Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Master ❯ Stage Two - The Man from Violet City ( Chapter 2 )

A tiny lamp sat in the center of the table, doing little to illuminate its surroundings, or the inhabitants of the room. That was as they wanted it. They were taking no chances - even if someone were foolish or unlucky enough to interrupt this meeting, the intruder would never get a good look at them. They could barely see each other, catching only the glint of dark eyes or the occasional wink of jewelry. Beneath the table, a pair of Pokemon eyed each other warily, each ready to protect its master or mistress at any moment.

"You told me it was going to work this time," said a woman's accusatory voice.

"A setback," said the man mildly. "You should know history is paved with setbacks."

"Your history is paved with failures. I should never have trusted you."

"Patience, my dear. The project is barely begun. Now is not the time to be telling me we've failed."

"Your lovely mechanical device was destroyed," said the woman pointedly. "That sounds like a failure to me. You promised me you'd have this whole island under your thumb within months. You promised me no Pokemon would be able to evolve by the time the summer was over. Your time is half up."

"It was a mechanical failure. Machines can be repaired. My nephew is young and inexperienced; I had made allowances that the things under his command would go wrong. Don't worry, everything is still under control."

"I don't believe a word of it," said the woman. "I certainly don't put a lot of trust in that nephew of yours. Children aren't trustworthy. They're ruthless, Giovanni. They're too young to have learned to fear - they'll dare anything. They can destroy a person." Her hands clenched beneath the table, out of sight, but Giovanni could see her shoulders trembling.

"How well I know," he said. "I had my empire unseated by that Ketchum boy, and you..."

"My entire life," she said. "I lost everything I valued to a child."

"And I am the only one who will understand that," said Giovanni. "I am the only one who can help you. Just have a little more patience."

The woman took a deep breath, resuming her icy calm. "Yes. In this, at least, we are allies. Just take care that no one finds out about it."

"What? That you've been making deals with Rockets?" Giovanni asked, with a touch of amusement. "Don't worry. My reputation would be ruined just as surely if anyone knew I was doing something to aid an honest trainer. Your secret is safe."

"It had better be," she answered. "You had better go. Someone will miss me if I'm gone much longer."

"As you wish. Good luck in your training." Giovanni rose to leave.

"Was that an insult?" asked the woman dangerously.

"Not at all, dear lady," he replied. "More a prediction of the future. When this little project is finished, I think your training will go very well indeed."

With that, he glided off into the shadows, leaving the woman alone in darkness. She sighed deeply, making the lamplight flicker.

"Rockets," she muttered distastefully. "What have I come to? Look what I've been reduced to, making deals with Giovanni to recapture what I've lost... but I will have it. I will be the greatest trainer in the world, greater than I was before, and no one, man, woman, or child, will ever defeat me again."

"Don't you ever get tired?" Laine panted.

"Tired?" Aurora repeated. "How can you even think about being tired on a day like this?"

The two girls were journey up a long, sandy path, made dusty by days of bright sunlight. Aurora, who was somewhat slimmer and longer-legged than her friend, was finding it an easy trip, and Scar was soaring swiftly on the warm breezes, apparently having the time of his life. Aurora had taken heart in watching him circle above her for a while, then dart off into the woods in search of food, then returning again. She had a notion he was testing her, making sure she wasn't going to try to call him back. Truthfully, she had worried a bit the first time he had flown out of sight, but since he returned to her within a few minutes every time, she had decided to let him get on with it. On the whole, she was enjoying the trip. Laine, on the other hand, was shorter and stockier than her, and was furthermore burdened by a large backpack, which seemed to be filled with notebooks, cameras, PokeBall equipment, and other odds and ends. It was little wonder she was beginning to tire.

"I don' see how you can still be so perky," Laine muttered. "I didn' get any sleep at all last night."

"Really?" asked Aurora. "Do you usually snore when you're awake?"

"Well, okay, maybe a little," said Laine, "but I don' snore, an' it was still uncomfortable sleeping over at a Pokemon Center."

"Better than on the ground," Aurora answered with a shrug. "Anyway, they gave us breakfast for nothing. Those Pokemon Centers are great places."

Aurora glanced down at her PokeGear, checking the time. It was nearly noon, just about time for lunch. Even more interesting to her was the fact that she'd officially been a trainer for twenty-four hours now. So far, she hadn't accomplished much, but that would change once she reached her destination. She pushed some more buttons, pulling up a map of the island and her position.

"We're not far from Violet City," she remarked. "We can stop and have lunch there, and you can rest your feet a while."

"Now you're talkin'!" said Laine. "That's the best idea you've come up with since I met you."

"I'm flattered," said Aurora dryly.

Within minutes, they were able to catch glimpses of distant roofs, painted the bright purple of the city's namesake flower. As they drew closer, Aurora could even pick out individual streets, see people moving around... and she saw the Gym. It was the biggest building in town, perched proudly on a hill and guarded by dozens of small statues. This Gym was run by Falkner, master of the Flying-types, so the statues were of bird Pokemon. Even from a distance, Aurora recognized the shape of a Spearow, and she paused for a moment to admire it. To her left, the trail curved down into the town. On her right, it began moving up, leading toward the mountains.

