Lance

  —

  I had always hated standing in Pokemon Centers.

  Even before I became Champion, even when I was just starting out, I could smell the misery. Places of healing were also places of misery, unfortunately. It sank into the walls and reeked, and I truly despised the fact that I had to wait in here.

  On children.

  To allow me to meet them.

  Me!

  "Champion Lance? She said your a-allowed to enter, now." The Nurse could tell I was angry. My aura was rushing out, and I couldn't reign it in. Refused to, actually. Yes, I can't just walk into their room at the Pokemon Center unannounced, not even me, but to make me wait!

  Weeks!

  Weeks I had waited to meet this child who brought a maneater into my country!

  Weeks while I receive report after report after report about that DAMN TYRANTRUM running all over southern and eastern Kanto hunting! Legally, yes, she was following every law perfectly, and the Rangers somehow had glowing reports of the beast, which were the only reasons I hadn't simply flown to meet her the first time I received a report of an Alpha Tyrantrum SPRINTING down the Route 17 Pokemon bridge with the speed of a maxed out Rock Polish carrying a TAUROS by the neck like it was a STUFFED TOY!

  There were PICTURES!

  I knew she had been in an incident and had been unconscious, but not the details. Not even Champions got to see everything, and the Joy Clan was not a good enemy to have. I had gotten an alert when she checked into a Pokemon Center last night, however! After weeks!

  Weeks, but now it was time!

  I slammed the door open, striding in with my cape billowing behind me. I was already glaring, and noticed a young girl with brown hair. Not green, not it, ignored. I didn't really catch how unfazed she was by me, as the second one was a bit more… eye catching.

  I had received the reports, including her trainer card, so I wasn't surprised by her wild appearance, that dreadful looking scar, or even the beautiful jacket she wore. I wanted a jacket like that, now… Actually, I wanted one really badly, with a cape of the same material. Capes were the best… No, I paused momentarily simply because she looked vastly disappointed. Not sure why, but too bad.

  "Are you Erin Greenwood?" She stared at me blankly for a moment, then gave a single nod of her head, raising an eyebrow at me.

  "Yeah, I am. Who's asking? Because I really don't like door to door cape salesmen, they look like crap." My jaw dropped, before I glared at her.

  "Are you here to spread the word of our Creator and Savior, Arceus Almighty? Already his most fervent disciple, bud. You can leave, now." The audacity of this child!

  I stepped up to her, finger in her face.

  "Listen here, your damn Tyr-" She glared at me so hard I took a step backwards unconsciously, and then she glared towards my waist.

  "Dragonite, get out here and reign your idiot in before I beat his ass! I MEAN IT, DRAGONITE! NOW!"

  I felt myself grow truly enraged. How dare she! She thinks that my own Pokemon would follow orders from this insulting menace of a CHILD?! How could you dare show such disrespect to a dragon, you foolish girl!?

  Not to mention ME!

  Beat my ass?!

  HER IDIOT!?

  I watched in flabbergasted disbelief as Dragonite, my strongest Pokemon, the strongest captured Pokemon in the entirety of Indigo, meekly came out of her ball. She bowed her head to the child, who returned the gesture, then turned and glared at me, sending a disappointed feeling through aura! She was disappointed! In me!

  WHAT?!

  "You really aren't a dragon master, are you? You're a flying master, you just got lucky and this beautiful lady here loves you. Speaking of, Dragonite, so sorry for yelling at you, gorgeous. You get it though, right?" My dragon nodded agreeably! "Great, and actually, ah, could I…" She trailed off, a massive blush coming to her face.

  "Can I please touch you? Dragonite are so beautiful, and you're absolutely enchanting. He at least takes amazing care of you." A Luxury Ball on her bandoleer full of them rattled and she laughed. Luxury Balls?! I knew what her team looked like! A Caterpie could break out of one of those if they really tried! They couldn't lock!

  "Mom, you're beautiful too, but I've never seen a Dragonite this close up before. I see you every day." It rattled again before falling still.

  My dragon, the strongest in the land, bowed her head to this… Erin, and let her pet her. I couldn't believe my eyes. Not just Dragonite, but mainly that, YES!

  Also the fact that she could even stand in front of a Master level Pokemon! Wait, the other girl was fine, too!

