however.

Curious, he looked to Hasta. She seemed remarkably content up here on the cliff and exposed to the elements, like this was her true home. "So what's with the buildings in the plaza?"

Hasta jerked up, steadied by Dragonair's coiled muscle. Her eyes were unfocused, lost in thought, and she took a moment to reply. "Oh, those are the shops and services and stuff," she said. "Kind of a pain to run to the city whenever you need groceries. My parents run the Armory - our training store," she explained. "Grooming products, a few TMs, pokeballs, potions, yadda yadda yadda. Nothing too fancy."

He hummed his understanding, then his mind leapt to something she'd mentioned earlier. "You said you're Clair's apprentice?"

"Yes!" Hasta beamed and kicked her legs erratically against the cliffside. "She needed a new attendant because the last one quit a while back. Nobody else wanted the job, so I took it."

Ash thought he knew where this was going. "On one condition, right?"

The older girl's laughter filled the air, mostly drowned out by the constant wind pounding the cliff. "She's helped me before, but I wanted real training. Not just tips that she gives out."

He leaned forward, although he didn't come any closer to the edge - Ash just didn't feel as comfortable with the dizzying heights without Plume. At least he knew Dazed was perfectly capable of catching him.

Your faith is appreciated.

Ash grinned, then glanced again to Hasta. "So you're a trainer?"

Hasta looked at him, then to Dragonair, and back to Ash. "Yep."

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant."

Her face broke out in a wide grin, then pulled her jacket aside to show several pokeballs on her belt. "I've been training for...four years," she counted, then winced. "Wow, time flies."

"Did you ever travel?" He asked.

"For a while," Hasta frowned, a far off look in her eyes. She stopped kicking. "I got a few badges, but I stopped after a few months. I missed home," the older girl confessed. "After a while, I just wanted to be with my family."

Ash nodded. There were plenty of trainers - the majority, in fact - that didn't travel. Most started off on the Gym circuit, but the majority washed out within months. Traveling wasn't for everyone, and many preferred to train near home. There were plenty of battles, tournaments, and resources to be found in proper cities, after all. Plus, it was always possible to use taxi services to fly or teleport you to other cities in order to challenge a Gym Leader.

To be honest, if Hasta was a dragon-type specialist there was probably nowhere better for her to stay than Blackthorn. He couldn't imagine not traveling, though. The people he'd met, the places he'd seen...Ash wouldn't be the same person without it.

"What teammates do you have besides Dragonair?"

Hasta shrugged. "How about I show you after dinner?" She said with a gleam in her eye.

He nodded and let the matter drop, though he had to admit he was curious. "So...what kind of training does Clair put you through?" Ash asked. Knowing Clair, it was probably unpleasant. It was difficult to imagine the short-tempered woman as a good teacher, though it wasn't like he knew her well.

"It's tough!" Hasta seemed to relish that fact. Dragonair winced in agreement and coiled a little tighter around its trainer, who happily wrapped her arm around the dragon's warm blue scales. "Leader Clair doesn't take days off. After the Gym closes she runs us through some exercises, helps me with techniques, has her team spar with mine...she demands excellence!"

Sounded about right. "What about today?"

Hasta hid a grimace. "Uh, maybe she does take one or two days off," she said doubtfully. "Leader Clair needed some time to herself," Hasta chose her words carefully, and Ash couldn't help but relish his victory even more. Clair really did remind him a little of Gary. "I still can't believe you beat her."

"It wasn't easy," Ash let Hasta's praise roll off of him. She still sounded like he'd pulled off a miracle. "Clair's strong. Very strong. My research on her helped."

"Smart," Hasta said simply. She looked off at Blackthorn. The city seemed so tiny from up here, so inconsequential. Just a little cluster of buildings and monuments nestled in the shadows of the jutting mountains that dominated these lands. "I hope I can beat her one day," she sighed. "I want to be Gym Leader, or maybe even on the Elite Four," Hasta whispered. "If I could fight Drake Lance…"

That caught his attention. "You've never battled him?" He looked at her, somewhat surprised.

Hasta outright laughed at that, and his face burned. She looked at him, amused. "Nobody's battled Drake Lance. He's busy. We only see him every two months or so, and that's usually just a quick visit. If we're lucky, he'll give us some tips."

"Huh," Ash muttered. He couldn't say he wasn't surprised. For whatever reason, it was hard to imagine Lance as somewhat separate from his clan given how fondly he spoke of them and their legacy. Still, Ash supposed it made sense - if Lance had to deal with clan matters as well as his duties as Champion he'd probably snap. Time wasn't an abundant resource for the Indigo Champion. "I just thought…"

She laughed again, though at least she didn't seem bitter. It was just a fact of life to her. "It's a big clan. I'm one of the Drake's cousins, but that doesn't mean much around here, Hasta snorted, then pointed over at the neighboring mountain, the one with dozens of living spaces carved into its surface. From this angle, he could see even more launch platforms for their dragons to take off and land from. Hasta pointed at a specific hollow a hundred feet above the others. "See that?"

He nodded, though he was still reeling a little from what Hasta had said. The only human family he had was his mother, and it was hard to imagine that a family (or clan in this case) could be so large that the members barely even knew each other.

"That's the Drake's Hollow," she said. "It's the private residence for the Drake, separated from the rest of us. Drake Lance is the first in...wow, it's been forever. He's the first to use it in decades. But he stays there with his team when he visits. He likes his alone time."

Ash frowned, finding it a little hard to reconcile that with the Lance he knew. He'd always thought Lance the ultimate extrovert - he was the type to stand tall above the rest of a crowd and relish the attention it brought - but maybe even the Dragon Master needed some space every now and then.

Hasta went quiet for a little bit, content to sit and cuddle with Dragonair. She clearly wasn't a fan of silence, however, and quickly pointed down to the sprawling neighborhoods that extended beyond the plaza and made up the bulk of the clan compound. "See those? My house is somewhere - there it is!"

As she cheerfully chattered on, Ash finally stepped forward and carefully scooted so he could sit on the cliff's edge a short distance away from Hasta and Dragonair. His stomach lurched as his legs hung free over the vast, empty abyss without Plume there to steady him, but Dazed's comfortable touch against his mind eased him.

A cold flame flickered in the back of his awareness, yet Ash paid little heed to it. He wouldn't let Mewtwo worry him.

This place, wild and free yet comfortable, was beautiful to him. The vibrant reds and yellows and oranges of the sunset as it cast over the endless mountains spiking from the earth and the evergreen forests blanketing the world, the deep purple and encroaching black as night fell…

Ash wasn't sure how long he sat there lost in thought, trading short bursts of easy conversation with Hasta every now and then as she told old stories, pointed out the obscured entrance to the Dragon's Den nestled at the base of the mountain the Drake's Hollow was built into (forbidden to outsiders, unfortunately), and named the different peaks cradling Blackthorn.

He couldn't help but appreciate the simple beauty of the moment. This place would stay with him for a very, very long time. Ash was excited to return to Hoenn in the coming weeks, but he would miss the ancient beauty of Johto.

"...Elder Yari told me that Leader Clair and Drake Lance used to fight all the time, and she would annoy him so much when he came back that he only wanted to be Drake so he could have a place to hide from her!" Hasta rambled, and Ash laughed. He could see that. She laughed as well, pleased with her story, and then jumped. "Oh! It's getting late, isn't it? Want to head back to the compound? I can probably show you a few cool places before dinner."

Ash couldn't help but wish to stay up here so he could look down on the world for a little longer. Everything seemed so small, so simple from the cliff.

Still, he couldn't help but want to explore the compound a little more. He grunted and rose to his feet, his limbs stiff and a little numb from the cold. A little flare of Fire cured that, however, and he relished the flush heat.

"C'mon!" Hasta pointed to one of the rocky outcrops of the mountain that had been their last stop before flying (or teleporting, in Ash's case) up to the cliff. Dragonair cooed happily as Hasta hopped onto its back. "I'll race you there!"

He and Dazed both looked oddly at Hasta and she and Dragonair shot off the cliff, and in a flash of light Dazed proved why teleporting was slightly faster than flying.

XX

Dinner was a raucous, wild affair. Ash wasn't sure why'd he expected any differently - these people were all related to Lance, after all.

Movies often showed the old clans as the picture of decorum, all quiet dignity and upturned noses. Clearly, the directors had never met the Wataru - from the moment they'd begun eating, it seemed a competition of who could shout the loudest to be heard, who could tell the best story, who could steal just a smidge of attention from their neighbor. Plates clanked, more sake was poured than water (even Wataru members only a little older than Ash were given small cups of it), and at least six separate brawls had started and broken up over the last half hour - normally with the Wataru men and women involved laughing it off and tossing an arm around their opponent's shoulders.

It was overwhelming, loud, obnoxious, and perhaps the most fun Ash had had since he'd fought the Gyarados at the Lake of Rage. He laughed as a few Dratini hissed at each other under one of the long tables and cracked their tails like whips as they wrestled over a few berries their partners had dropped for them.

"This is good behavior, actually!" Yari laughed at his seat at the head table, raised above the rest on a short dias. Hana waited patiently behind them, her single antennae flicking occasionally. She seemed amused yet resigned to the clan. "They're excited to have you join us, Ash."

"I'm glad to be here," he said, still a little flushed and jittery from when Yari had introduced him to the clan at the beginning of the meal. His face had burned, but the Wataru either hadn't noticed or hadn't cared - they just laughed, greeted him respectfully, and dug into their meals. "I never knew there were so many Wataru."

Yari smiled down at a few of the younger Wataru children who had crept closer to the high table (despite the scolding of their parents) to stare at Ash. When he looked at them, they scattered like a school of Magikarp spotting a Pidgeot. "We're an old clan, and we never suffered purges like the others. We've had more than a thousand years to grow strong."

Ash nodded, glancing to his left at the Elder. Yari sat in the central seat, a high-backed chair fashioned from mahogany (apparently a gift from an ancient Mahogany Lord), and presided over his vast family like a proud grandfather. Which he was, Ash supposed.

Hasta sat to his right, and past her sat several other younger clan members that Ash couldn't remember the name of. He'd met so many people that his head was spinning - he'd probably have a headache by the time all this was done. It was worth it, though. His only regret was that Dazed couldn't be here with him. She'd be completely overwhelmed by this many people.

Normally he'd have Bruiser out instead, but he was recovering in the Pokemon Center with the others who'd faced Clair. Nidoking, Infernus, Torrent, Plume... they were all healing, and it left him naked and exposed without their strength to draw on. Sneasel couldn't be trusted in a place like this, Seeker would be just as nervous as Ash, Oz would probably be uncomfortable, and Tangrowth…

He hid a grin. Tangrowth would probably just be trying to hug everyone - of course, knowing him, he'd probably get confused when he saw the Dratini and think they were his vines that had fallen off somehow.

