For a moment, Ryuuske didn't know what he should do.
Should he put on the same cynical act as the man in front of him, Lance? Or should he stand with him in solidarity?
Come on now—he was already in his twenties, a college graduate who had been working for nearly two years. He was long past his edgy teen phase. That childish fantasy of being a superhero, saving the world, and building a utopia had already been shattered by the cold slap of reality.
But looking at Lance now, and remembering that "Hyper Beam" that seemed more like an intercontinental missile, Ryuuske felt this man just might actually have the power to realize those delusions.
This was a world where Pokémon existed—where individual strength could be magnified infinitely. Unlike the old world ruled solely by science, where one person's power was nothing but a drop in the ocean of society.
Whether it was Mewtwo or Lance's earlier display, it all told Ryuuske one thing: as long as you were strong enough, even destroying the world was no longer out of the question.
Just look at how many ancient civilizations had been wiped out over the years in the Pokémon world—it made it obvious how fragile this world's civilizations really were.
"Sorry… I don't really get what you mean."
Ryuuske thought about it and decided not to provoke this overly passionate ideologue. He replied in a vague, noncommittal tone, pretending to be a naive fifteen-year-old who didn't understand the great cause Lance was talking about.
"My younger brother… you're still too young. You haven't seen Pokémon struggling and dying in toxic waste, haven't seen them made homeless because their habitats were destroyed by humans. You haven't read the dark data reports from the Pokémon League's upper echelons, detailing the atrocities humans have committed against Pokémon!"
Lance gave him a look like he understood everything, which made Ryuuske silently wonder, Should I feel honored or insulted right now?
As someone who had long graduated from the "edgy teen" phase and now looked at the world with a more rational eye, Ryuuske thought Lance was way too obsessive. He fixated on all the evil and ignored anything good—how exhausting must it be to live like that?
Sure, humanity had committed a lot of wrongs. People could be complex and cruel. But humans also had an intense will to survive. To keep living, they worked hard to change and adapt. Just look: polluting factories were becoming rarer, and most energy now came from electricity or solar power—clean sources. Sure, there was still some environmental impact, but nature was healing and reaching balance again. It wasn't the end of the world.
"Edgelords sure live in a different mental frequency. And Lance really thinks I should understand him and join his crusade too?"
Ryuuske had a headache. If he weren't no match for Lance right now, he'd seriously consider beating some sense into him. He didn't need this lecture on edgelord justice. He wasn't some champion of righteousness, nor a villain aiming to destroy the world. He was just chasing personal growth—and now finally had the chance to grasp true strength.
Look at Team Rocket—their goals were so grounded. They wanted money, power, material wealth. Honestly, that's what most normal people wanted.
"You'll come to understand me one day. Even the Viridian Forest was once almost destroyed by pollution. That forest granted you the 'Dragon Tamer's Power' because it believes in you. It believes you'll fight for nature, and for all Pokémon. They're all my partners—fighting together for our shared ideals!"
Lance patted the Aerodactyl beneath him, then dramatically flung his cape and extended one hand toward Ryuuske. In his palm was a Poké Ball.
"You're a gifted Dragon Tamer. Only dragons suit you. This Dratini was just born recently. I originally planned to raise it myself, but now that I've met you, I'll entrust it to you instead. As fellow Dragon Tamers, I believe you won't let it down. You'll raise it into a powerful ally and fight for our ideals. Your dragon legion still has a long road ahead—hahahahaha!"
"…Farewell, my brother. I'll go cause trouble for Team Rocket, so they won't focus too much on you. But don't die before then—I look forward to the day you understand me and stand by my side!"
After monologuing for ages, Lance let out a loud laugh. His cape billowed as his massive Aerodactyl flapped its blade-like wings and soared into the sky with a sharp dragon cry.
Ryuuske brushed off the dirt and dust kicked up by the Aerodactyl's takeoff, full of question marks in his head.
He picked up the Poké Ball and held it to his face. Through the translucent shell, he saw a cute little Dratini curiously peering back at him. That same sense of closeness he felt when he first met Gible was there again. Dratini, like a tiny kitten, was wriggling around inside the ball, happily trying to express its emotions to Ryuuske.
"…What just happened? I met Giovanni, then Lance, came out of it unharmed, and even scored all this loot?"
Ryuuske tilted his head, baffled. These two guys… were they actually nice? Crossing mountains just to hand him gifts?
Especially Lance—the very guy he'd mentally roasted for the past few minutes—had just handed over such a valuable Pokémon. Dratini wasn't some common species. Like Gible, it was extremely rare. In the whole Kanto region, you'd be lucky to find even a few of them. They were practically panda-level national treasures!
There were only a handful of well-known trainers in all of Kanto with Dratini or its evolutions. Aside from Lance himself, you could count them on one hand!
Ryuuske had originally planned to get stronger first, then ask Professor Oak if there were any Dratini sightings, so he could try and catch one himself. But before he could even act on that plan, the Dragon-type Champion himself had just delivered one straight to his door.
"Well, even if he's an edgelord in the final stages, I guess I can say a few nice things about him from now on, seeing how thoughtful he was."
Jumping down from Gabite's shoulder, Ryuuske tossed the Poké Ball and let Dratini out.
The moment it appeared, Dratini let out an adorable "Mii~" and swiftly climbed up Ryuuske's body, curling itself around his neck.
Although a Dragon-type with scales, Dratini's body felt smooth to the touch—like a piece of blue jade cooled in clear water, cool and silky.
"Gabite, say hi. Dratini is our new teammate now… And did you see that Hyper Beam from Lance's Aerodactyl earlier? That power was insane—it could probably level a mountain. Let's set a small goal for now: let's become just as strong as him!"
Hearing this, Gabite let out a fierce roar, while Dratini curiously swam around both of Ryuuske's shoulders.
"Don't get too playful now—we'll start your training on the way to Cerulean City!"
"Mii?"
Dratini chirped softly. It didn't fully understand what Ryuuske meant yet, but that was okay. Ryuuske wasn't worried. After all, Dratini was still a dragon. Don't be fooled by its cute appearance—dragons were naturally fierce. It wouldn't be long before it got the hang of fighting.
To be continued…