Blackthorn City. A quiet mountain retreat, according to its slogan. The homes were built into the mountainside, with a small city area in the center of it all. While it is a place where people can take it easy, some people consider it the city as home to great Dragon Masters, as well as the gym where the Dragon-type Gym Leader resides.
Jackson had only arrived at the edge of town. It had been a couple days since he fought Madeline, and decided to train a little bit as he made to the city. Through his studies as well as the lessons he was given by the Pokémon Ranger girl, he was able to get a bit stronger, either by Pokémon instigating battles with him, or occasionally finding trainers that he could fight against. He also helped out with some self training, getting both Ledyba and Eevee to fight each other, or take on training regiments that Jackson came up with thanks to his lesson from Ryozanpaku, the dojo where he learned martial arts.
Thanks to all of this, Jackson's Pokémon were able to get stronger and even learn new moves. Eevee's Tackle attack ended up getting replaced by the move Bite, which was a Dark-type move, expanding the repertoire of moves. Ledyba's Light Screen got replaced with a move called Mach Punch, which was a fast attack and a Fighting-type move. All in all, Jackson was pleased at the results. His trust with them, and himself, however, were still not there.
"So this is Blackthorn City…" Jackson stated, looking about the scenery, "Seems quite tranquil. I like it. However…" He examined the tourist book he had, explaining all the info about the location, including the Gym, "…I came here to test my mettle in the Gym they have here. Better start by making my way to the Pokémon Center."
(Insert 'Never Give Up' By SONAR POCKET)
Instrumental Opening
(Jackson stands at the top of a cliff, looking out into the vast landscape of the Johto region. He turns to the camera with surprise, grins, then draws his sword and swipes it across the screen, transitioning to white with the logo appearing.)
What tough heart! Once I decided that I'd keep up the fight
My road has never stopped unraveling
(Camera circles around Jackson as he runs along an open-plain path with his Eevee, who after a couple seconds, leaps onto his shoulder as he activates his Extreme Gear and shoots even faster onto the path.)
Carrying a small bit of pride
With my fists clenched
(The screen shows a brief image of Professor Elm, dropping papers from his clipboard, and smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. It shifts to a visual of Kris, Ethan, and their starters, with Ethan punching his fist forward, while Kris spun around with her arms out wide.)
I aim for the goal again step by step
Racing towards it with all my might!
(The screen shifts to Sonic & Tails, the former giving a thumbs up, while the latter waved his hands above eagerly. The screen shifts to Cypher, who glared at the screen with a Pokéball held close to his face.)
Sometimes it'll be a bad day
Where nothing goes the way I want it to
But even if the sky blurs through my tears
(Jackson is sitting by a campfire, his expression full of emotional pain as shadows of his past with red eyes creeped all around him. He curled himself into a ball as the shadow of his father appeared over his head.)
I'm sure my smiles will come back tomorrow
So it's okay!
(Shadows started getting blown away one large piece at a time, until light broke out around Jackson, who looked up to see his Pokémon all standing there, protecting him from his trauma.)
There's nothing out there to fear
I'll keep believing that 'I'm strong'
And get going!
(Silhouettes of the Gym Leaders appeared as the screen scrolled upwards through a gold, silver, and crystal colors behind them. It shifts to the emblem of Team Rocket, with darkened faces of grunts, with the four admins in front, holding their Pokéballs. Jackson readies his blade, as he tosses a Pokéball forward, which opens up and blinds the screen in a white light.)
'With you around, there's nothing to worry about now'
I felt as if the sky was saying that to me with a laugh
(Eevee leapt forward, unleashing a Swift attack from her tail, with Ledyba flying next to her, using his own Swift to join her's. Oshawott and Sneasel shoot through the Swift attack, unleash double Night Slash, slicing the stars, before dismissing their blades, and Oshawott angrily looking at the calm and collected Sneasel.)
With the sweat and tears I build up
I'm sure I'll come out dazzling
(Cyndaquil turns to face the Team Rocket logo, before unleashing his Flamethrower. Cyndaquil sighed in relief as Scyther flew over him, before slashing with his mantis claws like a swordsman.)