As a result, Aron laid happily by his feet. Once Hasta had finished squealing over him, anyways. Ash passed him plenty of the berries laid out for pokemon, and had even managed to appropriate a few chunks of scrap metal for him to nibble on. It was a good thing Aron wasn't too picky.

Then, as Ash's thoughts leapt back to his team's fierce battle with the Blackthorn Gym Leader, he frowned. "Where's Clair? Does she live somewhere else?"

Yari winced, and the empty seat to his left became a little less of a mystery. A tall, blue-haired woman seated slightly farther down past the empty chair groaned and settled her face in her hands, as did a kindly man with sharp cheekbones beside her.

"Leader Clair is unfortunately indisposed," Hasta somehow managed to say with a straight face. Yari massaged his temples. The couple farther down just looked defeated. "She has many duties to attend to."

"You mean she's as sore of a loser as she is a winner!" The woman scowled - now that Ash paid attention, she was the spitting image of Clair. Her mother, then, and she confirmed it shortly after when she looked to the man next to her. "I swear we raised her better than that - sulking in her office after a loss, honestly! You'd think she was twelve, not twenty-five. Next time Lance comes here -"

Yari sent the woman a stern look. Her scowl deepened and her fists clenched atop the dark grain of the table, but she didn't push any further. Instead, she just fell into a sullen silence and attempted to murder her food with her chopsticks. Ash didn't think you were supposed to stab with chopsticks, but who knew? Maybe it was some secret Wataru technique he didn't know about.

Or, more likely, she was where Clair got that inclination from. The woman's Dragonair seemed to roll its eyes as it exuded an aura of calm that caressed them all - Ash leaned into it, fondly recalling the utter serenity that Suicune exuded. When would he have another chance to meet the Legend? Personally, Ash hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

Suicune was impossible to predict, of course. It was free as the wind.

"Leader Clair's parents," Hasta whispered helpfully into his ear. Ash nodded to show he was listening. She pointed at the snarling woman. "Wataru Nina, my aunt. She's the type to bake cookies and hand out treats to the kids, but when she's mad... well, a while back Lance didn't visit for three months when his Gible ate some paintings she was working on. Her husband, Wataru Dylan, mostly just likes watching the fireworks."

Ash smiled gratefully, then glanced at the last person seated at the high table. She was at the far left, sickly pale with red hair down to her shoulders. He looked a little closer, then frowned - she looked exactly like Hasta and Lance.

Thankfully, Hasta didn't miss his look. "Lance's mom, Wataru Glaive. She's quiet."

That was probably the biggest surprise he'd faced so far. How anyone remotely connected to Lance, let alone his mom, could be considered quiet was beyond Ash. Still, he accepted the situation and moved on. Maybe he could ask Lance about it later. Hasta didn't seem too forthcoming.

"So, Ash, what do you think of our home?" Yari inquired. It didn't seem a matter of simple politeness - Ash thought he was genuinely curious. Everything the old man did came from the heart.

"It's beautiful!" He grinned and passed Aron another little piece of metal. The resulting crunch was hidden by the shouts and cheers of the dining Wataru as they dug into the second course - steaming bowls of soup and freshly baked bread - passed out by a handful of younger Wataru before they scurried back off to the kitchens. "It reminds me of Ecruteak's buildings."

Yari's eyes lit up. "This style was all the rage back in the day," he surveyed his vast clan again. "The other buildings in the compound are in the normal Wataru style, of course. Our ancestors popularized it in Blackthorn, although of course there was quite a bit of mixing over the years."

That reminded him of something. "Are there many Wataru that live in Blackthorn? I saw a lot of people…"

For a moment the Elder looked confused, then snorted. "Oh yes, there are quite a few that choose to live in Blackthorn. Some prefer more privacy than the compound offers, others simply don't get along with this lot," he gestured to a man and woman currently shouting at each other for some reason or another, a few of their neighbors egging them on. "Of course, after so long we have countless descendents in the city with Wataru blood in their veins. It's not like the old days," he sighed. "With the world so small these days, more and more of us leave every year."

Ash eyed the horde of dragon tamers and their partners eating down below. There were easily three or four hundred happily living in the compound. "I think you have a few years left."

"Yes," Yari acknowledged, "but we're a relic these days. The world's moved onto grander things. Our decline is slow, yet steady. We've fallen far from the old times - our covenant with the Dragonite doesn't put us as the top as it once did."

"Lance is Champion," he pointed out. Aron reared up and tried to nibble on Dazed's pokeball, so he tossed another tiny scrap piece down to him. Hasta looked under the table and grinned as Aron's baby blue eyes glanced up at her while he munched on his treat. "He's pretty relevant."

Hasta chimed in. "Lance isn't average."

Well, that was an understatement. Lance was a giant, standing head and shoulders even above the rest of his legendary clan. Ash acknowledged that with a grunt. "What about Clair?"

Ash didn't miss the hint of fire in Hasta's eyes at the mention of her mentor, yet Yari answered. "A brilliant girl with awful timing. If she was born in any other generation she would have been Drake. She's served Blackthorn well, and I hope she continues to rise."

He thought back to Clair's team - she had plenty of potential to grow. Dragonair and Shelgon's evolutions alone would make her an absolute terror, and she was already plenty formidable. Without his hours of research on her team (not to mention the month training against Lance's dragons) it would've been a far tougher fight. Just knowing their general tactics let him control the flow of the battle.

Of course, that raised another question. "Speaking of Clair, why hasn't she evolved her Dragonair?" Ash asked - then winced as Aron finished chomping on his scrap metal and decided to affectionately lick Ash's leg with his rasping tongue. It stung even through his pants, and he quickly tossed another chunk of steel to Aron before his tongue could shred through his pants. "It was her starter, right?"

Hasta and Yari shared a look. The Wataru girl glanced away as if to leave this one to the Elder, only to duck a rice ball that sailed through the air. A young boy with blue hair shouted an apology, then hid away as Hasta's Dragonair glowered at him.

Yari handed his plate to his Dragonite, who gingerly picked it up with her one remaining limb before cleaning it. "Well, as you might have noticed, Clair has a rivalry with Lance."

Ash didn't need to point out what Yari left unsaid: Lance doesn't have a rivalry with Clair.

"She boasted as a girl that she wouldn't need a Dragonite to beat Lance, and she's still clinging to that promise," Yari rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated. "She's a stubborn woman, always has been. It's something to be admired, but it is possible to take a good thing too far…"

"That's the truth," Ash muttered under his breath. Hasta snorted.

Even Yari didn't disagree. "But enough of that! We can always talk about our dear Gym Leader," he said with a straight face and looked to Ash. "Now, did Hasta show you the reliquary? If you're a lover of history we have several artifacts and records there that might interest you - several first-hand accounts of the Battle of Mt. Silver, a few missives from the Tsuki and Taiyo demanding we surrender our beloved companions...ah! We recently rediscovered a few accounts of the burning of Lavender in the Secession of 827…"

He sat back in his seat, a slight smile on his face, and listened.

It was probably a good thing he wouldn't be staying for too long - he could get dangerously used to this.

XX

The clan's training grounds were a simple affair tucked into the interior of a nearby mountain, right next to the forbidden Dragon's Den. Several tunnels had been created to link the grounds to the clan compound, guarded by a lazy Wataru, his Dragonair, and braziers of azure dragonfire.

"C'mon!" Hasta grinned as she led him through the twisting tunnels, instinctually passing by the dead ends, collapsed tunnels, and a few ominous black pits with familiar ease. "It's just this way!"

Ash glanced distrustfully at a blue-eyed statue of a Dratini that lurked in one of the innumerable side alcoves lining the tunnel, a handful of gold coins sprinkled beneath it. "What does that one do?"

Hasta seemed bored by his question. "There's a disguised pressure plate. If you step forward to grab the coins, it collapses and you fall into a pit. I think the ancestors left a few spikes down there."

He snorted. "And why do you have to run through a death trap everytime you want to train?"

"It's not a death trap!" She protested futilely, then thought better of it. "For us."

Ash didn't say anything. His point was proven.

"It's good training! We get shown through it a bunch as kids," Hasta tried to dig herself out of the hole. Ash looked pointedly at her, and she deflated. "Okay, I see your point, but it's just something we never really think about. As long as you're not stupid, you're fine."

"What was it even made for?" He asked. "Was this a hideaway?"

Hasta frowned thoughtfully at him. "Yes, actually. From the early days. We were supposed to be able to evacuate the children and elderly here if we got invaded - that never happened!" She laughed. It echoed throughout the stone tunnel. "Turns out attacking a dragon clan in the mountains is a bad idea. Who knew?"

He hummed. "So they never got used? Not once?"

"Well…" she trailed off. Dragonair sang cheerfully behind her, as if encouraging a puzzled student. "They did stop a bunch of Sneasel that tried to sneak in a while back. They kept going for all the shiny stuff. Not too smart if you ask me."

Ash winced. That sounded like something Sneasel would do - he was endlessly enraptured with shiny, noisy, interesting objects. He'd ignore his instincts in a heartbeat if he saw those coins back there. He was immediately relieved he'd returned his friends before they'd entered the tunnel.

"So how much farther -" Ash's voice hitched as the tunnel suddenly widened, then stretched to an enormous size. It had to have been nearly as large as the great cavern he'd faced Clair in. The cavern wasn't quite as tall, only thirty or forty feet high at best, but it made up for that in diameter. It was at least a thousand feet in every direction. How had they hollowed this out? Dragonfire would be useless against stone. "Wow…"

"It's something, isn't it?" Hasta sounded smug. She stood with her hands on her hips, the picture of pride, and Ash thought she looked far too much like Lance. "We can't really go wild in the grounds, but we hold classes for the little kids here. All the serious training goes on at the Gym or in the mountains. Nobody wants to be the one to bring the mountain down."

Ash nodded. "That would be bad."

Hasta laughed at that, and quickly released her team. He smiled and greeted them each as they were released, and found himself impressed with their poise. Ash glanced them over, taking a quick assessment.

Dragonair, quite a bit smaller than Clair's massive specimen (which was no surprise, considering it hadn't evolved in at least ten years) but it still appeared proud and gentle. The dragon sang softly to him, and he embraced the peaceful allure. Tension drained out of his shoulders and he thanked the dragon softly.

Next was Electrode, which was around the same size as Surge's when they'd fought through Zapdos' Storm. He couldn't help but glance at the creature curiously - he hadn't gotten too many chances to interact with them in the past. Little arcs of lightning jumped across its smooth carapace, and it grinned up at him. Curious, Ash drew upon Lightning and the electric-type spun back, stunned.

Satisfied, he smiled down at a massive, blue creature that laid lazily on the ground. Its tiny eyes stared at him from beneath heavy flaps of rubbery skin. They weren't dumb, Ash noted, but he got the sense that Quagsire couldn't care less about him. It was a pretty relieving thought, honestly, and he found himself liking the apathetic water-type immediately.

