To the south of the border, on the calm, azure sea, Salamence spread its crimson wings, carrying two people as it glided slowly through the air.
"Where are your hands?" Clair blushed.
"Just making sure you don't fall," Lance replied with a straight face.
"I'm a Dragon-type Gym Leader, you know!"
Lance, clad in a cape, let out an "Oh," then released his hands from her slender waist, lost in thought.
"When you were six, the first time you rode Salamence, you clung to me and cried your eyes out..."
"Enough," Clair's face flushed red as she gritted her teeth. "That was when I was young and naive. Don't bring it up again!"
"Hmm..." Lance fell silent for a moment, gazing at the Tentacool occasionally surfacing on the sea, as if deep in thought.
Clair hesitantly spoke up, "What did you think of today's match?"
Lance sighed, "It was close... Cynthia's Garchomp is truly something."
"And the other match?"
Lending out a Dragon-type Pokémon, only to be forced into a draw, was almost as bad as losing for the proud Lance. Losing twice in one day... It was easy to imagine how low Lance's spirits were.
"Natsume... he's around the same age as Red, right?"
Lance murmured, "His commands were incredibly precise, almost to the point of being..."
"Dirty?" Clair interjected.
"No... it's just a form of strategy."
Lance shook his head, recalling the emotions he sensed through the Aura of Viridian, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Besides... from his Pokémon, you can tell he's a Trainer you can trust."
Not every Pokémon could possess such intense emotional fluctuations. Even some Gym Leaders' Pokémon couldn't match the determination of Haunter and Eevee.
A determination to keep growing stronger.
Lance scratched his red hair and sighed, "I really don't know how he trained them. No wonder Red speaks so highly of him."
Clair asked, "Then why... didn't Natsume win the Touran Conference?"
"Maybe the first region he traveled to wasn't Touran."
Lance shrugged, "His Pokémon were recently caught too, so it's clear he just started his journey in the Touran Region."
Clair nodded, murmuring, "I hope he comes to the Johto Region someday. I'd love to battle him..."
"Buzz—"
Lance lifted his cape, pulled out his mobile phone, and answered the call, "This is Lance."
Red, who was training on Mt. Silver, wiped the sweat from his forehead and rested on Venusaur's back, smiling as he said, "Mr. Lance, how did your match go?"
"I lost," Lance sighed. "Twice in a row."
Even though it was a draw with Natsume, Lance was still the second-place Master League contender. To the outside world, it was practically the same as losing.
Red was momentarily stunned, then asked in surprise, "You faced Natsume-sensei?"
Lance nodded, his voice serious, "An outstanding Trainer with an incredible understanding of battles and strategy."
"I knew it..."
Red smiled, pulling down the brim of his hat as a strong desire to battle surged within him.
Though it was unexpected, with Mr. Lance underestimating him, Natsume-sensei's victory made sense.
"Mr. Lance, thank you for your hard work!"
"It's nothing," Lance paused for a moment. "Do you have his contact info? I'm quite interested in him. Maybe in the future... we could have a full-on battle."
Red chuckled, "Of course, I'll just add you to the group."
"What group?" Lance was momentarily confused.
"Natsume-sensei's fan group."
...
The lively Master group was buzzing with discussions about this morning's Master League matches.
Gardenia: "Ah... Miss Cynthia won!"
Gold: "Whoa, that Garchomp is so cool!"
Brock: "From the on-site conditions, Cynthia's side was definitely more prepared... The quality of the Pokémon food was top-notch!"
Green covered her mouth and laughed, "Ara, Blue Oak lost! Pay up!"
Blue Oak: "...I didn't even place a bet."
Green: "I don't care, I opened the betting pool. A bet's a bet!"
Blue Oak rubbed his temples.
Even he was surprised by the outcome of the battle.
Blue Oak's breeding was always precise down to the second, but when it came to emotional bonds, he clearly fell short compared to Red.
