INTERLUDE — Pick Your Poison

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DAY OF MOUNT MOON OPERATION — CLAIR IBUKI

Her ponytail whipped back and forth in the air. Countless muscles ached from how long she’d been flying, and she was tired from a combination of factors — sleepless nights, fruitless training sessions, and mounting pressure both from herself and the Blackthorn Elders — but there was no room for complaint. Not ever.

Do not acknowledge weakness.

It was a phrase Clair treated almost like a mantra these days, something to guide her actions and ground her to reality.

Today, she was here to fulfill her duty as one of Indigo’s pillars and help with Team Rocket search efforts. Clair counted herself lucky she did not have a personal grudge against them. Most people within her generation did… including her cousin.

Lance. Her jaw clenched at the thought of him. It had been days now, weeks since they’d last spoken outside of work, and it left her feeling uncomfortable even though she was the one rejecting any attempts to talk. More than her own parents, more than the other Clan members— it was Lance with whom she shared the closest bond. He had been a constant role model for her to look up to, a trainer she once strived to be like but now wished to surpass, and a family member who’d always been there for her. They were more like brother and sister rather than cousins.

Now, they’d drifted apart because of conflicting ideals.

She didn’t have time to dwell on their strained relationship right now. Higher and higher Dragonite ascended to Mount Moon’s summit. Any human this far up in the air would have found it hard to breathe, but a comfortable shield of Dragon and Flying type energies made such problems nonexistent. They smothered the defiant sky and made it hers.

Well… not entirely hers.

Falkner was here, too. Case in point, Clair barely tracked birds zipping across the sky in the distance. Their keen eyesight allowed them to pick out small details in their surroundings even at such speeds. She begrudgingly admitted that the Second Master of Flying Pokemon lived up to his epithet, though she remained convinced her Dragonite was faster than Falkner’s Pidgeot.

A quick loop around the mountain’s summit revealed zilch. Nothing was visible to the naked eye, and Dragonite could not sense anything out of place either. This was their second day here at Mount Moon, and they still hadn’t found any sign of Rockets. It seemed like it was up to Giovanni and Brock now. Given the lack of any Rocket traces outside, it was highly likely the two Kanto Gym Leaders would find them inside. Both hadn’t come out of the mountain yet.

The phone in her pocket vibrated from an incoming alert, and that was Clair’s cue to descend. A resounding bellow from Dragonite drew the attention of all other Dragons flying nearby. As one, they dove to the ground.

She pursed her lips when Falkner and his team beat her to the League’s makeshift camp.

Both of them returned their Pokemon to let them rest, but not before they caught sight of Lance’s twisted facial expression. There was definitely some sort of problem, and when Lance told them about their missing coworkers—

“I’ll help look for them,” Clair instantly volunteered.

It was a chance for her to accomplish something great and re-establish her authority as Blackthorn Gym Leader. This was for herself, her Clan, and Johto. The Elders would be pleased with her. Now that Lance had turned his back on them, they looked to her now to uphold their ideals of tradition and absolute strength. She had to prove the might of Dragons.

She needed this.

Falkner volunteered almost right after she did, and the thinly-veiled eagerness in his voice suggested he might have had similar goals of his own. Out of all the Sacred Eight households, the Hayato and Blackthorn Clans were especially strict. They were the ones most concerned about upholding traditions and honoring their ancestors.

The days of glory past had to be maintained.

Lance ultimately agreed to both their requests, but she could tell it was with great reluctance. He reached out with a hand as if to place it on her shoulder and pull her aside for a private chat. It was an act she immediately turned away from. He didn’t get a chance to talk to her again after that.

Clair’s skin prickled uncomfortably when he called Arin in for the new task force.

She wasn’t exactly happy to see Johto’s newest Gym Leader, but she held her tongue. She couldn’t argue with Lance’s choice. Since Giovanni and Brock had seemingly run into trouble, whatever or whoever got the better of them was strong enough to overtake two different Gym Leaders. It helped that she’d begrudgingly made her peace with Arin… if only to honor the promise from their battle. He would get the professionalism and bare minimum of courtesy he’d asked for, but nothing else.

He stood for everything the Blackthorn Clan was against.

When it was time to go, Lance gave out a final warning.