Hasta hesitated. "You might want to stand back!" She warned from a safe distance away. "Magcargo can't control her heat too well."

"I'll be fine," Ash waved off her concern, and did nothing but grin as a wave of relentless, scorching heat blasted him - his skin immediately stung, and Fire flickered in him. He knelt before the droopy fire-type and waved a hello. Magcargo looked at him dully, a little surprised to find him so close, and waggled her eye stalks a little. "She's beautiful! I bet Infernus would love to fight a Magcargo -"

"Uh uh, no way!" Hasta interrupted, sharp eyes locked on Ash. "I saw what your Magmortar did to Kommo-o - that thing's not coming near my babies!" Dragonair sang out in agreement, coiling protectively around Electrode and Quagsire (who didn't even twitch).

Ash shrugged. Oh well, it was worth a try. "It wouldn't be that bad," he ventured. "Infernus has self-control."

Hasta looked at him oddly. "Ash, in the six months I've been Clair's apprentice - about five months longer than anyone else has lasted, by the way!" she said with pride, a little more relaxed now that she was away from the clan. "Uh, anyways, in the six months I've been watching her battle I've never seen Kommo-o come out that badly. He's a monster!"

"He is!" Ash agreed with a painfully wide smile stretched across his face. Hasta inched back. Instead of mentioning how impressive (and terrifying) of a battler the Alolan dragon was, he turned back to her team. "You know, I was expecting more dragons. Not that it's a bad thing," he added as Hasta immediately went on the defensive. "It makes you harder to predict."

She relaxed just a tad. "I don't want to fall into the stereotype," the Wataru girl confessed, and took a few steps forward as Magcargo oozed away. She carefully avoided the trail of molten sand and blackened stone left in its wake. "We aren't just dragon tamers. We're not all Lance - not that many of us remember that these days," Hasta muttered. "I love dragons, but I want to take it to the next level! I'll be more than just another Wataru."

Ash nodded in approval. He could understand that. "So why did you want to come down here?" There were definitely easier, slightly less lethal places she could have shown him her team.

"Well…" Hasta bit back a grin and pointed straight at him. It didn't have the same effect as when Lance did it - no wonder Lance liked his capes so much. Ash suspected the cape tradition began with an absolute drama queen...or the human equivalent of Plume, who he could easily imagine wearing a cape or cloak if she were able. "I challenge you to a battle!"

A short silence reigned, and as it dragged on Hasta awkwardly lowered her outstretched arm.

"Most of my team is at the Pokemon Center."

Hasta deflated. "I know! But I don't really want to fight those anyways," she made a big show of shivering. "I mean, look what they did to Clair. There's no way I can beat her, so I know I can't beat you. But that doesn't mean I can't try!"

Ash assessed her, then nodded. The Wataru girl immediately brightened and hopped up and down for a moment, then sank back down onto her heels when he sent her a look. "Let's go," Ash released Dazed, whose eyes flickered blue as she took the training grounds in.

The Champion-Mentor-kin seem to be fixated on caves.

"What's with that weird smile?" Hasta scowled at his smirk. She turned her nose up and stalked to the other side of the battleground - Ash frowned, and turned just as a gaggle of small, stumbling Wataru ranging from chubby toddlers to kids who would probably leave on their journeys soon rushed into the battlegrounds. He stared, and Hasta had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "Sorry! I might have mentioned to a few people that we'd be battling…"

Ugh, oh well. After the Conference he didn't have any problem battling in front of crowds. Even ones that seemed to grow larger and larger every moment, swelling until they started to spill around the sides of the battleground and took seats on the myriad of stone benches placed throughout the area.

"As the Gym Leader," Hasta said pompously (one of the Wataru children threw a rock at her, which Dragonair knocked away with a flick of her tail), "I shall do you the courtesy of releasing first! Go, Dragonair!"

Dragonair's eyes twinkled as it slithered ahead, relishing the vast explosion of cheers, howls, and hollers from the Wataru children - it was obviously a favorite. The dragon cried out softly, its soothing song softening his mild annoyance.

"Release, challenger!" The tall, lanky girl boomed in a poor imitation of Clair. More cheers from the Wataru, of course. They adored their 'Gym Leader'. Even Ash couldn't help but smile ever so slightly.

Just as Ash raised Sneasel's pokeball and released him to gasps and cries of 'Eggcracker!', he frowned as something tugged on his pants. A flicker of amusement, courtesy of Dazed, shot through his mind as he turned and stared into the dark, soulful eyes of the young child solemnly stuffed the hem of Ash's shirt into his mouth.

"Hello?" Ash asked doubtfully, and the little Wataru girl stared right back as she slobbered all over her mouthful of cloth. He gently tugged his shirt out of the child's mouth, grimacing at how wet it was. Thankfully he had his pack back in the guest room Hasta had showed him. He'd definitely be changing shirts.

Perhaps you should burn it.

Not the worst idea, he admitted, then shook it off and released the one distraction he knew would keep the children far away from him as he battled: Tangrowth.

He laughed at his friend as the grass-type gurgled happily and wrapped a few vines around Ash to squeeze him tight in a hug. Ash whispered a few kind words, glad to see Tangrowth after their limited time together in the Ice Path, and motioned at the horde of children milling all around - there were easily thirty or forty now, and every minute or so another one or pair wandered in through the death trap labyrinth.

Ash didn't think he'd ever seen Tangrowth's eyes get so big. The grass-type happily bounced up and down on his feet and hopped over to the little Wataru, dozens of vines rushing out to poke and prod these strange little humans that were so happy to see him.

"Wow, it's so cute!"

"I want one!"

"What kind of dragon is that?"

Hasta massaged her temples at the last comment, looking vaguely ashamed, and Ash snorted. With the children distracted, he grinned back at Hasta and Dragonair. "Ready?"

"Ready!" She looked positively gleeful, and quickly shouted out a frenzied stream of commands to Dragonair that he couldn't hope to decipher. Even Dragonair looked vaguely confused for a moment before it darted into action, Sneasel hissing and leaping forward to meet it with claws unsheathed.

Despite the vaguely claustrophobic environment, lit only with the raging blue torches lining the walls, and the horde of whooping, cheering children, Ash found himself grinning like a madman.

He'd just emerged from the Ice Path. How could he not appreciate this manic warmth?

XX

"You sure you want to walk? We have a few Alakazam that could teleport you back," Hasta was skeptical as she reclined back on the spartan bed he'd spent the night on, knocking her feet erratically against the red comforter. Ash looked at her, ever so slightly annoyed. He'd just made that bed a few minutes ago. "That's how I get to the Gym every morning."

"I'm sure. It's a nice walk," he shrugged and returned the rest of his bathroom supplies into its storage compartment. Sneasel lounged in a small, fluffy bed (likely meant for Dratini considering its size) in the corner of the room and peered balefully at Hasta, who'd stolen his spot. "I'd like to see the Valley of the Drakes again."

Hasta yawned - it was a little early for her, apparently. She'd knocked on his door and promptly complained that Dragonair was still happily snoozing coiled up in her room. It was only six thirty in the morning, so Ash didn't know what she was complaining about. At least he wasn't getting her up before dawn like he had with Steven to get precious training time in.

"You can pop back in whenever you feel like it. Elder Yari loves you. He might adopt you into the clan at this rate," she drawled and lazily rolled over onto his pillow. After just a few seconds her eyelids drooped and her mouth hung wide open. Ash smiled ever so slightly and nodded to Sneasel. The dark-type's ears perked up and he bared his teeth in a happy snarl.

Sneasel scrambled over to the bed with all the stealth Ash expected from him. Even in the silent room it was impossible to hear his footsteps on the cold stone floor. His feather twitched as he effortlessly clambered up the comforter and sat just a few inches away from Hasta's snoozing head.

He yowled. The ear-splitting screech nearly made Ash twitch, and it was much, much worse for Hasta. She jerked awake in a second, eyes wide and mouth agape, and stumbled over her words. "I'm up!"

Ash nodded in satisfaction, then tossed a treat to Sneasel. He snagged it, snickered, and easily dodged the pillow Hasta tossed at him. She glared at Sneasel and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When he tapped his chin and looked pointedly at her, Hasta flushed and wiped a little bit of drool away.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the Gym soon?" He glanced at the clock on the wall. "You told Gary to be there by eight."

Hasta yawned. She didn't look too concerned. "I don't have to be there for another forty-five minutes. Just have to be there to open up, then I just sit around and wait for whoever's unlucky enough to challenge Clair," she snorted. "Present company excluded, of course."

"Of course."

"Thanks for the tips last night, by the way," Hasta rubbed her eyes again. "Magcargo and I got some work in after you went to bed. You think she can pull off that volcano bomb technique you used against Clair?"

Well, that explained why she was so tired. One mystery solved. "Probably," Ash said as he slung his pack onto his back. Hasta reluctantly dragged herself off the once made bed and leapt to her feet. "It's pretty simple, just cap the magma well she pulls up with Lava Plume and let the pressure build up. When it's time, she can set it off with barely any effort," he repeated his lesson from last night. "It's just something I've been working on. Infernus and I need to fine-tune it."

"It's pretty cool!" Hasta chirped, a lot more alert now that she wasn't laying on a warm, somewhat comfortable bed. The Wataru prized many things, but comfort wasn't one of them. Considering he'd spent the night in an old room reserved for distinguished diplomats, Ash suspected the bed was meant to be a little harder than normal. It was downright cushiony compared to his sleeping mat, though, so he was hardly bothered. "I can't wait to bust it out against Leader Clair!"

That reminded him of something. He was glad that he'd given her his PokeNav information last night after their battle. "You sent Lance the footage of my battle with Clair, right?" At Hasta's nod he continued. "Think you could send me the footage of Gary's battle?"

She brightened. "Yeah, definitely! I can't wait to watch that - she's gotta be so mad after yesterday. She's going to crush him!" Hasta sounded quite pleased with that.

Ash arched an eyebrow as Hasta led him through the wooden halls. They were empty and completely silent - no Murkrow or Noctowl dared to fly into the compound and presumably most of the clan were happy and warm in their beds. "Gary might surprise you."

Hasta snorted as they left the confines of Hiro's Hall and into the frigid air of the mountaintop, Sneasel darting behind. He rushed here and there, investigating everything Ash didn't think was too important, and was utterly invigorated by the darkness and wind. The sun wouldn't fully rise until well into Ash's walk back to Blackthorn.

"You surprised me," she laughed, though she shivered in the darkness. Ash couldn't help but watch as Hasta ran her fingers through her thick red hair. "I think Clair is going to chew Oak up and spit him out."

"We'll see," Ash hummed, confident that Gary had gleaned enough information during Ash's fight to take Clair down, especially if she was down a battler or two. He couldn't wait to watch in person. Mostly he just wanted the recording to further dissect Clair's style and pick out whatever adjustments Gary had made to his own.

