Chapter 28

"Red Woods and Blue Oak reportedly began their journey two months ago and are already on their way to Cinnabar Island! I don't think anyone before them has gone through the Gym circuit so quickly. At this rate, they'll be challenging the Elite Four in no time. Brenda, who do you think will reach the finish line first? Who will be the Indigo League's first Champion?"

"Hard to say, Tom. Both of them are very talented trainers. Personally, I'm rooting for the hero of Silph Co."

"I am, too, but Blue does have a few fans."

"Oh really? Like who?"

"Some folks think the rumors about Blue's involvement at Silph Co. are false. Some like his battle style. And he's quite popular with the ladies."

Leaf finished the last of her breakfast and briskly left the cafeteria. She'd been unable to block out both the TV and the other trainers' commentary. She had to pick one to listen to and she'd determined the talk show hosts to be marginally less obnoxious. Although Leaf didn't like Blue very much, some of the things the other trainers said made her extremely uncomfortable.

Leaf plopped down on a bench in the hallway and pulled out her map. She'd already checked it a few times last night, but she still wasn't sure what her plan was. Her next destination was Cinnabar Island, where she would challenge the seventh Gym. Cinnabar Island was far from Saffron. It was actually fairly close to Pallet Town; Leaf could see it in the distance when standing on the beach. She'd considered flying back home and spending some time with her parents before going down to Cinnabar. There was just one potential problem: Leaf had never visited Cinnabar Island before, but she heard it was small. There was a chance the island wouldn't have enough space for her to properly train. Her team wasn't ready to challenge the second-to-last Gym yet, so before heading over, they would need to grind. Pallet Town didn't seem like the right place to do that.

Her other option was to make a pit stop at Fuchsia City, which was about halfway between Saffron and Cinnabar. She could continue to train at Saffron before leaving, or train around Fuchsia. Maybe she should do the latter, for the sake of changing scenery.

Leaf leaned back and closed her eyes. According to the talk show hosts, Red and Blue weren't at Cinnabar yet. She wondered if they were training somewhere in mainland Kanto, or visiting Pallet Town. She was sure someone would find out soon, if no one hadn't already.

Leaf opened her eyes.

When she exited Fuschia City and stepped onto Route 15, Leaf wondered if she'd made a mistake.

Route 15 was wide and long with diverse terrain: dirt trails, patches of tall grass, woods. Trainers she could battle were constantly passing through. Truly, there was no better spot for Leaf's team to train. And that had enabled her during the hellish week when she'd pushed her Pokemon too close to the edge. Leaf wanted to believe she'd learned her lesson and would never let that happen again. Since then, she had been successful at working hard, but not too hard. But a part of her was worried that being in Route 15 would trigger that dark side of her.

Leaf stood by the gate, debating whether she should turn around. Fearow had flown her to Fuchsia yesterday. To let the vulture rest, she spent the day hanging around the city. She could do that again today and ease into training. But then she'd be moving too slowly and she couldn't do that either.

Leaf moved away from the gate. Once she reached an open area by the woods, she detached her PokeBalls from her belt, holding three in each hand. She tossed them all up, showering herself in their white light. When the light faded, her entire team stood before her, their gaze curious.

Leaf contemplated her words for a moment. "We'll soon be challenging the second-to-last Gym. If you thought the last two were tough, imagine how strong the next will be." Her Pokemon nodded solemnly. She continued, "We need to step it up, which is why I've brought us here. I know all of you remember this route, how harsh the training was. My top priority is your health, so if I start to lose it, force you to do things well beyond your limits, please immediately let me know. You can attack me, if that's what it takes."

Everyone was startled by her last comment. They gaped at her in stunned silence. Vulpix even barked and brushed herself against Leaf's leg, as if to say she couldn't harm her if her life depended on it. Leaf more or less already knew that, but she needed to drill in how vital it was that her Pokemon keep her in check.

Finally, Venusaur grunted and touched Leaf's shoulder with a vine. Then, Golduck reached out and touched Leaf's arm. Fearow cawed and dipped her head. Haunter cackled and spun in the air. Vulpix purred and Dratini nuzzled Leaf's other leg. Leaf heard them loud and clear. They would train diligently, but also reasonably. And they would look out for Leaf always.

Leaf nodded and straightened herself. After everyone drew away to give her space, Leaf said, "Let's do it then. Fearow and Haunter, start with flying exercises. Go through the woods as fast as possible without bumping into anything. Let me know when you finish and I'll give you other things to work on. Venusaur, find a wide space to practice your Frenzy Plant. I want you to be able to summon those branches fast and control them smoothly. Golduck, find something heavy to practice your Psychic with. Vulpix, start with your basic Flamethrower exercises and then we can work on doing different tricks with it. Dratini, come with me."