“Be careful in there. I don’t want us losing any more people.”

It was addressed to the group as a whole, but Clair did not miss the way he looked at her. She pointedly avoided her cousin’s stare of concern and adopted a calm facade. Her insides, on the other hand, twisted and churned with a mixture of emotions, everything from disbelief to conviction and beyond.

I can do this was what she wanted to tell her cousin. Your worry is unnecessary.

She was one of Johto’s Gym Leaders. This was what she’d signed up for.

Those thoughts were what carried her past Mount Moon’s entrance.

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Out of everything Clair expected to encounter deep within the walls of Mount Moon, magically shifting tunnels were quite low on the list. It was frankly unsettling. Terrible scenarios ran through her head when their group stopped to take a break. Perhaps they’d already fallen into a trap laid by Team Rocket.

Arin quickly shattered those suspicions with a mind boggling statement.

“It's the local Clefairy and Clefable. They're the ones making the mountain change.”

Of course she challenged that statement, but the Cherrygrove Gym Leader was ready. He calmly explained his hypothesis with simple reasoning that the rest of them could understand.

It still shocked her to her core.

Tiny, weak-looking, and frail Pokemon like Clefairy… being able to warp an entire mountain’s inner structure? They were talking about Mount Moon here. It was no small hill but a gigantic behemoth that stood as one of Kanto’s most famous landmarks.

A ridiculous claim or so she believed, but when Falkner expressed his skepticism—

“I'd stake it on my honor as a Fairy Specialist.”

Another unbelievable statement came out of Arin’s mouth. Blue eyes looked back at Falkner with unwavering confidence.

Any potential words of protest lodged themselves in Clair’s throat.

As it was often said, to be a true Specialist was to dedicate your whole life to your craft. That was no mere exaggeration. Specialists were experts who delved deeper into their area of expertise than any other.

As frustrating as Clair found Fairies, and despite being a Specialist of an opposing type specialty… even she could respect the willingness to stake one’s entire career on a single claim.

They’d see soon enough if it was true or not anyway. There was no time to waste.

“Alright,” she found herself saying. “Then what do we do next?”

Surprise flashed through Arin’s eyes followed by a smile and…

Blasted, incorrigible singing by that Scream Tail of his. As horrible as it was, it proved effective. Clair couldn’t have been more surprised when reality physically shattered in place.

The shock didn’t stop there. It only grew as they ascended Mount Moon for the Clefairy clan’s hideout.

Her lungs were on fire.

Her vision swam. Her head throbbed with pain.

Invisible forces pushed down on her as if entire boulders had been strapped to her back and every limb.

Ragged breaths tore themselves from her lips one after another, but they were far too shallow. She was barely managing to stay conscious as it was. Things got easier after Arin’s Sylveon made some sort of shimmering bubble around them, but it was only to a slight degree. She still struggled to plant one foot in front of the other as they walked.

In spite of how tortuous the climb was, Clair refused to fall.

She’d felt pressure from old and mighty Dragons before, those that lived deep within the Dragon’s Den and hardly saw the light of day, but this was incomparable. It was hostile in every sense of the word. Heavy. Ancient.

To think all of this was because of Fairies.

She stared intently at the back of Arin’s head. The Cherrygrove Gym Leader was ambling along without a care in the world while the rest of them suffered from the pressure the Clefairy exerted from afar.

Clair was loath to admit two things: Arin’s mental fortitude was astounding and, more importantly, that Fairies were perhaps stronger than she could have ever believed.

It would have been an inconceivable thought had she not personally witnessed and experienced what supposedly innocent Fairies were capable of. Here she was, walking through pockets of reality that Arin’s Pokemon shattered from mere song and struggling under the weight of simple belief. Seeing was believing and yet—

She wouldn’t fully accept it. She couldn’t, or everything she knew would come crumbling down.

Do not acknowledge weakness.

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When they finally engaged Team Rocket in Mount Moon’s lowest level, Clair had no way of directly helping in the fight against Executive Proton.

The battle raging in the central part of the cavern was simply too high-paced. From her position by the cave’s entrance, she could see Falkner struggling to keep up aerial support while Giovanni, Arin, and Bruno pressured Proton. She couldn’t blame the Violet Gym Leader.