Soon enough they found themselves in the gatehouse he'd first met Yari and Hana in. He glanced around. It was the exact same, just a few statutes of Dragonite and simple wooden paneling. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, then Hasta took the lead.

"Well, nice battling you!" She fumbled a little. "Uh, meeting you."

Ash cracked a smile. "You too. I guess I'll see you in…" he calculated the time. "An hour and fifteen minutes."

She blinked, then nodded. "Oh yeah, good point!" Hasta grinned. "Nevermind all this, if you're coming to the Gym then I'm gonna grab a quick nap! See ya!"

With that, she skipped happily out of the gatehouse back to her warm bed. Ash just stared, befuddled at the abrupt change of pace, then shrugged. He motioned for Sneasel to climb up around his shoulders and stepped out of the gatehouse back into the whipping winds and harsh cold of the early morning.

Blackthorn awaited -

"Hana? Yari?" He came to a stop after just a few steps. The Elder and his old partner waited patiently at the gates of the compound, barely visible in the faint light. Sneasel grumbled at the sight of Hana, but didn't dare protest anymore as she stared at the little dark-type. She made for an intimidating sight despite her gentle spirit. "I didn't expect you."

Yari looked perfectly at ease in the darkness. "I'm old. We all get up early."

Ash grinned. "Well, it's good to see you. I was just leaving."

"Of course," Yari dipped his head. "I won't hold you for long. I hope you've enjoyed your stay. It's been an honor to have you join us, Ash."

"I have," he said simply. It was all that Yari needed to hear. The old man looked satisfied and the lines of his face only deepened with his soft smile.

Yari stood up straight. "Should you ever find yourself in our humble city again, it would be our pleasure to house you," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "You made quite an impression on the clan - particularly our younger members."

He rolled his eyes. No surprise there. "I think Tangrowth made more of an impression than I did," Ash said drily. "I had to pry the kids off him so we could go to bed."

"I did hear stories about a strange green dragon!" Yari hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should expose our children to a few pokemon besides Dratini…"

Yari snapped his fingers. "Ah, I almost forgot!" He rummaged around in the inside of his heavy robes, then pulled a small, albeit thick, text out. Ash was a little confused as he accepted the book, but wasn't about to turn it away. "A gift. A token of appreciation for your many services to the clan."

"What is it?" Ash flipped the book open and skimmed. It was difficult to read in the darkness - and the thin, spidery handwriting written in antiquated script didn't help - but his interest quickly piqued. "A journal?"

"Of a sort," Yari said. He motioned for Ash to continue reading. "Go on."

His eyes gradually adjusted as he pushed ahead. It was difficult - the writing included more elements of the Unown in it than modern writing, which stirred a few unpleasant memories - but he forged on. Realization gradually dawned as he deciphered it. "Tomorrow morn, my kinsmen and I fly upon Blackthorn. Keikok has been troubled. I hearken the Elder's warnings, yet my heart beseeches me to do as I must. Blackthorn shall burn, and we will dance in the ashes of the Blackthorn Lord. We will build a new future."

Ash's blood ran cold. "Drake Hiro?"

"And many others," Yari nodded with satisfaction. "Several efforts have been made over the years to collect and reproduce the Drakes' journals so they can't be lost. This is the culmination of these efforts."

"I don't think I should have this," he tried to hand the precious journal back to Yari, but was refused.

"Nonsense!" Yari sounded amused. "Believe me, we have several. It is rare to find anyone so interested in our history, and I know you will treat it with care."

He couldn't help but frown at that. "It probably won't be safe with me," Ash thought back to the many, many dangers he sprinted into.

Yari didn't look surprised. "Then our clan's wisdom will serve you well," he countered. "Our Drakes were rarely safe either."

At last, Ash relented. He slipped the book into his jacket pocket and dipped his head to Yari and Hana. "Thank you for the gift," he said quietly. "I'll treasure it."

A warm, wrinkled hand rested on his shoulder. Sneasel started to growl, but a sharp look from Hana cut him off. Her lone arm twitched, like she had to fight the urge to smack Sneasel.

"Ash, you have saved my grandson not once, but twice," Yari said earnestly. Ash found it difficult to meet the man's eyes. His cheeks burned and he fought the urge to run off. How much had Lance told Yari? "You have a strange path ahead of you and who knows where it will lead? No matter what happens, you will always be welcome here. We can never repay our debt to you."

Ash shook his head. "There's no debt."

Yari chuckled. "If only it were that easy!" He mused, then stepped aside. "I've taken enough of your time. Forgive the ramblings of an old man. Safe travels, Ash."

He smiled softly and reached to stroke Sneasel's soft fur. "Goodbye, Yari. Goodbye, Hana."

Hana and Yari waved him off, and the gates opened smoothly before him. Ash took one last look at the elder and his partner, then beyond to the ancient lands of the Wataru clan.

He would return, he decided.

After that he did not look back.

XX

Only a handful of humans were out and about this early. Plenty of pokemon jaunted down the streets, eager to enjoy the peace before the humans of Blackthorn woke up. Mountain mists crawled through the streets, so thick Ash could only see faint shadows. There was a blissful silence, a sort of separation from the hustle and bustle a human city normally possessed, that Ash found incredibly relaxing, like -

"I can't believe I'm up this freaking early!" Gary's whining was like daggers in his ears. A Gligar resting in an alley seemed to agree judging by the ferocious growl it sent their way. Ash sent an apologetic wave its way (and snagged Sneasel before he could go antagonize the pokemon) but Gary utterly ignored it. "All because Clair was being a whiny -"

"Please stop," he practically begged. For the last twenty minutes they'd been walking Gary had been ranting - if you listened to him, getting up this early was unforgivable. Personally, Ash enjoyed the quiet. It was even better now that he had his full team with him, picked up from the Pokemon Center where he met Gary. "Just think about the battle."

Gary's face darkened. "Oh, trust me. I've been thinking about the battle. I couldn't even sleep last night - which sucked, because it was nice having an actual bed," his grimace spoke of his distaste for their traveling arrangements in the Ice Path. "Can't believe I let some loser like Clair mess up my sleep."

Considering what Ash knew of Gary's sleeping habits (poor at best, nonexistent at worst) he wasn't sure all the blame could be placed on Clair.

"Got your strategies figured out?" Ash took note of the dark rings under Gary's bloodshot eyes. It actually reminded him of how Professor Oak looked in the mornings. He supposed Gary had inherited more than just his mind from Professor Oak.

The other boy nodded. "Clair doesn't stand a chance," he yawned. Clefable reached up, a little concerned at Gary's unsteady gait, and grasped his hand. Gary didn't even think twice of it and immediately seemed in better condition. At least a little weariness had been wiped away.

Ash sent a smile to Clefable, who waved back with its other hand. The cheery normal-type left a slight grin on Ash's face - he never thought Gary would let him see that. Did he even notice Clefable holding his hand?

In just a few minutes they had made their way through the mostly empty city to the Gym. Ash smiled at the familiar sight, and increased their pace a little. Sneasel was more than content to snore into Ash's neck as he tightened his hold. He'd run himself ragged on the walk to Blackthorn, ecstatic to chase through the chilly mists and climb trees as easily as Ash could breathe. It wouldn't take long for him to recover, but for now he seemed happy to rest.

"She's not gonna know what hit her," Gary promised, talking more to himself than Ash. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair as they approached the massive Gym. "I can't believe she made me wait - it's her freaking job to battle challengers. Really pissed me off…"

They stepped through the rows of statues that loomed over them and Ash frowned at the dark windows of the Gym. Had Hasta slept in? He had to admit that had him a little worried...Clair didn't seem like the most forgiving boss. As they got closer, Ash spied a plastic sign attached to the dark door and felt a sinking sensation in his gut.

This wasn't going to be good.

Gary's face was ashen. He stalked forward, even Clefable's touch unable to soothe him, and ripped the sign from the door in shaking hands.

"Due to Leader Clair taking an unexpected vacation, the Blackthorn Gym will be closed for one week. Please refer to the Blackthorn Pokemon Center for more information. We apologize for the inconvenience!"

His friend howled, and shook off Clefable's attempt to grab his hand. "What is this BULLSHIT?" Gary raged, a vein throbbing in his temple. The dark shadow in Ash's mind blazed with amusement, and behind the concern in the forefront of his thoughts he couldn't help but agree. "I get up early to come fight this trash Gym Leader, spent all night figuring out how to counter her stupid dragons, and she's on vacation?"

Gary snarled and flung the sign back, then paced like a caged Persian. Ash just folded his arms and waited - no point trying to calm Gary down. He'd burn himself out eventually. The boy raved on and on, gradually slipping more swears and curses at Clair in (some were actually fairly creative), and eventually slipped into a completely incoherent state of spitting, swearing, and stalking in front of the Gym.

And then, disturbingly sudden, Gary froze. His whole body seemed to lock up and he immediately went silent. Ash frowned and looked at Gary, a little worried that Clair had actually managed to break him, and began to reach out.

Before he could, Gary turned to him with the ugliest smile Ash had ever seen. It was all teeth and no warmth. His rage had iced over in an instant, but there was murder in Gary's calm eyes.

"She planned this. I know she did. 'Be here bright and early'!" Gary mocked Clair, then spit in front of the Gym doors. He looked like he was going to spit on one of the statues as well, but a warning glance from Ash dissuaded him. "Fine, this is how she wants to play? I'll bite," his friend snarled. "She's giving me a week, huh?"

Ash nodded, content to let Gary get it out of his system. No use trying to hold him back. He found himself a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to see Hasta again before he left - she'd probably teleported to the Gym, been told it was closed, then promptly gone back to bed.

"Well, while you were out canoodling with a bunch of inbred dragon fetishists -"

He sent Gary a look.

Gary rolled his eyes. "You're so boring. I really don't get why I bother keeping you around."

"Probably because nobody else wants to be your friend."

The brown-haired boy's eyes bugged out. His jaw dropped, and Ash immediately regretted his words. He'd gone too far. Then Gary laughed - a real laugh, not a snort or smirk or sneer. "You're getting there, Ash! You'll catch up someday!"

He really hoped he wouldn't.

"Anyways," Gary continued with a wry grin, still chortling, "while you were off with the dragon freaks, I was doing something actually important! Heard from a few trainers that a nasty Tyranitar has been running around up north causing trouble."

Gary turned away, eyes blazing. He spoke more confidently now, his new plan fully coming together in his mind. "Clair thinks she's going to make me sit around and wait with my thumb up my ass for a week? Screw her! I'm going to come back stronger than ever. I'm going to train, I'm going to catch that angry ass giant monster, and I'm going to tear her apart!" He cackled, delirious from his lack of sleep. "She just gave me a counter to her stupid dragon-thing!"

Ash waited until Gary's face was a little less red and his breathing a little less labored.

"Want to get some breakfast?"

