Chapter 16

Now that everyone stopped hating Leaf as much, the Indigo League resumed. Challengers flooded through the gates, each as unmemorable as the next. Most couldn't get past Bruno. Only two did and although they didn't end up reaching Leaf, they left an impression on her.

The first was a young man named Will Petrov who specialized in psychic-types. His team consisted of a Jynx, Exeggutor, Slowbro, and a Johto Pokemon called Xatu. Xatu was a green bird that stood like a totem pole. It had red-and-black-tipped white wings that it folded in front of itself. Its almond-shaped eyes showed no emotion and seemed to look straight through its opponents.

As disturbing as the Xatu was, it wasn't what made Will stand out to Leaf. In fact, it was Will himself that caught her eye. Will seemed to view the world as his stage. He was dressed like a magician: magenta shirt and pants, long black vest, white cravat. He even wore a black mask, so the only physical trait that Leaf saw was his purple hair, gelled in a way that made it stick out. Throughout the challenge, Will would speak and gesture flamboyantly, as if he were the host of his own show.

"We psychics don't give up even when we're down to the last Pokemon! That's what makes us so formidable!"

It was funny watching Will, especially since the only other psychic trainer that Leaf knew was Sabrina, who was the polar opposite of him. Although Will ended up losing to Agatha, he became a trendy topic.

The other notable challenger was a woman named Karen Beckett. Karen was one of most beautiful women Leaf had ever laid eyes on. Her long, wavy silvery-blue hair matched her eyes. She had a great figure and she knew it. She wore a cropped yellow tank with a sweetheart neckline and white capri pants with yellow beads. Though she was already tall, she wore yellow heels.

Karen seemed to be as ruthless as she was beautiful. Her team consisted of Gengar, Vileplume, and three Johto Pokemon. One was a crow-like Pokemon called Murkrow. The feathers on its head resembled a witch's hat, while its tail resembled a broom. Another was Umbreon, an evolution of Eevee. It was entirely black, save for the yellow rings around its long ears, tail, and legs. It had ruby red eyes. Karen's last Pokemon was one that Leaf hadn't expected to see again: Houndoom.

It was even more frightening than Leaf remembered. The sharp horns, fangs, and claws that looked ready to rip into flesh. The skull at its throat. Its bloodthirsty eyes. Leaf shivered when the Houndoom roared. If Hell existed, then the Houndoom certainly came from it. It was still incomprehensible to her that such a Pokemon could exist, and someone would choose to have it on its team. Then again, there were people who felt that way about Gengar.

Karen's Houndoom proved to be a worthy opponent of Lance's Dragonite. It was fast, and able to take and land hits. For a moment, Leaf thought that she would soon face Karen herself and was strangely anxious. In the end, however, Lance's Dragonite was victorious. As powerful as the Houndoom was, few things could overcome a dragon's rage.

Leaf needed to start wearing earplugs.

Dragonite's roar, combined with the sound of bursting stone, was deafening. Whenever he finished, Leaf's ears would always ring. She wondered how Lance didn't have any hearing issues yet.

As Dragonite continued to beat the mountainside, Leaf glanced at the Dragon Tamer. His arms were crossed, watching Dragonite in silence. Though he didn't show much emotion, Leaf could now read him well enough to know that he approved of Dragonite's progress.

They'd had several training sessions since their first one. Now, Dragonite could slip into a fit of rage whenever commanded. What he needed to work on was managing it.

"Do you know why my Dragonite looks to be in control, and yours doesn't?" Lance had asked rhetorically. "It's because he knows who his opponent is. Your Dragonite was ready to attack anyone on sight."

Leaf had looked away, recalling how Dragonite nearly turned on her after facing Moltres. Lance was correct. Dragonite never directed his rage at a single target. It was him against the world.

Lance turned to Dragonite. "To stay focused on your opponent, you need to have a clear image of them in your mind. To have a clear image, you need to see them before unleashing your rage. I don't mean simply getting a good look at them. It's not enough to just know their color or size, if they have fur or feathers or scales. You need to know their essence."

He pointed at the mountain wall. "You see that this is stone. You can find many like it all over the world, but none will be this exact one. When you understand that, you'll be able to see it no matter how blinded you are by rage."