  Arceus above, what was going on here?!

  "Wow, you are powerful, too! You're almost as strong as Professor Oak's Charizard! I think you might even win against mom if she only used Rock! Oh hush, you, stop it." Stop what? Only the massive aura of dread that radiated off of that Luxury Ball. Only for a brief moment, though. It stopped as soon as she hushed it.

  She hushed it…

  "I mean, real fight to the death, pretty sure I know that answer, sorry beautiful, but a match? That would be fun, but we kind of can't destroy the mountains around here right now. Not yet, at least." What is this insane child doing, just talking to my dragon in front of me! Why is Dragonite just casually nodding and looking so happy to chat?!

  The other girl actually came up, looked at me with an odd expression, and nodded once, before turning to Dragonite and nodding her head. Dragonite also nodded back, then bowed her head to accept pets.

  What the fuck?

  Am I having a stroke?

  Can strokes make me see this?

  "Erin, we are not destroying any mountains. That would be so mean, think of all the Pokemon that live there!" She was in awe of my dragon, and I felt a tiny bit better.

  For a moment.

  "So, flyboy, you're trying to meet my mom, yeah? Dragonite, Lances team, dont fucking try it." She triggered the Pokeball, even as the other girl reached out and flicked her on the temple.

  Erin froze for a full second, slowly turning her head to her… sister, right? Adopted, I believe. Don't know the name, don't care.

  "Leaf. Did you just fucking flick me!?" She received another flick before the girl turned fully to her sister.

  "Leaf, I will hurt you. You know I don't lie." The other girl, Leaf, was smiling easily.

  "Erin, you won't hurt me badly. You're probably thinking of flicking me back, actually, but I have an agreement with mom! A contract, if you will!" Erins face grew enraged and she reached for her sister, missing. She scrambled after her, right between the legs of the huge, massive, intimidating, far too close Alpha Tyrantrum that nodded at Dragonite, receiving a nod in return, bent forwards, and then began glaring at me like I was food.

  Her aura washed over me like a boiling ocean of death, seeming to butcher me alive and spit-roast me over the fires of hell itself as I stood there, petrified with unholy terror. I wasn't a fight to her. Dragonite wasn't an impossible fight.

  I was meat.

  Fuck.

  This was a bad idea.

  Dragonite isn't currently the strongest caught Pokemon in Indigo.

  FUCK!

  "Too bad, Erin! I'm not sure what I'm going to get, but the more I catch you, the better it will be!" She was giggling as she ran up the Tyrantrum's tail and back, hopping off to catch the suddenly-extended arm like a fucking playground set! It never stopped its glare at me, deathly silent through aura, even as the second maniac kicked off its snout!

  Dragonite was just watching it all with an amused look. What the fuck!?

  "I'll do it back to you! Think she wont bargain with me, Leaf?"

  "Erin, you are not a fae!"

  "You don't know that! You don't know if I can lie or not!"

  "Tell me you're not a fae."

  "Show me a court order, bitc- Ow!"

  "Not helping, Erin. Can I bind you in friendship?" The green haired girl roared at her and charged again, startling me and Dragonite! It felt like a fucking dragon roar! SHE felt like the Arceus damned Tyrantrum!

  Shit, did I have an aneurysm? I'm not entirely sure what that is, but something is wrong.

  "Leaf, I will-! I-! You-!" Then she started growling of all fucking things!

  Is this a prank? Somehow?

  I don't know how, but please?

  Prank?

  Am I actually having a stroke, literally?

  How do you check? I need to know.

  "Erin, if you promise me one thing, I'll stop flicking you." The charge never stopped.

  "Promise me you wont be mad at me." That stopped her charge. Now she was glaring and her eyes ha-

  When was someone going to tell me this insane girl's eyes fucking GLOWED!?

  Arceus above, am I under an illusion?

  Please?

  "Leaf, I promise nothing, and demand everything. Answers. Now!" Leaf shook her head, still backing up.

  "Nope, can't do that to your little sister, Erin. That's too mean, even for you!" Her smile was wide. The grin she received in return was not a nice grin.

  "Oh? Do you want me to punish you then, as all good big sisters do to their immature little sisters?"

  "Erin, you're more immature than me, by a huge margin, and you're about to prove-" Erin lunged for her, growling.

