“Tay! Laide!” Their father’s voice called to them from downstairs. Adelaide hastily wiped her tears and gave her brother a hug, but she did not follow him as he descended the stairs. She watched him from his bedroom window as he said goodbye to his parents, hopped on his bike, and headed east toward Cycling Road. As he faded from sight, her tears burst forth once more.

***

Tay awoke feeling as if he had slept not at all. It had been seven years since that day, and yet he could still see the hurt on Adelaide’s face as if it had been yesterday. She had become a trainer herself six years ago, and was probably more renowned than Tay was, although their accomplishments were similar.

He smiled. He had received a letter from her last night, carried by a ruffled-looking Xatu. Adelaide was heading for Blackthorn City.

He would see his sister for the first time in three years. Perhaps she would even help with the dragon situation. They could use all the help they could get, and Adelaide had always been interested in the Dragon-type family.

Tay was brought back to the present by a light flickering on in the next room. The Pokemon Center at which he was staying was exceptionally big, and had several rooms for trainers to stay at, however only the first three nights were free. Tay assumed that there had been a late arrival, and Nurse Joy was showing him to his room.

“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” said a voice which must belong to the trainer. It was definitely a guy.

“Of course. Sleep well.”

“How could I not, knowing that I’m under the same roof as you.” Tay could have gagged at how desperate this guy sounded, but it was also sort of funny. But mostly desperate.

Tay turned over, ready to get back to sleep. He needed to be rested if he was going to be of any use to Claire tomorrow. Not that she wanted him to come. But he wasn’t leaving town until he had his badge.

He fell asleep within moments.

***

He awoke at six-thirty to a dreary sky that was practically screaming with imminent rain. It was hard not to feel a tinge of depression, but Tay brushed it away and instead focused on the day’s tasks. He retrieved Raichu from Nurse Joy and persuaded it to come with him into the Den just one more time. At length it agreed, but only after Tay promised to let it stay safe in its poké ball should the Dragonair attack again.

As he started to head out, he noticed that he was not alone. A guy of perhaps twenty-one or so seemed to be going in the same direction as he was. He was painfully familiar, but Tay couldn’t quite put his finger on his identity.

Until he introduced himself.

“Hey,” said the trainer as he jogged to catch up with Tay. “Don’t I… know you?”

Tay shrugged. “I was just thinking the same thing about you, actually. What’s your name?”

“Brock.”

Understanding hit Tay like a Zapdos’s Thundershock. He did know this guy - Brock had been the first Gym Leader that Tay had ever defeated, and it had taken three attempts. Tay had always had the utmost respect for Brock, and here he was in the flesh. He looked different from what Tay remembered: rather than the awful green vest and brown pants, Brock now donned a simple red shirt and blue jeans. He seemed to have grown several inches and his hair was shorter. Still, now that he got a good look, Tay wondered why he hadn’t recognized him straight off.

“Brock!” Tay said. “Oh, wow, that explains it. I battled you about seven years ago in Pewter City. Ring any bells?”

“Hey, yeah,” said Brock slowly, with a hint of a smile. “You really grew up since then. Tay, right?”

Tay nodded. “So what brings you to Blackthorn?”

Brock pointed at the trail ahead.

“I got a message from Claire,” explained the former Gym Leader, and there was a suggestion of flattery in his tone. “Apparently there’s some sort of emergency in the caves. She said the dragons have gone - well - crazy. Have your heard anything about it?”

“Yeah, I was the first to notice.”

Brock gave a low whistle. “Is it bad?”

“My Raichu was nearly strangled by a Dratini.”

The gym was now in sight, and beyond it the two trainers could see Dragon’s Den. Claire was sitting outside the gym, looking sulky. A remarkably small Dratini was doing loop-the-loops around her head, but it lacked the vigor that was a characteristic of its species. It became still at the sight of them.

Claire perked up slightly as they approached. She even walked to meet them. She greeted Brock warmly, and he gave her a few over-the-top compliments that almost visibly bounced off of Claire.

Then she turned to Tay.

“I told you not to come back,” she said. Her tone contained such an edge that Tay almost considered going back to bed, but he held his ground.

“I need my Risingbadge.”

Claire’s jaw jutted with annoyance, but she reached into her pocket and thrust a small badge at Tay. “Take it then. Now go.”

Now it was Tay’s turn to be annoyed. “Excuse me,” he said, “but just what have I done to deserve this kind of attitude, Claire? Why do you insist on treating me like a little kid?”

