Kanto Region, outskirts of Fuchsia City…

The Laramie Clan's motto had always been 'Living in harmony with Pokémon'. Leeroy Laramie, a veteran from the latest Trainer-Ranger War, learned from experience that the Trainers and Rangers' philosophies, while very different from one another, weren't necessarily wrong or incapable of coexisting with one another. This had been the basic ideology accepted by the Laramies since then, and it had been passed down to his son Larry, and eventually to his granddaughter, Lara. Of course, the fact that this ideology had been adopted from Leeroy befriending a Ranger, at a time when neither could have survived on his own, meant that they had to keep it a secret, knowing what the government would think about this. In fact, Lara was still unaware of it, but Leeroy and his son Larry knew she would be coming of age soon enough to know that story. Nevertheless, the Laramies maintained their hopes that one day, the Rangers' philosophy could one day be accepted and even embraced by the trainers, just as those two soldiers learned to be friends and accept one another.

One of the Laramies' regular activities was giving chats and presentations to promote this philosophy to the next generation. Today, 14-year-old Lara was at the community center in town, with many of the town's children and their parents in attendance, for a chat about Pokémon abuse and how to deal with it.

"Howdy, y'all. The name's Lara Laramie, and today, y'all will be a-learnin' about Pokemon abuse," she said after turning on the projector. "While people abusing Pokemon are the exception and not the rule, that there doesn't mean they don't darn exist."

She pressed her remote and the projector's image changed, showing a picture of several injured Meowth.

"These here are just some of the Meowth that were rescued from an awful old woman," Lara continued. "When Pokemon rescue workers found them, they was all underfed and showed several signs of being mistreated. Their trainer was arrested and is currently awaiting trial."

The audience nodded in approval at that last bit. Lara smiled, seeing that she was getting the message across.

"Some people can be cruel, and now that y'all are aware of the abusers, we'll now go over the laws in place to deal with them."

"Oh, so ya know all about them?" asked someone in the farthest left row. Lara turned to the person who said that and saw it was none other than her least favorite guy in town, Dario.

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Lara, keeping her cool all the while. "Us Laramie helped lobbied fer those there laws. Of course we'd know them inside and out."

That was enough to put Dario in his place. Satisfied, Lara continued without any further interruption. She went through about several of the gravest infractions regarding Pokémon abuse, including but not limited to: forcing them to battle while they clearly were not in condition to do so, neglecting to give them proper nutrition, and of course, physically beating them for any reason whatsoever. Depending on how far some abusers went, the charges could easily earn them large fines, or in the worst cases, even few years behind bars.

"And that pretty much wraps it all. Any questions?" Nobody raised their hands. "Well, much obliged for coming, hope to see y'all soon."

Her presentation concluded, the crowd began dispersing. Lara's parents, Larry and Fuko, had been doing these for quite a few years, and they smiled with pride seeing that their daughter had handled herself pretty well for her first time.

As she picked up her stuff and got ready to leave home, Lara noticed that one family had stayed to talk to her parents: a man around the same age as Larry, a boy probably in his twenties who looked a lot like him, and a girl around Lara's age, who only shared her black-purple hair with them. The man introduced himself as Dex, as well as his children, Rex and Hex respectively.

Lara approached to listen to the conversation, Dex shared with Larry and Fuko how his daughter had been traumatized by a Beedrill swarm, and had been terrified of Pokémon ever since. Given the Laramies' philosophy of living in harmony with Pokémon, he figured they might be able to help her. After hearing their story, Fuko and Larry gladly accepted.

"I reckon' who's the perfect person to help Hex here," said Fuko. "Lara?"

"Yes Ma?"

"Hex here will be coming home with us fer a while. Since yer the same age as her, ya'll be helping her with her phobia, okay?"

"Okay, Ma." Lara smiled and offered Hex her hand. "Hex, right? Nice to meet ya."

"Nice to meet ya too, Lara." Hex tried to smile too, although her smile seemed a little more forced.

"Be seeing ya, Hex," said Rex. It looked like he struggled to say his next words before he settled for the best he could come up with. "Hopefully, the next time we see ya, ya'll feel better."

Hex didn't say anything else, but smiled at her father and brother as she left with the Laramies. Lara, meanwhile, somehow felt that she had found herself a new friend. She would make sure to make her feel at home.