  What the fuck was this?

  Was I… forgotten?

  Was this real?!

  —

  Ten minutes later I was following these two horrible, insane children down the streets of Pewter City. Horrible place. Well, great defensive location for Stampedes, that's about it. I barely got any admiring glances! I swear, how is it a City is somehow the boonies?

  "You sure, Erin? We don't have to go, you know what's probab-"

  "Just leave it, Leaf. They want to say thanks? I can deal long enough to hopefully give them more closure or something. Some… victims like to thank their rescuers. Some would rather not be reminded. Not that it hasn't been a long time since then… Sorry…" Her sister reached out and slapped her upside the back of her head.

  "We've been over this! Stop being mopey, you're not allowed to! Dragonite was nice enough to offer us a ride, so we'll be on the other side of Mt. Moon tonight, camping again. So cheer up… Plus, it's not like we're going to have much luck with many wild captures, what with… you… and mom…" They both giggled at that.

  Me?

  I fumed.

  Somehow, I found myself roped into being a chauffeur for these detestable children. Why? Because the second strongest Pokemon in Kanto likes them, and wants to give them a lift. Because that makes SO much sense! Why not give these two annoying brats who are STILL ignoring ME a LIFT!?

  "Miss Green-" Two of them. "-Erin, I'm not goi-" She didn't even turn around, just raised her hand.

  "Dragonite is giving us a lift of her free and willing volition, flyboy. Take it up with her."

  I was going to KILL this child!

  Or maaaybe I wouldn't, because the second I had that enraged, instinctively aura-laced thought TWO auras of screaming, terrified, dismembering death seemed to squash me, like a fly clapped between two hands, crushed yet still alive.

  Then I could breathe again, and they were getting further away.

  I didn't move.

  She had the exact same aura! Could wield it the same as me! At fourteen!

  Somehow!

  Fuck that!

  My strongest dragons Pokeball rattled and I knew she would release herself if I didn't follow them. Why? Because she told me through aura!

  'Follow. Now. Release!'

  WHAT THE HELL?!

  'Dragonite, I am never buying you a MooMoo Freeze ever again! I'll do it!' 'Lies!'

  "Erin, you're being so mean to him. I mean, I don't care, but Dragonite obviously adores him." Well, at least that child could recognize something so obvious. Also, mean to me? I am the CHAMPION!

  "You know, you might have a… Naaah, she loves him, but she knows him, too. She's fine with it." Her Pokeball rattled in agreement! What the FUCK! First off, how did she know? Second, what the hell, Dragonite!?

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Lance back there is following along because he knows Dragonite isn't an idiot, even if he is. If she wants to help us, there must be a reason. Probably a lesson that he is learning just as easily as Fraxure."

  "Okay, now that was actually too mean!" The brown-haired girl, Leaf, turned back to me with a pitying glance briefly. "Lance, I'm so sorry, not even you are that bad." Excuse me?

  What the fuck was going on here?

  STILL!?

  It just didn't STOP!

  "I mean, honestly, if you didn't love him so much, I'd say give Fraxure to Lance. They're made for each other." Both of those CHILDREN laughed. At ME!

  ME!

  "Do you think he'll figure it out? It's like, the first thing I was taught, and he just keeps failing!"

  "I mean, you saw my reaction. I was hoping for someone respectable that I could look up to as a goal, and what do I get instead? Flyboy. I give it even odds."

  "I'm going to have to insist that you-"

  "See, told you. Even odds is too high! I'm honestly wondering if there was some sort of mystical mismatch, and Fraxure was supposed to be Lances, somehow. I mean, put two little blades on his face, and he's like a slightly smarter Fraxure!"

  They BOTH laughed at me!

  ME!

  They got quiet as we drew closer to the Pewter City Breeders, however. Quite the respectable Ranch out here, actually. Dragons and Breeders didn't work so well, not Breeders like this, so I would never use their services, but I was aware that this particular Breeder Ranch was especially diverse. Species from every Region, if not a large variety from each. Partially run and supported by Gym Leader Brock, when he wasn't taking over for his father and acting like a squinting boulder for trainers to bash their heads in on.

  Basically the only thing about this city worth visiting other than the Museum. Not much to do in Pewter. Horrible place, really.