Everyone except Dratini made determined sounds and took off. Dratini's head was low as Leaf faced him. Leaf couldn't blame him for his awkwardness. The dragon so badly wanted to be as tough as his teammates, but at the Saffron Gym, he failed to win what was probably the easiest battle. Leaf understood better than anyone how discouraged he must be.

"Hey," Leaf began. Dratini flinched. "You've been showing improvement already. You didn't back down against that Slowpoke." Dratini looked up at her, eyes wide. "You could've won. Your attacks were landing. The Slowpoke just took them well because it's bulky. I can't really help you become as defensive, but I can help you hit harder."

Leaf pointed at a thick, sturdy tree several feet away. "I want you to break off as many branches as possible using only Twister. We can practice Dragon Rage also, but I think Dragon Rage is a slightly stronger move. So we'll start with the less strong one."

Dratini nodded fervently. He slithered towards the tree until he was within a good range. Leaf heard Dratini take a deep breath before wind began to whip violently around the tree. Its leaves rustled loudly, as if they were screaming. But as terrified as they were by Dratini's Twister, the branches held firmly in their place. The wind died down. Dratini glanced back at Leaf, breathing heavily.

Leaf crossed her arms. "Again."

Dratini turned back to the tree.

"Come on, Dratini! You can do better than that! I know it!" Leaf cried.

Dratini panted. With a strained cry, he launched another Twister at the tree. But despite his immense efforts, the result was the same––no, worse––as his previous attempts. The wind danced around the tree, rustling the leaves in a pleasant way. The dragon let out a huge breath and the "twister" was gone. Dratini lowered his head.

Leaf did her best to speak calmly. "How about this: break that thin branch with Dragon Rage. Afterwards, you can take a long break."

The branch she was referring to wasn't particularly thin, but since it wasn't as thick as the others, it seemed promising. Dratini nodded and raised his head. Purple energy rippled off his body. Leaf bit her lip and prayed.

Dratini fired the Dragon Rage at the branch and immediately, it was clear it wasn't going to succeed. Exhausted from using Twister a countless number of times, the Dragon Rage was not so much a shock wave, but more so a collection of sparks. They didn't even get close to touching the branch before fading.

Stifling a sigh, Leaf stepped towards Dratini and crouched down. The dragon turned his face away from Leaf's. "Go rest for a bit. Are you hungry? I can give you some snacks."

Dratini curled up, though Leaf knew it wasn't because he wanted to nap. She stood and rubbed her head. It was difficult not to feel frustrated. All morning, she watched Dratini struggle and fail to inflict any sort of damage to the tree. She gave the dragon every piece of advice she could think of. Imagine the tree is your worst enemy or throw your entire essence into the attack or concentrate your power into one part. Nothing she could come up with aided Dratini in the slightest. Leaf had no idea what the issue was. Her other Pokemon were all different from each other, yet she always found something that worked for them. It was as if Dratini was specifically designed to resist her.

Guilt wriggled in her stomach. No, she couldn't entirely blame Dratini. As his trainer, it was her responsibility to unlock his potential. If Dratini was lacking in something, it was because she was, too. And whatever negativity Leaf felt, she was certain Dratini felt it much more.

"Need some help?"

Leaf whirled around, nearly slipping when she saw who the familiar voice belonged to. Blue was sitting on a nearby ledge, his face nonchalant.

"H-How long were you sitting there?" Leaf sputtered. "Were you spying on me?"

Blue ignored her questions. He pushed himself off the ledge and approached her, hands in pockets, amber eyes still betraying nothing. His gaze shifted from her to Dratini and then back to her.

"I know what you're going through. I was in a similar position with Abra. If you want, I can offer a few pointers."

Leaf was too stupefied to do anything other than nod. Blue looked down at Dratini and said matter-of-factly, "Dratini's weak."

That snapped Leaf out of her daze. "What did you just say?"

Blue continued as if Leaf hadn't spoken. "Pokemon aren't all built the same. Some can hit hard and fast, others can take a hit. You can try to make your Pokemon as well-rounded as possible, but usually, they'll be lacking in certain areas. In Dratini's case, it's raw power. Maybe it'll be different when he evolves, but right now, you can't expect him to knock any trees down."

