“Dragon-slaying warriors?” Navy sips on his beer and considers the words. “Shit. That’s crazy.” He laughs, seeming to accept the absurd notion wholeheartedly. Just in the past month, he’s met a princess, the avatars of several god-like Pokemon, fought Rocket alongside the Elite 4, and Arceus knows what else he just doesn’t remember doing.[break][break]
“Man…hard to imagine a world where people would have to fight Pokemon without other Pokemon backing ‘em up.” He remembers reading stories about what life was like before the apricot balls came along and changed everything. “Good pick, either way. Good name.”[break][break]
Another pause as he drinks and takes in the music of the bar. It’s funky stuff, old school. Pleasing to Navy’s ears.[break][break]
“My ace is a Garchomp. Vortigern.’ He says as if the joke in the name should be self-evident. “Caught him when he was right on the brink of evolving into a Garchomp. Take some advice from a novice dragon trainer. The later you get ‘em, the harder it is to get ‘em to respect you.”

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“Patience, yeah. Patience in spades.” He thinks back to the frantic battle under Dewford. Vortigern kept getting loose from his ball, chasing people through the caves. Terrorizing Rocket grunts. He shudders at the damage his black dragon can do if he’s loosed in the wrong place.[break][break]

“You just got here, you hear about what happened down in Dewford Town back in early April? Shit was crazy. All out war, just for one day. Everybody scrambling, I wonder if anybody down there except the top brass even knew what they were fighting about. I bring it up ‘cause Vortigern’s the only thing that got me out of there alive.”[break][break]

Well, that, and his stubborn refusal to die.[break][break]

“Word to the wise, Hoenn’s insane. Something’s always going on. Big gang war between League and Rocket’s got no end in sight. Plenty of glory in it, if you’re that kind of guy. Plenty of ways to end up dead. No big deal for a dragonslayer, huh?” He teases the younger man.


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He matches the cheer, but there’s something subdued about it. Somber. His gunmetal eyes fall to the liquid swirling in his cup. He thinks about the rain in Sootopolis, ashes falling down Mt. Pyre, the siren hum of the sea.[break][break]
“Just watch yourself. I’ve only done a little of this crap myself, but I know it’s bad – and it can get worse. On the bright side, you’ve got yourself a mighty fine partner. Nothing helps you tackle whatever life throws at you like a dragon.” He envies him the control he has over his beast. Navy won’t voice the thought, but he also imagines that the mountain a tamed dragon can climb is smaller, doesn’t reach quite as high…[break][break]
But what’s wrong with that? The apex of the world’s a nasty place. The black dragon makes enemies, their tales written in blood.[break][break]
“You seem like an alright guy. League’s offered me a spot down in Dewford as a gym leader. If you’re looking for a job, or just somewhere to plant roots in Hoenn, you’re welcome down there.” It’s the least he can do, offer a newcomer a place to call his own. Navy doubts Sergei will take him up on the offer, he doesn’t seem like the type.[break][break]
Maybe he’ll be wrong.

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“I just know a good trainer when I see one. Gotta take my job seriously. Gyms are a bit different here than in Unova or Galar.” Navy muses, far from the first time, that things would be so much better for the people he loved if they had simply been born in Galar instead of Hoenn. Being born’s like spinning a roulette wheel. You can’t control where the ball lands. It’s out of your hands.[break][break]
“We’re tryin’ to educate. Galar’s circuit is more about the pros fighting for the sake of being the best. Their chairperson really took ‘I wanna be the very best’ and ran with it.” He chuckles. Navy likes this guy. Got a good head on his shoulder. Optimistic. A career big brother like him just hopes the guy has a good time in Hoenn.[break][break]
“Like your optimism – and I don’t think you’re wrong. But somethin’s always up here. Better or worse. Just gotta fight like hell so things will get better.” His own brand of optimistic ideals, steeped in the truth of reality. “But it sure isn’t boring, I’ll say that. Not ever.”

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“Sure thing, buddy.” Navy offers yet another round of cheers back to his new friend. “Come on down anytime. We’ll have ourselves a match.” Truth be told, the guy’s tough. Made of mean stuff. But if he means to be a dragontamer, well…[break][break]
He may just need Navy’s help more than most. Dragontaming, as he learned from a certain Ms. Morningstar, is a nasty business. If he means to keep that Garchomp in line, he’ll have to walk a hard road. It falls on someone like him, a fellow warrior, to help him up that path.[break][break]
A beep disturbs their reverie. Pulling his phone out, Navy sees that it’s a call from home. It’s getting late. His ward must have noticed he’s out. Putting his phone away, Navy pulls out some of his prize money and puts it down on the bar, along with a handwritten note with his personal number. When Dewford’s new gym finally opens up, Sergei won’t need that, but he’ll have a point of contact if he needs something before then.[break][break]
“Well, looks like I’ve been out too late. Better get home. Take care of yourself, Sergei.” Navy claps him on the shoulder. “You’re a good guy. Don’t be a stranger. Hoenn needs idiots like us, brave enough to fight alongside black dragons.” And with those words said, he departs. Off into the night, back to the agency he soon won’t see much of.

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+ sergei dachev

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