It wasn’t often they fought intense battles outside of traditional matches.

She wanted to lend them a hand, but she had her own role to play first. She just needed to get rid of these wretched grunts first. They weren’t posing much of a problem.

It happened so fast.

One moment, she was issuing orders to Dragonite and the others, and the next—

Dragonair’s body blocked part of her vision. Red droplets splattered onto her clothes as something stabbed the dragon—

The next minute was like one big blur for Clair.

A damned Tentacruel had been hiding itself with a masterful display of hydrokinesis and Acid Armor. It had targeted her because no one would have thought Proton would go for a trainer in the backline rather than take out someone he was directly fighting against. Thankfully, Arin’s Hatterene intervened in time to allow Clair a chance to recall her wounded Pokemon before she could bleed out.

Her hands did not shake. Her expression did not falter.

Inside was a different matter. Her mental mindscape was shaken.

Dragonair.

Clair had signed up for this, but she would never forgive herself if one of her beloved dragons died because of her inability to check for hidden enemies. She was supposed to be their trainer and caretaker.

She should have been able to foresee this. She should have been able to guard herself properly without putting one of her Pokemon at risk.

She should have… She should have…

She was supposed to be strong on her own.

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It was over. They left Mount Moon.

The moment Clair handed over Dragonair’s Pokeball to a doctor on standby, Lance approached her with an expression full of relief. He raised his arms in a silent inquiry. Why was he asking if it was okay to hug her—

Oh… right. She’d been giving him the cold shoulder.

She wasn’t supposed to show weakness, but she moved faster than her head could think. All Clair had to do was give a brief nod of assent, and her cousin came forward to wrap her in a gentle hug.

“You did good, Clair. Thank Ho-Oh you’re alright,” Lance murmured, and he repeated it two more times in a quiet voice only she could hear. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you in there.”

For a moment, she thought she was a little kid again. Her cousin used to console her whenever the Elders yelled at her for not meeting the clan’s standards as a trainer.

She wasn’t a little kid anymore. She was supposed to be a Dragon Tamer in her own right now. A strict voice whispered in her head.

Do not acknowledge weakness.

Clair was supposed to be unshakeable. She had to look the part, act like it, and be it. She was not allowed to rely on anyone else but herself. That was how she’d been raised. Weakness of any kind was a sin.

Right now, she just felt tired. The exhaustion from pushing herself to her limits over the past month came flooding in all at once. Even her mind felt numb from the stress of the operation and thoughts about her injured Dragonair.

Just this once, she let herself close her eyes. She listened to the words Lance repeated over and over.

“Everything’s going to be okay.”

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“For Indigo.”

Clair felt ashamed of herself long after the meeting at League HQ ended.

It had been sobering in more ways than one. While she’d been busy thinking about earning more glory for Johto and the Blackthorn Clan, Lance only emphasized the peace of the country as a whole. He did not ask about the cooperation of Kanto and Johto but Indigo.

This was not a competition, but she’d been treating this whole ordeal like one.

Clair stared through the glass at where her Dragonair lay resting inside a pod. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly drew blood. She hoped her Pokemon was not suffering from pain.

Terrible, she told herself. You’re supposed to be better than this, Clair. Be better. Do better.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She stewed alone in her thoughts for a long time. Eventually, someone drifted into the medical wing and asked about her Dragonair.

Arin.

Of course the Cherrygrove Gym Leader would somehow find her when she least felt like speaking, and of course he would inquire kindly about her Pokemon. Sometimes, Clair really wanted to crack open Arin’s skull so she could understand what exactly went on in that head of his. They weren’t on the best of the terms, but he still found it in him to be a decent human being.

Technically, she was supposed to do the same.

“Thank you,” Clair told him.

The words she spoke were genuine. Thanks had to be given where it was owed. Arin had been a huge help not just to her and Dragonair, but to the whole Mount Moon operation in general.

She didn’t make eye contact with Arin, but she didn’t have to. She saw his reflection in the glass.

He didn’t respond. He only gave a small smile tinged with sadness and walked away.

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She’d gone straight to sleep the night before, but there was no escaping the Blackthorn Elders once she returned home from the Plateau that day.