Even if I end up feeling anxious after it all
As long as I believe I can do it
(An Aeroblast and Sacred Fire came from the sky, shooting down at Jackson's team, but Jackson stepped in and unleashed several sword beams, countering the attacks and making them explode. He and his team endured the shockwaves and smoke from the explosion, before looking up into the distance, and saw the silhouettes of the Tower Duo flying over the two towers that represented each.)
These footsteps have taught me to
Always
Never Give Up!
(Jackson's Pokémon come to his side as he looked to them, before grinning eagerly, and the group leapt up into the air, taking on the new threat and the new adventure. The screen goes white before showing Jackson standing with his sword stabbed into the ground, his Pokémon companions surrounding him.)
Wandering through town, he looked at the tourist guide, which showed a lot of the highlights of the place, like what shops to go to, what specialty treats they had here, and, of course, the Gym. He also noticed another place called the Dragon's Den, a place where Dragon-type trainers go to become stronger.
He made it to the Pokémon Center, where he took his Pokéballs out. "Scuse me. I'm here to drop off my Pokémon to recover."
The nurse who arrived surprised Jackson, as she looked exactly like Nurse Joy, the nurse he met in New Bark Town. "Thank you! I'll take care of them for you." She replied.
"Um…" Jackson started, handing his Pokéballs to her, "I am curious. Are you the nurse I met in New Bark Town?"
"Oh, no. She's one of my sisters." Nurse Joy answered, "As a matter of fact, a lot of my sisters are Nurse Joys, working at the Pokémon Centers all across Johto. Here." She pulled out a photo, and Jackson was stunned. It was a picture of practically identical girls, all of which were wearing the same uniforms, with the only slight difference being the color of the Pokemon Center logo on their hats.
"That's…surprising." Jackson muttered, "I can't imagine what family reunions must be like."
"Call it sister intuitions." Nurse Joy answered with a giggle, taking the photograph back from Jackson, "Now excuse me, I'll take care of your Pokémon." With that, she exited to the back room with Jackson's Pokémon.
"I guess they're all sorts, are there?" Jackson questioned, walking away.
He got to sit down at one of the sofa chairs, trying to avoid the woman's long blue ponytail that was sitting on the opposite end. "Guess all I can do is wait." Jackson told himself, digging into his backpack, before pulling out a book, "I should probably look into what kinds of Dragon-types there are, and maybe some hints on how to beat this Clair person and her Gym."
The ponytail moved as the woman behind him turned to him, surprised to hear what he said, but then smirking as she spoke up, saying, "It'll take more than a book to best the Blackthorn City Gym."
Jackson stopped and turned to the person behind. He saw a young woman with light blue eyes that matched her hair, which had a gold band holding her ponytail in place, and spiked fringes framing her face. She wore a two-toned blue bodysuit, and a black cape with gold shoulder pieces and pearl-like stone at her neckline. She had blue knee-high boots and blue gloves, both of which also had black ring pieces on them.
"What makes you say that?" Jackson asked, "You don't even know me."
"Because the Gym Leader there is the best dragon master around." She answered, "She is even able to hold her own against the Elite Four of the region."
"The Elite Four?" Jackson echoed, thinking on that, "Right, those very strong trainers that are there to test your skills on whether you are eligible to become a Champion."
"Come on. Are you serious?" The young woman asked, standing up and turning to him, "You're saying like it's an underwhelming thing. How long have you been a trainer?"
"Only a few days."
"Then you REALLY don't stand a chance against the Blackthorn City Gym." She answered, "This place isn't somewhere you can just start earning your first Gym Badge in."
Jackson paused for a second, looking at her, while his ears were listening about the place. He questioned who she was, though gave a mental assumption. This was confirmed when he heard someone nearby notice her and give an answer. He stood up and turned to her, asking, "You mean, I don't have a chance to beat YOU, right? You're the Gym Leader, Clair."
