Two mounted torches stood on either side of the room, the large flickering flames casting a dim light over the surroundings. Beneath her feet, light waves lapped from below at the wooden floorboards. Lei took a deep breath as her attention turned to the two long Gyarados statues which spanned each side of the room. She had originally planned to stay longer in Blackthorn City – she had been training there for a year now under Clair's supervision. When the announcement for the World Championships reached Johto, Lei felt that it was time to leave, but Clair disagreed, arguing that Lei needed more training. Lei looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the Pokéball of the Pokémon that had given her so much trouble, the sole reason why she was here. Whether she would pass the Dragon Master's Test or not, she knew she would join the World Championships; her heart told her she had to.
"Are you alright, dear?" one of the Dragon Elders approached her. "You're sweating buckets."
Lei laughed off the question sheepishly, "Of course! It's just this kimono, I'm not used to wearing such heavy clothes."
She technically wasn't lying – the ceremonial clothes were the thickest garments she had ever worn and, combined with the humid environment caused by the flames and water, it was a sweaty nightmare in the Dragon's Den. At least she had remembered to tie her hair up, plus it was also a nice chance to try wearing some traditional Johtonian garb for once.
"Well, what's the grimace on your face for?" the Elder chortled. He saw right through her. "This is just between us, dear, but the battle is just a ceremony. We've already decided that you're a worthy dragon tamer ever since you stepped foot here one year ago. That's why we gave you the egg in the first place – we knew you were the right trainer for it."
Lei gave him a weak smile, "Thank you, Elder Aelfric."
But it wasn't the Elders Lei wanted to prove herself to. The doors burst open, the breeze from the cavern rushing into the shrine. Lei glanced over her shoulder – it was Clair. She had an imposing figure, almost a head taller than Lei with her heeled boots on. Clair gave a cold look at Lei as she walked over to one of the Gyarados statues and leaned against it, crossing her arms and ready to watch the ceremony. Although Clair was very prideful, there was usually less animosity between the two – they were mentor and mentee, after all, and more importantly, friends. An eerie silence fell across the room, leaving only the tranquil sound of the waves echoing throughout the shrine and the cavern.
"Ahem, anyway," Aelfric spoke up, bringing Lei's attention back into focus. "Come here, Lei. Now, I am sorry, but I must test you. Not to worry, you are to answer only a few questions. Ready?"
Lei nodded, glancing back down at the Pokéball briefly. She felt vulnerable, watched from every angle as she stood in front of the altar where Aelfric now stood. As soon as she nodded, two other elders on the sides of the rooms started hitting two large drums with mallets. As Lei concentrated on the sound, she felt her heartbeat mimic the pace of the drums, quick and constantly pounding.
"What are Pokémon to you?" Aelfric looked down at her.
It was a straightforward question, but deceptively simple. What were Pokémon to Lei? The Pokéball in her hand gave a warm almost comforting radiance. Just knowing he was there by her side in her distress gave her courage. Throughout her journeys, her Pokémon were always there for her, and she always wanted to be there for them. Without them, was any of it worth it? It was clear to Lei now, as she looked up to face Aelfric.
"Friends."
The drumming stopped and the three elders exchanged glances at one another, pleased to hear the answer. Clair, on the other hand, remained unimpressed.
"Oh, I understand…" Aelfric murmured, as if writing down a mental note, before speaking again. "What helps you to win battles?"
"Believing in one another, both Pokémon and Trainer," Lei responded, starting to gain confidence. She had to believe in them, even if they would disobey her.
The same routine occurred again; the elders exchanged looks, though this time Clair tapped her foot against the wooden floorboard impatiently.
"My dear," Aelfric paused briefly, coughing to clear his throat, "what kind of trainer do you wish to battle?"
"Anyone," Lei smiled briefly, thinking about the thrill of battles – what it was like to showcase one's ability as a team. "Everyone trains their Pokémon in different ways."
"Very true," the elder nodded, proud of her progress so far. "What about raising Pokémon – what is most important?"
