Inside the pitch-black Luxury Ball, the freshly thawed Dratini curiously explored its new surroundings.
Noting its lively state, Johan nodded slightly.
Physically, it was in great shape. Despite being frozen by Vulpix's Blizzard, Dratini recovered quickly, demonstrating the robust constitution typical of Dragon-type Pokémon.
Johan couldn't help but wonder if Dratini's peculiar luck was to blame. Its "bad luck" seemed to lead it into situations no other Pokémon would face, ultimately strengthening its resilience.
Take earlier, for example: when the sleeping Gyarados rolled over, Dratini was almost crushed beneath its massive body.
Had it not recently shed its skin, it might not have even noticed.
"Durable. Easy to care for," Johan thought with relief.
"Looks like it recognizes you wholeheartedly," Lance said with a chuckle, having observed the scene.
"Seems so." Johan nodded thoughtfully.
As someone prone to overthinking, he found himself relating to Dratini, whose internal monologue seemed just as complicated as his own.
"That settles it. Here, take this."
Lance suddenly handed Johan a weathered, ancient book with bold, vigorous characters scrawled on its cover:
Dragon Taming Secrets
Before Johan could react, Lance stuffed it into his hands and patted his shoulder.
"Don't mention it; we're friends."
Johan raised an eyebrow at Lance.
Is this "Dragon Taming Guide" legit?
Opening the book, he found the first page read:
"Dratini cannot fly, but if it learns Dragon Dance, it can achieve brief aerial movement. Upon evolving into Dragonair, sustained flight becomes possible..."
Though the page focused on Dragon Dance, Johan couldn't help but smirk.
Classic Lance, the "Flight Specialist."
As Clair approached, she pulled out an identical book and waved it teasingly at Johan.
Suddenly, everything clicked.
No wonder most of their Pokémon can fly.
But jokes aside, the Dragon Taming Secrets contained valuable insights. It detailed various methods for raising Dragon-types, with an emphasis on Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite.
The Dragon Clan clearly didn't mind letting promising trainers capture and raise their Pokémon. After all, even the flower-field Dragonite and other powerful Dragon-types in the den were meant to return here as protectors after their trainers' journeys ended.
"Thanks," Johan said sincerely.
Catching Dratini—an iconic pseudo-legendary Pokémon—had been an unexpected windfall.
While Dragonite was often jokingly referred to as "chubby," its final form exuded charm and friendliness.
In terms of looks, it was top-tier—as long as it wasn't the shiny green version.
As for its strength...
Combining the guide with Johan's own understanding, he had a clear direction for Dratini's training.
First and foremost: Dual Offense.
In the games, Dragonite often leaned toward physical moves like Extreme Speed due to its stats.
However, in real-world battles, limiting such a powerhouse to physical moves seemed wasteful.
If even Haunter's pitiful 50 base Attack allowed it to use Shadow Punch, why shouldn't Dragonite utilize its solid 100 Special Attack?
As a true "jack-of-all-trades," Dragonite could learn an incredible variety of moves. With its quirky luck factored in, it would be a shame not to teach it moves like Fire Blast, Focus Blast, Hurricane, or Thunder.
Of course, these moves required expensive TMs.
"So this is where the trap lies," Johan thought grimly.
He could already sense his wallet weeping.
On the bright side, Dratini already knew Hydro Pump and had achieved the ridiculous milestone of four consecutive hits with it.
"If only I could get my hands on a Normal-type Tera Orb," Johan mused.
Transforming Dragonite's typing from Dragon/Flying to Normal would eliminate its devastating Ice-type weakness.
For example, by becoming Normal-type, Dragonite's Extreme Speed would gain a significant power boost under Tera Boost conditions.
It would become the ultimate "priority sweeping" powerhouse.
The problem?
Tera Orbs were exclusive to the Paldea region. Johan knew little about their availability, and the Pokémon League hadn't released much information about Terastallization.
Even so, the concept had Lance salivating.
"Reclaiming the glory of Normal-type Champions? Say no more!"
Shaking off the far-fetched dream of Terastallization, Johan refocused on the present.
For now, let's figure out how to properly train and provide for four Pokémon.
Back at Clair's guesthouse, Johan decided the first order of business was fostering camaraderie among his team—especially with their new member, Dratini.
Dratini looked puzzled as it gazed at the circle formed by Haunter, Vulpix, and Tinkatuff.
Haunter threw an arm around Vulpix and Tinkatuff, leaning in conspiratorially.
"Ka-kah~" (We must uphold our trainer's hypnosis expertise!)
Vulpix tilted its head skeptically.
"Oowu..." (But Dratini doesn't seem like the hypnosis type...)
Tinkatuff patted its hammer confidently.
"Chu!" (I've got "Hammer Hypnosis" covered!)
Haunter and Vulpix exchanged glances, enlightenment dawning.
Haunter clapped its hands together.
"Ka-kah!" (Physical hypnosis plus magical hypnosis! Perfect combo!)
Vulpix hesitated.
"Oowu..." (Dratini's wake-up service is pretty effective too...)
The three shared a moment of understanding.
Indeed, Dratini's wake-up service was legendary.
Watching their secretive huddle, Johan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Seems like Dratini won't be corrupted so easily...
The next second:
"Ka-kah~!"
Haunter dragged the confused Dratini into their huddle. The four pressed their heads together in a comical display of scheming.
"Just building friendships," Johan reassured himself, wiping his forehead.
As a Pokémon psychologist's team, discussing hypnosis techniques seemed par for the course...right?
Still, he felt relieved seeing how quickly Dratini integrated.
"To celebrate, let's eat out tonight," Johan decided, heading to his room.
He had two gifts in mind for Dratini, and this was the perfect opportunity to present them.
Unbeknownst to Johan, as soon as he left, the conversation among his Pokémon took a bizarre turn.
Given:
Dratini's final evolution is Dragonite.
Tinkatuff's final evolution is Tinkaton.
Conclusion:
"Giant Dragon Hammer Duo!"
Tinkatuff envisioned a future where it and Dragonite worked together to smash down large Flying-types.
Its eyes sparkled with ambition.
Haunter, ever the sage, patted Tinkatuff and Dratini reassuringly.
"Ka-kah!" (Johan works hard to provide for us. We must repay him by being strong.)
Tinkatuff, already experienced in frugality, nodded vigorously.
"Chu!!" (Agreed!)
Dratini, though slightly overwhelmed by the conversation's rapid pace, managed to keep up.
As a "great Dragon-type Pokémon," helping its trainer achieve greatness was the obvious path forward.
Suddenly, Haunter froze, its expression turning serious.
"Ka-kah?"
It floated up to the ceiling, phasing its head through the wooden beams.
What it found was unexpected: a green, spider-like Pokémon hanging upside-down—an Spinarak.
And standing nearby on a support beam was a figure clad in black ninja attire.
Haunter's eyes narrowed.
Ninja.
The ninja appeared just as startled to see Haunter. Opening his mouth to speak, he was cut off as a massive Shadow Ball came hurtling toward him.
Koga: ?!
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates