Mt. Moon – Deep Fossil Strata
The cavern's air hung heavy, thick with the metallic tang of unearthed rock and the faint, acrid burn of ozone from the Clefairy's suppressed powers. Moonlight trickled through fissures in the ceiling like silver threads, casting ethereal glows on pools that had once been sacred lunar springs. Now, those pools rippled unnaturally, disturbed by the ceaseless whine of Team Rocket's industrial drills chewing through millennia-old strata.
Crates overflowed with Kabuto plates, Omanyte shells, Aerodactyl wings fossils pried from the earth's embrace with cold mechanical precision.
Holographic scanners hummed softly, displaying revival probabilities in glowing green: 96%, 98%, 99%.
Unpolished Mega Stones, raw and pulsing with latent energy, were stacked in reinforced cases, their surfaces catching the artificial lights like trapped stars.
At the heart of this violation stood the electrified enclosure a cage of humming bars powered by chained Voltorb, their eyes dull with forced labor. Inside, the Clefairy colony pressed together in a quivering mass of pink fur and wide, terrified eyes. Adult Clefables clutched tiny Cleffas to their chests, wings folded like fragile shields against the outside world.
The youngest ones buried their faces in their mothers' fur, their soft "cleff… cleff…" whimpers piercing the mechanical din like heartbroken whispers. The adults shifted restlessly, ears twitching at every drill screech, their usual joyful dances reduced to futile huddles.
One Clefable, larger than the rest, pressed against the bars, her eyes pleading as a faint Metronome spark flickered and died against the dampeners another failed attempt to summon help.
Dr. Seymour knelt outside the cage, his cracked glasses fogged with sweat and tears, his tattered lab coat smeared with cave dust. His wild white hair stuck out in frantic tufts, hands trembling as he clutched a shattered Moon Stone fragment like a talisman.
He'd lived here for decades, forsaking human society to study and protect these lunar guardians. Now, his voice cracked with desperation as he pleaded once more.
"You're destroying everything," he rasped, voice hoarse from hours of begging.
"The lunar veins are alive they bind the fossils to the Clefairy's energy. Rip them out like this, and the balance shatters. The mountain could collapse lives lost, history erased! Please… they have families, just like you…"
Ariana, lounging against a stalagmite with one leg crossed over the other, let out a venomous laugh that echoed like shattering glass.
Her wild purple hair framed a face twisted in sadistic amusement, Arbok coiled at her feet with its tongue flicking lazily toward the scent of fear. She toyed with a stolen Moon Stone between her manicured nails, eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
"Families? Oh, how sweet," she cooed, her voice dripping mockery.
"These moon rats are just pink pests. And you, fossil freak? You're lucky we need your brain for the scans. One more whine, and I'll let Arbok turn you into a pincushion."
Seymour's shoulders slumped, fresh tears carving tracks through the grime on his face. His heart ached not just for the Clefairy, but for the betrayal of trust. He'd shared his knowledge with them under duress, praying for a miracle.
"You don't understand… the Clefairy are guardians. Without them, the fossils' power could "
"Enough," Archer snapped from his portable observation deck, arms folded over his crisp black suit. His green eyes scanned holographic readouts without a trace of emotion, Houndoom pacing beside him with glowing red eyes.
"Balance is irrelevant. Productivity is mandatory. Proton status on the eastern vein?"
Proton, hunched over a revival scanner with grease-smeared gloves, wiped sweat from his brow. His Weezing floated above, leaking thin trails of toxic smog that made nearby grunts cough.
"Ninety-four percent synced, boss. We've got a prime Aerodactyl skull incoming revival odds at 99%.Mega Stone extraction's at seven units; the dampeners are holding the fairy tricks at bay."
Petrel still in his absurd oversized hardhat chuckled from his perch on a fossil crate, munching stolen Pecha Berries while barking at grunts.
"Heh, these pink puffs are cute when they cry. Doc's been blubberin' about 'ethics' all night thinks we're monsters for cagin' his fairy friends. As if!"
A low chime interrupted the mockery Giovanni's encrypted channel from HQ. Not some multiversal impostor; this was their Giovanni, the one who ruled from the shadows of this dimension, oblivious to the interdimensional wars Red and Blue waged elsewhere.
Archer accepted the call immediately. Giovanni's hologram flickered to life: dark suit impeccable, Persian curled at his feet with a lazy purr, eyes cold as polished obsidian.
"Report," he commanded, voice smooth but laced with steel.