Mirroring previous instances, Clair found herself sitting on a silk cushion in the Dragon Shrine while the Elders argued and screamed. First they berated her on how pathetic it was that she allowed one of her Dragons to get seriously injured, then they demanded to know about her contributions in the Mount Moon operation and what had happened.

Regardless of her feelings to the Clan, she was duty-bound as a Gym Leader to not reveal classified information. They threw a fit over that when she explained as such, and they threw another fit when she revealed it was the others who had done the bulk of the battling.

“As a Blackthorn, you should have taken the lead!”

“We cannot afford to fall behind those scoundrels from Kanto or that blasphemous Cherrygrove Gym Leader—”

And so on and so forth. Eventually, the conversation derailed into complaints about how much trust Lance was putting in a newcomer like Arin.

Wisely, Clair stayed silent as they discussed heatedly amongst themselves. It was true she’d done wrong by her Dragonair, but her fingers itched to grab something. She wanted to refute what they were saying about Arin.

The Elders had not been there in that cavern below Mount Moon. They had not seen for themselves how skillfully Arin had fought and coordinated with the others to corner Proton. They had not seen how he had supported everyone during a high-stakes fight and turned the tides at numerous points.

Clair could not deny Arin’s vast contributions.

Then the conversation turned to the upcoming gym audit, and instead of talking about the Blackthorn Gym’s preparations, the Elders brought up something else.

“With Ho-Oh’s blessing, the Cherrygrove Gym will finally fall tomorrow,” the Eldest spoke.

Clair’s eyes widened a miniscule amount.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked. This was the first she’d heard of any such thing.

Though displeased by the interruption, the Elders answered her inquiry. While she and the others had been stuck in Mount Moon over the last week, they had gotten in touch with a League inspector they were friendly with and given them the task of trying to find something wrong with the Cherrygrove Gym. The goal was to have the gym shut down or at the very least demoted back to a minor status.

“But… Elders, should we not be more concerned about Team Rocket?” Clair began, careful to keep a polite tone. “They threaten the safety of the country. The major gyms are symbols of hope and security—”

“Johto does not need to fear them,” one of the Elders interrupted. “The Sacred Eight are more than enough to protect our borders.”

“They’re weaklings on a fool’s errand. Whatever they hope to accomplish, they can’t hope to prevail against our Clan or the League,” another added.

“Yes. They’ll be easily dealt with, so we must think about the future instead. With all the chaos Team Rocket is sowing, we must strengthen the hold of our Clan’s influence in these unstable times.”

“We have to solidify our position.”

“The Cherrygrove Gym is surely a terrible omen. Team Rocket emerged shortly after…”

The Elders went on, but Clair wasn’t listening anymore. She sat there with a stoic expression and shock coursing through her veins.

Were they… Were they being serious? She did not miss their specific word choices.

Johto and not Indigo. Our position. Our influence.

It was all about them.

The Elders did not care about the country. They only cared about their home region, themselves, and their Clan. They wanted to ensure they held extraordinary amounts of political power even as a criminal organization threatened to overthrow peaceful times. They perceived the Fairy type and the Cherrygrove Gym as bigger threats than Team Rocket, a laughable notion in all rights.

Even if the Elders were not privy to the knowledge Clair had about Team Rocket’s true motivations and goals, that did not mean they could so easily dismiss Team Rocket. They were still a very real threat. They should have known that better than anyone given how many of their own had died in the previous Rocket War, people like Lance’s—

Clair clenched her jaw.

She suddenly felt very uncomfortable in this room, surrounded on all sides by Elders talking about how to get rid of Fairies once and for all.

This wasn’t… This wasn’t right.

As soon as the meeting ended, Clair returned to the Blackthorn Gym. She locked herself in her office and pulled out her phone. One foot tapped impatiently against the floor while she made herself dial a certain number. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She didn’t even know what to say yet—

She almost forgot how to breathe when the tone stopped playing and a familiar voice — Arin’s — called out.

“Clair? Did you need something?”

“Good evening,” she answered calmly, but her mind whirled with a hundred different thoughts. She should have figured out what to say beforehand. Awkward silence followed in the wake of her initial greeting.