She'd asked Dratini to break branches, not the entire tree. Leaf almost corrected Blue, but held back. It wasn't going to make a difference to him what the exact exercise was, even though the distinction felt important to her.

Blue's gaze returned to Leaf. "There's a way to make Dratini's attacks hurt the opponent more, but what he'll really benefit from is strategy. You could say that about anyone, but for a Pokemon like Dratini, it's absolutely necessary."

Blue turned to the tree and stared at it. Leaf was about to ask what he was thinking when he pointed at the thin branch Dratini just tried to break.

"Use Dragon Rage exactly where the branch connects to the tree."

Dratini, who'd been listening to Blue intently, faced the tree. Now that he'd had a moment to properly catch his breath, he looked rejuvenated. His body began to crackle with purple energy.

Dratini hurled the shock wave at the branch's base. There was a loud snap and then a crash when the branch hit the ground. The dragon swung his head back at them, eyes sparkling.

"And that's how you hurt the opponent," Blue said. "You identify their weak spot and attack it."

It was so simple that Leaf couldn't believe she wasn't already doing that. But when she thought about it more, she realized she hadn't. Dratini wasn't being precise with Twister earlier. The wind hit the branches at random points, likely different ones each time.

"Now, let's brainstorm some Dratini-friendly tactics."

They spent the next few hours spitballing ideas. Leaf had subconsciously expected a dumpster fire. She'd expected Blue to be his usual snarky self, put her down for coming up with stupid ideas or not understanding his. She was certain it would end with an argument. But while there was an occasional jab from one of them and Leaf did feel a bit awkward, the brainstorming session was productive. Leaf was surprised at how easily they would build upon each other's ideas. It reminded Leaf of when they were kids and built snowmen in the winter: gathering snow together, rolling them into smooth spheres and stacking them on top of each other until they'd created a proper snowman.

Blue even sent out a couple of his Pokemon to be test subjects. If an idea failed, they would either try to improve it or scrap it entirely. At some point, Leaf noticed Blue gradually growing quieter, letting her take the reins and come up with tactics on her own. It also occurred to her that she probably shouldn't be strategizing in front of her rival. If she were to ever battle Blue again––and there was no doubt she would––he would know what to expect from Dratini and be able to counter him. Leaf made a mental note to not get too carried away, to not let her guard down too much.

Blue stood. "I think it's time we test everything for real."

Leaf smirked. "Are you challenging me to a battle?"

"Just a one-on-one with Dratini."

"That works for me. How about you, Dratini?" When the dragon nodded eagerly, Leaf stood and Blue distanced himself from them.

Blue sent out Growlithe. The fire dog crouched, prepared to take off. Leaf decided she would let him make the first move.

"Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!"

Growlithe cloaked himself with his fire. The fire spun into a wheel and rolled towards Dratini.

"Twister Jump!"

Wind whipped up below Dratini, shooting the dragon up and over the Flame Wheel. The wheel turned and headed to where Dratini was supposed to land. But instead of landing on the fire, Dratini flew over it once more. Again, Growlithe tried to anticipate where Dratini would go, only for the dragon to dodge with Twister. Just as Leaf was pondering Dratini's next move, the Flame Wheel suddenly leaped into the air, after Dratini.

"Twister!"

Normally, Twister circled around its target. This time, Dratini fired it straight at the Flame Wheel, pushing it away and onto the ground. Growlithe recovered fast. Almost immediately, he spun into a flaming wheel again and rolled over to where Dratini was landing.

It was time to be offensive. "Dragon Rage!"

As soon as he hit the ground, Dratini leaped to the side and before the fire wheel could turn, the dragon launched a purple shock wave at its center, where Growlithe was. Growlithe yelped and he tumbled across the grass, no longer surrounded by fire.

Leaf couldn't help but smile. This was good, this was working. Dratini felt the same; she could see the light in his eyes.

But the battle wasn't over yet. Once Growlithe stopped tumbling, he jumped back on all fours and growled.

"Use Agility!"

Quick as lightning, Growlithe charged at Dratini in zigzags. Once he was close, he ran in circles around Dratini. Leaf felt dizzy trying to keep up with the dog. Even Dratini nearly fell backwards trying to keep Growlithe in his line of vision.

But maybe Dratini didn't need to know Growlithe's exact location. "Twister!"

"Take Down!"

Before Dratini could whip up a Twister, Growlithe tackled him from behind. The dog must've thrown his entire weight, because he was sent flying with Dratini. When he scrambled back up, Leaf noticed him wince and shake out a leg. Dratini, meanwhile, lay on the ground hyperventilating.