Gary deflated, a mix of fatigue and exhaustion from his outburst taking their toll.

"Sure," he sounded resigned. "Lead the way, Ashy boy."

For once, Ash didn't mind the name.

XX

Several hours later, they found themselves sitting just north of Blackthorn on a small hill. It gave a nice view of the city walls and the mountains, and Ash couldn't help but miss the cliff that Hasta had taken him to. He'd find it hard to beat that view…

Gary looked halfway to nodding off, but Umbreon would always lightly nip his hand before he could fall asleep entirely (but not before nibbling at Gary's sandwich). Ash coughed, and Gary sat up sharply. Nidoking just snorted.

"So how far north are you going?"

His friend blinked. "Uh, what?"

Ash rolled his eyes and repeated the question.

"A few days," Gary mumbled. "Got the coordinates on my PokeGear."

"And you're going to leave straight from here?" He asked doubtfully. Umbreon nodded with Gary, though the dark-type looked rather frustrated. "Sure you don't want to go back to the Pokemon Center and get some rest first?"

Gary shook his head. "I'm good. I can't waste any time."

Ash had to admit he was a little impressed. Gary really was taking this seriously. Watching Ash and Clair's battle must have sparked something in him. "Do you think you can take her?"

That question must've killed Gary. He just bit his lip and ran his fingers through Umbreon's thick black fur. "Yeah, I think I can. She's gonna be training her ass off, though. I can't let her get an edge."

He nodded, satisfied, and rested his hand on Nidoking's shoulder. Nidoking grunted softly, though his dark eyes never strayed far from Umbreon.

Gary didn't miss it. Despite his fatigued state, he scowled. "Dude, what's up with your Nidoking? He freaks Umbreon out."

Ash grimaced at the thought of Pierce's slavering beast of an Umbreon, the way it had returned from its tussle with Nidorino with a bloodstained maw… "Bad memories," he said quietly. Nidoking tensed beneath his touch, eyes black. "We fought an Umbreon once."

His friend didn't push further, accepting that's all he would get out of Ash. Nothing else needed to be said, and a companionable silence fell between them. Ash was content to lay there with his hand on Nidoking, eyes up to the wispy clouds drifting overhead. They seemed to hang low this morning, so close that the fog flooding the hills nearly seemed to touch it.

"Do you remember when we were little and Daisy took us out to the Corral with your mom?"

Ash glanced to Gary, whose eyes were wide open as they stared up into the sky. After a moment, he nodded. They were fuzzy memories, yet Ash could still remember riding Arcanine with Gary as Daisy led them a little farther out than they were allowed normally. It had been such an adventure back then.

"Those were good times."

"They were."

A smile flickered on Gary's face as Umbreon crawled up into his lap and curled into a ball. He wasted no time in stroking her black ears. "Do you remember the last time they took us out? It was just a few days before Daisy left. When we got to see Charizard flying overhead?"

He barely recalled it, but nodded all the same. It was less a memory and more a sensation, a steady certainty that Gary spoke the truth.

"She said she'd be back soon, that I'd see her again before I knew it," he said. There was a hint of something in Gary's voice, though the boy hid it quickly. "It's been years."

Ash didn't offer any sympathies. Gary would throw them right back in his face.

"And ya know, I don't really care anymore!" Gary's voice was hard, and he sat up (Umbreon quickly rolled off him). Ash mirrored his movements. "She's a stranger. In the last week I've spent more time with Johnny boy and whats-her-name than my own sister in years. Ain't that pathetic?"

He grunted noncommittally and let himself be the mirror for Gary to bounce off of. They both rose to their feet as one, and Ash waited patiently as they stood across from one another.

Gary just scowled and looked away, towards the north and away from the civilization he loved. "Daisy can rot for all I care," he muttered and looked back to Ash. Ash blinked as Gary leaned close and gripped his arm, ignoring Nidoking's furious rumble. "I just want to know why. Remember your promise, alright?"

"I will," Ash's voice was low and serious. Gary looked searchingly into his eyes for a few moments, then seemed to find something that satisfied him. He nodded and let Ash go - Nidoking's snarl slowly faded, though Gary paid him little heed.

The other boy finally looked away. "I think I'm gonna go now," he muttered. "Gettin' a little too real over here for my tastes."

"Good luck out there," Ash said. If anyone could understand Gary's need for space, it was him. He'd enjoyed his time with his friends, but it was chafing to constantly be around humans. Still, he couldn't help but look at his friend with a hint of concern. He really needed a nap.

Gary barked out a laugh. "You're wishing me good luck?" He shook his head. "Yeah, no thanks. Keep your luck far, far away from me, dude. I don't want it."

The corners of his lips tugged upwards. "Can't blame you for that."

"How about this, you have good luck out there. You need it more than me," his friend snorted. Gary's mocking grin faded a little. "And...I hope your mom is alright. She deserves better," he finished. Ash nodded gratefully, and clasped Gary's hand one last time. "I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Yeah."

With that, Gary practically scurried away. Ash watched him go down to the road that would take him to the northern reaches of Blackthorn, heavy in thought. He would've been more surprised if Gary had stayed, to be honest. Of all the people to express something genuine, Ash would place Gary at the last.

Not that he was much better, to be fair.

Either way, he watched until Gary had vanished into the mists. Although Gary had gone, Ash sat back down on the hill to rest a while longer. Several of his team appeared around him in a flash of light as he released them, and he relished their closeness.

All alone at last.

He closed his eyes as Sneasel curled up between his legs, Seeker squirmed underneath his light jacket to bask in his warmth, and Bruiser took Gary's old seat to sit patiently. Nidoking barely shifted as the others took their places. Torrent levitated closer and Plume's wicked talons scratched away at the stone as she leaned down until her beak was right next to his face.

A well of guilt surged upwards, memories of his stupid arrogance in the battle against Clair, and he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Torrent's familiar rumble eased Ash's mind, and the light nip of Plume's beak against his frayed cap finally brought a smile to his face. It was their way of telling him there was nothing to forgive. Despite the sentiment, he knew he'd do better. He'd never be tricked that way again.

Content at last, he let himself drift off with his team.

XX

The Ore Mountains passed around them in a blur. Plume shrieked and flapped her mighty wings, propelling them at a blinding speed through the mountain range, easing around the snowy peaks and projections with fantastic ease. Ash could barely keep track - Plume had wanted to show him a new level of speed today, though he knew it must have seemed glacial to her. After reaching the heights of Super Speed, he sometimes wondered if the rest of the world seemed painfully slow in comparison.

He smiled and rested his hand against her glossy feathers. Her plumage rustled ever so slightly in the wind, and she screamed to the world beneath as she swung close to the mountains with incredible expertise, so close that her wingtip nearly brushed the coarse stone. Ash grinned and held on tight as she swerved into a spin (he was never more grateful for his saddle and its straps) and reached up to adjust his goggles as Plume shot up a thousand feet into the air with blinding speed.

His stomach lurched, then settled almost before he'd recognized the change. Ash panted as the immense forces battered his body, yet couldn't stop the manic grin on his face.

Flying was fun.

Ash's heart leapt as, far in the distance, a mighty peak loomed. It dwarfed the lesser mountains around it, surrounded by several shorter mountains whose sides seemed to grow into the enormous central mountains. Each was blanketed in forests and punishing cliffs, ravines, and drops. Some of the most powerful pokemon in Indigo lived there, isolated from most humans.

The great mountain that towered over the rest of the Ore Mountains was of a light hue, a strange pale grey that nearly gleamed silver, and history had been forged in its shadows for a millenium.

Mt. Silver.

He admired the sight - it had always been present during the Conference, so familiar that it had almost been put out of mind, but seeing it again reignited all sorts of memories: triumph, joy, and that sharp pang of loss that still left him itching under his skin.

On the other side of the Ore Mountain range was the Pokemon League Village, the Indigo Stadium, and the lesser stadiums used in the first few rounds of the Indigo Conference. If he continued down this side, eventually he'd run into Silver Town near the base of the mountains surrounding Mt. Silver. It was the home of the Silver Conference, Johto's counterpart to the Indigo Conference.

But neither of these places were his destination (although he couldn't imagine how eerie it would be to explore the Pokemon League Village when it was empty and devoid of life) and Plume easily closed the distance.

As he neared Mt. Silver, several psychic presences flickered through his mind - they recoiled immediately, however. He wasn't surprised there were security measures, of course. Not after the shadow war with the Rockets. Ash hoped he hadn't scarred the unsuspecting psychics too badly.

Plume shrieked again, her cry echoing throughout the vast expanse of mountains and hills, and they circled around Mt. Silver. Ash couldn't help but admire the pale peak, eyes tracing up the enormous base all the way to the tapered peak that ended just below the clouds.

Its scale couldn't be described properly with mere words. It was monolithic, like several mountains merged into one. The tallest peaks of Blackthorn were simple hills in comparison. As Ash stared at its snowy peak, gales of cold wind and chunks of ice blasting off, something in his gut froze.

He gasped, his blood running cold and the breath in his lungs burning with frost. Ash craned his neck to stare at the highest reaches of Mt. Silver, and his hands gripped tightly onto Plume's saddle.

There was no mistaking the presence atop Mt. Silver, muted as it may have been. His thoughts went cold and logical, all passion and feeling expelled as Ice surged through him.

That was right, he thought numbly. Oak had even mentioned his suspicions.

As of this moment, Articuno roosted atop Mt. Silver.

His thoughts were numb as Plume circled, spotted the proud old fortress of Indigo Plateau built into the foothills of Mt. Silver, and quickly began her descent. The world slowed - he found it odd to be able to pick out actual detail again - and a very unwelcome voice cut through his mind.

Ash was able to find a vague sense of amusement that he could find something irritating enough to pierce Ice's numbing touch. He embraced Ice for a time. Without it he would be dumb and jittery with adrenaline and fear.

Fantastic, it's you. I'd hoped that I'd have a little more of a respite. Your betters have asked me to welcome you to Indigo Plateau since you knocked out the normal welcoming committee. Land and figure your own way in.

With that, Bob the Alakazam's pompous voice vanished from his went his hopes of them being on better terms after Greenfield. Ash found himself wishing that he could burn out Bob as easily as he did the other psychics...

Either way, he didn't let it bother him long. Couldn't, not with Ice wrapped around him like a frosty cloak. His breath billowed out like a dragon's, white and cold. He only began to let it thaw away as Plume landed just before the road of gold and silver bricks that led to the high gates of Indigo Plateau.

"Thanks for the ride," he stroked Plume's crest and rubbed her giant beak. She cooed at him and allowed him to return her. Ash quickly clipped her pokeball and released Nidoking, who squinted around at their surroundings. It felt fitting for Nidoking to walk this path with them for their first return to Indigo Plateau. "Ready to go in?"

Nidoking chuffed and followed at Ash's side as they walked from the forest onto the road. Ash looked at the etchings on each brick and felt nothing but respect, eager for the distraction from the fact that Articuno roosted just a few thousand feet above (which wasn't nearly enough in Ash's opinion).