"Up or down?" she asked.

"Down," said Laine firmly. "We need supplies for the road. Have you got any money?"

Aurora blushed. "No, not really."

"Figures," said Laine. "I've got a little. How 'bout we go down and get us some food?"

"You go," said Aurora. "I hate to leave the trail. I'll feel like I'm going backwards."

"Oh, well. Stay outta trouble, then. Don' let any Rockets or nasty Pokemon sneak up on you," Laine warned.

"What about you?" Aurora wanted to know. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," she said. "I can take care of myself."

"And I can't?" Aurora called back.

Laine didn't answer. She was already heading down the trail into town. With a sigh, Aurora settled down against a tree to wait for her. After a little while, Scar flew down to join her, scratching through the grass and chasing Ledybas. She was absently wondering if perhaps she ought to order him to fight one so she could catch it, when...

"Sharp looking Spearow you've got there," said a voice.

Aurora's head snapped around. While she wasn't looking, a man had come up the path, and he was now eyeing Scar with what looked a great deal like professional interest. He was at least twice Aurora's age, though still young enough to be handsome. He had blue hair that stuck up a bit on his head, like feathers, and he was dressed in loose clothing of the same blue, accented with a white vest and a white sash around his waist, like clouds against the afternoon sky.

"Are you making fun of him?" asked Aurora, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Who, me? Never," the man replied. "I'm serious. Okay, it does look a little like your bird has had a tough life lately, but I've been training a long time, and I've seen a lot of Pokemon go by. Some of them wash out, and some of them make it all the way to the top. You take my word for it, that Spearow's one of the ones that'll make it. You'll go a long way with him."

"Thanks," said Aurora, blushing a bit. "I'm glad I have your approval. He's had a hard life, but I intend to take good care of him."

"So this wasn't your doing? I'm glad to hear that," said the man, looking serious. "I'm afraid I see too many characters like this, mistreated by their trainers. It takes skill to train a Spearow, and some people think they can compensate for that skill with force. It's a sad thing. I'm really sort of fond of the old birds. My very first Pokemon was a Spearow," he added, his face going slightly dreamy. "His name was Disagreeable. He lived up to it, too."

"How would he have behaved if you'd named him Agreeable?" Aurora asked.

The man laughed. "Disagreeable! You have no idea. Look at this." He slipped on of his gloves off, revealing a hand that was as much scar as smooth skin. "He did half of that to me. My father wanted me to learn how to handle anything, so he gave me the most obstinate, bad- tempered Pokemon he could find."

"This is my first Pokemon, too," said Aurora, reaching out to ruffle Scar's feathers affectionately. "I think we get along pretty well."

"You look like it," he answered. "How long have you had him? A few weeks, at least, I'm guessing."

"Actually, this is only our second day," Aurora admitted.

"Ah!" An eager light appeared in the man's eyes. "A new trainer, then? Come to face off with Falkner?"

"No, actually, I'm just passing through," answered Aurora. "I'm going to Blackthorn City with a friend. I hope to see Clair the Dragon Master there."

"Interesting," said the man, looking speculative. "Very, very interesting. You have high standards, you know that? I met Clair with my father, once, before I started training. She was the most dangerous looking woman I've ever seen, all shadow and ice. She won't take you seriously unless you have a few battles under your belt. How many fights have you won so far?"

"Well... I haven't had any, yet," said Aurora, hanging her head. "Not real ones. After all, I just started yesterday."

"Very interesting," said the man. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I've just got to try you out now. Would you like to battle with me? It'll be a challenge. I've been told I'm good."

"I'd love it," said Aurora, her insides fluttering with sudden excitement. Time for her first real battle! "Are you up for it, Scar?"

"Spear," he answered.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Was that a yes or a no? Don't worry, I won't make you if you don't want to."

Scar seemed to consider for a moment before saying, "Spearow!" in what sounded like an affirmative.

"All right!" Aurora cheered.

"Are you sure?" the man asked. "This is a serious match. I play for keeps, you know."

"I'm serious, too," said Aurora.

"Fine then. Let the games begin." The man pulled back a fold of his sash, briefly revealing a pair of PokeBalls. He picked one up and tossed it. "Go, Pidgey!"

"Go, Scar!"

The two birds took to the air, circling each other warily, trying strikes with beaks and claws. Right away, it was obvious that Scar had the advantage - Pidgey's small wings could only carry him but so high, and his beak wasn't meant for pecking and slashing the way Scar's was. It tried to use its wings to stir up a whirlwind; Scar used the winds to ride higher up into the air and dive-bomb his opponent. Pidgey fanned up a dust storm, only to have the broader-winged Spearow fan it back. With a final strike, the Pidgey dropped to the ground in a faint.