The next day…

Right after breakfast, the first thing Lara did was leading Hex to the barn where the Laramie Ponyta and Rapidash were kept. As they entered, Lara noticed Hex looked at the equines warily, and she let out a sigh in resignation. It looked like this would be harder than she first thought. As she tried to think of how to deal with Hex's issues, Lara thought back as to why she was like that in the first place.

"So… can ya tell me more about the thing with the Beedrill?"

Hex remained silent, for a long while. Lara was about to give up on waiting when she heard a sound out of her. "… my Ma."

"Pardon?" said Lara.

"I saw… I saw my Ma die," Hex finally said. "When the Beedrill attacked us, Ma shielded me, and took the worst of the attacks. She died before the doctors could get ta her."

Recalling that episode made Hex break down into tears. Lara remained silent and let the other girl cry for a while, but staying close to her, so she would know she wasn't alone. After a while, Hex sobs grew less frequent, and Lara spoke up again.

"I know some Pokemon can be scary," she said. "We of the Laramie Clan won't pretend otherwise."

Hex raised her head and wiped out her remaining tears. Seeing that she had Hex's attention, Lara continued.

"After all, everyone knows how dangerous Gyarados can be," she said. "But that there doesn't change the fact that people can also be dangerous. The name Twenty Gyarados Bill still fills any Johtoan old enough ta have lived when he was rampaging with sheer terror."

Seeing Hex cringe at that made Lara realize that maybe that wasn't the best way to put her at ease. She then tried a different approach.

"But, just as there are nice, and even heroic people, like Blaziken Mask and Gligarman, there are also heroic Pokemon," said Lara. "I saw a news broadcast from Alola where one of their guardians, Tapu Koko, done stopped a tidal wave."

After hearing that, Hex looked at the Ponyta and Rapidash around them with slightly less wariness, but it was still present. Not sure what to do next, Lara remembered some words of wisdom her father had shared with her a few years ago, exactly the night they discovered her gift.

Flashback, eight years ago in Rota…

The Laramies had quite an eventful day. It all started when Lara was happily playing at an open field with the local Ponyta, after she, her parents and her grandfather had volunteered to groom them for an upcoming festival the Cameran Palace was hosting. Lara seemed to get along the most with the younger ones. The fire horses usually had issues in trusting humans, but they accepted Lara almost immediately, like she was one of their own. Larry and Fuko also recalled it was the same with the Ponyta they had back home.

The Laramies had no idea how true that was. One minute, Lara was playing tag with the Ponyta. The next, while running, a sudden burst of flames appeared and engulfed her, causing her to stop dead on her tracks.

"The heck… Lara!" Fuko cried out in panic, seeing her daughter literally on fire.

Larry immediately ran towards Lara, while Fuko searched for water or something to put the flames out. However, the panic made way to confusion as she noticed that Lara wasn't reacting to being on fire as one would have expected. As in, she wasn't screaming, flailing around or rolling on the floor to put out the fire. In fact… Larry could actually see Lara through the flames, and she wasn't burning. Hell, her clothes weren't burning either! How was that possible?

Looking closer, Lara seemed just as puzzled at the whole thing as them, and Fuko actually took longer to pour the water bucket on her and put out the flames. Lara shivered at the cold, but she didn't yell or protest at all, after all, it just seemed like the sound thing to do. But they didn't have time to ask what had happened, since they had been spotted. Guards from the royal palace surrounded them, and asked them to come over.

That night, Lara waited in a guest room at the palace while her parents were called by the ruling Duchess of Rota, Lady Ilene. She was worried. What did this mean? Would it change her life somehow? After what seemed like hours, the door opened, making way to the Laramies, as well as Lady Ilene in person. Before talking, the adults exchanged glances with one another, as if asking which of them should relay the news.

"Ma, Pops? What happened ta me?"

"Lara, honey… we talked to Lady Ilene here… and she says ya done might be one of those bloodliners everyone talks about."

"Bloodliners? Those there people with Pokémon powers? Me?"

"That's right, little one," said Lady Ilene in a soft and kind voice. That helped her feel more at ease, but still didn't dispel her worries.

"I can't say fer sure… but I'm almost dang certain that we saw was a Flame Charge," said Larry. "And the way the Ponyta accept ya like that… coincidence? I don't think so."

"From what your parents have told me, I can easily deduce that you are most likely a Rapidash Species Bloodliner," Lady Ilene explained. "Species Bloodliners usually have a stronger affinity for Pokémon of the same species, which helps them understand each other better."