Lance, Leaf had realized, was on a higher plane of consciousness. She stared hard at the mountain wall, willing herself to understand what the Dragon Tamer meant. But all she could think was, duh. Of course no other stone in the world was the same exact one Dragonite was currently beating up.

Lance's words had to be resonating with Dragonite though, because she could see that Dragonite was in greater control than before. Anyone who didn't know better would still think that Dragonite was randomly flailing around, but there indeed was more intention and precision in his punches. Whatever essence the mountain wall had, Dragonite seemed to recognize it.

Lance snapped his fingers. His Dragonite, who always hovered around just in case, flew close to Dragonite and made low sounds. Either Dragonite didn't notice or he ignored them, because he continued to punch the wall.

"Good," Lance said to Leaf. "He won't be distracted by anything the crowd does."

Leaf understood this was huge, but another thought crossed her mind. In formal one-on-one battles, it was critical that Dragonite focused on his opponent. But not every battle had all these rules in place to ensure fairness. Against an opponent like Team Rocket, for example, this level of tunnel vision seemed like a disadvantage. What if someone tried to sneak up behind Dragonite? What if he was against multiple opponents?

Leaf didn't quite know how to bring it up with Lance. "If Dragonite was in, let's say, a double battle, what should he do?"

"The same practice applies," Lance answered. "Dragonite would just need to know two opponents and not just one."

"But what if Dragonite didn't initially know there were two? Like the second one appeared out of nowhere?"

Lance eyed Leaf. "I don't know why you're thinking about this, since this is an unlikely scenario, but it would require a higher level of skill. Your Dragonite isn't there yet. We can discuss more when he is."

When will he be? Leaf wanted to ask, but knew better not to. Lance was right. Every battle she'd had since becoming Champion was through the Indigo League. And with Giovanni gone, Team Rocket was no longer a threat. Dragonite would never have to face anyone who fought dirty. So why was she suddenly so worried about this?

Dragonite's movements slowed until he stopped punching entirely, the dragon energy fading from his fists. He lowered himself on the ground and fell onto his back. Outrage was physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Pushing through often led the user into a state of confusion, as if their brain was too drained to function. Lance didn't feel Dragonite was ready to enter that state––it was when he would have the least control over himself––and so instructed him to give into the exhaustion.

Lance stood over Dragonite. "Once you catch your breath, we'll do a different exercise."

When Dragonite was rejuvenated enough to stand, Lance pointed at his Dragonite. "This time, he will be your target."

Leaf was taken aback. Even though Lance rarely if ever made jokes, she studied his face for any trace of one. Dragonite also gaped at him.

"It won't be a battle," Lance explained. "My Dragonite will be flying around. Your task is to follow him while in a rage."

Though Dragonite nodded, Leaf could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He could follow Lance's Dragonite; there was no doubt about that. But would he end up hurting him? Lance's Dragonite could only outfly him for so long.

As always, Lance seemed to read their minds. "My Dragonite can take care of himself, but if it gets to be too much, just return your Dragonite, Leaf."

It was straightforward enough. Dragonite nodded and flew up to the same height as Lance's. Leaf trusted that Lance knew what he was doing, but she felt her heart rate quickening.

Lance gestured for Leaf to step back. Once they were at a safe distance, Lance called out, "You may begin!"

For a moment, nothing happened. The two dragons regarded each other, as if waiting for the other to make a move. Questions raced through Leaf's mind. Was Dragonite taking in his opponent? She wondered what Dragonite saw in Lance's. Could he see himself? Or was it someone entirely different?

Was he holding himself back, and that's why he wasn't doing anything? If he was, was it out of fear? Or something else? Before Leaf could ponder the question further, Dragonite's fists lit up purple and yellow. He lunged forward.

They'd started with a good amount of distance between them. As furious as Dragonite was, he wasn't so fast that he could catch up to Lance's. He followed the other dragon's trail, as if they belonged to a singular entity. If Lance's Dragonite turned at a certain angle, Dragonite did as well.

Lance nodded approvingly. "Your Dragonite's a quick learner. At this rate, he'll be battling again in no time."

This was one of the rare moments when Leaf didn't need Lance to explain something to her. She could see herself that Dragonite was in much greater control than before. But she couldn't quite allow herself to relax just yet. Not until Dragonite completed his training.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Although the scene was repetitive––two dragons twisting and turning in the sky––Leaf couldn't look away for even a second. And that was how she noticed the distance beginning to close between them.

