Chapter 12

"I want to help you train your Dragonite."

Huh?

"I'm serious," Lance said. "Your Dragonite's inability to control his power isn't abnormal. Without proper guidance, it will only get worse."

Without proper guidance stung. No one wanted a childhood hero to look down on them.

Lance possibly realized how he sounded, because he added, "This doesn't mean you're a bad trainer. It's actually impressive you're able to calm down your Dragonite when he's on a rampage. But if you've never dealt with dragons before, you won't know how to handle them. It's not something you learn overnight. That's where I come in. I've already received President Ken's approval."

That last sentence shocked her the most. "President Ken's approval," Leaf said, as if repeating Lance's words would help her understand the situation better. It didn't.

Lance nodded. "We'll train twice a week. Given how variable your schedule is, we won't have set times for now, but it's important that we don't skip sessions. Any questions?"

Leaf had many questions. She didn't know where to start.

Lance interpreted her silence as a no. "Tomorrow. 9AM. Meet me at the entrance of Route 28."

Before Leaf could reply, Lance turned and exited her apartment, leaving her more confused than ever.

When Leaf woke up at 8AM, she laid in bed for ten minutes wondering if Lance's visit had been a dream. She had several arguments for it: it happened without warning, no Elite Four member ever came to her apartment, she'd never interacted with Lance for that long before, the timing was too convenient. The timing was too convenient. The moment she hits rock bottom, Lance graces her like an angel? And with President Ken's approval? President Ken, the same man who threw her under the bus just a few days ago? It was all happening so fast.

On the off-chance it hadn't been a dream, Leaf rolled out of bed and got ready. She ate a quick breakfast and flew over to the entrance of Route 28.

Lance was standing there, arms crossed. Leaf had to blink a couple times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

There were no formalities. "Follow me," was all Lance said, so Leaf walked after him.

Route 28 led to Mount Silver. So vacant it was that as soon as they exited the gate, they were met with thick trees and tall patches of grass. There wasn't a clear trail in sight.

"Let your Dragonite out," Lance said. "Let him walk with us."

Leaf did what she was told. Upon seeing her and Lance in the wilderness, Dragonite was visibly confused.

"Route 28 is full of strong wild Pokemon," Lance said to Dragonite. "Be prepared to protect Leaf."

Dragonite nodded, but glanced at Leaf, as if expecting an explanation. Leaf said nothing because she didn't have one.

They hopped down a ledge facing a small pond. Then, they turned into the tall grass.

Leaf could still clearly remember the first time she walked through tall grass. It was on Route 22. She'd wanted to see the entrance to the Indigo League and on a whim, decided to explore the grass as well. She and Bulbasaur stumbled upon a wild Mankey and had their very first battle. Then, they were chased by a horde of angry Mankey and quite literally ran into Spearow.

Had she not stepped into the grass, Leaf would never have met Fearow. Although it had been a blessing, she'd decided afterwards to not needlessly go through tall grass. Leaf had mixed feelings about catching Pokemon. Other than Fearow and Dragonite, all her Pokemon willingly joined her. Most trainers acquired their Pokemon through catching them, and the Pokemon rarely seemed to show ill-will, but it almost felt like abducting them from their homes.

It was also common for trainers to seek out wild Pokemon to battle, as a way to train their own. The thought of provoking wild Pokemon to attack, when they were just minding their own business, was never appealing for Leaf either. As a result, she always trained her Pokemon through personal sessions or battling other trainers.

If a wild Pokemon happened to attack them, they obviously had no choice but to defend themselves. Leaf wouldn't have felt too bad about that. A part of her suspected, however, that Lance wanted a fight.

They reached a small clearing. Shortly up ahead was another cluster of tall grass. Leaf and Dragonite followed Lance into it. He turned left and there was a ledge. They hopped down and turned right. To Leaf's surprise, they came upon a flight of wooden stairs.

"Where exactly are we going?" Leaf asked.

"You'll see," Lance replied.

The stairs led into more tall grass. With each step, Leaf found herself increasingly more paranoid. Did she hear the grass rustle just now? Did she just see something in her peripheral? Were they about to be attacked? Lance, on the other hand, walked like a Saffron City businessman: quickly and with purpose, as if he had somewhere important to be and nothing else in the world mattered.

There was another flight of stairs. Leaf was about to ask again where they were going when suddenly, she no longer completely saw green.

They were at the base of Mount Silver. Not too far ahead, she could make out the red roof of a Pokemon Center. She didn't need to enter it to know there'd barely be anyone inside.

Leaf looked up. Mount Silver was so tall, it seemed to be touching the sky. Its sheer size made her dizzy, so she shifted her gaze over to Lance, only to see he'd already walked several feet away to her right.

Leaf rushed over him, slightly annoyed that he hadn't bothered to check if she was still beside him. It was this annoyance that prompted her to ask more firmly, "Can you tell me what's going on? What're we doing here?"

