Chapter 1: Encounter at The Lighthouse
Olivine City was a simple gateway from Johto to Kanto. Lance would pass through on occasion, boarding the S.S. Aqua to reach Vermilion City. The other occasion would be the Battle Frontier. Even as Indigo League Champion, Lance liked to indulge in other challenges. The latest was against Dahlia, the Arcade Star. The battle was turbulent but entertaining, each focused on strategies to win. Eventually, the arduous match ended in Lance being victorious. He had proven his status as one of the world's strongest trainers.
Dahlia was pleased with the result. Not only at her pokémon for the performance but of the Dragon Master. She beamed a hearty smile over the finale, returning her medicham back into the capsule.
She shook his hand. "You are truly worthy of your title! Absolutely fabulous! Your abilities are unmatched, Champion! I'm grateful for such an opportunity to battle you! It's no wonder you specialize in something strong as the dragon type. Dragon pokémon are full of endless potential that only a master such as you can achieve!"
Lance chuckled, releasing his hand. "You're no pushover yourself, Arcade Star Dahlia."
"Spare me the flattery! Your reputation precedes you, Champion. You inspire me, Dahlia, to train better!"
"I'm happy to hear that. You have the potential to achieve above and beyond. Just continue to hold a belief in your pokémon."
"Thank you. Now, what will you do next? Return to the Indigo Plateau? Or continue more challenges?"
"I'll probably fly back to Kanto. I would like to visit Celadon City to eat and stop by its department store. I need to take care of a few errands."
Dahlia was surprised by the long trip on his mind. "Oh, but that's far! Why not eat here at least? We have a Food Court, or... you can take a trip to the Olivine Café!"
There was a brief pause. Lance replied, "I don't think I've been there before."
"What?!" Dahlia cried, hand over her mouth. "It's a wonderful café! Have you not been to Olivine City?"
"I have, just not to visit. I mostly head for the port or the Battle Frontier."
"You're missing out! Tell you what, why not head over there? If you're a fan of seafood, you're in for great dishes!"
"Is that so?"
"Positive. It doesn't hurt to try! Olivine is a quiet city. I'm sure you won't be chased by paparazzi as you would be in Celadon."
Lance let out a snort, aware of his status… but Dahlia had a point. This was a chance for some peace. "All right, you win. I'll check it out."
"Fantastic! Let me know what you think. Say hello to the café owner for me, will you?"
He nodded before departing the Battle Arcade. Lance passed through groups of elite and ace trainers, their eyes tracking his movement. Recognizing him, whispers and murmurs escaped through their lips. Used to spotlight, Lance scampered further away. Thankfully, any tabloid-related shenanigans were kept minimum in the Battle Frontier due to the sake of privacy. It would serve as nothing but a diversion from the challenges.
On the contrary, Johto was a lot more reserved in their adoration for him than Kanto. Lance was secretly grateful for that. He suspected it was because of his major presence there than in his home region.
Outside Frontier Access, Lance chucked his poké ball. "Dragonite!"
A flash of light flew out of the device, exhibiting his most trusted companion. He let out a cheerful cry, spreading his small wings.
"Hey." Lance gave gentle pats on Dragonite's head. "We're heading somewhere new, Olivine City. Are you up for it?"
Dragonite nodded, arching down so his trainer could climb up. "Excellent, let's go." Once Lance settled in a comfortable position, he commanded Dragonite to take the skies.
Soaring through clouds, with the wind brushing against his carmine hair and black lead cape, Lance mused on Dahlia's statements. He wasn't involved with the Johto region as much as he thought. More so due to Kanto being urban with more opportunities. It was why, as he reminisced, he left Blackthorn City. Traveling to another region would give him a wider outlook on what his goals were. When he was young, the Elders of the Blackthorn clan were not fond of him leaving to travel. It took much persuasion for his grandfather, the clan's leader, to grant leeway. The Master was hesitant of having Clair take care of the clan's duties while Lance was away. His grandson was persistent and stubborn to give up on his goals.