  "Erin, do you want me to…" Erin shook her head.

  "I'll… take the lead. I mean… Green hair isn't rare, but it's not common either. Green hair, Sneasel-Weavile jacket, and Sneasel feathers in a headband? I stick out." She certainly did.

  That was the other reason I had wanted to interro- talk with this child. She had somehow taken down a Team Rocket cell in the middle of a job with two Pokemon, one barely full grown. She had brutally knocked out the disguised guard, but had executed the leader of the cell ruthlessly. Witness reports stated that they never noticed the girl until the Pawniard blade was already lodged in the leader's temple. Then! Then the insane girl gets her Skrelp to dismember the rest of Team Rocket he didn't kill, while her Hatenna had talked down the Pokemon of Team Rocket!

  She had somehow managed to get her carry limit increased and did not put down those dangerous rescues like she should have. Even now, they were alive at her family's brand new Rescue Ranch.

  I couldn't thank her enough for that, at least.

  Just that, she was horrible!

  It was one thing to kill for food, another to kill in battle, in the heat of the moment. In defense of yourself, of others… It is an entirely different thing to do it to Pokeballs in full stasis, to Pokemon that'd had no choice…

  Let's not forget, she also does this with a foreign Dragon Master Gym Leader! Who had foolishly left his Pokemon behind at the Pokemon Center! Because they were watching Pokemon Contests with the rest of Erin's team! Including the Tyrantrum!

  "Him? He's just waiting on us, but I mean, if you want to let him follow, I don't care. Flyboy, I swear to Arceus, if you release your little baby dragon aura here I will make you pay, and Dragonite will help me. You will not disturb these grounds, understand?"

  Excuse me, what!?

  An employee was staring at me nervously here in the front lobby of the Breeders, and I would never do such a thing, but fucking WHAT!? My 'little baby dragon aura'!?

  "I didn't get a nod this time either, flyboy." I nodded my head in absent disbelief, still reeling from the entire afternoon so far.

  As they talked with the employees I stood there in silence, trying to figure out if I smelled toast. After a few minutes they were led into the back, but I stayed out here. I didn't need to hear her receive her thanks. Arceus knows I love receiving it myself, let her bask in it, she earned it.

  "Dragonite, are you sure about this?" Her aura reached out with a very positive impression. Yeah… she was.

  Fuck.

  You don't control dragons. Well, you can and do. There's a certain point where they want something, though, and they will have it. It's how long they can resist the urge that determines your worth as a dragon tamer… and Dragonite rarely demanded anything… fuck…

  "-a prophet! I didn't see the future, I just knew that if the last thing I wanted you to get on your team would be another fae, it would be!"

  They came out side by side, arguing. Leaf was carrying an incubator, with an egg inside. I couldn't really see the pattern, but I saw pink, I think. It wasn't a Togepi, at least. Those horrible, disturbing terrors were easy to identify.

  "Erin, Clefairy is fine, sh-"

  "Leaf, you will remain silent. Clefairy was a very special case, and you never even realized what I did! This one will be born! You can't form a contract with an infant, much less anything else!"

  "Erin, I'm not-" Her sister cut her off with a hand in her face, shaking her head.

  "I know you're not getting rid of it, Leaf. I knew the moment you saw it, before I realized what it could be. Just… let Clefairy raise it until you can do the exact same thing with it, understood? We can work the details out later, but you will probably be interacting so very little with that thing before we can get it bound."

  "They are not a thing! Erin!"

  "Oh? Sure about that? Do we know the species? Leaf, if an Impidimp comes out of that thing I do not know what I will do. I mean, I won't hurt a newborn, of course, but it might find itself at a different Ranch forever."

  They both turned back to stare at me, and I realized we had left the Ranch. I really was not used to following! I kept getting lost in my thoughts.

  Thoughts of whether that's the smell of toast or not…

  "Dragonite, beautiful, can we get that ride now?" Of course she just releases herself…

  "Wow, your muscles have muscles! Damn! I mean, I think mom has you beat, but you can't really tell for most of her, all the rocky plates, ya know." Dragonite didn't even seem mad! What the hell!

  "Okay, I'll hold onto you, Erin… You coming, Lance?" The other infuriating girl peeked down at me over her sister's shoulder.