She was fairly certain that something like ‘hey, the Elders of my Clan are trying to shut down your gym’ wouldn’t be a good conversation starter.

Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to go against her Clan?

Her mind flashed to the Mount Moon operation, and that was all it took for her to make up her mind. They had fought together.

An almost inaudible sigh left her.

“Are you prepared for the upcoming gym audit?”

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Arin called back the next day, and what followed was an awkward conversation where Clair had to toe the line between filial piety and being honorable. She couldn’t have been more glad once the conversation neared its end.

“I owed you.”

“That’s not—”

Clair hung up before Arin could finish. She dropped her phone on the nearest table and ran a hand through her hair, pursing her lips. She had no idea if her tips had truly been useful or not, but Arin and the Cherrygrove Gym had passed the audit with flying colors. Relief filled her before she stiffened in shock.

She was glad that her Clan’s scheme had gone to complete and utter waste, and that scared her.

She was supposed to be a Blackthorn. A Dragon Tamer. One who walked the absolute path of Dragons and sought the pinnacle of strength. She was supposed to side with her Clan and the Elders who had raised her.

That was her duty.

That was her duty and yet…

That uncomfortable feeling Clair got during the clan meeting came back in full. It crept into the edges of her mind. No matter how much she willed it to go away, it stayed there like a stubborn stain on a pristine white cloth.

Team Rocket. A criminal organization with the goal to kill every last citizen, tear Indigo down, and have it born anew as two separate countries… all out of a twisted love for their respective regions.

The Blackthorn Clan. A member of the Sacred Eight with a storied history of Dragon Tamers. Masters of mighty beasts and heroes of wars. The Elders reviled Fairies and would do anything to uphold their power, even resorting to less than honorable means…

Was there even a difference between Team Rocket and the Blackthorn Elders?

After all, they both poisoned themselves and the nation with misguided beliefs.

Clair had helped Arin because she felt it was the right thing to do. It wasn’t just about saving Dragonair. She was still irked that the Elders had gone behind her back last time and sent spies to try and infiltrate the Cherrygrove Gym.

Truly the embarrassment of the century when Arin brought it up at the Gym Leader meeting back then.

This was no time for the Elders to nitpick at the Cherrygrove Gym. There was a bigger threat out there they had to face, and they needed every hand on deck. Indigo needed to remain united as Lance frequently preached. If Team Rocket was as strong as they theorized, then the Gym Leaders and Elite Four were going to be key figures in upcoming fights.

Arin had proved himself over and over again. It was wrong to cast aside his contributions as nothing or say he and Fairies were weak because they were not. Her staunch notions about Dragons being superior to Fairies were slipping.

She had seen and felt what it was like to fight alongside Fairies. She’d experienced it for herself. Arin and his Pokemon were dependable.

Do not acknowledge weakness was what she often told herself. To be strong is to rely only on yourself.

Those phrases suddenly felt so foreign to her.

Clair let out a heavy sigh she hadn’t known she was withholding. For now, she settled herself into the chair at her desk and got started on paperwork. There was a surprising uptick in visitors to Blackthorn City these days according to one report. It wasn’t like they had any upcoming festivals or anything, so it was a bit unusual.

Complicated thoughts about Fairies and duty and Arin ran circles in her head as she tried to work. She didn’t know what to make of things anymore.

Perhaps her world as she knew it was already crumbling.

Perhaps it was time she acknowledged weakness not as a sin, but something to fuel her growth.

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PRESENT DAY — LANCE WATARU

Lance sighed to himself for what felt like the hundredth time. Thirty minutes ago, he’d gotten off a phone call with Samuel Oak.

Given that the Professor had once led the Indigo League in the Rocket War and even lost his precious family because of them, Lance felt it was only right to keep him updated on news about Team Rocket. He told the older man about the motivations and goals they’d managed to uncover thus far.

Oak had thanked him in a quiet voice before hanging up, but the sheer emotion behind those simple two words had left Lance feeling very distraught on the Professor’s behalf. Though he would never understand Oak’s pain, he could at least relate.

He, too, bore a great pain of his own because of Team Rocket.

Countless lives lost… and for what? Because they couldn’t let go of the past? Because they wanted to be two separate countries? If that ever happened, their respective governments would probably go back to tearing at each other’s throats again in the future. Kanto and Johto had such a bloodstained history of conflict that it wasn’t unthinkable.