Even with his grandfather's permission, Lance made a vow to be part of the Blackthorn's prestigious clan. To master the dragons which were revered as mythical beings. His family's lineage traced back to generations of working with dragon pokémon whom they were of close kin. The special relationship between the members and their dragon companions was unbreakable. Lance was bestowed to continue the tradition, to which he had no complaint. Not when he was gifted a dratini at a young age. Now a giant and strong dragonite who dutifully served his master.
It was a stepping stone to leaving Blackthorn to becoming one of the most recognized and best trainers in the world. Being a champion was no easy task, years of traveling across regions along with leading Kanto's Elite Four at one point brought him to now. Nonetheless, Lance eventually returned back home. His family was more than impressed with what he achieved. It strengthened his position as the next leader of the clan. Truly, Blackthorn's rising star.
His stardom came to a halt when two boys from Kanto gave him the biggest defeat of his life three years ago. An utter blow to his confidence. One child was now a gym leader in Viridian City and the other disappeared into the deep tundra of Mt. Silver. Lance could never forget them. Blue and Red served as a lesson that the title of being at the top only inflated the ego. To stay at the top was fleeting.
Humbled, he would come back eventually. Only this time, as the champion of Indigo Plateau.
Dragonite's own top speed had Lance hanging in the sky for several minutes. They landed straight in front of Johto's famous city port. Lance thought of whether to put Dragonite back into the capsule but ultimately decided to have him stay. He set his poké ball back in his pocket. "How about you stick around, Dragonite? No missions or battles. Just a time of relaxation. You deserve it."
The flying dragon let out a small cry of joy. His master smiled.
Lance stepped on the hard tiles that decorated the sidewalk. Each tile was under a circular design, with an optical illusion that they were spinning. Its sleek look marked a staple of Olivine's infrastructure, along with the misty sea air and sandy terrain. Not far was the ocean, but it would take a few blocks to arrive down at the beach and the dock of the S.S Aqua. Olivine was a fairly populated city for Johto, but not of the same caliber as Goldenrod.
Dragonite glanced toward the far left. There stood the massive and famous Glitter Lighthouse on a cliff. A major beacon of the city and guiding light for sea voyages. It stood dark and had no traces of light, with the skies still bright in shades of pink and orange – the sun setting slowly on the horizon.
There weren't many people around as Lance and Dragonite passed through the streets. When people did take notice – they were less inclined to run up to him. More so they would speak in whispers, mostly younger folk over his purpose in Olivine City. Elder folk greeted him with respect, wishing the Champion to enjoy his stay. Some were merchants offering discounts or freebies on their products – to which Lance respectfully declined. One asked about his reason for being here.
"The Olivine Café. Is it close by?"
"Oh, that's a wonderful place! It's a few blocks south and you should turn left, the closest to it is the Pokémon Center," the merchant said. "You better hurry! It closes in an hour!"
"Thank you." Lance mounted on the back of his dragon. "Dragonite, looks like we're taking the skies to save time."
Dragonite took off with his master, and the merchant waved.
It was another quick few minutes, the two passed as a blur and they landed in front of the café. Lance hopped down before turning to Dragonite. They both nodded and Lance pressed through the glass door, entering the small establishment.
It was quite small, porcelain tiles spread all over the floor. Tall shrubs decorated each corner of the café. A group of sailors sat around a large wooden table, drinking and laughing. They paused upon seeing the Dragon Master at their display. All quiet, then muttering.
"Is that Champion Lance?"
"He barely ever visits this place."
"Thought he abandoned Johto for Kanto. What is he doing here in Olivine?"
Lance ignored the gossip and sat in one of the green chairs near the counter. Dragonite took a seat next to him. In front was the counter boy sweeping the floor, listening to his Pokégear. A familiar tune poured out of the speakers.