Steven had told him that each of the gold bricks in the road to Indigo Plateau represented a fallen trainer in service to the Indigo League while the silver bricks represented each member of their team arrayed around them. There were so many, and far too many laid in the last two years.

He clenched his fists, a bloody rage frothing within him, and drew on Ice yet again to calm himself. It was easier than ever. How many of these men, women, and pokemon had died because of Giovanni?

Despite the comfortable numbness, Ash still read every name he could as he stepped forward on the path. It was impossible to truly remember even a small number, but he did his best to give each of the fallen the respect they deserved. It was the only comfort he could offer them.

It took a long time to reach the fortress and Ash couldn't help but smile at the pair of massive Rhydon statues, only a shade larger than the First's Rhydon was in truth, that guarded the entrance. They were sculpted with terrifying realism, and he could easily imagine these beasts stirring to life to defend these gates.

"Halt!" Two ACE Trainers (Ash was pleased to see they still wore the replicas of Lance's cape that Steven had given them) appeared as if from nowhere, guarded by two grinning Gengar. Ash and Nidoking came to a stop, although a bead of poison dripped from Nidoking's long horn. "Before you enter, you must submit to an inspection. Please -"

"That will not be necessary."

Both of the ACE Trainers immediately snapped to salute the owner of the cool, commanding voice. Even their Gengar did, which bothered Ash more than he'd like to admit. Still, he couldn't help but grin as a lithe, hard-faced man garbed in tight purple clothing and a dull orange scarf wrapped around his neck. He was accompanied by a massive Venemoth that clicked curiously at Ash and Nidoking, and the man's expression softened.

"Koga!" Ash smiled widely. It had been ages since he met the Gym Leader - no, Elite Four now. He hadn't seen him since the Conference.

"Hello, Ash," Koga said in his deep, raspy voice. He was stern, yet the set of his eyes betrayed a slight warmth. "I've been sent to guide you to Lance's office. Come with me, please."

Nodding, Ash followed with Nidoking at his side. He dipped his head to the ACE Trainers, who returned the motion and respectfully stepped aside. Their Gengar watched after him, stirring dread with their powers, yet he did not show a hint of fear.

The inside was just as he remembered it: a vast entry hall with a low ceiling covered in gleaming marble flooring. It was simple and beautiful, fitting for this ancient fortress. There were less obvious security measures arranged this time, which Ash supposed made sense considering there wasn't an event being held. Only a single pair of ACE Trainers stood inside, although Ash was certain there were additional security personnel in place that he wasn't aware of. A receptionist worked at a desk just inside, several bored men and women waiting in chairs inside. They looked oddly at Ash, but Koga paid them no mind.

Depictions of various historical events were captured in huge paintings on the walls, each protected behind a thick layer of clear glass. He couldn't recognize most of them - a fact that slightly frustrated him - but there were a handful he could pick out easily enough: a stylized portrayal of Moltres gifting the First Champion its Fire, Cerulean in flames with a man and his Gyarados surrendering to the First, the clash of two men beneath Mt. Silver, and dozens more he couldn't recognize so easily.

One on the right of the massive atrium did catch his attention - three old cities in flames, burned to cinders by an exaggerated Champion and his furious Charizard. The Secession of 827. Ash had to admit he was proud to have picked that one out - he'd only really learned more than the name from Yari's stories.

He had to hurry to keep pace with Koga, and soon found himself winded. Koga was relatively quiet, mostly just whispering streams of orders into the ears of the League forces guarding the way. Ash soon found himself into an area he vaguely recognized, a network of halls and turns that would take him throughout the fortress.

Last time he'd been here for the League party during the Conference, Ash could recall this place being a twisting network of false paths, dead ends, and trick rooms. Not to mention infinite loops, a complete lack of sense, and a headache in the making.

When he voiced these thoughts to Koga, the thin man actually laughed. "Yes. The security measures of Indigo Plateau are extensive."

Koga said nothing else, leaving Ash to puzzle out the answer for himself. It was a little hard to think with Venemoth staring at him with its massive compound eyes, but he managed. "Psychics definitely," he remembered the sense of confusion that had settled over him in the first visit. Mental tricks could explain the majority of it. "Ghosts, perhaps? They'd be difficult to work with psychics, though…"

The ninja seemed pleased to hear his thoughts as he muttered frenzied theories and plans to himself, and nodded. "Ghosts tend to be used for perimeter defense. They're useful for purging psychic influences from visitors."

"Last time they scanned me," Ash said, his unspoken question clear.

"Last time you were not an Elite Four trainee," Koga replied brusquely. His eyes slid over to Ash. "We also doubt that any psychic could influence you due to your...exceptional circumstances."

Ash winced at that, particularly as the dark fire in his mind flickered to life. It was happening more and more lately. Mewtwo must have moved past whatever had been occupying it. That realization led to more than a little discomfort, though not quite as much outright fear as he'd expected. He toyed with the Unown amulet almost unconsciously, as if it was a ward against the Legend.

"Yeah," he said weakly. "So how do they keep track of everything?"

"Psychics are able to pick out unauthorized individuals and maintain confusion. Sensory alteration, concentration inhibition, hallucinations...all designed to disorient. Without a guide, the uninitiated would find themselves directed to several collection rooms to be interrogated."

Very thorough. Ash found himself appreciating the blessedly straight, comprehensible layout quite a bit more now. "Would it work on Agatha or Morty?"

Koga smiled. "No, humans who spend too much time around the spirits are resistant. That's what the ghosts are for."

Ash nodded, thoughts going to Lavender Town. He vaguely realized that Agatha hadn't given him a time or place to visit, but had just asked (commanded) him to stop by before he went back to Hoenn. Maybe he would have to talk to Lance about that. No doubt the Champion would have a better idea of how to handle Agatha.

Speaking of the Champion…

A bolt of trepidation struck him as Koga led him to a pair of familiar wooden doors - although they were in plain sight this time, rather than appearing from nowhere in the middle of the wall. He hesitated as they approached Lance's office, the prospect of facing the minor awkwardness they'd left with last time enough to slow him. Somehow, the rock music blaring from within didn't make him feel better.

Koga turned to him (although Venemoth continued to stare at Ash and Nidoking over the man's shoulder). "It will be fine," he promised, and then ushered Ash and Nidoking in through the doors. Before Ash could say anything, the man had vanished.

He'd forgotten about that habit.

Somehow, the scene he walked into was exactly what he'd expected.

Lance was flipping through a stack of papers with his feet kicked up on the massive, gleaming desk, utterly bored and occasionally tossing a report or page to an unfamiliar, lanky dragon curled up on his desk - Gabite, he recognized. Gible must have evolved recently. The rest of his team were arranged throughout the massive domed room - Mael in his giant aquarium, the Dragonite trio all heaped up on one another with Vibrava and Shelgon (Lance had been busy) snoozing on top. Rock music boomed from the speakers Lance had set up since the Conference, and Ash immediately winced at the noise.

The Champion scowled at a piece of paper, handed it to Gabite, and looked up. He immediately brightened, and lowered his feet so he could stand. "Ash!" Lance boomed, standing taller than nearly all the other Wataru that Ash had met. He opened his arms wide and grinned, a golden flame licking out from beneath the cuff of his formal uniform - he must've had important visitors recently. "Like what I did with the place?"

He studied Lance for a moment. The Champion was larger than life, towering above him, and was warm as ever. Still, something about his appearance rankled Ash: his skin was a little too pale, skin drawn a little too tight. He looked like he'd slept too little and worked too hard, and Ash found himself worrying for his teacher.

Still, he put it out of his mind and glanced around as he and Nidoking plodded in. It looked mostly the same - the ramp where Bagon used to jump off of was gone, but the aquarium was still in place, plenty of beds and carpets for the dragons to rest, and a haphazard sprawl of papers all across his desk. He couldn't imagine how Lance kept track of it all, but the Indigo Champion seemed to do well enough for himself.

"I don't really see anything different," he confessed, still glancing around curiously. The Indigo League banners on the wall, marked with the bisected Rhydon head, had been there before.

Lance pointed at the massive speakers set up in the corners, appearing a little disappointed Ash hadn't considered those important enough to pick out. Ash, on the other hand, was just vaguely confused.

"What about them?"

"You paid for them!" Lance grinned madly, looking a little like he had when they challenged Moltres. Ash blinked, then stared at the sheer size of the sound system. How had he paid for them? When he voiced those thoughts, Lance just grinned even wider, if that was possible. "You beat Clair! Don't tell me you forgot already."

Ash's eyes bugged out. Even Nidoking blinked, though he was more concerned with grunting out greetings toward Lance's content team, who lazily returned it. "How much did you bet?" He stared. Those had to be worth thousands…each speaker was nearly as tall as Lance!

Lance waved the question off. "Let's just say enough," he laughed and went back to kick his feet up on his desk. No wonder he was in such a good mood. "A few others got in on the action too."

"Who?" Ash asked as he slid into one of the rigid oak chairs set in front of Lance's huge desk. Nidoking rested behind him, ears twitching uncomfortably at the pounding music - Lance was kind enough to lower it to a more comfortable volume.

"Let's see...Surge, Blaine, Bruno, Morty, Professor Oak," Lance raised a finger with each name. "I think Sabrina would have bet on you too, but we banned her from the betting pool a long time ago."

Made sense. Then one of the names struck him. "Wait, Professor Oak bet against me?" He asked, somewhat offended.

Lance stared, then snorted. "No way! These are the ones that bet on you. We all had faith that you could beat my sweet baby cousin."

Ash grimaced at anyone calling Clair sweet and Lance barked out a laugh. Even the Dragonite trio wheezed. Then he blinked again - the pool had been split up at least six ways and Lance still made enough to buy all this? He shuddered to think how much money must have been in that pool. Ash could barely believe this was what the hard-earned salaries of the League's best and brightest went towards.

"Glad I didn't disappoint you," he smiled at last.

"You never had to worry about that," Lance chuckled, still with his boots up on the expensive desk. Gabite grumbled and began to root around for more paperwork to snatch, only to scurry away when Lance aimed a lazy smack at him. "He's been a little wild since evolving."

Ash snorted as Gabite sprinted into the Dragonite pile, happily worming himself between the massive golden dragons. "I can tell," he said. "So you saw the battle?"

Lance flipped through another report. "Watched the whole thing," he grinned. "Gotta say, you did just as well as I'd hoped."

He winced. "I could've done better."

"Yes, you could've," Lance acknowledged as he scribbled his signature onto the report and tossed it into one of the many piles that Gabite had been playing in. Ash hoped the dragon didn't keep that habit when he evolved into a Garchomp… "You were a little sloppy at points, but who cares? You had fun and you won. And won me a bunch of money," he added with a booming laugh. "Can't forget that part."

