Over the tumultuous blue sea, south of the border, Salamence unfurled its crimson Dual Wings and carried the two of them through the air.
"Where are you putting your hands?" Claire blushed.
"I'm just making sure you don't fall," Lance said seriously.
"Well, I am the Dragon Type Gym Leader, after all!"
The red-haired man in the cloak gave an "Oh" in response, letting go of the hands that were wrapped around Claire's slender waist, allowing his thoughts to drift into memories.
"When you were six, you sat on Salamence for the first time and pulled me along, making me cry..."
"Okay." Claire's face flushed, and she gritted her teeth. "That's a different story, let's not bring it up again!"
"Hmm..." The red-haired man fell into a brief silence, gazing at the shimmering Tentacool on the sea's surface, lost in thought.
Claire hesitated before speaking up, "What did you think of today's match?"
Lance sighed, "It was just... Cynthia's Garchomp!"
"What about the other match?"
Being forced to settle for a draw while using Dragon Type Pokémon was almost as good as losing, especially for someone as prideful as Lance.
"I lost two matches in a single day... You can imagine how downcast I am," he admitted.
"Luke... he's around the same age as Red."
Lance mused, "His tactics are quite exceptional, even somewhat..."
"Unconventional?" Claire ventured.
"No... I'd call it strategic," Lance clarified.
Shaking his head, he reminisced about the emotions he had sensed from Viridian Force. A smile tugged at his lips as he added, "And from his Pokémon, you can tell he's a trustworthy Trainer."
Not all Pokémon exhibited such intense emotional fluctuations.
Even the Pokémon of certain Gym Leaders didn't possess the same level of conviction as Haunter and Eevee did—a conviction that only grew stronger with time.
Lance raked his fingers through his red hair and sighed, "I wonder how he trained them. It's no wonder Red holds him in such high regard."
Claire wondered aloud, "But why... didn't Luke win the Orient tournament?"
"Perhaps Orient wasn't his first destination upon beginning his journey."
He shrugged, "His Pokémon have just begun winning, showing that his adventure in Orient Region is only just starting."
Claire nodded thoughtfully, musing, "I hope he'll come to Johto Region so I can have a match against him..."
"Bzz Bzz ——"
Lance unclasped his cloak, took out his phone, and answered the call, "Hello, it's Lance."
Meanwhile, Red was training on Mt. Silver, wiping sweat from his forehead as he rested atop Venusaur's back. He greeted with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Lance. How did your matches go?"
"I lost," Lance admitted with a sigh. "Two matches in a row."
Though he managed a tie against Luke, he as the second-place Master in the League Tournament, and that was almost as good as a loss.
Red was taken aback for a moment before responding with surprise, "You faced Teacher Luke?"
Du nodded and said solemnly, "He's an excellent Trainer—remarkable battle understanding and tactical prowess."
"As expected..." Red's smile grew, and he lowered the brim of his hat, his desire to have a rematch intensifying.
Though a bit unexpected, it was reasonable for Teacher Luke to defeat Mr. Lance when he was underestimated.
"Mr. Lance, thank you for your hard work!"
"It's no problem," Lance replied after a brief pause. "Do you happen to have his contact information? I'm very interested in him. Maybe in the future... we could have a Full Battle."
Red smiled, "Of course, I'll add you to his fan group."
"Fan group?" Lance was puzzled.
"Teacher Luke's fan base," Red clarified.
...
In the lively Master chat group, discussions about the Masters League Trophy were in full swing.
Gardenia chimed in, "Ah... Miss Cynthia won!"
Gold exclaimed, "Damn, her Garchomp is pretty cool too!"
Brock added, "From what I saw, Cynthia's performance was impressive... And the quality of the Pokémon food was top-notch!"
Green chimed in with a smile, "Ah, Blue lost! Pay up quickly!"
Blue responded, "...I didn't actually place a bet."
Green replied, "I don't care, I've already opened the bets. If you're agreeing to a bet, you should be prepared to accept a loss!"
Blue rubbed his temples.
Even he had been surprised by the outcome of the match.
Blue's predictions were typically spot-on, down to the minute and second, but he lacked the emotional intuition that Red possessed.
The more crucial the moment, the more impactful these usual connections became.
Perhaps this was why Garchomp had been dealt a Critical Strike in the final moments.