Lara looked at her hands, in confusion and horror. "What am I? Am I… a freak?"

"No!" shouted Larry. "Perish that thought, Lara! Ya ain't no dang freak!"

Fuko embraced her daughter. "Ye're our baby, and that ain't gonna change, never forget it."

Leeroy and Larry quickly joined in the hug, the latter holding his wife and daughter tightly as he whispered. "If anything, this here only makes ya even more special. Remember our clan's motto?"

"Of 'living in harmony with Pokémon'? Yes." Lara nodded.

"That's right," said Larry. "Many people out there are afraid of them, but ye're the living proof that they ain't a bad thing. Just look at ya, you got all those Ponyta to trust ya in no time. Do ya know what it means?"

Lara tilted her head in confusion. "It means ya can help us spread our message of living in harmony with Pokémon! Ya can act as the bridge that makes the bonds between humanity and Pokemon stronger!"

"I agree." Lady Ilene smiled. "Your affinity with Pokémon can certainly makes you perfect to act as the middle point. Bloodliners are capable of seeing things from both perspectives. You can understand what feels like being a Pokémon better than normal humans, and being raised as a human, you understand them better than most Pokémon. Who else could be better suited to act as the mediator between both worlds?"

End of flashback.

Lara decided it was time to put that into practice, but she wasn't sure how to lead up to the reveal. Then, all of a sudden, a strong gust came through the open barn doors. Hex shivered from the cold, and Lara saw her next course of action.

"Hex, ta warm up, are ya comfortable enough ta get close ta the Ponyta?" asked Lara as she got up to close the barn doors. Hex shook her head. "Then how about this here. First, can ya keep a secret?"

Hex nodded, even though she was confused at what could possibly require being kept secret. She had no way to predict what Lara was about to do.

Setting herself alight, Lara was surrounded by the flaming aura of a Flame Charge. While this in itself was impressive, the fact that it didn't burn her clothes was even more shocking. After all, if a Rapidash could have a rider without burning their clothes, or the rider themselves, so could she.

"If yer scared of Pokemon, are ya at least okay with Bloodliners like me?" asked Lara. "I can help ya be warm if ya don't want the Pokémon ta do it."

"Yer like me..." said Hex.

It was Lara's turn to be surprised when Hex coated her hands in spectral energy to form a Shadow Claw. Lara cancelled her attack and sat back down next to Hex who also cancelled her attack and hugged her.

"Warmer now?" asked Lara.

"Yeah," answered Hex.

"I can do anything a Rapidash can do," said Lara. "If yer okay with me, then an actual Rapidash ain't so bad, right?"

Though hesitant at first, Hex gave a nod. Lara called over one of the Rapidash, who sat on the other side of Hex.

"This here's my Pops' Rapidash," said Lara. "He's the fastest we have, and probably the fastest in the region."

Rapidash took care to make sure his flames didn't hurt Hex as she forced herself to touch him. Noticing Hex's expression soften as the fire horse neighed in satisfaction, Lara smiled.

"See, that there ain't so bad."

Hex continued rubbing Rapidash before she asked a question. "Do yer Ma and Pops know?"

"That I'm a Bloodliner? They do," said Lara. "They were actually quite glad about it since our family's motto is "live in harmony with Pokémon." They believe that Bloodliners like me can be the bridge between humanity and Pokemon ta make all our bonds stronger. Ya?"

"They all know," said Hex. "Even Ma, before sh- before she died. They never stopped loving me, and even took precautions ta make sure the wrong people never find out."

Suddenly, the barn doors opened and Larry walked in.

"How are y'all a-doin'?" he asked as he closed the doors behind him.

"Look!" said Lara excitedly as she showed Hex rubbing his Rapidash's back. Larry smiled at the scene, before remembering the other reason he was here.

"By the way, yer mother and I just finished giving out the flyers fer the upcoming race, and Rapidash and I need ta practice fer it," he said before he looked at the scene before him again. "Though it looks like y'all are comfortable, so I suppose missing just one day of practice is fine. How about taking him for a little ride around?"

"Sure, Pops. Hex, ya want ta come?"

"Sure."

Meanwhile…

*BIG P POKEMON RACE COMING SOON!

SPONSORED BY THE LARAMIE CLAN!