Shit. "Get up, Dratini! Quick!"

"Flame Wheel!"

The Flame Wheel finally succeeded. It rammed into Dratini, who seemed more affected by the impact rather than the heat since he simply continued to gasp for air, and began to circle around to attack again.

"Dragon Rage!"

As Leaf feared, Dratini couldn't concentrate enough with the wind knocked out of him. His body sparked weakly before getting hit again. The Flame Wheel began to circle.

Leaf's mouth went dry. Dratini clearly wasn't in the state to use Dragon Rage or Twister. He would be once he caught his breath, but Growlithe was very much preventing that. The thought of Dratini losing another battle, despite all the work done today, was heartbreaking.

The Flame Wheel slammed into Dratini. Dragons had to be fire-resistant because where there should've been scorch marks, there were bruises. Leaf liked Dragon Rage and Twister because they inflicted decent damage while allowing timid Dratini to stay far from his opponent. But if Dratini couldn't use them now, it was good to know that he could make direct contact with the fire.

"Dratini, use Slam!"

Though his breathing was still labored, Dratini threw himself at the flaming wheel. Growlithe yelped in surprise when the dragon crashed into him. The fire around him vanished.

"Grab him!"

Before Growlithe could get away, Dratini wrapped himself around his neck. The dog barked and tried to shake Dratini off, but he held on tight, his breathing gradually returning to normal.

"Dragon Rage!"

Dratini's body rippled with purple energy. With a blast, Growlithe was knocked down and Dratini shot up into the air. Wind whipped up below Dratini and gently set him in front of Leaf. Growlithe shakily rose, growling. Leaf tensed as she waited for his next move.

The fire dog's eyes rolled back. He collapsed and became very still. Blue returned him.

"Congrats on winning," Blue said flatly.

The ecstasy flooded her instantly. Leaf shrieked and even though Blue was watching, she picked Dratini up and spun.

"You did it, Dratini! You won your first battle!"

The dragon was squealing with joy, eyes brighter than Growlithe's fire, than the sun. In fact, his entire body seemed to glow; it blinded Leaf. And soon, the light was growing. It touched the ground and then stretched across until it was more than double its original size. When the light faded, Leaf gasped.

Dratini was once a pale blue. Now, he matched the sky. His snout, now blue instead of white, was narrower. His eyes were sharper and more red than purple. The white bump on his forehead had grown into a small horn. On his neck, above where Leaf's hands clasped him, was a blue crystal orb. Two more orbs, one smaller than the other, were stacked near the tip of his thin tail. The fins on his head were larger. They looked like angel wings now.

Dragonair. A mystical Pokémon that exudes a gentle aura. Even though it has no wings, it has been seen flying occasionally.

"Dragonair," Leaf murmured. She tucked the Pokedex back into her satchel, eyes not leaving the dragon. Dragonair dipped his head gracefully. Leaf wanted to say more, how proud she was of him, but the words had been whisked away. Dragonair was…beautiful. The most beautiful Pokemon she'd ever seen.

A cackle behind her snapped her out. Leaf turned and saw all her other Pokemon had gathered around, gawking at Dragonair. Haunter drifted over to Dragonair and circled around him gleefully. Dragonair smiled softly.

Leaf stepped aside to allow everyone else to meet Dragonair. From the corner of her eye, she saw Blue approaching her.

"Congrats, again," Blue said.

"Thanks!" Leaf looked down at her feet, suddenly feeling awkward. "And thank you for helping today. It was really nice of you"

Blue shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a charitable guy."

"Oh, of course. Charitable is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Blue Oak." Leaf glanced at Dragonair and then back at Blue. She let out a chuckle and wasn't sure how much of it was genuine. "You know…this is the second time one of my Pokemon has evolved because of you."

Blue's expression remained indecipherable. He waved a hand. "I'm your rival. What would be the point if I didn't push you a bit?"

"Do I push you?"

Blue smirked. "I gotta get back to training. You and your team can go enjoy some bonding time now. Smell ya later, rival."

Blue turned and walked away. Leaf watched him leave until he completely vanished from her sight.

I've had a nice burst of energy recently. The writing has been coming easily so I've been able to update more frequently :) Hopefully this can keep going *knocks on wood*

Blue is back and Dratini has finally evolved! I think Dragonair is one of the best designed Pokemon. I love the entire evolutionary line but Dragonair is my favorite of the three.

Thanks for reading/following and I appreciate all reviews!