"Good guess." She replied, rather surprised at his quick understanding, "Did you just guess that I was?"
"Well, your arrogance kinda gave it away." Jackson answered bluntly, "Not only that, I was able to hear your name from other trainers around here."
Calling her arrogant to her face did slightly tick off Clair, and she retorted, "You certainly got a tongue on you. Mind giving me your name?"
"I'm Jackson."
"Well, then, Jackson. I will show you that you stand NO chance against me, especially at your level." Clair scorned him, before hearing her name over the monitor, as her Pokémon were healed.
She walked away from Jackson, who watched her leave. He didn't intentionally wanted to make her mad. He just had a bad habit of being bluntly honest with people. It got even worse recently, when he was ostracized by the people of his own world.
And it wasn't just that. Among the arrogance in Clair, he could sense her confidence. Confidence that was as potent as his martial art masters. And that confidence said she knew she was stronger than him. She was a Gym Leader, after all. However, that didn't stop him from stepping into this fight. He had to show he was better.
"Here you are, Ms. Clair." He heard Nurse Joy tell Clair, and he turned to see the two ladies as the nurse handed Pokéballs to Clair.
"Thanks. I was so close to beating him this time." Clair said in a frustrated tone.
"Oh, come on, Clair. You say that every time you bring your Pokémon in after fighting Lance. I bet it was completely one-sided again."
"D-Don't say it like that!" Clair retorted, blushing in embarrassment at this statement.
"It's the same thing every time he comes to town." Nurse Joy points out, "You challenge him, and he defeats you each and every time. He's the Champion now, Clair."
"I know, I know!" Clair grimaced, "He is my cousin, but the difference in our strength is so vast. I know I'll get stronger if I just keep at it. Every battle will get me closer to beating him."
"Sure." Nurse Joy giggled, "See you next time."
"Thanks…" Clair replied, and she exited the Pokémon Center.
Jackson had finished listening to the conversation, and thought about what he heard. 'So Clair's cousin is far stronger than her, huh?' He contemplated, 'They said his name was Lance? And he was the Champion?'
He dug through his books, researching a bit until he was called to hear his Pokémon had recovered. He exited the Center, re-reading on the Elite Four and the Champion.
"Every region has its own Elite Four, featuring four powerful trainers, each specializing in a certain type." Jackson read, "Their duty is to challenge trainers who are able to obtain eight Gym Badges. Whoever is able to defeat all of the Elite Four will take the title of Champion, dubbing them the strongest in the region. However, should another hold the title of Champion, they must challenge that person in a battle in order to claim that title."
He closed the book as he told himself, "I shouldn't sell them short, I guess. Same goes for Clair, if she says that she can compete with them. Even so…" He glared ahead, looking towards the destination in the upper mountain parts of the city, where the Gym was suppose to be at, "…I am not gonna let that stop me from taking her on. I will win."
His mind drifted back to his time when he was a hero in his world. Back then, he worked along side Sonic, Tails, and all his other friends as they took on Eggman or some other form of villainy. He was able to pull through a lot of dangerous situation, and thanks to everyone's support, he was able to succeed in saving so many lives.
He missed it all; the thrill of the battle. How great it felt when he saved lives. The praise for all of his efforts. If it hadn't been for his father, and how he not only messed up his family, but messed his emotions and character up, he wouldn't have caused so much anguish. He wanted to get back to who he was, and get the people to understand he was someone they could count on again. He had to become better than the person he was, cause he couldn't count on that person. He had to be better.
"Time to take on the gym!" He told himself, and he ran towards the destination. Even without his Air Shoes, he still was able to run faster than the normal human being, thanks to all of his training. This was drawing some attention to him, but he wasn't bothered by it. He only had one destination in mind, and that was the gym.
It didn't take him too long before he was able to catch a glimpse of the Gym. It was a pretty classy mansion-like place, at least two stories high, with dragon statues in front of it. He raced towards it, only to encounter two trainers at the front door. One of them was Clair. The other was a young man who had spiked light red hair, and black eyes. His attire was a navy blue and black tunic with red-orange trimming, complete with a belt around his waist, large black boots with orange two rings around the top of each boot, like Clair's black ones. He even sported a cape like Clair's, black on the outside, with the difference being that while Clair's was maroon on the inside, his was red.