WINNER BECOMES AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE LARAMIE CLAN!*

Dario read the flyer as it went into detail on what came with being an honorary member of the Laramie Clan. It described the responsibility of spreading their message of living in harmony with Pokemon, but what did Dario care about that? He cared more about the privileges that came with it. Honorary members were paid a generous allowance, and had the right to use the Laramie name for the prestige attached to it, and the thought of all that money alone made Dario's mouth water.

As far as Dario was concerned, the Laramie Clan could continue being tree-hugging nature lovers; he'd be the one to show how rich people were supposed to act. He just needed to wait until he became old enough to take part in the race. He was only fourteen-years old, but in one year he'd be legal enough to take part.

As the days passed…

Day after day, Lara showed Hex more and more around the ranch. Slowly but surely, the new girl started feeling more and more comfortable with Pokémon around her, and began to tolerate and even enjoy their company.

"Okay Hex, that there's where the Nidoran and their evolutions are kept. See how lovey-dovey they are?" Lara pointed at them.

Hex watched the scene before her. The Pokemon has split into pairs, and all were very affectionate with each other. Some pairs nuzzled each other, others licked each other affectionately, and others still were sleeping peacefully together. Both girls couldn't help but giggle at the sight before them.

…

"Did ya know, that there's a sport called Rhyhorn Racing?" asked Lara. Today, they were at the Rhyhorn corral, and to get Hex closer to them, they planned to practice some riding.

"I reckon' I read in the newspapers about how a woman named Grace done broke a Rhyhorn speed record," answered Hex.

"Don't remember that, but at least ya know," said Lara as she helped Hex onto the Rhyhorn. Lara noted that Hex didn't hesitate as much as she had expected.

…

"What's with those gosh darn Miltank!?" asked Hex, completely shocked at their power.

Lara was pleased to see that Hex had all but forgotten about her phobia, but she had a question to answer.

"Oh, them. The Normal-Type gym leader from Johto is part of a family that raises Miltank, and apparently they were bred fer incredible power. Like how we of the Laramie Clan breed Ponyta and Rapidash ta be the fastest around and how the Fisher Clan of Crimson City breed the Victreebel line to be stronger overall."

"Yeah, but that doesn't answer why they're here."

"Whitney's family were worried about inbreeding and asked us fer help. In exchange, they gave us some of the newborn Miltank," said Lara. "Be careful, Miltank like these done helped Whitney become one of the most powerful gym leaders in the world."

…

Several days have passed since Hex first arrived at the Laramie Ranch, and her father and brother had finally come to see how she was doing.

"Howdy y'all," greeted Dex. "Rex and I are here ta check on Hex. Where's she?"

Larry and Fuko simply smiled and pointed. Dex and Rex looked in that direction and were surprised to see Hex holding onto Lara as they galloped across the ranch on a Ponyta. Father and son could hear their laughter even from that distance, and even felt their eyes watering when they saw Hex so happy.

"She's back ta her old cheerful self, Pops," said Rex.

"I know son, I know. Let's go greet her."

After getting off Ponyta's back, who was exhausted after all that galloping, Lara and Hex were surprised to see the latter's family enter the barn. Her father and brother rushed to her to give her a big hug, smiling and laughing as they did. The Laramies too watched the scene with a smile.

Eventually, Dex pulled away and turned to Lara. "Thank ya. We owe ya big time fer this."

"Much obliged!" she said.

"So then, y'all leaving already?" asked Fuko. "Don't y'all want ta take part in the race?"

"Thanks, but no. We only have some small Pokemon ta protect our crops," said Dex.

"Shame, the race can be exciting," said Lara. "Y'all have ta see it. The sheer speeds that Pokemon can reach, especially our Ponyta and Rapidash! They love racing, ya know. It's in their blood! And I can feel that same desire in my blood! It's why I love racing across the ranch on them!"

Lara's brief speech got gears turning in Rex's head. Could it be what he was thinking? He turned to his little sister.

"Sis, did ya tell Lara you can use Shadow Claw?" he asked.

"Rex! That there's done supposed ta be a secret!" shouted Dex. Rex, however, kept his cool as he answered.

"Lara all but said she's a Rapidash Bloodliner, I think we're in darn good company," he said as matter-of-factly. It wasn't too hard to put two and two together.

"Really?!" asked Dex as he turned to Lara. To answer his question, Lara simply coated herself in flames.

The parents looked at each other in amazement as they realized their shared secret; that both of them had given birth to one of the Bloodliner Baby Boom generation. If they were starting to get along, this would definitely bring them even closer.