Lance glanced at her and opened his mouth as if to say something. No words came out. Leaf heard a rustle, followed by a loud huff. Feeling a chill in her body, she turned towards the sound.

Nearby, a wild Pokemon had made its way out of the tall grass and was facing them. Leaf had never seen this Pokemon before. It was a sturdy-looking creature; its gray body and legs, encircled with black bands, were thick and low to the ground. A wide, black band of hide ran down its back, extending to the tip of its trunk. It had long ears and, more concerningly, long white tusks that glinted in the sunlight. The Pokemon eyed them suspiciously.

"Donphan," Lance said. "It's a Johto Pokemon. It's probably going to a different patch of grass, and we're in its way."

Under other circumstances, Leaf would've just moved out of the Donphan's way. But seeing Lance standing still, staring down the Donphan, she knew a battle was about to begin.

The Donphan didn't seem to appreciate Lance's unyielding stare. It let out another huff and pawed at the ground. Leaf could sense Dragonite tense up.

With surprising speed, the Donphan's entire body curled into a ball and rolled at them. They leaped out of the Donphan's way. It turned and rolled towards them again. Without Leaf needing to say anything, Dragonite launched a harsh wind at the Donphan, blowing it off course. Quickly, the Donphan rolled back in their direction.

It was almost like watching a matador. With Twister, Dragonite would steer the Donphan away, who would turn back around and roll towards them. Any other Pokemon would've been knocked down by the wind, but the Donphan managed to keep its body curled up. In fact, with each turn, the Donphan seemed to roll faster and faster. Dragonite's eyes darted around as he tried to keep track of the cannonball. His movements as he conjured up a Twister grew increasingly frantic.

At this rate, the Donphan was going to outspeed Dragonite soon. Dragonite needed to stop it now. He needed to hit it with a stronger attack. "Rage Twister!"

Purple and yellow energy swirled around Dragonite. The Donphan turned. Leaf blinked and suddenly, Dragonite was tumbling far, groaning as if every particle of air was being knocked out of him. The Donphan rolled after him. In any second, it was going to barrel into Dragonite again.

Leaf's brain couldn't come up with a move. It kept screaming for Dragonite to get away. "Fly up!"

There was a purple flash and this time, the Donphan was tumbling to the side, wailing. It crashed into a tree. Leaf didn't wait to see if the Donphan had fainted or not. A second wave of panic made her look back at Dragonite.

Even at a distance, Leaf could see the horrific bruise on Dragonite's abdomen. Though there was a heavy slouch, Dragonite was miraculously standing. What caught Leaf's attention the most, however, were Dragonite's fists. Purple energy swirled around them. In the midst of all that energy, his claws glowed.

"Dragon Claw," Lance said.

Leaf had nearly forgotten Lance was there. "What?"

"Dragon Claw. It's a powerful attack. Looks like your Dragonite just learned it."

Before Leaf could respond, she heard a bellow. The Donphan was back on its feet. It bellowed again in rage and curled into a ball.

"Fly!" Leaf shouted.

Dragonite obeyed, but not quite in the way Leaf wanted. Instead of shooting towards the sky, he hovered just a few feet above the ground. When the Donphan rolled near, Dragonite swiped at its side with his flashing claws. The Donphan tumbled, crashing into another tree.

At that moment, Leaf understood. Dragonite figured out the correct angle to hit the rolling Donphan at. Its black hide only protected the top of its body, not its sides.

The Donphan stood. Leaf stepped forward, anticipating another roll. To her surprise, it silently trudged into a patch of tall grass.

Leaf immediately ran over to Dragonite. The purple energy around Dragonite's fists vanished. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he fell over, moaning. Up close, the bruise made Leaf flinch. It reminded her of Venusaur's leg.

She tried to be as calm as possible. "You did good," she said gently and pulled out a potion from her satchel. The one she had was called a Full Restore. It was the best (and most expensive) healing item. It wasn't going to completely cure Dragonite, but it would offer great relief. Leaf sat down and sprayed the Full Restore onto Dragonite's bruise. He let out a sigh and she knew the injury wasn't as serious as Venusaur's was. Relief flooded her.

"Yes, he did." Lance's presence still caught Leaf off guard. He moved too quietly. "Defeating a wild Donphan is no small feat."

Leaf waited for a but. It didn't come. Lance said, "Return your Dragonite. We'll soon be at our destination. We can talk more there and then bring him to the Pokemon Center."

Leaf looked down at Dragonite. His eyes were closed now, his breathing heavy. Leaf gave his back a stroke before returning him and following Lance.

They soon came upon another flight of stairs. Leaf wondered who had built all these stairs out here and why. They weaved through some trees and finally, Leaf saw where Lance was taking her.