"I assume you just got your Pokémon healed again, cousin?" He asked.
"I swear I will beat you one of these days…" Clair growled, "For now, I guess my Pokémon and I will continue our training until we beat you."
"I look forward to the day when you truly give me a challenge." The man answered, "But don't forget that I'm always training, too. However, I noticed you seem to be a bit more irritable than normal."
"Oh, just some trainer who has only just started becoming one is deciding he can take on my Gym." Clair explained, "He insulted me, calling me arrogant!"
"Well, you do tend to have that kind of personality." He noted, "You gotta realize there are trainers stronger than you out there. I know there might even be trainers stronger than me."
"But even so, he shouldn't have said that to my face!" Clair grimaced.
"And for that, I am sorry about." Jackson called out, getting the two's attention as he approached the scene.
"You sure came here quickly." Clair stated, narrowing her eyes as she glared at him.
"Listen, I didn't mean to anger you." Jackson admitted, diverting the subject, "I just have a bad habit of being too blunt for my own good."
"Hmph! At least you apologized." Clair huffed, "But I still think you are far too inexperienced to take on my Gym."
"Now, now. Give him a chance." The man told her, looking to Jackson, "Apologies for my cousin. She gets like this because of me."
"I take it that means you are the Champion, Lance?" Jackson asked.
"That's right. It's nice to meet an up-and-coming trainer like yourself." Lance greeted him, "I am rather surprised you were easily able to tell who I was."
"I overheard Clair and Nurse Joy speak about you." the swordsman explained.
"You heard that?!" Clair asked, surprised as his sense of hearing.
"What were you talking about?" Lance asked Clair.
"N-Nothing much…" she answered.
"Nurse Joy was speaking about how all your matches were pretty much one-sided, and that Clair was determined to beat you, one of these days." Jackson answered very abruptly.
"Hey!" Clair barked at him, while Lance sighed at both of their behaviors.
"Whoops. I was blunt again, wasn't I?" Jackson asked, realizing he might've said too much.
"Like an Aerodactyl's Iron Head." Lance answered, before asking, "So, would you mind if I ask for your name, and where you hail from?"
"My name is Jackson. I am from Ecruteak City."
"I see…" Lance examined Jackson's appearance, before taking a good look at his face, and he formed a frown.
"Is…there something on my face?" Jackson asked.
"No, not exactly…" Lance answered, pausing for a second, before turning to Clair, asking, "Would you mind if I judge for your Gym Battle?"
"You? You wanna be a judge for one of my battles?" Clair asked, surprised at the request.
"I'm actually curious about this boy." Lance answered, looking back at Jackson, "I want to see him battle you."
Jackson looked rather worried. Was this guy suspicious about his origins? Or did he see the person he was. Either way, Lance got him very nervous.
"Very well, then." Clair answered, looking to Jackson, "I'll be sure to whip this child into shape, and show him how outclassed he is."
"Hold on." Lance stopped her, "Let's battle out here. I don't think there's any need to go into the Gym."
"Don't tell me you are thinking low of me, too?" Jackson questioned Lance, narrowing his eyes at him.
"Not at all. You need this experience." Lance answered, looking to Clair, who sighed and nodded in understanding.
In a minute, Clair and Jackson stood a good distance from each other, facing each other as Lance stood on the sidelines. "This battle between Clair of the Blackthorn City Gym and the trainer Jackson of Ecruteak City will now begin. It'll be a one on one match, each trainer using four Pokémon each…"
"Hold on! I only have two Pokémon!" Jackson addressed abruptly.
"Don't worry. I'll probably won't even need more than one." Clair replied, getting a glare from Jackson.
Lance cleared his throat to get the two's attention back to him again, as he continued, "In addition to these rules, only the trainer is allowed to swap out. Would each trainer call out their Pokémon?"