"Pidgey, return!" the man called. He recalled his beaten Pokemon and took out the second Ball. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

"Pidgeotto!" the bird screeched, rising into the sky like a rocket.

It flew up towards the sun, becoming briefly invisible against the noontime light, then coming down again in a deadly dive. Scar tried to dodge, but Pidgeotto smacked him with one of its huge wings, knocking him out of the sky. He hid the ground hard and let out a cry, even as his opponent dove at him again with claws bared.

"No!" Aurora shouted. "Don't hurt him anymore!"

At the last second, Scar rolled over and struggled into the air; one of his wings looked as if it were injured. Regardless, he made a pass at the Pidgeotto, trying to peck at its face, but the larger, faster bird banked and dropped to the ground, passing under its antagonist and rising up again on the other side. It looped around and around, slashing and battering at the Spearow, until the exhausted Scar gave a cry and fell out of the air. He landed hard and lay dazed, struggling to get up. Pidgeotto landed and began hopping over, clicking its beak menacingly.

"Don't! Stop it!" Aurora shouted. "I give up! Scar, come back!"

The dazed bird turned his head to look at his trainer. Aurora stared back, biting her lip, unaware of the tears that were building in her eyes. In the next second, Pidgeotto's beak came down... on nothing at all. Scar was in the air again, laboring but still rising higher and higher. The Pidgeotto looked up and tried to follow, but its larger bulk made it hard for him to take off. By the time he was flying again, Scar was already nothing more than a dark dot against the sky. With a wild battle cry, he fell like a stone to strike the Pidgeotto. They hit with a crash, and there was a brief tangle of feathers as Aurora held her breath and watched. Then Scar rose into the air again, crowing victory, while Pidgeotto fell head over tailfeathers to the ground, and stayed there.

"Game over!" called the man. "Pidgeotto, return!"

"Wahoo!" shouted Aurora, dancing around in excitement. Scar came down next to her, looking at her in puzzlement, and she knelt down to hug him tightly.

"Good match," said the man, smiling broadly. "See? I told you that he was a good Pokemon."

Aurora turned and gave him a long, hard look.

"You went easy on me," she said. "You must have. There's no way a Pokemon I've had for a day could beat those two you've been training. An evolved Pokemon should have been stronger than him. You held back."

"I did no such thing," the man answered soothingly. "Believe me, I hate being beaten as much as the next trainer. You two won fair and square... and you would have won, I think, no matter what I did. Didn't you see what happened?"

"I don't know," said Aurora uncertainly. "I tried to call Scar back, and he wouldn't come."

"You were crying. Did you know that? No, don't look insulted - I'm very impressed. You've taken an abused, bad-tempered old bird who shouldn't want anything to do with humans ever again. You've had him one day and he trusts you enough to fight for you. You let him wander free knowing he could leave you any time. You cried when he was hurt. He won that battle because he wanted to, for your sake, because of the bonds of love and trust you two share. That has nothing to do with me. With a little more training, I don't think Lance himself will be a better Pokemon trainer than you, and I don't say that lightly."

Aurora gawked. Scar gave a loud squawk to make sure his opinion on all that mushy stuff was known and hopped off to hunt Caterpies. The man chuckled.

"I was also going to add that I've noticed the way you can talk to each other, but anybody should have been able to understand that. Here. As the victorious trainer, you win the forfeit." He reached into a pocket of his vest and took out a sack of coins. "And don't tell me it's too much, either. It's not that often I'm beaten these days, and you'll need it on your journey."

"Thank you," said Aurora.

"You're welcome," said the man with a small bow. "It's been fun. It's refreshing to meet someone like you, who treats her Pokemon with respect. Now I think I'd better take my own partners to a Pokemon Center to patch them up. I'll be seeing you, I hope." He turned and began walking away.

"Hey!" Aurora called. "Wait up! I wanted to ask you... can I have your phone number?"

"Phone number?" he repeated, looking mildly surprised.

"You know," said Aurora. "Trainers give each other their phone numbers so they can give each other tips and have rematches. I think I'd like to battle you again sometime. You're a good trainer."

The man smiled enigmatically. "Would you know who you were phoning?"

"Well, not by name..."

"And it's going to stay that way," the man replied. "I'm sorry, but I think I'd prefer to keep my privacy. Like I said, it's not that often I'm beaten, and I don't want word to get around. Please excuse me."

"That's all right," said Aurora, trying not to hide her disappointment. She had to admit, she liked this man who cared so much about Pokemon. It would have been nice to have him as a friend.

"I'll be seeing you again, I think," he said. "Goodbye! Goodbye, Scar."

He turned and ambled down the road, into Violet Town. Aurora sighed, full of mixed emotions. Part of her was exulting that she had won her very first battle, another part basking in her opponent's praises, but the last part was still feeling a bit sorry it was all over. With a shrug, she turned on her PokeGear to take out a bottle of Potion to help Scar recover from his battle. While he was still sipping at it, Laine returned.