Archer straightened, even though his superior couldn't see the gesture. "Excavation at 94% completion, sir. Thirty-one fossils secured Kabuto, Omanyte, Aerodactyl, Dome, Helix, Old Amber clusters. Revival viability exceeds 97%. Additional yield: seven unpolished Mega Stones from the secondary strata. Extraction teams are prioritizing them as per your standing orders."
Giovanni's gaze shifted slightly in the hologram, landing on the enclosure in the background. "The natives?"
Ariana stepped into frame, her smile sweet but her eyes sharp.
"Under control, boss. The moon rats are behaving mostly. Doctor Crybaby here is still whining, but he's cooperating with the fossil scans."
Giovanni's lip curled faintly.
"Keep him useful. If he becomes a liability, dispose of him. Quietly. The Mega Stones are priority one the fossils secondary. Ship everything to HQ within forty-eight hours."
"Understood, sir."
The hologram winked out, leaving a heavier silence.
Archer exhaled, then barked orders.
"New directive. Mega Stones take precedence. Double the drill speed on the eastern vein. Proton reroute power from the outer cage dampeners if necessary."
Proton nodded, fingers flying over his tablet. "On it, boss."
Seymour surged to his feet, slamming his palms against the barrier with renewed desperation.
His voice broke, raw emotion spilling out.
"You can't! This mountain is sacred the Clefairy have lived here for millennia! The fossils are part of their ecosystem the lunar energy binds them! If you rip them out without care, you'll trigger a collapse! Lives lost… everything gone…"
His eyes locked on a Cleffable mother cradling her Cleffa, her face etched with silent agony. Seymour's heart twisted he'd watched their dances under full moons, shared their joy. Now, he was helpless.
Ariana's smile vanished. Her eyes turned black with rage, cheeks flushing with irritation.
"I said shut. Up."
She snapped her fingers.
"Arbok Poison Sting. Make him bleed."
The snake uncoiled like a spring, hood flaring wide. Venomous needles glinted in the artificial light, launching in a deadly volley aimed straight at Seymour's chest.
The doctor froze, eyes wide with terror, whispering a final "No…" as the attack hurtled toward him.
and vanished in a blinding white explosion.
A deafening boom echoed through the cavern. The Poison Sting volley was obliterated mid-flight by a lance of pure golden energy. The shockwave hurled Ariana backward; she slammed into a crate, gasping as the wind was knocked from her lungs. Arbok hissed in pain, skidding across the stone floor, scales singed.
Dust and rock shards rained down from the ceiling. Grunts shouted in confusion, dropping tools and scrambling for cover.
When the haze cleared, a towering figure stood between Seymour and Ariana.
Dragonite.
Wings spread wide enough to block half the enclosure, casting a shadow that swallowed the cage. Golden energy still crackled around its open maw, eyes burning with controlled fury.
And astride its back, red cape billowing in the downdraft of its wings:
Lance.
Champion of Kanto and Johto.
Commander of Pokémon G-Force.
His long red hair whipped like blood in the wind. Gyarados-scale armor gleamed under the moonlight shafts filtering from above but his eyes cold, unyielding crimson swept the cavern like a reaper's scythe.
Silence fell. Even the drills stuttered to a halt as grunts froze, faces paling.
Lance's voice carried without effort, low and final, laced with quiet disgust.
"You have ten seconds to power down that cage and surrender."
Ariana recovered first, spitting dust from her mouth, her face twisted in a mix of rage and surprise. Her cheeks flushed red, hands shaking as she pushed herself up.
"Well, well… the Dragon Master himself. Come to play hero?"
Lance didn't blink, his expression unchanging cold determination etched in every line.
"Five."
Proton snarled, fear twisting into anger as he threw his Poké Balls, hands trembling slightly.
"Muk! Weezing! Take him down!"
His voice cracked on the last word, revealing the terror beneath his bravado.
Lance sighed once almost pityingly, but with an edge of contempt.
"Dragonite."
The dragon moved before the word finished.
Extreme Speed.
It became a crimson comet. One instant it hovered protectively over the cage; the next it appeared behind Muk and Weezing.
Tail strike.
A single, contemptuous blow infused with draconic force sent Muk splattering against the far wall, the poison blob quivering once before fainting. Weezing burst apart in a toxic cloud, gasping as it deflated and collapsed, unconscious.
Proton's eyes widened in horror, face draining of color. He staggered back, sweat beading on his forehead.
"No… my tech… that was impossible…"
Two down in less than a second.
Petrel, panicking now, his usual smug grin replaced by a wide-eyed grimace of fear, fumbled three more balls.