On the day of the Pokémon race…

Lara, Hex and their families were sitting on the stands, watching in expectation as the annual Pokémon race unfolded. The bluenette specially had her fists pumped, her attention focused on her father. She was sure he'd be the winner, and not just because he had a commanding lead almost from the beginning. There were very few, if any, who could compete with the fastest Rapidash in the region, let alone when his rider was a consummate and talented veteran with over a decade of experience under his belt.

"Here it comes, folks! The competitors are approaching the home stretch! And the Laramie patriarch is in the lead!"

"Ya go, Pops!" Lara cried in excitement.

The riders pushed their mounts to the limit, but none of them could catch up with Larry and Rapidash. As they approached the finish line, Lara's father decided to end with style, and called for a Flame Charge, leaving behind a scorching trail on the track as they crossed the finish line, way ahead of the rest. The crowd exploded in applause and cheering.

"And we have our winner! Larry Laramie adds another victory to his long record!"

Larry came to a stop, wiping the sweat off his forehead, but raising his fist in victory. The Laramies were always the opponents to beat in this race, so they had to live up to their names.

After the award ceremony, Larry allowed Lara to be the one taking the winner's flag home. She couldn't wait until she turned fifteen to compete (and win) the race as the clan's representative. They decided to invite Hex and her family for dinner to celebrate their victory.

"You was amazing, Pops!" said Lara after devouring a large steak in just three bites. "The way Rapidash done crossed the river in three jumps were awesome!"

"That ain't got nothing on the canyon climb!" said Hex, who had just cleaned a large pasta plate. "I never knew Rapidash could run uphill that dang fast!"

"Really, Pops, I can't wait ta be the one competing in the race," added Lara.

"Good ta see ya got excitement fer the race, Lara. Because this here's my final year as the Laramies' representative. Next year, ya'll take over in my stead."

"Honey, don't ya think it's too soon?" asked Fuko. "I know Lara's got a mighty lot of talent, but she's still barely fourteen."

"Yeah, but I'll be fifteen fer the next race, and I can spend this whole year practicing, Ma." Lara pointed.

"You was right, the race was mighty exciting," Hex admitted.

"Enough ta try riding them Rapidash sometime?" Rex suggested.

Hex gulped a little with that. "Er… I don't know if I'm up ta ride Ponyta or Rapidash on my own."

"Aw, Hex, don't ya tell me ye're still afraid of them." Rex frowned.

"It ain't that! Just… sometimes they run too dang fast fer my taste."

"If ya want, I can help with that," Lara offered. "Riding Pokémon is a great way ta get closer to them, ta work together, ta strengthen our bonds."

"And our motto of living in harmony with Pokémon also means ta bond with them," added Larry.

"That's a mighty good idea," said Dex, and Rex agreed. Hex felt a little pressured, but if her father and brother were so eager, she might even enjoy it. Lara had helped her a lot with getting over her fear of Pokémon, and while it wasn't completely gone yet, they had made great progress in a very short time. Plus, if the race was so exciting to watch from the spectator's seat, how would it feel to experience it firsthand, from the rider's seat?

One year later…

Time flew, and before she realized, Hex enjoyed her time in Big P Pokémon Ranch so much, she decided to officially start working with the Laramie Clan in taking care of the wild Pokemon full time. Her family was more than pleased with this decision, since it meant she had conquered her fears completely. And it was now that time of the year again.

*BIG P POKEMON RACE COMING SOON!

SPONSORED BY THE LARAMIE CLAN!

WINNER BECOMES AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE LARAMIE CLAN!*

"Do y'all use the same flyer every year?" asked Hex as she placed it.

"We see no reason ta change it," said Lara. "It saves us the trouble of having ta come up with something new every year."

"Okay Lara," said Larry as he arrived with his Rapidash. "Here ya go. Show them what yer made off."

"I will, Pops," said Lara as she started training with her father's Rapidash.

…

Meanwhile, not too far from there, someone else had his own plans for the big race.

"Y'all know your parts?" said Dario to his cronies.

"Ya got it boss," they said. "We won't fail ya."

"See ta it. The race is coming up, and winners get a generous allowance and the right ta use the Laramie name. If I get the money, I'll be sure to share with y'all. So let's get the traps ready in time."

On the day of the race…

A huge crowd had gathered at the stadium, and everyone, competitors and spectators alike, was pumped up for the big race. Now that she had turned fifteen, this would be Lara's first time as the Laramie Clan's representative, as it was customary in the race.