"Potions?" she said. "Good grief, what have you been doin' out here?"

"Battling," Aurora replied. "I am a trainer, after all."

"Didja win?" asked Laine eagerly.

"Naturally! Too bad you missed it. Scar was so awesome... and the trainer was nice. Too bad he had to run off before you could have met him."

"Yeah, he musta been nice," said Laine, eyeing the sack of money.

Aurora shrugged. "He said he wasn't beaten that often. He seemed to like me, too."

"Ohhh," said Laine. "'Rora's got a boyfriend!"

"I do not!" said Aurora, flushing brilliantly. "It wasn't like that. He just thought I was a good Pokemon trainer. If he really liked me like that, he would have given me his phone number when I asked."

"You asked for his phone number?" Laine repeated. "Ooh, you really did like him, didn't you?"

"No! I'm telling you it wasn't like that!" said Aurora. "I just... its hard to explain. Like he should have been my father instead of Dad. What do they call it? Kindred spirits. That's what he was. He was a kindred spirit." Scar squawked his agreement.

"Oh," said Laine. "If you say so."

"Come on," said Aurora. "We've still got a long way to go until we reach Blackthorn."

Moving in thoughtful silence, they began to travel once again.

Slowly but surely, clouds rolled in. A wind blew by, carrying with it a scent of water and electricity, promising a storm, and the sky had turned from clear blue to a heavy, swirling grey. Scar seemed to feel it; he'd given up his flying to hop along at Aurora's side, casting worried looks at the sky and ruffling his feathers. Aurora tried to soothe him, but she didn't feel much more at ease than he did. They had left Violet City far behind, and were now climbing wearily up the mountain pass, clambering over rocks and ledges. The trail, such as it was, came and went, becoming overgrown with thick weeds or covered in rock slides. Aurora didn't want to think about what it would be like trying to get through the pass in a downpour.

Oddly enough, Laine, who was usually her voice of reason, didn't even seem to have noticed the clouds. Indeed, she seemed very happy with the situation. After a walking lunch of sandwiches and lemonade, she had perked up from her morning grumpiness, and had spent the afternoon darting back and forth nearly as much as Scar had. Aurora had watched her with bemusement as she scampered off into the weeds with a camera in hand, trying snap pictures of Sentrets or harvesting multicolored Apricorns from the bushes they passed. Now she had a pair of binoculars pressed to her eyes, stumbling on the rocky trail as she kept her eyes on the sky while still not seeming to realize that the weather had taken a turn for the worse. On the contrary, by her attitude, one would have thought she was expecting something wonderful to happen any minute now.

"What are you doing?" asked Aurora, worry making her snappish.

"Watchin' for Skarmories," Laine answered.

"Skarmories?" Aurora repeated.

"Yeah," Laine replied. "Don' you know what a Skarmory is?"

"Of course I do," answered Aurora, feeling miffed. "I'm a trainer, remember? Skarmory is a combination Flying/Steel-type Pokemon. No evolutions, but very powerful."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Laine. "Ya sound like a schoolbook, ya know that, doncha? Anyway, Skarmories are really rare, and this is one of the only places in the world where you can see 'em."

"If you're planning on seeing one today, you're going to be disappointed," said Aurora.

"Huh? What for?"

"Because in case you haven't noticed, there's a storm brewing," Aurora replied. "Skarmory is weak against rain and lightning. Every one for miles around will be holed up somewhere."

"Oh," said Laine, looking crestfallen. "Right. Forgot about that." She looked through her binoculars, apparently noticing the menacing clouds for the first time. "Man, you're right, that does look ugly. Think we should look for a place to hide until this blows over?"

"I thought that a long time ago." Aurora took out her map again. "There should be a cave not far away from here. If it doesn't rain hard enough to flood it, we'll be okay."

"An' if it floods?" Laine wanted to know.

Aurora shrugged. "We'll get wet."

"Lovely," Laine sighed.

Up the slope they went, moving faster now that the danger was acknowledged. The wind began to blow harder, tossing Aurora's long hair to whip at her face, and lightweight Scar was nearly thrown off his feet, fluttering frantically to stay upright. Thunder rumbled in the distance like the purr of a great animal, and the first drops of rain began falling, coating the land in a thin layer of mud. The temperature dropped, and the wind on their wet clothing made the girls shiver until their teeth chattered. Even so, they made good time, the thought of what it would be like to be caught in the brunt of the storm pushing them forward.

"Are we there yet?" asked Laine.

"I don't know," Aurora replied. "The storm's messing up my reception; the Gear can't get a lock on us. Try your binoculars. Maybe you can see... something."

Laine shrugged and did as she was told, standing on a nearby rock to get a look at the trail ahead. She was silent for a while, and Aurora stared at her, feeling annoyed.

"What do you see?" she prompted.

"Rocks," Laine replied. "Mud. Grass. What'd you expect, a circus tent?"

Aurora sighed. "Great. Well, it was worth a shot."