"I got this! Dragonair, go!" She threw out one of her Pokéballs, and out came a blue and white-bellied serpent dragon with dark eyes, a small horn on its head, wings on its head, and jewels on its neck and the tip of its tail. Jackson pulled out his Pokédex to examine it.
"Dragonair. The Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Dratini. Dragonair stores an enormous amount of energy inside its body. It is said to alter weather conditions in its vicinity by discharging energy from the crystals on its neck and tail."
"So that's what a Dragon-type looks like." Jackson understood, pulling out one of his Pokéballs and holding it at the ready. 'I will show her how strong the person before her is!' He mentally told himself, before shouting, "Ledyba, let's go!" His ladybug was called out to the field, ready to fight.
"Let this battle commence!" Lance called out, waving a hand to signal the beginning of the battle.
"I'll let you have the first move, Clair." Jackson told the Dragon Gym Leader.
"You serious?" She questioned him, "Usually, challengers have the first move."
"Ladies go first. It's part of my moral code." Jackson told her.
"Then your moral code will be your downfall. Use Thunder Wave!" Dragonair responded with a blue bolt of electricity from its horn at Ledyba.
"Dodge and go in with a Mach Punch!" Jackson shouted. Ledyba immediately responded by flying about the oncoming attack, and shot forward quickly with a glowing fist. However, Dragonair was quick to respond, redirecting her body towards Ledyba, who tried to evade around it, but ended up caught in the electric surge. Jackson was startled, but saw that while it didn't do any damage, sparks of electricity coursed about Ledyba's body. "Are these the signs of paralysis?" Jackson realized.
"Now you'll see how outclassed you are!" Clair told Jackson, "Use Fire Blast!" Dragonair inhaled deeply, before expelling a large amount of flames, forming the shape that Jackson recognized as the Japanese kanji word for 'big', coming at Ledyba.
"Move, Ledyba, move!" Jackson shouted to Ledyba, who was struggling, and wasn't able to move in time. It got consumed in the flames, and there was an eruption from the impact. When the eruption died down, Jackson witnessed his partner charred from the attack, alive, but unconscious.
"Ledyba is unable to battle! Dragonair is the winner!" Lance declared. Jackson was shocked at how easily his Ledyba was beaten. He couldn't even get one hit in.
"This…is the strength Clair has?" He realized, looking to Ledyba, before calling him back to his Pokéball, and putting it away. He started to shake at the effortless beating he took, but gripped his right arm with his left hand. 'Get ahold of yourself, Jackson! You are not done yet!' He told himself, 'I gotta remember the hero you were once. A person who had his back to the wall, and still fought will all his might and courage, and came out on top! You are not the emotional and cowardly monster! You are better than that person. Be better than that person!'
Lance and Clair looked to Jackson, seeing the contorted expression he held as he was gathering himself together, and while Clair was curious, Lance looked very concerned. Finally, Clair asked, "Are you starting to realize the difference in power here?"
Jackson twisted that into an insult, and growled, "This fight isn't over yet! I still have one more! Go, Eevee!" He threw out his Pokéball, calling out his first Pokémon to the field. Eevee was prepared, but sensed Jackson's erratic emotions at the moment, and looked back at him. "Focus, Eevee! We got a battle to win!" He called to her, who looked worried, but prepared to fight.
"You really are foolish to continue this." Clair sighed, before calling out, "Use Thunder Wave again!" Dragonair unleashed another blue wave of electricity, going for Eevee.
"Counter with Sand Attack!" Jackson called out, and Eevee turned to kick dirt up. The trick worked, as it formed a sort of shield against the oncoming electricity, dispelling it.
"I never saw Sand Attack used in such a way!" Clair gasped.
"You ain't seen nothing yet!" Jackson responded, "Use Swift!" Eevee leapt up and swung her tail, unleashing stars at Dragonair.