"Good Evening people of Johto! This is Buena live from Goldenrod Radio Tower! Time for today's password! Today's password is – "
"Hey!" shouted the café owner. He was a fisherman and scolded the counter boy for listening to the radio. "Don't you see who we have in front of us?!"
"Huh?" The boy lowered the radio volume. His eyes widened as Lance continued to gaze sternly. "Oh crap! I am so sorry!"
The Champion's intimidating look softened. "It's fine. I know how popular Buena's show is. I have a couple of colleagues who listen to it."
He crossed his arms. "But I hope there is enough time for me to order."
"Oh, of course, Sir!" The boy scrambled to find a pamphlet. "Do you want to look at our menu?"
"Isn't there one up there?" Lance pointed up at the display board with the menu written on it. The boy, startled and face flushed… apologized again.
Behind the owner shook his head. "Apologies Champion Lance, but we'll be open for as long as you are here."
"I won't be here for so long, don't worry."
"Then we'll make your trip here worthwhile!" The owner laughed. His kind demeanor switched to an aggressive one toward his employee. "And you! I'll take care of the Champ's order, you better head over to the lighthouse and deliver the food!"
"Yes Sir!" The boy scurried away into the back and the owner focused on Lance. "Take all the time you need, Champ. I'll be waiting."
Lance scanned the menu above for anything of his liking. Dahlia was correct that most items were seafood. Some drinks here and there… from soft ones such as tea and harsher ones like gin. "I'll have your special today."
"The Olivine Seared Scallop Pasta? That's our most popular one! I'm sure you've heard that our Olivine is known for its seafood!"
"I have." Lance looked around the menu. "But I've never been here before, can't believe it took me this long to come here."
"Well, first is a first! We've been in the business since you were in diapers, hahaha!"
"Hah, I believe that."
"Then is that what you will order? What about anything else? Like for your dragonite?"
Meanwhile, the kitchen door opened and the counter boy came out – the order in a brown bag. Afterward came out his pokémon, a wingull. "C'mon Wingull, we gotta get to the lighthouse. I am sure Jasmine is waiting for us." Wingull chirped and the two slowly walked through the restaurant.
"What do you think you're doing?!" The shop owner yelled. Frightened, the boy almost dropped the order. "I told you to use the back entrance! You never come out here when there are customers around!"
"S - sorry," The boy mumbled. "It's just… I find this way faster than walking all the way from the back."
"Imagine if you had dropped it! What would Jasmine say?! She spent good money on that! I don't want to lose one of our most trusted clients! The only reason why she isn't here to pick it up is because of the dratini she is taking care of at the lighthouse!"
Lance spun his head in surprise. A dratini here in the Glitter Lighthouse? He was sure the only known pokémon to reside was an ampharos who supplied power there. Curiosity piqued his interest. "Did you say a dratini?"
"Ah, so the gym leader here got a new pokémon," the owner explained. "You know Jasmine, right? The Steel-Clad Defense Girl who used steel pokémon and owns the ampharos at our lighthouse?"
"Yes."
Except Lance wasn't familiar with Jasmine.
In fact, he wasn't close with the Gym Leaders of Johto besides his cousin Clair and Pryce from the neighboring town. But the others were more simply employees of the League that he did not interact with. He knew of their name, titles, pokémon typing they used, and appearance. But nothing beyond, and with him being busy with other matters as Champion and constant travel, there was little chance to talk. On occasion, he did see them once a year for a conference to discuss anything relating to the Pokémon League. Yet, he was more acquaintances with the Kanto Gym Leaders and the Elite Four. With Gym Leaders such as Erika from visiting Celadon Department Store, Blue from battling him once, Blaine from the incident at Cinnabar Island, Misty for almost joining the Elite Four, and Janine for being Koga's daughter.
But toward the Gym Leaders of his own home of Johto, he was more distant.