"Koffing! Muk! Arbok gas him! Now!"
His hands shook so badly one ball slipped, rolling across the floor.
Lance didn't raise his voice, his tone flat with disdain.
"Draco Meteor."
The ceiling ignited like a false sky.
Dozens of dragon-shaped meteors rained down precise, surgical, each one homing on a target with unerring accuracy. Explosions of draconic force lit the cavern like artillery fire. When the smoke cleared, all three lay smoking and fainted, bodies crumpled in heaps.
Petrel's knees buckled, his face ashen, breath coming in short gasps.
"How… how are you this fast…?"
Three down.
Ariana's face was a mask of fury and fear, her cheeks burning red as she threw her last ball with a scream.
"Venomoth Psychic! Crush him!"
Her voice trembled at the edges, betraying the panic rising in her chest.
Lance's eyes narrowed slightly the only sign of emotion.
"Dragonite Outrage."
Dragonite's pupils bled crimson with rage. It crossed the distance in a heartbeat, claws flashing azure with power. One swipe tore through Venomoth's wings; a second sent it crashing into the ground, unconscious and twitching.
Ariana let out a choked gasp, clutching her side where the earlier shockwave had bruised her ribs. Her eyes darted wildly, sweat matting her hair.
"You… you monster…"
Four down.
The executives stood or rather, slumped frozen in the aftermath, surrounded by their fainted Pokémon.
The grunts backed away slowly, faces pale with terror, whispering among themselves. Seymour, still kneeling by the cage, let out a sob of relief, his hands shaking as he reached for the Clefairy.
Lance dismounted in one fluid motion. Boots clicked on stone as he walked toward the cage controls. Dragonite hovered behind him, casting a protective shadow over the enclosure, its eyes still glowing with residual Outrage.
He pressed the release button without a word.
The electric field died with a dying whine. The bars powered down.
The colony surged free Cleffas clinging to Clefables, adults forming a trembling ring around Seymour. The old doctor fell fully to his knees, tears streaming freely now, his voice broken with gratitude.
"Thank you… Champion… thank you… I thought we were lost…"
Lance knelt beside him briefly, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. His voice softened for the first time though still edged with steel.
"You fought for them when no one else would. That's enough. Get them to the surface. Heal."
Seymour nodded, wiping his eyes, and began leading the pink exodus upward fairy dust trails glowing like living stars, the Clefairy's whimpers turning to soft, hopeful chirps.
Lance rose, turning to the four executives. His expression hardened again—cold, unyielding, with a flicker of disgust.
"G-Force is inbound. You will be taken into custody. Your fossils and Mega Stones will be returned to the mountain. Mt. Moon is now under permanent League protection."
Archer, still slumped, coughed blood and laughed weakly, his face twisted in pain and defiance.
"You think this ends here? Boss Giovanni will "
Lance cut him off, spear tapping the ground once a sound like a judge's gavel.
"Giovanni will learn what happens when you threaten sacred ground."
He looked up toward the surface, moonlight pouring stronger now.
"And that lesson starts tonight."
Dragonite let out a low, earth-shaking roar.
The mountain answered Lunatone and Solrock rising from hidden alcoves, wild Clefairy joining their kin, even ancient Onix coiling protectively.
Lance mounted Dragonite once more.
One wingbeat.
Sonic boom.
He was gone leaving behind four broken executives, a freed colony, and a cavern that would never forget the night the Dragon Master came in wrath.
But as the dust settled, Ariana pushed herself up with a grimace, her ribs screaming in pain. She glanced at the others Proton groaning over his shattered tablet, Petrel hyperventilating, Archer clutching his side.
"We... we need to get out," she hissed, fear cracking her voice for the first time.
Archer nodded weakly, pulling a smoke bomb from his pocket.
"Emergency teleport. Now."
They activated it together smoke filling the cavern, the four vanishing in a flash of distorted space.
They escaped barely fleeing into the night, hearts pounding with raw terror. For the first time, the Top Four knew true fear: the Champion's shadow would haunt them forever.
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Most of you really thought I was about to turn Lance into a joke some comedic relief like in half the Chinese web novels, or disrespect him the way the anime did by handing him an L against Diantha.
Nah.
This Lance doesn't exist to lose. He doesn't posture. He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't play fair.
My Lance is cut from his manga bloodline ruthless, surgical, and absolute. When he shows up, fights end. Organizations collapse. Survivors learn fear.
So adjust your expectations now.
The Dragon Master is not here to entertain you.
He's here to remind the world why his name alone once made criminals reconsider breathing.