Looking at her left side, she saw Dario approaching the starting line on his Dodrio. They both seemed to be scowling at her and Rapidash; clearly they weren't happy to see them. Lara didn't like the guy very much, but being one of the family who hosted this race, she felt it was her duty to be polite and show some sportsmanship to set the example.

"May the best rider win," she said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Hmph, of course, that's what I plan ta do," Dario replied smugly, not bothering to return the handshake. Lara frowned, this guy's attitude really irked her, but she kept her cool. The best way to give him a lesson was winning the race and leaving him to eat the dust.

"Is everyone ready?" The head judge approached the starting line, his gun ready in hand. "On your marks… get set… GO!"

*BANG!*

With that single shot, the race began. Lara quickly took the lead, showing that her father's Rapidash being called "the fastest in the region" was not just for show. Dario scowled at that, but he wouldn't be too far behind for long. All he had to do was save his energy and bide his time.

As they entered the canyon, Lara had to slow down her mount to carefully maneuver around the obstacles, giving the other riders chance to catch up to her. One Tauros rider took the chance to ram a boulder to save a few seconds and was quick to take the lead. However, in their hurry, neither the Tauros nor his rider saw the tripwire that had been set up.

The Tauros stumbled and its rider was sent flying face first into the ground. The other racers slowed down to avoid trampling them and to see if they were okay, except for Dario and Dodrio, who came from behind, so fast that the fallen rider had to scramble out of their way before getting back on his mount.

"Gol darn it!" shouted Lara. "Ya could have hurt them Dario!"

"That's their fault!" he shouted back. Of course, nobody needed to know he was the one who set up the trap in the first place.

…

Having overtaken Dario to get back at him for his earlier action, the racers came in for the turn, but Dario's cronies had sabotaged several more areas as well. As they made the turn, several racers slipped and fell. Seeing this, Lara and the other racers stopped, dismounted to help them back up, and examined the turn more carefully.

"Why is the grass here wet?" asked Lara. There hadn't been any rain last night, and even if that were the case, it should have affected the whole track, not just that turn.

"Outta the way, coming through!" said Dario, coming in slowly to avoid slipping himself.

After getting through the turn safely, he ran off. Lara and the other racers scrambled to get back on their mounts and became especially determined to beat Dario. His attitude was really getting on their nerves.

…

At the halfway point, the racers had to stop and have their Pokémon eat some food to replenish their energy, to continue only after they had eaten the full ration. Dario ended up losing his lead when his Dodrio's three heads began fighting amongst each other over which one got to eat first, allowing the other racers to catch up and overtake him again. However, as they passed through the second canyon, a landslide caught everyone off guard. The ones who didn't manage to stop in time were injured by the falling debris, and the others, even the ones ahead, like Lara, pulled back to help them.

"Are y'all okay?!" asked Lara as she dismounted Rapidash. There were many hurt riders and Pokémon, but no casualties, thank God.

"Yeeeeeeehaaaawwww!" shouted Dario as he ran past.

"What are ya doing!?" yelled Lara. "Get back here and help!"

"That ain't my problem!" he shouted back. "I'm winning this here race!"

His words incensed the other racers. How could someone behave like that? That was the last straw; officially Dario had become enemy number one to beat in the race, to everyone.

One of the female racers turned to Lara. "We'll stay behind and help them. Ya go on ahead and make sure that asshole doesn't win."

Lara nodded, mounted Rapidash, and urging him to go as fast he could, the two sped off after Dario and his Dodrio. Normally, she wasn't the type to take a competition like this too seriously at the expense of having fun, but with Dario's attitude since the beginning of the race, now it was personal. The idiot needed a lesson, and she was going to give it.

As she exited the canyon, Lara saw Dario was approaching the home stretch, probably thinking he had won already. It was time to show him why Larry's Rapidash was called "the fastest in the region".

"Rapidash! Flame Charge! AWAY!"

The steed neighed as he reared back and flamed on, coating himself into a flaming aura, and speeding off like a fire comet after their opponents. Dario seemed too far away, but the additional effect of Flame Charge, coupled with Rapidash's already high speed, quickly shortened the distance, and the eyes of both horse and rider burned with determination. They were going to win, no matter what.

Dario was approaching fast the finish line, and he could hear the commentator, Horace, talking through the speakers.