Lance took a moment to gnash his teeth together before undertaking some much needed breathing exercises. He couldn’t lose his cool.

He had to keep everyone together as Champion and lead by example.

His phone rang in the middle of him signing a piece of paper about relocating more Ranger squads to the borders. With a quick glance, Lance saw that Arin was calling him. It didn’t seem to be an emergency seeing as how his friend was contacting his personal number. Curious, Lance pressed the speaker button with one hand while he flipped through papers with the other.

“Hello, Arin. How are you? I believe the Cherrygrove Gym’s audit was scheduled for today if I remember correctly?” Lance asked conversationally.

A small chuckle echoed in the office. “Hey, Lance. Yeah, the inspectors left awhile ago. We passed with the highest possible ratings.”

“Excellent,” Lance beamed in response, but he slowly arched one of his brows in the silence that followed. It seemed like Arin had something on his mind. “Was there some sort of problem?”

“Well…”

Lance’s curiosity only grew upon hearing Arin’s awkward response. He decided it was time for a break and set his pen down with a serious expression.

“Go on, don’t keep me in suspense.”

That was enough to prompt Arin into a short explanation of what had happened, and by the end of it, Lance rubbed his temples with closed eyes. He felt a migraine coming on.

Legendaries. As a fellow Blackthorn, he felt embarrassed.

“Arin, I’d like to apologize on behalf of my Clan for the unpleasant experience you went through—”

“It’s not your fault, Lance—”

“I still feel somewhat responsible. Make sure you submit a form of complaint to the League about that inspector you had problems with. I’m going to at least investigate them and hand out some form of disciplinary action for overdoing it in the audit.”

“…Alright. Thanks,” Arin finally responded. He cleared his throat before continuing. “There’s a little more to the story actually.”

Oh Arceus. Lance tried not to sigh as he bowed his head.

“Please don’t tell me they pulled another stunt.”

“No, it’s about your cousin actually.”

Lance’s eyes snapped open with surprise. “Clair?”

“Yeah. You see, she warned me beforehand and…”

Lance couldn’t have been more confused once Arin was done explaining. After getting back from Mount Moon, Clair was at least back to speaking terms with him, but it was still awkward between the two. Lance had no idea what his cousin was thinking.

By the sound of it, there was a chance Clair was perhaps beginning to see the problems with their Clan like he had, and that filled him with immeasurable relief.

When he walked out of that Clan meeting long ago, he’d felt worried leaving Clair behind. There was nothing he could have done at the time because she herself had firmly sided with the rest of their Clan.

Lance snapped out of his thoughts when Arin spoke again.

“I was wondering… could you tell me more about the Blackthorn Clan? I’m not planning any grand revenge or anything, I just want to understand more about them since it’s bothering me so much.”

Who was he to say no?

Lance dragged a hand down his face yet couldn’t prevent a sigh from escaping him.

“The Blackthorn Clan is very… rigid,” he carefully began. “As you’re probably already aware of, they’re the oldest among the Sacred Eight clans and hold a lot of political sway in Johto. It’s to the point where Blackthorn City could be considered a country of its own.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Lance echoed. “Over in Kanto, Lavender Town could be considered almost the same given how much influence Agatha holds in the government. My point is this: our Clan didn’t grow as much as it has from idle efforts. We have a long history of Dragon Tamers who were leading figures in various wars and conflicts. There are many achievements under our name, and the Elders take great pride in that.”

“I’m assuming these Elders are the ones calling all the shots in the Clan?”

“Indeed. We’re a very traditional household, so we abide by a strict hierarchy based on seniority, strength, and contributions. All the Elders in our Clan are distinguished individuals… most are long retired from active trainer duty.”

“I see… They must be well-respected then.”

Lance smiled bitterly.

“Yes,” he reluctantly agreed, “but I won’t lie. It’s a very toxic environment to grow up in. The Elders are so obsessed with clinging to past tradition and glory that it blinds them to anything else. It’s a bit crude of me to say it like this, but they enforce those ideals by shoving them down the throats of the younger generation. I only realized this earlier this year after putting some distance between myself and the Clan.”