Up ahead was a cabin. The only thing that was notable about it was its location. Like the stairs, Leaf wouldn't have expected to see a cabin in such a hostile environment.

"Do you live here?" Leaf stupidly asked.

The good thing about Lance's stoicism was that he rarely, if ever, expressed judgment. "No, but I sometimes stay here when I'm training."

Leaf had a feeling there was more to the story, but she didn't dare ask. Lance unlocked the door and opened it. The Dragon Tamer was a frugal man. The cabin only seemed to have the bare necessities: a bed, a table and two chairs, a small bathroom, and a fireplace with some cooking utensils over it.

They sat down on the chairs. "We won't stay here too long," Lance explained. "I'm just showing you this place. As you might've noticed, it's in a secluded area. No one will bother you out here. It's the perfect training ground."

It was true. No paparazzi would ever find this cabin. Leaf didn't think she could even find this cabin again on her own.

"This cabin can be seen from the sky," Lance continued, as if reading her mind. "You don't have to keep trekking through Route 28. I only had you do it today because I wanted to observe your Dragonite closely."

Leaf automatically sat straighter. She was very curious what the Dragon Tamer had to report about her dragon.

"The good news is that your Dragonite isn't easily enraged. Based on previous battles, it seems he uses Outrage as a last resort. It's triggered when his body feels completely powerless, and there's no other option. I've seen dragons lose it when faced with any threat. In comparison to them, your Dragonite has decent control over himself."

This was probably the most positive evaluation Leaf could've gotten. She felt slightly less anxious now. Just slightly.

"There are external and internal factors that could affect a dragon's self-control. Your Dragonite didn't try to kill the Donphan, so I assume he's on the gentler side. To better understand him, I need to know his past. How did you meet again?"

Leaf's mouth went dry. Lance already knew the story. The public one, that is. PRO, the Pokemon Rescue Organization, had rescued him as a Dratini, along with other Pokemon that Team Rocket had trafficked. Leaf gave this story because it would've looked terrible to say she'd won him from a casino, even though she didn't know beforehand that the casino was a front for Team Rocket and the prizes were Pokemon.

Everyone had accepted the public story. The fact that Lance was asking about it again meant he didn't.

"I don't know from where exactly, but Team Rocket took Dragonite when he was a Dratini. After Team Rocket was defeated, PRO rescued the trafficked Pokemon. I was in Celadon at the time, and PRO gave him to me."

Lance nodded slowly. "Yes, you've said that before. I can't help but wonder though, why you? Why did PRO give a young girl like you a dragon?"

Leaf knew she should tell Lance the truth, but she couldn't bring herself too. He'd look down on her even more than he already did. With the adrenaline worn off, she was also now incredibly embarrassed about her uselessness against the Donphan. Dragonite defeated it all on his own because for some reason, she froze up. If Lance had any respect for her as a trainer, it had to be gone now.

"I just had a connection with Dratini. It made sense for him to come with me."

Lance's face revealed nothing. If he didn't believe her, which he probably didn't, he didn't say anything. Instead, he stood. "Let's take Dragonite to the Pokemon Center. Once Dragonite is fully healed, we can schedule our next session."

As they left the cabin in silence, Leaf suddenly thought about the fear she felt after Dragonite first used Dragon Claw. With shame, she realized she did what everyone else did: assume that Dragonite was going to lose control and destroy everything in his path.

The next day, Leaf received a chilling call from June: President Ken wanted to speak with her.

The entire way to the Silver Palace, and then to his office, Leaf wanted to hurl. The last time she and President Ken interacted was when he essentially ordered her to place Dragonite under house arrest. For refusing to comply, he punished her. He iced her out and sicced the media on her. Leaf had no idea what to expect from today.

Even Gary was somber. He tried to give Leaf an encouraging smile when he saw her, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. "Good luck," he mumbled before letting Leaf into the office.

Luck wasn't the only thing Leaf needed.

President Ken was standing in front of the window, though there didn't seem to be anything interesting outside to look at. June was off to the side as usual. Leaf couldn't tell if the secretary was glaring at her, or if it was just her face.

President Ken wasted no time. "I understand that Lance is going to help you train your Dragonite. I pray it works out."

He turned to face Leaf. He looked dashing as usual, but there was a sharp coldness in his features that cut Leaf in half. She could barely stand.

What he said next was something Leaf would never forget.

"Next time, you won't disobey me."

In another universe, Leaf would've confronted President Ken over his petty, if not cruel, behavior. She wouldn't have accepted being treated like a doormat.

But in this universe, Leaf didn't have that courage.

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry."

With a wave of a hand, President Ken dismissed her. Leaf found herself shaking as she walked out with Gary.

That night, she couldn't sleep.

Leaf and Dragonite's training with Lance is now beginning! But things with President Ken is still tense as ever. We'll see how Leaf handles these developments.

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