"Of course not," Ash snorted, then frowned. "It was a good fight. She's strong, but not quite what I expected."

The Champion rolled his eyes. "Not the first time I've heard that," he said easily. "Clair's got a strong personality."

Well, that was one way to put it.

"She was good," Ash continued. "Very strong. But like I said, I expected something else. If it weren't for her sacrifice plays, it wouldn't have been half as close."

Lance arched a red eyebrow, urging him to go on. Ash was happy to oblige. "She was…" he struggled to put his thoughts into words, "lopsided," Ash finished lamely. "After Dragonair, Kommo-o, and Kingdra it felt like she just burned out. Not that it stopped her from leveling the playing field."

His fists clenched at the thought of Altaria's Perish Song. He still couldn't believe he'd been cocky enough to fall for that. Stupid. Attract had stung, but at least that had simply hastened Torrent's defeat - he had been on his last breaths anyways. It didn't hurt that Clair and Kingdra had been as irritated about it as Ash and Torrent.

"People could say the same thing about you," Lance pointed out. Ash winced, but didn't deny it. There was no hiding the fact that Infernus and Torrent currently stood a head taller than the rest of his team (except perhaps Tangrowth), although Ash hoped to balance the scales going forward. The others still had plenty of time to grow. They'd only just begun their journey, after all - they had an entire lifetime left. "But you're right, Clair is unbalanced. In more ways than one…" the Champion muttered under his breath. "She still has room to grow, of course."

"If she just evolved Dragonair and Shelgon." Ash said wistfully. Now that would be a fight. Of course, Shelgon might not be ready. Dragonair, however, certainly was.

Lance laughed again. "I've been trying to get her to evolve Dragonair for years. She's still sticking to that promise," he said with blatant amusement. "I can't fault her for trying. It's laudable."

Well, he couldn't disagree with that. Pushing your limits and striving for a goal was something he could admire. He glanced at Lance measuredly, secretly relishing the ease they'd slipped back into. There was still something missing, perhaps. Something that would take time and another conversation. But for now, he could embrace this. It was like they were back at Knot Island.

"I had a few questions," he said slowly. Lance nodded, obviously happy to answer them. "Something I noticed about Clair - her team seemed to be developed in specific ways. Dragonair is designed to reduce mobility and slip away from elemental attacks. Kingdra specializes in dragon techniques - it somehow neutralized Torrent's Dragon Pulse - and Altaria and Shelgon...they're both hardened targets, able to counter speed," he looked pointedly at Lance. A giant grin had worked its way on the large man's face. "Kommo-o, well, it was just a great fighter."

Lance pulled his feet down and leaned his elbows onto the polished wood of his desk. The piece of furniture was still large enough that there were several feet between Ash and Lance. "Let's just say Clair's always wanted to beat me more than anything else in the whole world," he smiled. "You're right. She's modeled her team to be counters to mine. Safeguard, Protect, neutralization...honestly, it's a little flattering. Clair's taken it further than I could have imagined."

"Lots of people say she could be in the Elite Four," Ash said.

The Indigo Champion grimaced. "I wouldn't say that."

He arched an eyebrow and leaned forward as well, more than a little curious.

Lance hesitated, studied Ash for a minute, then seemed to come to a decision. "She's a great trainer, one of our best," he said, "but she's no Master. Perhaps she could be," Lance allowed after a pause. "But right now? Definitely not."

"What's missing?" Ash's mind raced with possibilities. His thoughts brimmed with theories and postulation. Too blunt? Too reliant on techniques like Dragon Dance? Without her fortification techniques she would've struggled more in several of their matches.

His mentor rapped his knuckles against the desk a few times, obviously lost in thought. Ash thought the rhythmic noise was rather comforting, honestly. It sounded in tune with the Song and for a moment he could nearly hear the lap of waves against the shore…

"She's stagnant," Lance said at last. "She's been chasing after my shadow her whole life and it shows. Clair's been...content, I suppose. She's embraced the natural strength of dragons. She's skilled. She's trained them in fascinating ways, but I rarely see her attempting to go beyond."

It was hard to keep a straight face when Lance mentioned Clair embracing the natural strength of dragons, but he managed. And Lance had gone beyond, Ash supposed. He'd innovated. Created. Clair seemed to have done so as well, but he saw Lance's point.

"Clair lacks the spark. She could challenge me one day if she just kept fighting," Lance grit his teeth. Ash thought he could pick out a note of disappointment. "An excellent foundation. A loyal team. She has what it takes, but she keeps looking for the fast and dirty way to power - Protect, Dragon Dance, fortification techniques. Good tools, but they can't be your foundation. Throw those away and she's not much stronger than the average Gym Leader. My cousin is indomitable to those weaker than her, but as soon as you're strong enough to match her, she falls apart."

Silence held for a little while as Ash digested Lance's words - it sounded like he'd been holding onto that for a while, mulling it over in his mind for months or years. Lance seemed a little relieved, honestly. Perhaps it was just imagination, but he thought Lance was a little lighter now with the frustration and disappointment no longer bottled up.

"Sorry to drop all that on you," Lance said apologetically. "I just want you to understand. Don't stop growing, Ash. Never be content."

Ash couldn't help but remember the touch of the North Wind, the utter perfection of its inhuman serenity. That poisonous contentedness that had threatened to steal away his fire… oh yes, he knew the danger all too well. That reminded him he'd need to speak to Lance about the Legendary business soon, although he hoped to save it for another day. Talking to Lance like nothing had changed was just too enrapturing to pull away from.

With Lance threatening to drift back into dark thoughts, Ash decided to change the subject. "Her Kingdra neutralized Torrent's Dragon Pulse."

Lance brightened. "For all her faults, Clair's excellent with draconic techniques," he praised. "She's gone further down that road than I have. I'm handy with them -" he ignored Ash snort at the understatement, "- but I prefer elemental techniques, honestly. Clair's taken Kingdra and Dragonair farther down that road than I have."

There was an unspoken answer there: I can't teach you. Ash had to admit he was more than a little disappointed...although, admittedly the main reason he wanted to learn that cancellation technique was so he could use it against Lance. It was honestly a stroke of good fortune that Lance couldn't perform it.

Perhaps he'd have to work on reverse engineering it…

After a moment's silence, Ash frowned as more serious matters came to mind. "So how's everyone?" He asked quietly. "Is Will okay?"

The Champion (and his teammates) winced. "Physically, he's fine."

"And mentally?"

Lance waved his hand. "He's been hard on himself. Will's a loyal man, and being forced to betray his comrades…" the Champion's face darkened, and Ash wished he hadn't brought up the subject at all. He doubted it helped that Lance had been bent to the living crystal's will as well, brought under Molly's thrall to fight against his own subordinates. "Your message made him feel a little better. Thank you for that," Lance said earnestly. "It helped him get out of bed."

"Would it be alright if I visited him?" Ash asked. Will was an odd one, but Ash held an affection for the strange psychic. He had a good heart and had always made Ash feel welcome. If he could help the man, he would.

His mentor cracked a grin. "I think he'd love that."

More silence, and the slight tinge of awkwardness was renewed now that the topic of Greenfield had been breached. This wasn't a conversation either of them wanted.

Lance broke it this time. "There's something we talked about before, back in Goldenrod," he said. The flame flickering beneath his sleeve receded, little more than embers now. "The press conference. We can't put it off much longer - the world's demanding answers, and soon we're going to have to reveal you to the world. The rumors have already begun to spread. We have to take control of the narrative."

Ash's gut turned and his fists clenched, though he eased just a little as Nidoking grunted and laid a dull claw against his shoulder. He whispered thanks to his friend, who simply nodded in turn. Lance looked at him with more than a little sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Ash," he said quietly. "I really wish it didn't have to be this way. You shouldn't have the spotlight put on you," Lance leaned back in his chair and frowned. Vibrava, finally awake, fluttered over and hummed beneath the desk. A brief smile flickered on the Champion's face. "If there was any other way…"

"I know," Ash nodded. It didn't really make him feel better, but it did help knowing Lance was squarely in his corner. He smiled tiredly. "I signed up for this, didn't I?"

That earned a brief chuckle. "True," Lance acknowledged. "At least you're getting paid for the trouble, right?"

Ash snorted. 'Getting paid' didn't quite cover it. He had more money than he knew what to do with. As far as problems went, it wasn't too bad.

Still, his dry amusement didn't last long. "When?" He spoke quietly.

The Champion looked intently at him. "What's your schedule?"

"I have around a week before I meet Steven in Rustboro," Ash said quietly, a little disappointed at realizing his vacation was nearly over. He missed Hoenn - and Steven - but this had been everything could have hoped for. Despite the burden he'd been given at Greenfield and the new awareness of Haukea and the return of the old world (another thing he'd need to speak to Lance about, and soon) he felt lighter than he had in months. The weight off his shoulders had finally lifted and the constant anxiety that had hovered about him like a cloud, leaving him feeling like a cord stretched to its snapping point, had finally left him for the most part.

"We can schedule it in a week then," Lance nodded, satisfied. "That'll let you escape to Hoenn without worrying too much about the press bothering you too much. We might have to arrange an interview before you leave to keep them satisfied."

Ash grimaced. He hadn't particularly enjoyed the interviews after his bouts in the Conference, and no doubt this would be much, much worse. "An interview?"

"You won't be alone," Lance was quick to assure him. "At least one of us will be there with you. Karen is experienced, and Bruno could guide you through it as well. Don't let Will trick you into letting him go with you," the Champion warned, then a thoughtful look came over his face. "Or do, actually. He might confuse the interviewer enough to keep them distracted."

They shared a laugh at that. "There are a few other things I want to do before I leave anyways," Ash leaned back in his chair, glad to have Nidoking at his back. "I'm visiting Pallet Town, Vermillion, and Lavender. Agatha wanted to see me," he elaborated at Lance's curious stare.

"Agatha…" Lance looked deep in thought, then smiled. "Let me guess, she gave you a cryptic warning and told you to meet her there without giving any indication of a time or place?"

Ash nodded.

"She's so mysterious it runs right back to predictable," Lance mused, rapping his knuckles against the desk. "Funny how that works!" His booming laughter nearly shook the desk and drew a smile from Ash. "Oh well, she shouldn't be too hard to find. Ask around and someone will point you in her direction."

He nodded again, grateful for the advice. It sounded like Lance had heard this story before. "I'll probably be sticking around the Plateau for a day or two," Ash said. "This is supposed to be home, right?"

Lance looked at him. "It has been for the rest of us," he said quietly. It didn't quite fit the boisterous man, and for that Ash treated it all the more seriously. "I hope it will be home for you as well."

After that, their chatter devolved into inane things. Progress with their teams, for example. Aside from the evolutions, Lance had started work on a technique called 'Obliterator' with his team apparently, which sounded like something Lance should not have access to. Naturally, Ash wanted to see it. He heard a little more about the League's efforts with Greenfield - cleanup and analysis had been completed and the Hale family had moved back. It knotted up Ash's gut, but he forced past it.