In critical moments, the bonds formed during training played a crucial role.
That might have been why Garchomp landed a critical hit at the last moment.
Gold, burning with curiosity, asked, "What about the other match? Did Mr. Lance crush Natsume-sensei?"
Red: "Unfortunately, it seems Natsume-sensei won."
"Nani?!"
Gold's eyes widened in shock.
"Then if I beat Natsume-sensei, doesn't that mean I beat Lance too?"
[Member 'Lance' has joined the Chat Group]
The first thing Lance saw upon entering the group was Gold's comment, and he was utterly stunned.
"This guy..." Lance grabbed his red hair, gritting his teeth. "Silver needs to teach him a lesson!"
Clair also joined the group, chuckling awkwardly, "To be honest... Gold's strength is pretty impressive too."
Lance snorted, "Strong or not, his unorthodox methods will be his downfall in a proper battle!"
Yellow exclaimed excitedly, "Mr. Lance!"
"Yellow, long time no see," Lance smiled. "Are you living with Red now?"
"Ah, no... no! Not at all!"
The icy Lorelei smirked coldly, "At your age, still acting like a kid in a group chat."
Lance raised an eyebrow, "Old woman, you're here too?"
"Who are you calling an old woman? If you've got the guts, come to the Sevii Islands right now!"
"Hmm? My phone's out of battery. Talk later!"
The exhausted admin, Red, muted both Elite Four members for five minutes and sighed.
It felt like Mr. Lance had become a completely different person online...
It was as if the rebelliousness of his youth had returned.
But no matter what... being an admin was tough.
"I really want to retire," Red looked up at the sky, muttering to himself.
...
[Member 'Lance' and 'The Dragon Tamer of Blackthorn' have joined the Chat Group]
Natsume looked up at the sky.
Well, another new character unlocked!
While others catch Pokémon to fill their Pokédex, I'm out here collecting people?
Natsume rubbed his temples, "Please don't tell me Giovanni's going to join next..."
"No... that's just too much. Getting involved with him is no joke!"
While the group chat was lively, Gold's comment made Natsume-sensei smirk coldly.
If I can go toe-to-toe with Lance, my battle strength must be at least five times that of Gold, right?
Worst case, I'll just borrow Pokémon from Cynthia again...
Natsume shook his head, looking at Cynthia, who had followed him home, and asked in surprise, "Why are you still here?"
Cynthia extended a slender finger, speaking seriously, "I plan to stay one more night."
"Nani?!"
"It's a rare vacation. Going back too early would be a waste..."
Cynthia scratched her dazzling blonde hair, her wide eyes looking at Natsume.
"You're not going to kick me out, are you?"
"Of course not," Natsume replied with a strange expression. "As long as you pay for the room."
"No problem," Cynthia nodded cheerfully.
In the living room, the red light flickered.
Garchomp, with its fierce expression, glared menacingly at Natsume.
What are you looking at?
I'll slice you in half if you keep staring!
Cynthia patted Garchomp's back, handing it a beautifully patterned Dragon Scale, smiling, "Here."
Garchomp's eyes widened.
The Dragon Scale was filled with Dragon-type energy, but it wasn't suitable for carrying. The best way to use it was to consume it directly—
Garchomp opened its massive jaws, drool dripping, ready to crush the Dragon Scale, but its movements suddenly froze.
Cynthia said, "This is from Natsume-sensei."
Garchomp paused, still holding its mouth open, glancing at Natsume beside it.
Natsume quickly put on a serious face, nodding solemnly, "Yes, it's a gift from me!"
Natsume-sensei, always borrowing flowers to offer as gifts!
Cynthia chuckled softly but said nothing.
Garchomp remained still for a moment, then silently picked up the Dragon Scale, chewing it with a crunching sound.
Its crimson eyes gradually lit up, and the hostility in its gaze softened.
Garchomp gave Natsume a rare nod.
Young man, you know what's up!
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