"Recently, she traded away her steelix for a new pokémon. A dratini. Although, heard she has been having some problems since she got it two days ago. The poor thing isn't really eating."
Lance frowned, concerned with this story. He could help with this a baby dragon. The pokémon type he had long mastered for all of his life. He rose up from his chair, facing the boy. "If you don't mind, I will make the delivery."
"What?! But Champion Lance, you didn't even order!" The owner cried.
"The needs of the pokémon are more important than my own. Come, Dragonite." Lance's pokémon hopped out of the seat to follow.
His trainer took the order. "I hope this helps."
The boy sighed in contentment from the huge weight off his shoulders. "Thank you."
Lance drew out a quick smile before turning away with Dragonite. "I'll return soon. Count on it."
He pushed through the glass door, shutting it across the shocked shopkeeper's face.
"Just a little longer, all right?"
Her voice was soothing. Delicate fingertips caressed the wet scaly skin of the blue serpentine pokémon. Dratini whined, closing his eyes… listening to the lukewarm water brushing his small, slender body.
Jasmine continued to pet her baby dragon softly, maintaining a gentle expression. For how long that composure would last was debatable. The baby had trouble with the general food given to pokémon. He would mostly either vomit or eat very little. It was clear Dratini needed a special kind of diet. She felt a rising tension in her stomach, and breathed deeply. Now was not the time to be anxious. She had to remain calm. At least for the sake of Dratini. She would make a trip to Blackthorn tomorrow to seek some advice and get the proper food.
Dratini was lulled by the water. Jasmine had been washing him in a small tub. The water was rich with vitamins and minerals from a formula she poured specifically for baby pokémon.
"We're almost done Dratini." She rinsed off the baby dragon. An ampharos marched by to look at the view of the ocean and Olivine Port from the top of the lighthouse. One window was smudged and the ampharos rubbed his flipper to clean it.
Jasmine reached for a towel to bring Dratini out of the tub and into her arms. He shook himself to rid of the extra water, which made her laugh. "Oh, you got me wet!"
He yawned as Jasmine dried his body softly. "And, all done."
She heard her ampharos, the gatekeeper of the lighthouse growl at his struggle to remove the stain. "Oh Amphy, leave it alone. I'll make sure to get Janina to wipe the windows tomorrow morning, okay?"
Amphy sighed, walking away. Jasmine got up, placing a hand to cover her forehead as the sunset was brightening the top deck of the lighthouse. "It's getting dark. I wonder where my order is. I told Magnemite to alert me if it sees anyone…"
Lance arrived at the Glitter Lighthouse. Dragonite gazed around the empty lobby. He pointed at the elevator. "I see. She must be at the top then. Well, it's either the elevator or the stairs. How about the elevator?"
Dragonite complied, approaching the elevator door. Lance pressed the bottom button, waiting for the doors to open.
To their surprise, they encountered a brunette in a summer teal dress and sandals. An orange ribbon clamped her white top, while a magnemite sat on her shoulder. "Oh!" She was so startled by his appearance.
"Just who I was looking for," Lance said. "Jasmine, right? Gym Leader of Olivine City?" He and Dragonite entered the elevator.
"C-Champion Lance?" Jasmine asked, astonished to see the region's champion here. This was a rare visit. She would inquire about his presence further but saw her order. "Oh... is that?"
Lance nodded, serving a smile. "I have a delivery." The doors slammed shut and the elevator climbed up. Jasmine whirled her head in embarrassment. "What?! But I asked the people of Olivine Cafe – "
"Don't worry about it, I decided to bring it for them," Lance explained. "Here's your dinner."
"Oh, um... thank you. But what brings you here? You could have delivered this at the entrance."
"I could have, but…" There was a hesitant look on his face. Jasmine must be flabbergasted over his sudden appearance. What could she be thinking? They barely saw each other often. "…you have a dratini?"
Jasmine meekly responded to the change of topic. "Yes... how did you know?"