"Wait a sec, I'm not done yet," said Laine. "Hm... What the...?" She twiddled with the focus a bit. "Is that lightning, or what?"

"Huh? Let me look!" said Aurora, making a jump for the binoculars. Laine yelped as she was jerked down by the neck strap. "Oops, sorry!"

"It's okay, I don' mind nearly having my head taken off," Laine muttered. "After all, I never use it."

Aurora ignored her. She was squinting through the binoculars, looking at something up in the sky. At first, she thought it was lightning as it flashed against the dark sky, but it was far too steady, and the way it occasionally glimmered orange made it look more like a fireworks display. She twisted a knob on the binoculars, making the image slide in and out of focus until she saw...

"Wow!" she said. "Look, Laine, it's a Skarmory! That teaches me to keep my mouth shut."

"I doubt it," Laine replied. "An' I can't look unless you give my glasses back."

Aurora ignored her. She was still looking at the Skarmory. Even from this distance, she could tell there was something wrong with it; she had seen what a bird looked like when it was hurt, and this one was definitely having problems. That was bad - anything strong enough to hurt a Skarmory was strong enough to hurt a couple of wandering girls. Even as she watched, something bright shot through the air and struck the Skarmory full in the chest. It fluttered wildly, trying to escape the fireball, only to be hit from behind by a spray of water.

"It's being attacked," said Aurora. "I'm going to try to help it!"

"You're outta your Apricorn," Laine replied. "You're not helpin' anything in this mess! I say, to each his own! Come on, we've gotta find shelter before things get really bad out here."

Aurora shook her head. "I'm not leaving that poor thing to suffer. I'm going, with or without you. Coming, Scar?"

"Spearow!" said the bird eagerly, taking to the air.

"Lead the way!" Aurora called. She sprinted along below him, stumbling on the wet, rocky ground.

"They're both crazy," Laine sighed, and began trotting resolutely behind them.

Scar, unhindered by bad terrain, set a swift pace, and Aurora had to struggle to keep up. At last, panting hard and clutching at a stitch in her side, she clambered up a short rise and came upon the last thing she expected. There was a young man standing on the slope, directing a pair of Pokemon to attack the Skarmory. A Charmeleon was spouting fireballs up into the sky, keeping the great bird from escaping, while a Seadra pelted it with water attacks to weaken it. The trainer had his back to Aurora, but she recognized him even from behind.

"Ember!" she exclaimed.

The boy turned and glared at her. The rain had plastered his fiery hair to his head, but his eyes were burning with a wild light.

"You again! What are you doing here?" he growled.

"Never mind me! What are you doing to that poor Pokemon?" Aurora replied.

"I'm capturing it, obviously," said Ember.

"But that's cheating! The law says Pokemon have to be caught in one-on-one fights! If you do it this way, you're poaching!"

"So I'm poaching. So what?" Ember replied. "I'm a Rocket, remember? Rockets poach. That's what they do - and this is too fine a prize to lose."

Thunder rolled, louder now, and the rain began falling harder. The air became a silvery haze as the drops obscured everything more than a few feet away.

"You're crazy!" shouted Aurora over the tumult. "If you don't care about what happens to that Pokemon, think about your own! What do you think will happen if the rain puts your Charmeleon's tail out, huh? What'll happen if Seadra is struck by lightning? Then what?"

There was a pause. Then Ember muttered, "Oh, darn it! Charmeleon, Seadra, return!"

Through the rain, Aurora saw the orange glows of Pokemon returning to their Balls, and a silvery flash above her told her the Skarmory was heading for safer territory. She whistled for Scar; no sense in letting him get struck by lightning, either. Somewhere in the rain, she could hear Laine tramping up the hill, complaining all the way, as well as Ember doing much the same thing. He turned and glared at the girls.

"Come on," he said, and began trudging off.

"Come on?" Aurora repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if you really want to stand out here in the rain..." he began. "Besides, I want a word with you."

"No funny business?" asked Aurora.

"If you mean, am I going to attack you, the answer is no. Not today, anyway." Ember began to trudge off. "I'm getting out of this rain. Follow or don't follow, but don't make me stay out in this any longer."

"I'll follow," said Laine. "Bein' inside with you can't be as bad as bein' outside in this."

Seeing she had Laine's agreement, Aurora began to follow. She had to admit, if only to herself, that she would have followed anyway. She had claimed this boy as her rival, and as such, she felt an odd sort of connection with him.

After a few moments of hiking, Ember rounded a double bend between a pair of boulders and ended up at the entrance to a dark cavern. They slipped inside one by one and found themselves plunged into utter blackness. In that darkness, there was a flash, as Ember released his Charmander again and its flaming tail lit up the cave. Without speaking, Ember began gathering up scraps of wood, laying a small fireplace on the stone floor, and Charmeleon lit it with a small fireball.

"That should keep us comfortable for a while," he said, settling down by the fire.