"This here race sure had its problems, with so many injuries occurring. But it looks like Dario might darn be the winn-" Suddenly, a burst of flame interrupted Horace; Lara and Rapidash had arrived down the track going full out. Rapidash still had the Flame Charge active to maximize the secondary effect to get faster and faster, like never before. "Hold that thought folks! The outcome is still up in the air!"

Dario looked over his shoulder and saw the approaching Rapidash, looking more like a meteor. Gritting his teeth, he began kicking his Dodrio to try and go faster, but sadly for him, it wasn't enough. Lara and Rapidash overtook them at the last possible moment, and burst through the finish line before stopping in what could be described like a literal blaze of glory.

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause at the come-from-behind victory as an exhausted but triumphant Lara dismounted and patted her steed's head, congratulating him on a job well done. He truly lived up to his title of the fastest in the region. But in the middle of the cheering, one person was not happy.

"Cheater!" shouted Dario as he dismounted his Dodrio.

"I beg yer pardon!?" said Lara.

"Ya used yer old man's Rapidash! The fastest in the region!" he said. "That ain't a fair win!"

"And ya rushing ahead, ignoring people in need after they was seriously injured, would have been a fair one, how!?" she countered.

"So what?" said Dario. "All of that ain't my fault!"

At that, Lara narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She wasn't accusing him of being at fault, only that he was a jerk for not helping out. Why did he say that specifically? She just shrugged, she didn't like having to deal with a sore loser, so she started to take her leave.

"Hold up, we're not done here!" shouted Dario. "That prize was mine!"

"Ya lost the race, so there ain't no prize for ya," Lara replied. "And if ya still feel so strongly about that, we can race again next year, but this time, using I'll be using my own Pokemon!"

Lara started to leave again, but Dario wasn't willing to let go. "I said we ain't done here!"

"Yes ya are," said someone behind Dario. He turned and saw the racers that had stayed behind, all of them glaring at him.

"We pulled out every person and Pokemon caught by that darn landslide, no thanks ta ya," said the man at the front. "The emergency workers handled the rest."

Dario wanted to say something else, but he was smart enough to see when he was outnumbered. And then there were the mutterings of the audience. The smartest thing to do was leave in a huff and not to say one single word.

"Man, what a sore loser."

"It's common fer people ta borrow Pokémon ta take part in the race. What's he complaining about?"

"How would he feel if he was the one who done got injured? What happens then?"

Dario wisely decided to remain silent as he overheard everyone talking. That wasn't fair. That victory was rightfully his, until Lara and her darned Rapidash had to come and snatch it from him right in front of his nose. She obviously had to pay for it.

'This ain't over, Lara,' he thought to himself.

That night…

While her parents were visiting the injured racers in the hospital, Lara had Hex over in her living room to share her thoughts. The fact that Dario had acted like a complete asshole during the entire race was one thing, but when he said specifically that the incidents that happened weren't his fault… that got the Laramie's daughter deep in thought. That couldn't be a coincidence.

"That was all darn weird, Hex. Dario said it ain't his fault any of those darn incidents happened. Not that it ain't his problem, but it ain't his fault, even though I never said it was."

"Yeah, too weird." Hex nodded at Lara's words as she frowned. "And did ya notice? He looked like he knew what was gonna happen, and he dodged everything. Bur that's not enough proof ta act on, even if everyone thinks Dario's a jerk."

"I know," said Lara. "But still, cuz of how he acted when he lost, I now know just how horrible Dario is. He must never be allowed ta become an honorary member of the Laramie Clan. He won't help spread our message of living in harmony with Pokemon. If anything, he'll do the opposite."

"If you're so worried about Dario, then next year I'll help ya," said Hex. "I reckon I should take part in the race myself. Consider it my thanks fer helping me with my issues a year ago."

Lara smiled. "Thanks, Hex."

"Of course, if I win, that means I get become an honorary member of the clan," declared Hex with a smile.

"Oh, so ya done had an ulterior motive after all!"

"Of course! I'm not the one with a large food budget after all!"

Suddenly, their stomachs rumbled. After a moment of silence, the two girls broke into laughter and decided to have a good snack before turning in for the night, and first thing in the morning they would start their training for the race next year.

Lara could feel proud of her victory this year, but Dario's words really hit a nerve on her. She might have ridden her father's Rapidash, but she knew that they had won because they shared a strong bond of friendship and trust with one another. Next year she would show him, she would defeat him with her own Ponyta and show him that her victory hadn't been a fluke.

FIN.