The drums began again, and with it, Lei's heartbeat quickened again. She looked back down at Zwei's Pokéball, moving it close to her heart. It was the first time she had ever raised a Pokémon from an egg. In a way, she felt like she was his mother, watching his first steps, eating, playing, biting everything within sight. Nostalgia filled her senses, even though he had trained and evolved now, she was still his 'mother' – she still loved him.
It was at the moment of realisation, she spoke up. "Love."
This time, Clair herself almost seemed pleased with the answer. But, of course, she knew she'd put these answers to the test very soon.
"Hmm," Aelfric pondered for a moment. Lei briefly wondered if he had forgotten the next question as he finally spoke up. "Ah, last question. Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. Which is more important?"
"All Pokémon are important," Lei replied – her team meant the world to her.
"Very well!" Aelfric gave a wrinkly grin at Lei. "You care deeply for Pokémon. Very commendable. That conviction is what is important! But now, we will put that conviction to the test."
The sound of heels moving to the centre of the shrine followed as the drums increased in tempo. Lei turned to face Clair.
"The battle will be a one-on-one," Aelfric announced. "Each trainer may use one Dragon-type Pokémon."
"Don't wuss out now, Lei," Clair smirked, tossing her Pokéball into the air. A beam of light ejected onto the wooden floor and out came a long blue serpent-like creature.
On the other end, Lei nervously chucked the ball she had been fidgeting with out into the open. The comforting feel of the Pokéball in her grasp was now gone, and uncertainty took over as the blue twin-headed dragon covered in black fur popped out. The two heads regarded one another and immediately started butting heads, trying to bite one another. Aelfric struck a large gong behind him, the sound reverberating throughout the room – the battle had begun.
"Zwei?" Lei called out to the Pokémon, "we need to focus now!"
The two heads briefly acknowledged Lei but quickly broke out into fighting yet again. All Lei could do was sigh in response.
"Ha! You call that belief in your Pokémon?" Clair taunted the trainer-Pokémon pair. "Dragonair, use Dragon Tail!"
The dragon Pokémon slithered quickly towards Zwei, its tail glowing a bright green filled with energy. In a quick swipe, its tail struck the dark-type, knocking it backwards. The two heads seemed to look out in every direction, trying to find the source of the mysterious attack. It seemed, at least for the moment, they had declared a truce.
"Zwei, over there," Lei pointed at the Dragonair, "use Dragon Rush!"
"Not so fast," Clair chimed, resting her hand on her hip. "Dodge!"
The Dragonair gracefully lifted itself upwards with its wings, spiralling upwards towards the ceiling. Zweilous kept its pace, cloaked in a similar green energy as it missed its target by a long shot, racing forwards until it slammed into the Gyarados statute.
"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" she goaded Lei again. "Twister!"
The spiralling dragon picked up its speed as an air current developed in the room, pulling everything towards it, particularly the Zweilous, who was dragged into the epicentre of the tornado-like winds. The winds battered the Pokémon from every side as the Dragonair swirled above. Lei furrowed her brows as the two-headed dragon stared helplessly at the dragon flying ahead. It was then that an idea came to mind.
"Zwei!" She called out to her Pokémon, "I want you both to point opposite ways and use Dark Pulse!"
Through the battering winds, the Zweilous looked in opposite directions. While hitting the moving target would be difficult if they could fire in two directions it might just work. Two beams of dark energy erupted from the mouths of the dragon, splitting the wind. One went astray and hit the roof. The other found its mark. The Dragonair tumbled downwards as a dark beam hit it square in the head.
Lei cheered from behind, pumping her arm up in triumph, "Woohoo! Let's finish this. Dragon Rush!"
But the Pokémon did not respond. Zweilous stood there, the two heads turning in on each other. The one that had missed its attack barked at the one that had struck Dragonair and soon the two were butting heads again. The two Pokémon looked worn down, all Lei needed was one finishing blow to take out Dragonair.
"Come on!" Lei urged Zwei on. "I know you can do it!"
Aelfric's eyes perked upwards as he heard her, watching at Zwei intently to see his reaction. It seemed, for just a moment, Lei's words had reached the Zweilous' heart. But it was too late.
"Dragon Pulse!"