"Thanks," said Aurora, sitting down across from him. Scar hopped over next to her and began fluffing his feathers so they could dry. Laine, looking uncomfortable, leaned against a wall.

"Don't thank me," said Ember coldly. "I hate being wet."

"So do I," said Aurora. She began wringing the water out of her long hair. A few drops fell in the fire, making it sizzle.

"Bad weather for you to be wandering around, then," Ember replied. "Where are you headed?"

"None of your beeswax," said Laine.

"Actually, we were on our way to Blackthorn City," said Aurora. "Same as we were last time. What's it to you?"

Even in the uncertain light, Aurora was certain she saw Ember's eyes flicker nervously. "You - you're going to Blackthorn City? What for?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to Clair," said Aurora coolly.

It wasn't her imagination; Ember definitely looked nervous now. "Clair? What for? You're nowhere near advanced enough advanced enough to face off with her. Only the most skilled trainers can even think of battling her!"

"I don't want to fight with her," said Aurora. "I just want to talk to her."

"Talk to her?"

"If you must know, I want to ask if I can become one of her junior trainers. Have you got a problem with that?"

Ember clearly didn't; he gave an unmistakable sigh of relief.

"None at all," he replied.

"Oh?" asked Laine. "Then why the heck did you get so scared when she was talking about Clair, huh?"

"I don't like Clair," said Ember flatly. "Honestly, that woman gives me the chills. I thought if you were friends with her, you'd be someone I needed to worry about... but since she doesn't even know you, I suppose I need not have worried."

"You should worry," said Aurora. "If I train with her a while, I'll be a match for anyone, including you!"

"Ah, but you won't," Ember replied. "You might think you will, but you won't. I bet once you meet her, you'll go running back to whatever one-Ponyta town you crept out of."

"Humph! In your dreams! I'm no coward... unlike some people."

Ember smiled. "There's no cowardice in fearing the poison of an Arbok, only good sense. If I were you, I'd find somewhere safer to train."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "Like where?"

"My offer still stands," said Ember.

"You mean, join the Rockets? I'll take my chances with Clair, thanks," Aurora retorted. "And speaking of which, what are you doing here?"

"Catching Skarmories," was the offhand reply. "Or I was until you interrupted me."

"I don't believe you."

"All right, how about this? My uncle had some business up this way, and he brought me along so he could keep an eye on me. You know, he was furious when he found out what you two girls did to foil his plans. Now he's got bodyguards following me around... but I gave them the slip. Most of my uncle's grunts don't have the brains of a Slowpoke, and I like to be on my own."

"You still aren't telling me everything," Aurora accused.

"Of course not. I'm a villain," said Ember. "To tell you everything I'm up to would be stupid. The rain's letting up."

"Huh?" Aurora looked outside. Sure enough, the storm was blowing away as swiftly as it had come in. The rain was only falling in soft spatters, and here and there the sun peeked through the clouds.

"That's your cue to leave," Ember prompted. "And if I were you, I'd stay clear of Blackthorn until my uncle leaves. If he finds you, I'm certainly not going to intervene on your behalf."

"I wouldn't expect it," said Aurora frostily. "I'm leaving. See you later, Fire-Top."

"I hope not. Goodbye, Winter-Hair."

The girls stepped out of the cave and into the bright outdoors. The last Aurora saw of Ember, before her eyes were dazzled by the change in light, was him bending over his Charmeleon, checking it for damages after its battle with the Skarmory.

"That was weird," she said. "I wonder why he invited us in like that?"

"Maybe he likes you," Laine suggested.

"No way! Why would he like me?" Aurora answered. "We got him into trouble. It's not like I was encouraging him or anything."

"Well, you are pretty. You have such nice hair," said Laine. "Maybe he thinks you're a challenge. Maybe you're the only girl dumb enough to talk to a Rocket instead of runnin' away screamin'."

"Come off it," said Aurora. "You know what I think? I think he did it just so he could have the chance to convince me not to go to Blackthorn."

"Why would he do that?" asked Laine.

"I don't know. I wish I did. When I mentioned going there, he got really nervous. There's something going on up there he doesn't want me to know about."

"He knew his uncle would try to hurt ya if he saw ya," Laine suggested. "He doesn' want you hurt."

"No way!" said Aurora. "He - he probably thinks we're going up there to ruin his plans, just like we did last time, and get him in even more trouble. Then he'll be the one his uncle feeds to a Gyarados."

"Whatever. I still say he likes ya. Otherwise he wouldn' be so keen on gettin' ya to stay with 'im."

"You know what, Laine? You're boy-crazy."

"I am not! You're the one who's picking up all the guys. First that trainer dude, and now Ember."

"I am not picking up boys!"

"You call each other by nicknames, Rora."

"Those are insults!" Aurora snapped. "Don't you know an insult when you hear one?"

"You're blushing," said Laine, grinning her manic smile. "Rora likes Ember! Rora likes Ember!"