  From the back of Dragonite.

  The back of Dragonite that only held two people before the first lost their grip, even an adult and two children. It was just too much mass.

  I didn't use saddles. I didn't own saddles. I was a Dragon Master Champion!

  My dragon was giving me a very amused look, arms bobbing up and down, and I very much regretted my impulsive decision to finally confront the report-generating menace before me.

  Especially because none of my other Pokemon seemed to want to come out and confront this horror either when I tried to get them out. They had ignored my aura! No, let's not all ride a separate Pokemon, why would we do THAT?!

  I mean, normally it would be 'You think my dragons will let you ride them?!', but I really think I smelled toast…

  —

  "Is there a reason we're up here on this… I'm honestly not sure, is this a big cliff top of some sort or a plateau?" I was honestly kind of curious, actually. I had basically no knowledge of geology, but this was a pretty cool little wooded area near the top of Mt. Moon.

  "It's a portal to fucking hell, is what it is." Erin was pale, and despite my completely rational dislike of the menace, I couldn't help but feel mildly worried at her appearance, even as Dragonite gave her a very worried look.

  I wasn't the only one.

  Suddenly her whole team released themselves at once, because of course a trainer with one badge and six Pokemon would let them have complete control over such a thing!

  I mean, Luxury Balls, but still!

  "I'm… not okay, but we're not going in, so… mom? Let's give 'em the ol' one two." What? I mean, I understood all the words, but what?

  I followed as closely as possible, because she really didn't look good. Her Pokemon were a weird mixture of terrified and infuriated, and her sister was almost shaking, but Erin looked like a sheet of paper, she was so pale.

  We stopped at a small, dark cave entrance, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. No dragon likes fae, but there was something… here…

  "Okay… Well, get ready Hecate." The little pink Pokemon nodded at Erin as she strode to the edge of the cave entrance. It was mid-day, so the shadow extended right to the edge of the cave. She didn't go near it, just stood in front of it about five feet away.

  She stood there looking down for a long minute, and I opened my mouth to speak. Her sister grabbed my arm and squeezed, and at the look in her eyes I closed my mouth.

  She stood there for minutes, not motionless, but she wasn't… sobbing, or crying. She was just… deliberately breathing? I honestly don't know how to describe it. Almost meditating, but her breathing pattern was weird.

  Then she stomped a small foot towards the opening, bent almost to the ground, and practically shout-exhaled until she was just wheezing. Then she slowly pulled as much air in as she could as she gradually rose, coming to rest with her head straight up, stomping foot raised high again. Her eyes were closed, but they were closed so tightly. Then she brought her foot down in one more stomp, arms back, throwing her whole body and face forward horizontally in a primal scream.

  The sound she made was unreal coming from such a small child, and I mean that literally! She threw her entire aura into the honest to Arceus Pokemon Move Roar, and I saw the cavern wall shake a little, dust falling. She didn't keep it up long, just a second. Then she grabbed the knee she had stomped forward, crouching and already desperately gasping and coughing.

  I had just seen her use a Pokemon Move! What the everloving fuck, Arceus? There's no way she's an Aura Guardian, they're all dead! Centuries ago!

  Could I do that?

  I really want to try, honestly…

  Then her giant, maneating mother bent over, suddenly filling my vision, and exhaled. Exactly like her human daughter had.

  Then she inhaled. For a minute. Exactly like her human daughter, head thrown back, foot raised!

  Oh Arceus, you have to be SHITTING ME!

  The Roar that entered the tunnel was truly unreal. The giant Tyrantrum put her entire mouth into the tunnel, and it just kept going! It went on for over a minute before I noticed the entire mountain shaking. Not much, just the tiniest bit of echoed reverberations coming all the way back up here what the FUCK!

  Finally, it ended.

  "Yeh- Fuk- Gah!" Erin was trying her best to yell something into the tunnel after that experience, but her throat was torn. Human throats weren't meant to do that, you foolish child! Damnit, now I'll have to get an idiotic minor to the fucking Pokemon Center!

  Or not?

  The tiny pink Pokemon was already there with a Healing Wish and Life Dew, and after a moment Erin began to cough horrendously. She bent over and hacked up a huge glob of blood. Then she did it again. After the third time she seemed to find herself good enough, grabbing the water bottle her sister held out to her. After a moment she pulled it away from her mouth with a huge gasp.