"I heard you recently received one in a trade. Congratulations, dragons are the most majestic and toughest of pokémon types. Especially the dratini line."
"T – thank you… oh, you're a Dragon Tamer, right? You specialize in dragon types."
"That's right."
Before Jasmine could respond, the Champion made a frown. "However, I'm concerned with how you are caring for him. I hear he hasn't been eating well?"
"Is that your true reason for coming here?"
"Yes. I'd like to take a look at your dratini, if you don't mind."
This was certainly not just a coincidence, but a good one. If Lance was willing to assist, then what good would come out if she refused someone who was an expert of a pokémon type she wasn't herself? "Of course..."
The elevator stopped, opening its door to reveal they were in the light room of the lighthouse. Jasmine stepped out first, leading Lance to the location of the dratini. She pressed through a glass door where around stood a balcony circling across the lighthouse. Dratini was sitting on a blanket, lightly dozing off.
"I just gave him a bath," Jasmine said. "I figured the use of some herbal nutrients from this formula for baby pokémon would be of assistance. I hear dratini can build up lots of energy."
Lance did not respond. Instead, he stood in front of the baby dragon. Dragonite hovered lightly to avoid startling it. His trainer sat in front of the dratini. The baby's weak eyes opened.
"Hey." He gently placed dratini on his lap… lightly rubbing the scales. "You're quite small."
To Jasmine's wonder… the dratini felt relaxed and secure under Lance's touch, curling up on his lap. "What brought upon this trade?"
"I wanted to train a new pokémon so I can become a stronger trainer... and coordinator. So, I traded away my Rusty and received him in return."
"Rusty? Is that a nickname?"
"Yes, it's the name of the steelix that I traded away..."
No reply, prompting her to speak again so she could avoid the awkward silence. "Er... I've been doing my best to raise him but he seems to be very fussy with food."
Jasmine fiddled with her dress, shamefully describing her care over a pokémon type she had little experience with. "I… have tried many different types of dishes but he doesn't eat well. It's got to the point where I will travel to Blackthorn City tomorrow to seek some advice. I know Blackthorn is known for its… worship and respect for the dragon type."
Lance hummed, it was clear Jasmine had little practice with dragon types. He was rather skeptical as to why she was traded a dratini in the first place, and why she accepted it. It seemed more like the pokémon was given away like a toy. After all, they were rare pokémon and revered in his hometown.
"His cry is weak. While the bath may help retain some nutrients, his skin is dry. Let's see what I can do here." He dug something from his own bag. "Now where is it, ah… I have plenty." He pulled out a special type of water bottle, its brand labeled from Blackthorn.
"Water?" Jasmine asked. "I've tried giving him some earlier. Is that one different?"
"This is mineral water from the underground springs of Dragon's Den. I always carry a few at my disposal. This should help sustain Dratini for a while." Lance poured the water into a bowl. He reached into his own bag again, pulling out a bag of fresh algae. "Here, these are rich in vitamins, antitoxins, and essential to growth." Placing some on his fresh hand, he coaxed Dratini by wavering it around its mouth. "It's all right. I won't hurt you. Come on." Hearing the easing voice to insure peace, Dratini took a quick sniff of the algae, before munching on it.
He smirked, the palm of his hand tickled among Dratini's feeding on the algae.
"Wow. You're very prepared," Jasmine said.
"I have to be," said Lance. "The algae come from deep within the underground lake of Dragon's Den. Generally, dratini like to feed down there for the first few months of life before they can move on to other types of food. For that, I am going to leave some bags of the algae I have with some mineral water."
"How can I ever repay you…" Jasmine twisted a lock of brown hair timidly.
"Dragon pokémon can be picky with food. It's one of the reasons why they are difficult to train. They respond to a certain amount of textures and flavors, especially when young."
"I... didn't know that."