A purple beam shot across the room, hitting Zweilous directly. The Pokémon was sent blasting back, falling on its back at Lei's feet. The two heads briefly looked at their trainer, almost apologetically, and immediately slumped. Aelfric struck the gong again as Lei crouched to hug the dragon and pet its heads – the battle was over.
"I'm so proud of you both," she whispered to Zwei, whipping out his Pokéball and returning it to the comfort of the ball.
When she looked up, Clair was towering above her. The gym leader extended her arm to Lei, helping her up.
"I told you so," she glared down at the Alolan girl. "You can't just expect to win without a lot more training!"
Lei frowned, maybe she was right. Maybe she just wasn't ready yet. She sighed, wondering if she and Zwei could ever overcome these issues and work as a single unit. It seemed impossible, but she had to still try.
"Ahem," Aelfric approached, drawing the attention of the two trainers. "The Elders have reached a verdict."
Lei's face grew cold. She knew she had failed – Zwei had disobeyed her twice, and, importantly, it cost her the battle. The drums began again for a moment, subsiding after a small crescendo.
"We have deemed that you have the skill and spirit of a dragon tamer. Lei, you have passed."
A sigh of relief came tumbling out of Lei's body, the burden of failure had been lifted but confusion took its place.
"What? You're kidding right?" Clair snapped. "She lost the battle! Her Pokémon was weak."
Aelfric scowled at her, "Victory is not what defines a proper trainer, Clair! Lei never gave up on Zweilous, even when it disobeyed her. This battle was a test for the both of you. While your battling showed prowess and skill, Clair, your feelings towards Pokémon trouble me. Perhaps you could both benefit from joining this world tournament Lei mentioned."
Lei glanced at Clair; the woman was seething. "Grandpa, I can't believe this!" She instantly turned, storming out of the shrine.
Lei looked at Aelfric awkwardly, piping up, "Sorry, I didn't mean to stir trouble, Elder Aelfric."
"Bah!" Aelfric chuckled. "You did well, Lei. You ought to be proud of yourself."
Lei frowned slightly, a little reassured albeit concerned for her friend.
"Get some rest – both you and Zweilous deserve it," Aelfric said. "Oh, and, good luck with the tournament. I'm sure you'll be great."
"Thank you, Elder," Lei bowed slightly, before heading out of the shrine, waving goodbye.
---
The Alolan girl beelined for the Blackthorn Gym, heading straight to the changing rooms so she could finally get out of the sweaty heap. Smears of blue dye were spread intermittently across her skin as she attempted to scrub it off to no avail. She hoped that she'd never have to wear a kimono again. Time passed and all Lei had managed to clean was a single arm.
"You're starting to look like a dragon yourself."
It was Clair – she leaned against the door, crossing her arms. Her tone was calm in stark contrast to her behaviour at the Dragon's Den, "I just dropped by to say good luck."
Lei looked up at her, frowning, "I was worried about you."
Clair was taken aback, "Me? Worry about yourself – you're the one who's going to be competing!" She paused, taking a deep breath, "look, I'm sorry about before."
"Don't sweat it," Lei replied, she was the one who was the sweaty mess after all as she kept scrubbing at the blue blotches.
"I mean it," she sighed, walking into the changing rooms. "Grandpa was right – and so were you – both strong and weak Pokémon are important."
"Here, let me help you," she moved behind the shorter girl, scrubbing at her splotches. Unlike Lei's attempts, they disappeared as soon as Clair scrubbed them.
"So," Clair paused, "do you know where you're headed to next?"
"I'm not too sure. Maybe the Lake of Rage – might go for a swim and hopefully find a trainer or two."
"Ah," she responded. "Well, I'm heading to Goldenrod for a fashion show – if you're around, just hit me up and we can hang."
Lei smiled, preferring the company of the more easy-going Clair, "will do."
"There." Clair look down at Lei's spot-less arms, "hope that helped. Make sure to get your stuff ready - don't expect me to come chasing after you if you leave anything behind!"
The dragon trainer parted ways with her, waving at Lei goodbye as she left the room. Once she was gone, Lei slumped onto the changing room bench, pulling out Zwei's Pokéball again. She sighed - they still had a long way to go.