  "Holy shit, never again! Never! I don't regret it, fuck that thing, I wanted to make a statement, but never again!" Her voice was so rough and hoarse now, holy shit that had been dangerous!

  "What in the hell did you do that for, you imbecilic gir-" I stopped.

  I had no other choice.

  The sound that came out of that cave entrance was like nothing I had ever heard before in my life. I have witnessed Moltres' fury with my own eyes, and heard its cries. This was no Legendary, no. It was something bad, though, and I didn't want to know.

  Too bad it didn't care, and informed me.

  "AAAaaaaaabbBBbBbblllLllLLllLlleeeeeeeEEeEEEeeeeeeeeee"

  That… That had been a Clefable, somehow. There was no way, though! I could hear the echoes, the sound degradation. That had been deep in the mountain, but so deep in pitch. It sounded like it was at the very heart of the mountain! How… big? No, no fucking way…

  I turned a bewildered gaze to the children and froze.

  Leaf was trembling, hugging her sister from behind while Erin's team surrounded them. Erin was… It looked like she was glitching between rage so deep it terrified me, and a look of horror so broken that despite myself I felt terrible for the menace.

  Then I heard Erin. From behind me, in the cave.

  It was a scream. The kind of scream I hope to never hear again, and it went on for half a minute. I'm not ashamed to say I simply covered my ears and ducked, hiding my face, and I saw everyone else do the same before I was crouched.

  What the FUCK!

  I mean, no, I've thought that a lot today. Far more than I think I ever have in my life, actually, by a huge margin! If it had just been the sound, I wouldn't have reacted like that. That was an aura infused sound, and I knew I wasn't supposed to be here to hear it. No human was supposed to hear it, just react to the aura itself laid into the sound. It was talking to itself as it… played that scream!

  It takes years to read aura, to interpret meanings and words in the vibrations, thank Arceus above.

  The children couldn't. Not even Erin and her wielding it.

  I COULD!

  I could tell what it was saying!

  It would have NEVER let me hear what I heard if it KNEW I was here.

  Because I was a CHAMPION!

  A DEFENDER!

  When the sound finally stopped, I immediately began to pull my Pokeballs out, snarling along with Dragonite, but before I even could, Leaf was there, grabbing my arm, pulling me back.

  "I get it, we get it. You'll lose! Don't!" She was almost frantic, desperate to stop the steps I had already been making.

  "That-! I mean-!" She was shaking her head. The Tyrantrum was shaking her head, and that gave us true pause.

  "Just… Not up here. We're owed something, then we go to the other side. Then we can talk, maybe." I couldn't blame her for that caution, but it was wrong!

  "I swore an oath to defend the people of Indigo! I may be vain and prideful, yes- don't look shocked that I have self awareness you idiotic children, but I meant those words when I swore them. Are you telling me to ignore what I heard?" Her eyes were wet as she sadly nodded.

  Erin's broken voice interrupted my next question before it even started.

  "Hey L-Lance, your lesson aside, c-can I ask you to define something for me?" I nodded at her, just...

  What was going on?

  Truly?

  "What is a hero?"

  What kind of question was that?! Why was she so… She looked like…

  "Someone who does the right thing." That's all they were, really.

  "Yeah… That's what I thought…"

  Why did it seem like that was worse to hear than that sound?!

  "ABLE!"

  The entire group jumped, turning to find a single Clefable standing there at the cave entrance. It sneered at Erin, tossed her a Moon Stone, then turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

  What the hell had happened to these children?

  —

  "And you never…?" Leaf was already shaking her head.

  "What are we going to do right now? What is anyone going to do? It knows who enters its domain. The only way would be to launch an outside attack, but I have the horrible feeling that the entire mountain is its domain, it just only has foresight in its cavern. You would have to… destroy the mountain."

  I let myself digest what I had heard for a few minutes while we sat in the sunshine in the middle of eastern Route 4, close to the Pokemon Center there. The absolute middle, just off the road in an open meadow.

  A nice wide open meadow.

  They were obviously hiding a few things, like what sort of price Erin paid, but that wasn't my knowledge, that was hers. Everything else, though?