But she waved his outburst away like a cloud of cigarette smoke. “Whatever,” she said. “I’ve got to deal with this, and I’m not going to be responsible for you.”

Tay’s indignance was becoming a tangible presence. “You wouldn’t be. A-and you called Brock, whose skill level is probably equal to mine, if not lower - no offense.”

“None taken.”

Claire was shaking her head. “Tay. I don’t want you launching yourself into something that you have nothing to do with. I called for help from trainers that I know and trust wholeheartedly… His status as a Gym Leader didn’t hurt either.”

Brock cleared his throat suddenly and pointed at the sky. Tay and Claire both looked up to see a Dragonite (Tay rubbed his eyes in disbelief) touch down on the grass in front of them. A man jumped off its back and brushed himself off.

Tay had never endeavoured to learn much about famous trainers, but he certainly knew who this one was. One of the most distinguished Trainers in the world, Lance possessed a myriad of dragon-type pokemon that had pokemon researchers and fans alike flocking to meet him. He was a living legend, as was the pokemon beside him.

The leader of the Elite Four had been in training for a year. Tay practically swayed on the spot - why, this must be the first sighting of Lance since he went away to Hoenn last June!

Lance strode forward and he and Claire grasped forearms in greeting. Lance nodded at Brock and then gave Tay a quizzical stare.

“Local trainer?” he inquired. His voice was surprisingly deep.

“No,” said Tay. “I’m from Fuschia City. I came here for a badge.”

Lance smiled. “And did you get it?”

“I…”

Claire broke in, though she seemed hesitant. “He did defeat me in battle… uh… it’s a long story.”

Tay allowed himself a sharp laugh, although his face was set in a grimace. He squelched the desire to yell at her - it would solve nothing and only serve to make him look even more like a novice. “She wouldn’t give it to me at first.”

“Why not?” Lance met her gaze expectantly.

“Apparently I’m not skilled enough,” Tay scoffed.

Lance raised an eyebrow. “If you beat her, then you are skilled enough.”

“It’s not that…” she began. Why did she so adamantly stand in his way? At least Lance was willing to hear him out…

“I wanted to help with the Dragonair,” said Tay quickly, trying to hide his famous impatience. “But she just told me to leave. She gave me the badge, but… I can’t help but feel insulted that she doesn’t think I can handle myself. Sir,” he added, feeling like an idiot.

“I see,” said Lance quietly. “Claire, may I ask…?”

“I don’t want to say it was a fluke, Lance,” said Claire. “But Tay is… H-his battling strategies are juvenile at best…”

“Why would you label them as juvenile, Claire?”

Brock spoke for the first time since Lance’s arrival. “Maybe they are simply unconventional,” he suggested, and he seemed slightly reminiscent. “Tay seems capable to me.”

Claire gave a frazzled sigh. “No, you don’t understand. Tay seems almost stubborn in his strategies. I send out a Dratini, and he sends out a Quilava, despite Dratini’s obvious advantage.”

“So?” said Lance patiently. “Did Quilava win?”

“That’s beside the point!” said Claire, and her cheeks turned red. “Maybe sometimes decisions like that can work out in the end, but they can’t always be successful!”

Brock smiled. “It kind of reminds me of Ash.”

Claire’s expression softened. “Well…”

“Ash?” said Lance. “Ketchum? He defeated Lorelai recently, did he not?”

Brock nodded. “Yes, but he’s going to take the standard Pokemon League challenge once more before he goes up against any more Elite members. He‘s out collecting badges again.”

“He’s talented, there’s no doubt of that.” The twinkle in Lance’s green eyes remained undiminished despite the heavy gray skies and drizzle that were becoming less and less possible to overlook. “His highest level pokemon is a Pikachu, isn’t it?”

“Well, he has a Charizard, but it sort of comes and goes as it -”

Claire coughed. “Boys, can we get back to the matter at hand? Which, I might add, is obviously out of my hands. Is Tay coming or not?”

Lance looked at Tay. “Well?”

Tay nodded. “I’d like to.”

“Excellent,” said Lance. “Dragonite!”

The huge pokemon fluttered to his side in an instant. It gave a musical little cry and stood at attention.

“You are to alert Bill immediately. The flight should take no more than six hours if he is staying in Goldenrod. If not, then you are to go directly to Cerulean Cape. If you can’t find him there, come straight back. Understand?”

“Rhoah,” said Dragonite dutifully. It flapped its wings and within moments it had blown past the trainers and was out of sight.

Lance grinned. “Shall we?”