what doesn't kill you make you stronger.

Today, he’s in Hoenn, specifically Rustboro City to meet up with one of the scientists at Devon Corp. Johto is well known for their Pokeballs made from apricorns, so it’s something that Devon researched on. Different apricorns produces different effects to the completed Pokeball, and they wanted to see whether it could be replicated, diversifying the Pokeballs already on the market. 

The focus is on making Pokeballs that works well in capturing Pokemon based on their typing. There’s already one that’s good for Water and Bug types, but those Pokemon are somewhat common. The scientists there wanted to create a Pokeball that makes capturing Dragon-types easier. His favored type is well known for being difficult, needing time and effort for a bond to form between Pokemon and Trainer. That being said, even he could see the merits of having something to make the process smoother.

Devon wants to collect as much data as possible with their experimental Pokeballs, so he’d been approached to help with the project due to his experience and knowledge when it comes to Dragon-types. Lance wants to maintain good relations with the company, which is why he accepts after some consideration, seeing the opportunities that could arise if the Pokeballs ended up being a success. 

Hoenn is blazing hot, so he ditches his usual outfit with something more fitting with the weather. Regretfully the cape has to be removed, but it definitely keeps him cooler when he’s wearing a light blue cotton shirt, a pair of dark grey trousers and a panama hat that keeps his recognizable red hair hidden. He still get looks thrown his way, though nothing telling. 

There’s still some time before the appropriate meeting time, so Lance decides to swing by the Rustboro Gym. He heard that aside from being a Gym, they have a section where it’s like a small museum where fossils and other rocks on display. Lance had came across a fossil during one of his visits to the Kalos region and had yet to find the time to properly examine it. Devon Corp purportedly is the place to revive fossils, but it doesn’t hurt to have a better understanding of this ancient Pokemon first.

Wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand, Lance grabs a water bottle, taking his time to quench his thirst. Then he grabs the piece of paper he’s left on the table, eyes scanning through the text once more. It’s a bit embarrassing that he’s having trouble with this, but his pride will not settle with anything less than perfection. This is a part of his heritage – the first language of his clan, a tongue that speaks of dragons and their might.

Time has wiped its existence from the public and even part of his clan, but it’s still practiced among the most dedicated of members. Lance might not agree on some aspects of his clan but he still carries the pride that comes with the title. They have strayed from the original path, and this is just a bit of a reminder on how it once was. A story to tell, not only to the clan children but also to the public for the upcoming festival.

An annual celebration, the Festival of the First Dragon often showcases a few performances that depicts the culture of the clan to the spectators. Held in Blackthorn City, it gives off the vibe of a regular festival. There would be stalls selling a variety of goods, ranging from local delicacies to dragon related items. The main attraction, of course, is the grand show held on the second to last night. Story telling, singing, dancing and a combination of it all.

Lance chooses to handle the most active and physically taxing of the entire thing. He took a week off from League duty solely for practicing, which he did so in his backyard. It’s a break from his normal routine, but it still demanded the same level of focus and drive he puts in his work. If there’s one thing that Lance wanted, it is to showcase the better parts of his clan through his performance.

If he’s going to do that, he’ll need to master the hymn. There’s only two more days before the festival so he’s going to kick things into overdrive. His pride is on the line here.

---

Blackthorn is often a quiet city but during the festival, it’s bustling with life. Lance watches from the window of an inn he’s booked for the night. It’s much closer to the hall where he’d be performing in, and he assumed it’ll run late into the night so he won’t have to trudge all the way back to his house. He’s already dressed for the performance – a piece that would have been worn by ancient Dragon Tamers in his clan back then. It had been a bit of pain to replicate the tattoos again but it’s worth the effect to remain as genuine as possible.

After staring at the festivities for a while longer, Lance is suddenly struck by an odd feeling of longing. He’s participated in the festival every year but he’s never truly submerged himself into regular activities. It’s always performing, acting like a proper clan member and just act like a sort of figure head that grates on his nerves. Join Avenue had been his first time experiencing a ‘proper’ sort of festival and while that didn’t end up how he expected, it was still a pretty fun time.

Still, Lance had yet to get an opportunity to have fun. Now that he’s thirty years old and occasionally giving some deep thoughts on how he’s been living his life, he decided that for once, he wants to see the bulk of the festival. Be a part of the crowd milling about, testing the wares and trying out the games instead of just performing on stage all night long. Now with that thought wedged in, there’s no stopping the Champion from getting what he wants.

After slipping into a cloak that hides his figure and face, Lance heads out and onto the streets. Of course, his choice of disguise drew attention but for the most part, people left him alone. There are a few people dressed up in dragon themed outfits, mostly by other clan members, so he’s probably not the most oddly dressed one here. Feeling a little pleased with this fact, he decides to check out the food first. His performance often left him famished by the end of it due to how physically taxing it is so fueling up sounds like a good plan.

He makes his way down the street, but it turns out to be a bit more packed than he expects. People are bumping shoulders with him, or he has to follow with the flow of the crowd to even move. At one point, someone bumped into him with enough force to even make him stumble forward, which in turn caused him to bump into someone else. Lance managed to grab a hold of their elbow before they could fall, thankfully.