  "Maybe I should put a bounty on the Clefairy line…" This time Erin's double broken voice spoke. Double, because her throat was raw, along with the emotions I heard there.

  "Leave that line alone. No people are a monolith, but if I had to choose one people out of the fae to support, it would be the Clefairy line. They are terrors, yes, but they're not all… horrors." She sighed so deeply.

  "Just… Keep being a good guy, Lance. Even if you're a prideful fucking idiot who can't even give a basic nod of respect the entire time." She didn't even react to the very light flick she received.

  What!?

  "Really?! All that because I didn't nod at you?!" They both nodded at me like I was an idiot. Dragonite nodded at me like I was an idiot!

  Leaf spoke up as her Indeedee maid stood by her side, eyes worried, ready to serve. Because of course she somehow has a Nurse Pokemon from the other side of the planet!

  "I mean, it was the first thing Raihan taught me. Dragons respect strength, but they also respect respect. Erin was really mad at you for slamming the door and glaring, but she still gave you a single nod of her head." Erin nodded.

  "Flyboy here Evolved into Champion Lance, but not because he learned a lesson… Dragonite will keep him from being too much of a prideful idiot, though."

  I couldn't help the bark of laughter. It was a bit bitter, maybe… Well, maybe more than a bit.

  "Just because I have compassion for you doesn't mean you aren't a menace, you insane child. I would rather I never see your face again, but considering you're in the Circuit this year, I assume I'll be defending my title at some point?" She actually grinned, a real grin, and for a few seconds at that.

  Then it was gone.

  "Yeah… Honestly, watch out for Leaf. If she just keeps getting fae then maybe she'll be lucky enough to beat me. I highly doubt it, Leto would eat them all now, but you never know." I actually laughed, giving Leaf a wary look.

  The girl was cuddling her Clefairy for comfort. The Clefairy looked like it could use it, too!

  Okay, maybe no bounty on them…

  I couldn't just do nothing though! I meant that oath!

  "I swore an oath, though… How many trainers does it prey upon each circuit…?" Erin gave a bitter laugh.

  "Lance, are you basically saying you swore an oath to be a hero to Indigo?" I looked at her in confusion. I mean, I guess?

  "I mean, I guess? It's the right thing to do, and I have the power to protect the weak. It's my duty." There was more to it than that, but that was close enough, really.

  I mean…

  Indigo was MY hoard. ALL of it, land, sea, and people!

  Don't TOUCH my SHIT!

  "How about this then, Lance. Clefairy can mediate true contracts. You can swear to be a hero to Indigo, to be a good person, to do the right thing, and you'll run in there, and you'll never die. Unfortunately. The fact that you're alive and in the sunshine means you're not a hero. Heroes are overrated, Lance. Survivors are better." She opened her haunted eyes and looked at me.

  "You know what the core tenant of a hero is, Lance? It's self sacrifice for the sake of others." She whispered her next words.

  "How much pain would you endure so a random person wouldn't have an eternity of misery? That is a serious question, and I want a serious answer." Not that hard a question…

  "As much as needed. That's what I swore, Erin." I mean, preferably none, you know? Please? But yeah, I meant my words.

  Her laugh was so bitter it hurt to hear.

  "You're a fool. It was a trick question. There is no right answer, because they are all wrong. Once it starts... Let me tell you something, Lance. I would have given Leaf and my mom to that thing on a golden platter, along with my entire team. I would have torn their hearts out with my bare hands, I would have done anything you can possibly imagine, and then I would have invented new horrors, if it meant the pain would just STOP." Arceus above, her voice…

  "Heroes die, Lance. Heroes take on pain for others, and I'm not saying don't do good deeds… Just don't throw your life away for something that's… done. I will never step foot on that mountain again, and by tomorrow, after a night in the Pokemon Center? I'll be… better. The day after? I'll be fine."

  She hugged her knees to herself and ducked her head, and I don't think she realized how sensitive ears get after years of excessive aura, like, for instance, if you're surrounded by multiple Master and Champion level dragons. Your body has to adapt. You start having to tune so much out, but I was already focused on her voice, so I heard it, and it broke my heart. Even for this absolutely detestable MENACE of a child.

  "I don't have a choice."