"Spearow!" said Scar in disgust. He took off and flew away, leaving the girls on the ground to argue their way up the trail.

The city looked eerie in the half-light of sunset, with its glossy black roofs and the dozens of gargoyles that lurked on every corner. This was the sacred city of the dragons, and the statues graced not only the Gym, but nearly every roof and doorpost in the city. In the distance, the Gym itself loomed up like a small castle, and the lake in the background flashed like fire in the sun's red light. Aurora stood and stared at it in awe. At last, the city she had dreamed about since she was a little child...

"This place gives me the willies," said Laine. "Maybe we oughta hold off 'till morning, huh?"

"Are you kidding?" Aurora asked. "I've been waiting years for this!"

"Then you can wait a little longer," Laine retorted. "This is not a place I wanna be creeping around in after dark."

"We aren't going to creep," said Aurora. "We're just going to the Gym."

The truth was, though, she did feel something of what Laine was talking about. There was a feel of ancientness and power here, something that made her skin tingle and her stomach flutter with something that was more than nerves. It felt like something was watching her, waiting...

*Oh, you're really brave,* she scolded herself. *Think how much you went through to get here. You are not backing out now!*

With all the resolution she could muster, she put one foot forward, then another. Scar trotted along beside her, ruffling his feathers as if he thought she was being silly but wasn't about to stick his beak out to tell her so. Laine sighed.

"You're harder to persuade then my Slowpoke," she complained, and fell into step with Aurora.

The Gym was even more imposing close up, all black stone and crouching gargoyles baring fangs and claws. The front doors were twice the height of a man, lacquered black with gold trim, yet when Aurora pushed them, they swung forward easily and silently. Trembling a little, she stepped inside.

She was hit by a blast of heat. Inside the building was a platform that was strung over a pit of bubbling lava, filling the room with a fiery glow. At the far end of a long walkway stood a throne, flanked by two huge stone Dragonites. However, those were nothing compared to the woman who reclined on the throne. She was dressed all in tight-fitting black clothing, with a long, batlike cloak, and she regarded the trespassers in her domain with a look that would have sent a Rhydon fleeing in terror. Aurora walked slowly toward her, her footsteps ringing on the metal floor, until she was only a few feet away from the dark woman. She had to fight the urge to kneel.

"Are - are you Clair, the Dragon Master?" she asked. Her voice squeaked in nervousness.

"I am," said the dark woman. "Who asks?"

"I do. My - my name is Aurora. I've come to - come to ask if-"

"Are you here to battle me?" asked Clair. "If that's the case, you should turn around right now. I can tell just by looking at you, you haven't got what it takes."

"No! That's not it at all!" said Aurora. "I wanted to train under you, as one of your junior trainers. I think you're the greatest Pokemon trainer there ever was. There's nothing I want more than to learn from you."

"I am the greatest trainer there ever was," said Clair frostily. "I don't need you to tell me that. And what makes you think I'd let you train under me? I only take students with potential. What kind of Pokemon have you got? How many Badges have you won?"

"I - I don't have any Badges," Aurora admitted, "and the only Pokemon I have is Scar..."

"That? You bring me that molting mess of a Pokemon and ask me to help you train it?" asked Clair, glaring at Scar. "I've never been so insulted. Listen - if you want me to train you, you'd better prove to me that you're worth my while. Come back when you've collected the other seven Badges of Johto and captured some decent Pokemon. If you can convince me of your worth, then maybe I'll consider training you. Until then, you're nothing. Understand?"

Aurora's head spun. She wanted to scream that this woman was wrong, that she had potential right now, that Scar was a decent Pokemon, but this was Clair she was talking to! The words stuck in her throat.

"Yes, ma'am," she said meekly. "Come on, Scar." She turned and shuffled out of the Gym. Clair watched them go.

"They won't make it past the first Gym," she said. "That's one trainer I'll never see again."

Laine was waiting outside. When the doors opened again, she looked eagerly at Aurora.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Not good," Aurora replied. "Clair says she won't teach me unless I've got seven Badges, and she thinks Scar's not good enough for her to bother training. I don't know, Laine... How am I ever going to win all those Badges? She might as well ask me to bring her an Arcticuno! Maybe my dad was right," she finished miserably. "Maybe I am wasting my time."

"Now, don't be like that," said a voice somewhere above her head. "I, for one, think you have a good chance."

Aurora looked up at the roof. Now that she was looking, she could see that one of the gargoyles was not a gargoyle at all. It wasn't even a dragon. It was a Pidgeotto, and standing next to the Pidgeotto was the man from Violet City.

"It's you again!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you," he replied. "Worried, you know. Bad things have been happening in this city. Rockets have been seen sneaking around the Dragon Temple - one of Clair's junior trainers was arrested for letting one get past her guard. I was afraid you might have run into trouble."

"Well, I did run into one Rocket, but he wasn't very much trouble," said Aurora. "Do you really think I have what it takes to win all those Badges? It's going to be hard."