"Blow them away with Dragon Pulse!" Clair shouted. Dragonair inhaled and breathed out rainbow-colored energy that took the form of a dragon, effortlessly blasting the stars, and striking Eevee while she was in the air. There was an explosion, and Eevee fell to the ground, heavily injured by the attack.
"Eevee, get up!" Jackson shouted to his partner, "We can't lose like this! We gotta push forward!" Eevee struggled as she got to her feet, but looked very exhausted. The two Dragon trainers looked to Jackson and Eevee with great concern.
"We gotta at least get one hit in!" Jackson told Eevee, "Let's show our strength. Quick Attack!" Eevee gathered what it had left for strength, and charged forward at high speeds. It charged with all its might, before leaping at Dragonair, ready to hit it with all it had.
"Dragonair, use Slam!" Clair shouted. Dragonair swirled around and slammed its' tail at Eevee, sending her flying over to the ground in front of Jackson.
"Eevee, get up!" Jackson cried out. Eevee, however, was unable to go on any further.
"That's it!" Lance shouted, raising a hand, "Eevee is unable to battle! Dragonair is the winner, and the victor of this match is Clair, the Gym Leader!"
Dragonair and Clair watched sternly as Jackson knelt down to his Pokémon. "Eevee, say something to me." Jackson begged. Eevee weakly looked up at Jackson, and he saw, to his shock, that Eevee had tears in her eyes.
"Jackson, you were extremely reckless!" Lance scolded, walking over to Jackson, "You are a trainer, and it is a trainer's duty to be connected with his or her Pokémon in the midst of battle. You did not show any signs of a connection or trust in Eevee or your own actions, and that was the reason why you lost."
"I lost because I didn't trust in her or myself?" Jackson asked, shocked at these words.
"Exactly." Lance answered, "I can see it in your eyes. You are having a hard time understanding what it means to trust your partner, as well as yourself. Now, I don't know if you haven't learned it, or you lost it at some point. But you can't become a great trainer unless you gain that connection."
Jackson looked up at Lance, then down at Eevee. His eyes were shadowed from everyone, and Lance watched him closely. Suddenly, he noticed something from him; Jackson was crying. His tears dripped down onto Eevee's furry collar, while she looked up at her tearful trainer.
"I'm sorry." Jackson sobbed, "I'm so sorry, Eevee. It's because I've lost so much trust…that I was unable to help you become a good trainer for you. Please forgive me!" Jackson continued to cry with Eevee in his arms, hugging her tightly to him, while the two dragon masters watched him there.
It was evening, and Jackson had already returned to the Pokémon Center, giving his Pokémon to Nurse Joy again. The damage they were dealt with was pretty severe, so she had to take care of them overnight. Jackson watched from behind the glass as he saw his two Pokémon covered in bandages, resting themselves. Jackson felt very guilty as he looked to them.
"This is my fault." Jackson muttered, looking to Eevee and Ledyba, "I wanted so badly to prove myself, I ended up almost making the same mistakes that…that cost the lives of those people before. I let my emotions get the better of me again."
"What do you mean 'that cost the lives of those people before'?" Spoke a voice. Jackson quickly looked up and turned to see none other than Lance approach him.
"It's you." Jackson noticed.
"I came here to see how you were doing after your fight with my cousin, when I overheard you speaking to yourself." He addressed Jackson, folding his arms in front of him, "So, why don't you tell me what you meant when you said that?"
Jackson looked down, thinking on what to do. Since talking to Professor Elm, Ethan, and Kris, he wanted to make sure he didn't tell anyone else about his truth. However, it was too late now. This was what he got for not keeping his ears out this time around. It was best that he explained himself.
"Sure, I can tell you." He answered, "Let's go down the hallway. I'll explain there."
When they were away from the room where his Pokémon were being taken care of, and found a seat to sit together at, Jackson begun his story. The same story he told Professor Elm, Ethan, and Kris, but adding something in; the part that was connected to what Lance heard. The part he feared anyone outside of his world to hear. He spoke about his father, the trauma he put him and his family through, and how it impacted him to an emotional level. Lance didn't respond, but listened through to his story.