“…”

Memories played behind Lance’s eyelids as he continued. “My parents died fighting in the Rocket War, so the Elders took me in. In our clan, strength is what matters most. If you can’t prove your strength as a trainer, then you’ll never be recognized by others. Thankfully or not thankfully, I met their standards for talent and power. My childhood was one full of strict supervision and training. Clair’s childhood was similar in some aspects.”

“I… had no idea. I’m sorry, Lance.”

Arin couldn’t see him, but a small smile graced Lance’s features. It was strange. Talking about his parents usually hurt, but it felt like a weight was off his chest.

“It’s quite alright. Hardship makes us stronger, right?” he said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Lance practically heard Arin smile on the other end. “True.”

Back to serious business. Lance rolled his shoulders a bit to relieve their stiffness. “The Elders are obsessed with power. That’s why they can’t accept the idea that there’s something out there that threatens the Dragons they worship.”

“Which would be Fairies.”

“Yes. Dragons are a symbol of power in Johto. They inspire fear and admiration, and the Elders revel in that. They don’t want that image they’ve carefully cultivated over generations to fall apart because of the emergence of new powers. It’s a similar case to Pryce, our former Champion. Staying in power for too long can sometimes be a terrible thing. It corrupts and blinds you to more important matters… I hope I never become like that.”

“You won’t, Lance,” Arin firmly replied. “Or by Ho-Oh, I’ll be the first to beat some sense into you.”

“Ha!”

Lance couldn’t help it. A loud snort of amusement left him as he tilted his head back with laughter.

“Thank you, Arin. I appreciate it. Anyway, I hope this conversation has been of some use to you.”

“Definitely. I feel like I understand them a bit better now.”

“Good. Then let’s move onto a different topic,” Lance grinned. He clasped his hands together on the desk. “You’ll get an official reminder later, but it’s the off-season for the Kanto and Johto League Circuits. You can take time off from the Gym up to a week at most. There’s usually a mix of people who take domestic trips or vacation abroad. If you’re planning on visiting another region, you’ll need to let me know so I can mark it down and coordinate with the other Gym Leaders who have similar plans. We can’t have everyone leaving the country at once.”

“Uh… is it really wise to be vacationing given the Team Rocket situation?” Arin questioned, a reasonable inquiry that Lance saw coming from a mile away.

“It’s mandatory. You’ll be thanking me once the League Circuit starts back up,” Lance said in a firm voice that left no room for discussion. “The job of a Gym Leader is stressful and time-consuming. Summer vacations are there to ensure proper mental and physical health. Besides, Team Rocket isn’t going anywhere. Having one or two people gone at the same time doesn’t mean the country will collapse. Trust in your fellow Indigo elites, Arin.”

“Right… okay, I’ll get back to you soon regarding vacation matters then. I did plan on traveling abroad, I just haven’t brought it up with my dad yet.”

Lance felt a brief twinge of envy. If only his parents were still around… but he couldn’t bemoan the past.

As enjoyable as speaking to Arin was, they both eventually had to get back to work. Lance found himself signing papers once more with a clearer state of mind. It was a bit hypocritical, but he was reluctant to take a vacation of his own. Agatha had screamed at him the other day when he said as much and told him to ‘take some damn time off like everyone else.’ Well, if he really had to go somewhere… Alola was first on the list. Hopefully he could get permission from their local government to visit.

The tentative smile that had crawled its way onto his face eventually gave way to a frown. He couldn’t hold happy thoughts for too long, not when everything constantly went back to Indigo’s biggest problem.

Team Rocket.

Sometimes, Lance wondered if things would be easier not knowing their motivations. It felt like the stakes had increased a thousand fold in the span of a single day. They’d gone from being a simple criminal organization to something far more complex with horrifying goals.

So much was on his shoulders.

Should they stay silent about Team Rocket’s goals like he had told the others, or did they owe the truth to the public and those who lost their loved ones in the last Rocket War?

Should they be more aggressive in locating and taking down Team Rocket, or was it better to plan a more careful approach to prevent casualties?

At the end of the day, Lance understood just one thing.

Team Rocket had buried its poisonous roots deep within Indigo, and there was no way to come out of it completely unscathed.