They seemed to talk forever, moving into lighter and lighter topics, and Ash had forgotten the heavy turn their conversation had drifted to for a time. He couldn't hope to wipe the easy grin off his face and even Nidoking seemed to relax just a little.

All good things came to an end, however, and eventually Lance looked forlornly back to the massive piles of paperwork stacked all over the desk. As if knowing his time to shine was here, Gabite quickly scurried over from the Dragonite pile and happily leapt up into Lance's lap.

"I wish we could talk a little longer, but you can see how much work I still have," Lance looked tempted to just feed it all to Gabite, honestly, but restrained himself. "If you're staying, come back by tomorrow. You'll be a welcome distraction."

"Sounds good," Ash grinned and stretched as he rose out of his seat, his body a little stiff from how long he'd rested. A part of him wanted to share the news of Haukea and the happenings in Ecruteak - which Ash suspected Lance would already know something of - but the rest of him just wanted to rest. There would be time tomorrow. He couldn't bring himself to spoil this with truly difficult news. "How do I find my room?"

Lance smirked. "Let me take care of that!"

The Champion squeezed his eyes shut, then started to make more casual conversation with Ash. He truly, dearly hoped that Lance hadn't summoned Bob to show him the way, but as the minutes passed he relaxed - Bob would've popped up immediately.

Just as they were debating a few potential ways to knock Steven and Metagross down a peg on Ash's return to Hoenn, the doors crashed open and a familiar voice rang out in annoyance.

"What is it, Lance? You know today is my off day -" Karen's voice paused. "Ash?"

He turned, smiling slightly at the willowy Dark Master. She was in her normal outfit - a pale yellow crop top and white pants - with her Houndoom at her side. Houndoom yipped at Lance's dragons, who all called back. It did the same with Nidoking, who just rumbled.

"Good to see you too," he grinned and realized it really was. Ash had trusted her with his life when they ventured into Molly's dreamworld together, and he knew he couldn't have made it through without her. Ash inspected her face, remembering that one side had been marked by a light burn during their time at Greenfield, and was relieved to see it had mostly healed. Only a few pale marks remained, blending into her skin.

Her lips tugged upwards ever so slightly as she strode forward a few steps. Houndoom trotted happily alongside her, eyes locked on Ash. Nidoking didn't take too kindly to that, but he didn't do much more than stare back - apparently Karen and her team had earned more trust than most.

"Thought you'd never show up," Karen laughed. "I was starting to think you'd wimped out."

He brightened, remembering his challenge. There was no way he was leaving Indigo Plateau without that fight. Ash hadn't realized how much he'd been craving a good battle since Clair - she'd been good, but to face a genuine Master? That wouldn't be a chance he missed.

It would be a wholly different experience than Cynthia. Ash had no doubt that Karen had entirely earned her fearsome reputation, but she wasn't quite as unassailable as Cynthia was. The Sinnoan Champion...she was unreal. Brilliant, even!

"You wish!" He stared back at her. "I'm ready when you are."

Ash regretted his words immediately considering that half his team still needed another day to fully recover, but couldn't stop the surge of excitement that coursed through him at Karen's next words.

She looked at him, measuring Ash up, and nodded. "Tomorrow," Karen declared after a moment. Houndoom's hot tongue fell from its mouth, panting happily at the thought. "We just got back home from an assignment."

He just nodded, utterly content with the news. His hands shook ever so slightly, and Ash called on Ice to steady his nerves.

"If you're both done…" Lance said, amused, and kicked his feet back up onto his desk. Gabite hopped off his lap onto a tall pile of discarded paper, glaring at the stack greedily. "Do you mind showing Ash to his room?"

Karen rolled her eyes and tossed her silvery mane of hair. "Seriously? You called me here just to show your little apprentice to his room?"

Lance nodded sagely. "Exactly."

"Ugh," Karen groaned without any real heat. She wheeled around and motioned for Ash to follow her. "C'mon, Ash. Let's go see the proof that Lance is playing favorites…"

That grabbed Ash's attention, and he spared Lance one last wave before he and Nidoking followed Karen out into the many, many halls of Indigo Plateau.

XX

"This is mine?" Ash's voice was filled with wonder as Karen held the door for him. His breath hitched. Even Nidoking stared, Maybe Karen wasn't exaggerating…

"I told you!"

He could barely take it all in. The first thing that struck him was the sheer size of the room - it was perhaps the same area of the house in Pallet's ground floor, and the ceiling extended perhaps three stories up, sloping into a dome. Pegs, artificial branches crafted from thick tree trunks, and dozens of boxes, paths, and hollows projected from every side of the dome to form an intricate array of interlocked paths and hideaways. It almost seemed like he was in an actual forest, though there was enough space between them to leave it feeling open and airy

Somehow it wasn't an overwhelming sight, tucked neatly out of view above eye level. Even Plume would find the perches easy to rest on - they were thick enough for a Dragonite to land upon. Ash had no doubt Sneasel would have a grand time jumping between the obstacles in a blur, and Seeker would probably appreciate the chance to burrow away in the dark hollows.

The real problem would be if Plume tried to resume Sneasel or Aron's flying lessons here…

At the base, the room felt more like an ordinary apartment. Several beds for pokemon - some fluffy and downy while others were hard and firm - were scattered in corners and near Ash's own bed, which was tucked in another corner behind a wall to offer some privacy. The comforter was indigo, of course, and devoid of any other symbols or patterns. Simple and functional, just the way Ash preferred it.

His eyes were wide as he glanced around, taking the rest in. Plenty of details that his mom would spend hours admiring were lost on him, but he could appreciate more than enough. It was less a room and more an apartment, honestly. There was a small kitchen area to the left with a sink, refrigerator (which he would throw away if he ever found the black broth in it), microwave, stove, and pantry.

The bedroom area was to the right, as he'd noted before. It was hidden somewhat from view by the wall, but he could see enough to pick out a door (possibly to a bathroom area) and a walk-in closet that he'd probably get zero use out of. On the right wall was a massive aquarium similar to the one in Lance's office, easily large enough for Torrent to comfortably drift around in. It ate up some of the common area's space, but that didn't bother Ash at all.

"This was Lorelei's room," Karen explained as Ash looked over the aquarium. He knew how much Karen missed the Ice Master, but shook the insight off. It was just his own inference. "She needed that or half her team would be stuck in the pools. Pretty nice place, huh?"

"It's amazing," Ash breathed, stuck admiring it all. He still couldn't believe this belonged to him - it absolutely dwarfed his home in Pallet, let alone the stuffy, compact rooms in the Pokemon Centers he'd stayed at. Even the room in Steven's apartment hadn't had so much space. He looked curiously to Karen. "What does your room like?"

Karen smiled at his reaction. "I'll show you sometime," she said. "Honchkrow would kill for those perches," the Dark Master chuckled. Houndoom nodded fervently. Her lip pulled up in a sneer and she pointed at something in the back of the room, near his bedroom area. "Looks like Lance left you a few presents. Real classy, Mr. Champion."

He blinked, then flushed as he saw what she was pointing at: a calendar flipped open to the current month with a beautiful black-haired woman posed provocatively in a bikini and transparent shawl, then a few posters already tacked up with similar images on them.

"Definitely Lance's work," Karen noted. "I know Lorelei didn't put them up."

Ash's cheeks were still a little red when Karen snatched his hat off and ruffled his black hair - he growled and pulled away even as Nidoking rumbled a warning, and Karen just chuckled. "Might want to replace this old thing," she turned the frayed cap with its snapped and nearly broken bill in her hands, then tossed it back to him. He held it tightly in his hands. "Or not, your choice."

Karen inspected a few more things - pointing out a few features on his stove, TV (which he doubted he'd get much use out of), and settings for the lights and showers. Nothing too fancy, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Houndoom seemed quite interested as well, snuffling all over the place with his hot black nose.

She adjusted a few pillows and cushions on the gigantic indigo couch that dominated the central living space, pressed against the wall opposite the entrance so it faced the door, and rose.

"That should be good enough for now," she said, finally satisfied, and glanced down at him. Karen was rather tall, though not quite to Clair's extreme, and lightly ruffled his hair again. She smirked at his irritated growl (but ignored Nidoking's discontent). "Dinner's in about an hour. How about I let you get used to the place and swing by later to show you there?"

Once he fixed his hair, Ash smiled. "That'd be nice. Thanks, Karen."

"No problem," she nodded and turned with Houndoom to head out. "See you soon."

He said his own farewells, and once the Elite Four and her mighty Houndoom had left he simply collapsed on the firm couch and kicked his shoes off. Nidoking was quick to curl up to his side in a giant pile of purple hide and poisonous spines, and Ash just stared up into the network of artificial limbs dominating the dome.

In no time at all his team had been released - Torrent into the aquarium, where he'd be most comfortable. Plume happily clenched onto one of the giant limbs, eying Sneasel warily as he clambered around like a madman. Tangrowth bounced up on the couch alongside Ash - it sagged heavily under his weight - and his vines wriggled happily as they extended to explore this new place, though a good six of them were wholly dedicated to giving Ash a warm hug.

Bruiser found a spot to sit nearby to rest and meditate, though Seeker shot up to rest in a hollow near Plume. Aron begged to be let up on the couch, and Tangrowth was eager to assist him with a pair of his powerful vines - the couch folded a little bit beneath the heavy steel-type, but it was designed for this kind of weight.

Dazed and Oz took up positions near him as well, content to wander around and inspect his quarters, and Ash couldn't help but smile watching them all acclimate to this inviting new place. He pulled Yari's gift out and flipped it to the first page, a collection of Drake Hiro's memoirs.

Maybe Indigo Plateau could be his home after all.

A/N: Here we go! I'm very happy to have gotten Chapter 52 out on time! I'm hoping to keep up these monthly updates, which should be possible since I've painstakingly plotted out each of the next ten chapters. I realize there wasn't a lot of action in this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same! To be honest I had a blast writing all the lore and background for the Wataru and Blackthorn. It's been in my head for years and I'm so excited to get a chance to really share it! If you were hoping for some action, I can promise next chapter will be plenty exciting with the battle against Karen.

I also wanted to say that while I did pass over a few subjects with Lance - primarily regarding the Legends - we will see those subjects covered in the next chapter, along with a few other important conversations.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I would love to hear your thoughts. My apologies for anyone who didn't receive a response to a PM or review for last chapter yet - I ended up dedicating most of my time to writing and will be catching up on those as soon as I can! My goal is to respond to every message and review.

For those of you who haven't heard, I'm happy to announce that there is now a Traveler Discord server! If you would like to join, please request to join in a review or PM, or check m page to find a link!

Thanks so much for your support, and I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter! I hope everyone is staying safe and that this chapter could make this difficult time a little better, if only for a little while.