"The more my father's words haunted my memories, the more I thought about my mother constantly crying, my sister in therapy, the concerns about the people on whether or not I truly deserve the title as 'hero', I became more and more aggressive to prove I was not the bad guy." Jackson paused, breathing in deeply, prepared to tell the hardest part of the story. He then continued, "I was in a daze of rage, blind to my actions, only thinking what was right. And one day, when I was fighting back this big robot of Eggman's…My aggressive attack sent it crashing into a street of buildings. The rubble that fell on the innocent civilians…the people that were still in those buildings. Their injuries…the lives that were lost… They were on my hands."
He lowered his head over his fist, his lungs tightened, his heart racing, as the memories flashed back to his mind. "When I came to, I saw what I have done. Everyone saw what I had done. They were enraged at my behavior. They immediately considered me as bad as the villains I protected them from. They no longer trusted me whatsoever. The only ones who saw past my actions were my dear friends and family. They knew what I was going through, and even though I didn't listen to their warnings, they stood beside me. But the damage was done. The words of the people continued to echo in my mind so much, that eventually, even I couldn't trust myself. So, I had to escape. I had to leave my world, and find the person I trusted again. The hero that I was. So, out of all the random worlds I could've been sent to, I ended up here."
He looked up at Lance, giving a guilty smile as he said, "Well, that's my story. I guess you now know why I am such a wreck. Though, I bet you won't believe me at first. I do have proof, and I have Professor Elm to back up that claim."
"There's no need." Lance responded, "After hearing you, I can tell one thing; No one who spoke as emotionally as you did could make up a lie like that. I believe all that you said."
"Really?" Jackson asked, surprised at his belief in him.
Lance stood up and looked outside the window nearby, seeing the moon in the sky. "Tell me, how old are you?"
"Almost fourteen years old." Jackson answered.
"Then that makes me more impressed by you." Lance responded, "Most people even twice your age would break pretty badly through a trauma like yours."
"But I didn't come out of it unscathed." Jackson pointed out abruptly.
"I didn't say you did." The Champion answered, "But most wouldn't still try to find a way to overcome their trauma like you are right now. And I believe you came to a perfect world to find that."
"How do you figure?" The swordsman questioned him.
"Because being a Pokémon Trainer means you need to rely not only on your Pokémon, but also rely on yourself to make the right judgements, especially in a Pokémon battle. True, there are many strong trainers out there, and many strategic ones, as well, but the best are those who have a strong bond with their Pokémon, who trust one another to overcome all sorts of obstacles. They grow together, become stronger, both in mind and body."
"Like you?" Jackson assumed.
"Yes. I was originally from this city, and trained with my Pokémon, Dratini, since it hatched. The two of us have been together ever since, and here I stand as a Champion." He looked back at Jackson, saying, "I can see it in you, as well. You have what it takes to reach my level."
"Me? Become a Champion?" Jackson questioned him in surprise.
Lance came back to him, placing a hand on Jackson's shoulder, and gave him a smile as he told him, "You should take time to rest here in Blackthorn City, gather yourself up. Connect with your Pokémon a bit, then go back on your journey."
"Yeah…" Jackson answered, looking down, worried.
"Do you think it took me a week to become a Champion?" Lance asked him, guessing what was on his mind, "It took me years to get to where I am at. A few days won't hurt you."
"I understand." Jackson responded, looking up at him, "I'll take the time to gather myself and be with my Pokémon a bit more personally."
Lance smiled and nodded in approval, walking away as he stated, "I'll be here for a few days. If you need me, I'll be at my cousin's Gym."
"Thanks, Lance." Jackson replied, standing up to watch him leave the hallway, exiting the center. As soon as he left, he looked back to the area where his Pokémon were. Lance was right. He had to be more patient, and learn to connect with his Pokémon. Then, once he was able to earn their trust, as well as trust in them, then maybe he could learn to regain the trust in himself. "I just gotta figure out how to do that…" Jackson told himself, "Maybe the first step is to find a way to understand them."