There was a crunching noise. Dratini had finished eating the sample and slithered into the bag, sticking his head more of the algae. Lance laughed. "Hey, don't suffocate yourself."
He poured the algae into another bowl, and the pokémon slithered toward and ate further. "It should start to look healthier by tomorrow. Just keep feeding those bags I gave you with the water."
"But where can I get more? It doesn't seem that the Poké Mart in Olivine carries those two products," Jasmine said worriedly.
"Goldenrod Department Store should have them. That's the only place I can think of right now." Lance crossed his arms. "It's either that or Blackthorn City, and Goldenrod is much closer here. I suggest you head out there as soon as you can, the supplies I gave will only last for a few days."
"All right, thank you… Champion Lance. Again, how could I ever repay you – "
"You don't need to thank me," Lance interrupted. "I'm only doing what's necessary. However, a word of caution. If you continue to have issues, you should rethink keeping this dratini. I don't mean to scare you, but dragon types aren't easy pokémon to raise. They require a lot more effort than most types. For example, some shed their skin a lot – clean-up is common. Some can also become aggressive if they lack proper training." Dragonite nodded in agreement, releasing a small snort.
"I… I understand." Jasmine placed her head down in slight guilt. Granted she didn't expect to be traded such pokémon. The thought of her dratini suffering due to her own shortcomings to the complexity of the matter brought her horror.
"Unless, if you believe that you have the capability of raising him along with doing massive research, then by all means I wish you the best." Lance placed a hand on her shoulder for assurance. Jasmine lightly twitched from the touch. "You are the sixth gym leader of Johto with expertise in the steel type. If you mastered that challenging type along with gaining the trust of your pokémon, you may be able to handle this little one. He could become a wonderful companion to you, provided that you will give him the love and care he needs. You'll just have to push harder than usual."
He shifted toward Dragonite, releasing his hand. "I leave the rest to you. If you ever need anything, Clair should be able to help you. I do recommend you visit Blackthorn to understand the dragon type better."
"I see. Thank you."
Lance mounted Dragonite, giving one final look at her with a small smile. Dragonite's wings flapped as he took off into the skies with his trainer. Jasmine watched the duo ride off into the setting sun, warm colors receded into the pitch blackness in the sky that followed.
"No! Wait!" Jasmine turned to find the counter boy from the café running at her with a bag. "Where's Champion Lance?! Did he just leave?!"
"Um, you just missed him."
"Crap! My boss told me to give him this, it's the special he originally ordered from the café but he never got to eat it. He didn't eat or drink anything at all! Aw man, this sucks! My one chance to hang out with the Champ and he's gone!"
Jasmine looked back toward the sky, now dark… she could barely make out the duo anymore. They were probably out of range now. Dratini glided toward her feet. A sad cry escaped his lips... yearning for them to return.
The Gym Leader picked up the baby dragon, hugging him tight to her chest. "It's all right. We'll see them again. Just like when you'll see Lyra once you're all grown up. I'm sure of it."
There was a slight exaggeration in her last words to Dratini. The notion of seeing Lance again was less likely than the one with who she traded Rusty away. Lance was a busy man with his own affairs as well as being Champion of the Pokémon League. How could he make time for her and Dratini in the lighthouse? Notably after what he had told her? Such possibilities were small as finding a legendary, but those words are what calmed her pokémon down. Lance's warning also haunted her... his grim voice pushing through her mind. He brought up good points and was much more of an experienced trainer. What good argument could she have come up with in her defense? In spite of that, Jasmine wanted to challenge his straightforward opinion. It was only just recently that she received Dratini. She couldn't give him back, not this quickly.
Jasmine found it pointless to ponder on the matter further. She would continue to raise and care for her new dratini that would live with Amphy in the lighthouse, along with following her duties as a gym leader.
And perhaps, once Dratini was fully trained, participate in contests.
Edit 4/19/23 - Thank you to
@Pen for the feedback and critique!