"Not that hard," the man replied. "As a matter of fact..." He reached into a fold of his sash and took out something, throwing it down to Aurora. It flashed brightly as it tumbled through the sunset-colored light. Aurora caught it and stared; it looked like a bit of metal fashioned into a pair of wings.

"This - this is the Zephyr Badge!" she gasped. "But - but you can't give me this - you're not a Gym Leader!"

"Who says?" the man replied. "Certainly not me! My name is Falkner, and I run the Gym in Violet City. I'm master of Flying-type Pokemon, and I say you are, too. I hereby bestow upon thee the Zephyr Badge and all its attendant privileges. After all, you beat me fair and square."

Laine was goggling. "This is the guy you fought? You beat a Gym Leader and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't know! He wouldn't tell me his name!" Aurora replied. She stopped and glared at him. "Why didn't you tell me your name?"

Falkner blushed. "Embarrassed, I guess. It has been a long time since I've been beaten, especially by such a new trainer. I figured if you didn't know, I would just let you go on thinking you'd just beaten another run-of-the-mill wanderer. After all, it wouldn't do you any good to get too cocky."

"Wow," said Aurora. "Maybe... maybe I can win, then!"

"I know you can," Falkner answered. "I'll be keeping an eye on you. Good luck, Aurora!"

"Thanks, Falkner!" Aurora called back. "Hey! Now that I know your name, can I have your phone number?"

"What? You're kidding. Gym Leaders never give out their phone numbers," said Falkner. "I will write, though. Goodbye!"

"Bye!" Aurora and Laine waved as Falkner's Pidgeotto gripped his shoulder and carried him off into the sky.

"That was weird," said Laine. "I still can't believe you were so dumb you didn' know a Gym Leader when you fought one!"

"I wouldn't have believed it anyway," said Aurora. She pinned the badge to her shirt. "One down, six to go!"

"Fun," said Laine. "We'll have go walk all over Johto now! Man, I wish your Spearow could use the Fly HM. Then we wouldn' have to walk. So, where first?"

Aurora checked her map. "Well, traditionally, the next badge is the Hive Badge. That's in your town, Laine."

"You mean, Azalea Town?" Laine repeated. "Oh, heck. We're goin' right back where we started!"

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" said Aurora, sighing a bit herself. "Oh, well. At least we won't be likely to get lost."

"Big whoop," Laine replied. "Oh, well. Let's get started."

She plodded glumly back to the street, but Aurora lingered, staring at the Gym's dark, forbidding doors.

"I'll prove you wrong," she said softly. "I don't care what it takes. I'm going to prove you wrong."

That night, Clair dreamed as she slept. In her dream, she stood in the Gym, watching the hot lava as it continuously bubbled. By its light, the dragon statues next to her looked almost alive, as their dark eyes glittered with the shifting fire. Suddenly, a bitter wind blew though the Gym, covering the floor and walls with frost, freezing the lava into cold black stone. Around and around the wind whirled, stirring up clouds of snow, and Clair cringed. Ice was the natural enemy of dragons, and if it could overpower the fires she'd brought in to hamper its power...

Even as she watched, the snow thickened, becoming a solid shape. The shape was human, a snow-girl with hair and eyes of ice. She raised her hand, calling forth the icy gusts of wind again, forming them into a second glittering shape, a blue bird with a flowing crystalline tail: Articuno, the legendary bird of ice. It attacked, fanning its wings to stir up a blizzard. Clair felt the snow piling higher around her, freezing her with a cold that was painful.

"Stop it! Do something!" she screamed.

The statues at her side moved, coming to life, moving in to defend her. They snarled, breathing forth bursts of flame.

"Aurora Beam!" commanded the ice girl.

Articuno bobbed its head in agreement. From its eyes shot a beam of cold energy that struck each statue in turn, freezing them solid. As Clair stared in horror, they dissolved into snow and fell into heaps at her feet.

"All right, all right!" shouted Clair, her voice hysterical. "You've won! You can have the Badge!"

"I don't want the Badge," the girl replied. "I want you. I want to destroy you."

"No, no, please," Clair begged. "You can't do this to me!"

"Freeze her," the girl commanded.

Articuno's wings stirred again, fanning up an arctic breeze, and Clair could only stand in utter terror as she froze solid, her fingers and hands slowly coming apart into snow and she blew away bit by bit...

"No!" she screamed, and sat up in bed, sweating in fear. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. What a nightmare... but it was only a dream, wasn't it? That girl that had appeared today, she'd had that long, crystalline hair, like ice. And her name was Aurora, like the Aurora Beam, a powerful Ice attack. Could this dream be a warning?

"Did I make a mistake?" Clair asked herself. "Should I have taken her on, after all? But she seemed so weak... I sent her to become stronger. Is this a warning that she will return... and destroy me? No, it can't be. I won't let it."

She rose, throwing on her cloak and walking for the door. She needed to go to the Dragon Temple. There she would get help. She would make sure that this girl was no threat to her, no matter what it took.