Gold was bursting with curiosity, "What about the other match? Did Mr. Lance turn Teacher Luke into a dry husk?"
Red chuckled and replied, "Actually, it seems like Teacher Luke won."
"What?!"
Gold's eyes widened in astonishment.
"In that case, I'm going to take Teacher Luke apart. It'll be like I took down Lance!"
[Member 'Dragon Tamer Lance' has joined the chat group]
Upon joining the chat group for the first time, Gold was dumbfounded by the messages he saw, as though he had encountered something surreal.
"This guy..." Lance clenched his red hair in frustration, gritting his teeth, "Silver really needs to teach him a lesson!"
Claire also joined the group chat, chuckling, "To be honest... Gold's strength is indeed quite formidable."
She added with a smirk, "But being strong doesn't guarantee victory. His unorthodox methods won't fare well in a regular battle!"
Yellow from Viridian Forest joined in with excitement, "Mr. Lance!"
"Long time no see, Yellow," Lance replied with a faint smile. "Are you living with Red?"
"Ah, no... no! Stop it!"
Lorelei, the icy beauty, retorted with a smile, "I might be older, but I'm still learning a thing or two from youngsters in the Master group."
Lance raised an eyebrow, countering, "Old woman, you're here?"
"You little rascal, who are you calling an old woman? If you've got guts, come over to Sevii Islands now!"
"Huh? My phone just died. We'll continue this later!"
Tired Admin Red intervened, silencing the two Elites for five minutes, and he let out a sigh.
It feels like Mr. Lance becomes a different person online...
It's almost as if his rebellious youth is resurfacing.
But regardless, the position of an Admin is undeniably challenging.
"I really want to retire," Red mumbled to the sky, gazing up at the heavens.
...
[Members 'Dragon Tamer Lance' and 'Blackthorn's Master Dragon Tamer' have joined the chat group]
Luke gazed up at the sky.
Great, I unlocked a Rookie person again!
While others are out capturing Pokémon and filling up their Pokédex, But when it comes to me, I'm becoming a collector of character with great status.
Luke rubbed his forehead, "Can't I recruit Boss Giovanni too?"
"No... that's way too embarrassing. It'd be a disaster if I got involved. Ugh!"
The Master group banter was in full swing. Gold's comment drew a wry smile from Teacher Luke.
Both Lance and I are at the same level, balanced at five for both strength and battles. And then there's 'Gold'?
At worst, I could borrow Pokémon from Cynthia again...
Shaking his head, Luke looked at Cynthia, who had followed him home. He raised an eyebrow and asked, surprised, "Why haven't you left yet?"
Cynthia extended a slender finger and said seriously, "I'm planning to stay another night."
"What?!"
"It's a rare day off. If I head back too soon... it would be a shame."
Cynthia ruffled her blonde hair, opened her eyes wide, and looked at Luke.
"You're not going to kick me out, are you?"
"No," Luke replied, puzzled. "Just make sure to pay the fee."
"No problem," Cynthia agreed cheerfully.
In the living room, a faint red glow emanated.
Garchomp, its fierce expression locked onto Luke with a menacing gaze.
What are you staring at?
If my old lady had a knife, I'd beat you with it—believe it or not!
Cynthia patted Garchomp's back, handing over the exquisitely patterned Dragon Scale with a smile. She said, "Here you go."
Garchomp maintained its gaze.
The Dragon Scale was rich in Dragon Type energy, though not meant for carrying. The best way to use it was to consume it directly—
Garchomp opened its massive jaws, a few droplets of saliva forming. It was about to crunch down on the Dragon Scale when its movements suddenly froze.
Cynthia added, "This was a gift from Teacher Luke."
Garchomp paused for a moment, mouth agape, and then glanced at Luke beside it.
Luke swiftly put on a serious expression, embodying righteousness, and nodded affirmatively. "Yes, she's presenting it to you right now!"
Teacher Luke, the master of borrowed gifts!
Cynthia smiled but didn't say a word.
Garchomp remained frozen for a moment longer, then silently picked up the Dragon Scale and produced a chewing sound, "ka-cha."
Its crimson eyes gradually lit up, and the hostility in them eased.
Garchomp, for a rare moment, nodded in Luke's direction.
Young man, you've made quite the impression!