Lance's Dragonite was getting tired. Of course he was. He'd been flying for at least twenty minutes straight. Dragonite, on the other hand, didn't seem to be slowing down in the slightest. Rage was a form of energy, after all. It kept you going even when you shouldn't, even when you could destroy yourself.

Leaf finally looked away, only to see Lance's reaction. The Dragon Tamer didn't seem concerned, but nonchalance was his default. Leaf began to move closer to the dragons, hand hovering over Dragonite's PokeBall.

"Not yet," Lance said without glancing at her at all.

Leaf knew better than to argue. She stayed put and watched, heart pounding as if she was the one flying.

Dragonite was getting closer and closer to Lance's. He roared. Was he picturing Team Rocket? Or did he want to hurt anything in sight? Did Dragonite even have that violence in him, a piece that reveled in destruction? It was hard to imagine the gentle Dragonite having a genuine desire to harm others.

Then again, Blue had once said awful things to Red just to hurt him. And in response, Red had hit Blue. Sure, Blue might've deserved it, but it was still a choice Red made. Red, the kindest person Leaf knew.

Maybe everyone had darkness in them. Maybe being good was a choice.

Lance's Dragonite was flying straight towards the mountainside. Just when it seemed he would crash into it, he tucked his wings in and plummeted. Dragonite was too close behind to react. He slammed into the rock and the energy around his fists vanished.

Leaf didn't need Lance to give her the signal. She ran, aiming Dragonite's PokeBall at the now falling dragon. When she was close enough in range, the red beam shot out and sucked Dragonite in before he could hit the ground, where Lance's Dragonite had already safely landed.

Lance eventually reached them; he was in no rush. "You can send Dragonite back out."

Leaf did as instructed. As soon as Dragonite materialized, he collapsed onto the ground, utterly exhausted.

"That was good," Lance stated. "You're ready for the next phase. We'll begin next week."

Dragonite smiled and closed his eyes. Leaf, meanwhile, swallowed. This next phase was the most difficult and dangerous one. It would be when Dragonite relinquished some of his control.

Dragonite would succeed. She was confident of that. But she was afraid to find out what it took to get there.

Leaf received a phone call after they left Route 28.

Feeling like she'd just won the lottery, Leaf flew over to the Pokemon Center. Waiting at the front with wide smiles were Ella and Venusaur.

"He'll still need to wear the brace for a month," Ella instructed. "And do his daily exercises until then. But otherwise, he's finally recovered enough to go home."

"Is there anything I should do for him?"

"Just be there for him as usual. He can do the exercises on his own, so there isn't anything specific you'll need to do. If there's anything wrong, then you can call me." Ella turned to Venusaur and patted his head. "It was great working with you. Best of luck!"

When Ella went inside, all Leaf could do was stare at Venusaur with a stupid grin on her face. Maybe she was imagining it, but her starter seemed to be glowing. She hadn't seen that light since his injury.

Fearow squawked and nuzzled her beak on Venusaur's head. He rumbled. That snapped Leaf out of her daze. She threw her arms around him.

"I'm so so so happy," Leaf whispered. "Words can't even describe it. Everyone else will be so excited to see you, too."

Leaf felt Venusaur's vine wrap around her. She savored the moment before returning him and flying home.

Naturally, everyone crowded around Venusaur, making sounds of excitement. Leaf had to tell everyone to give her starter some space, though she more than understood their feelings. It didn't feel right not having Venusaur around. Now that he was back, the apartment no longer had an empty corner.

For the first time in a while, things were starting to look up.

Hi everyone! This is a slightly shorter chapter than usual, maybe the shortest one in the story so far. Here's a look into my writing process: Typically, I have a target word count I try to reach. It helps push myself to develop the scene thoroughly. So I went back and forth on lot on whether I needed to add "more" to this chapter. Ultimately, I decided to go ahead with what I already have. In my opinion, it's better to be concise than add extra fluff to reach to an arbitrary word count. The word count is just a reference.

For those who celebrate Thanksgiving - hope you ate good food! I certainly did. I'm hoping to publish the next chapter before Christmas. If not, then Happy Holidays!