Gible took the initiative to enter the Poké Ball, getting caught without the slightest bit of struggle.
Really greedy.
In order to enjoy delicious food, he chose to be caught.
Seeing Gible get captured, the other selected Dragon-type Pokémon cubs silently returned to their clans, leaving with their parents.
Where did the three Dragon Kings come and go?
The Poké Ball that had just sealed Gible popped open with a "bang," and Gible jumped out, waving to its mother. "Ka~~~"
"Crack!!" The Garchomp Dragon King turned back slightly and let out a roar, then sped up. Its two younger brothers were a bit more reluctant, turning back frequently, but they were swiftly taken away by the Garchomp Dragon King's mother.
"You're so lucky to have caught the child of the Garchomp Dragon King," Olivia said enviously. "Train it well. Once it grows up, maybe it won't reach Elite level, but it'll definitely be strong enough to make you a Gym Leader."
Chris was noncommittal. Whether this Gible would become his main Pokémon depended on its individual potential. If its potential wasn't high, it might end up as just a mascot.
He returned Gible to the Poké Ball.
The two began heading back to Dragon University.
They retraced their steps, passing through the forest and the cotton sugar tree where the green Swablu and Altaria were still wrapped up.
Reaching the beach, the two Krabby were still battling, but Starmie had disappeared. A Blastoise appeared, having come from somewhere.
Not only were there powerful Dragon-type Pokémon here, but also rare and treasured ones.
Olivia released Gyarados to head home.
Just as she was about to climb onto Gyarados's back, Chris suddenly noticed a couple of Haxorus along with a few Axew and Fraxure passing by the coast.
Speaking of Haxorus, Chris once thought it was a pseudo-legendary Pokémon when he first saw it.
Its sharp appearance, decent speed, and terrifying attack power—especially that attack power—could rival some pseudo-legendaries. Once it started a Dragon Dance, it could take down opponents in no time.
However, its physique was a little slimmer, and while its physical strength, defense, and special defense were decent, they weren't outstanding.
If he wanted to build a Dragon-type team, Haxorus would definitely be worth training.
He remembered that Axew were native to the Unova region. If he could choose the next region to visit, Unova might be the one. There was Dragonspiral Tower there, a great place to catch Dratini.
When it's time to hunt for a shiny Dratini or Axew, he'd have to remember that shiny Axew are light gray, different from their usual dark green.
Wait.
Chris suddenly noticed a light gray Axew among the two dark green ones.
"Shiny Axew?!" Chris raised his eyebrows.
Olivia, who had just climbed onto Blastoise's back, followed his gaze, spotting the shiny Axew. "A shiny Axew? There's actually a shiny Axew here in the Dragon Nest of the East Sea?!"
"Why didn't I notice it earlier?"
Chris gulped and turned to Olivia. "Is it too late for me to change my mind?"
Olivia looked at Chris regretfully and shook her head. "It's too late. You've already caught Gible, the child of the Garchomp Dragon King, witnessed by the three Dragon Kings themselves.
If you want to give up Gible, you'd probably have to fight all three Dragon Kings, especially Garchomp."
Almost forgot, the Gible I caught is the Garchomp Dragon King's child.
Abandoning Gible and then trying to capture that Shiny Axew? I'd probably be torn apart by the Garchomp Dragon King on the spot!
"So, is there any other way for me to have a chance to capture that Shiny Axew?" Chris asked, unwilling to let such a rare Pokémon slip through his fingers.
Moreover, if the Shiny Axew isn't caught within the year, the winner of next year's military training competition might claim it! Chris remembered Olivia mentioning that the breeding department would be visiting the Dragon's Nest. By then, the existence of the Shiny Axew would be well-known, and any incoming freshman would likely try to add it to their team.
Pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Bagon and Gible are already hard to come by, but a Shiny Pokémon? Meeting one is purely by chance, making it even rarer. No one would pass up that opportunity.
Of course, some new students might still prefer the powerhouses like Bagon or Gible over the Axew, but Chris wasn't going to leave the decision to chance.
"The contract between Dragon University and the Dragon's Nest does allow for more than one trip per year to capture Dragon-type Pokémon cubs," Olivia said thoughtfully.
"Aside from asking a professor to use their privilege to get the school to sponsor you for another capture, your best bet is to participate in the intramural league."
"What's the intramural league?"
"It's an internal selection competition for the National College League," Olivia explained. "The top five trainers in the intramural league get to represent Dragon University in the National College League."
"As representatives of the school, the college will provide extra resources. The top three trainers from our school have, in the past, requested assistance in capturing Pokémon, especially Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries, and were brought to the East China Sea Dragon's Nest to catch them."
"You could use that opportunity."
This was indeed both an opportunity and a challenge.
The National College League was held once a year, and so was the intramural league. But competing in the intramural league would mean facing off against not only fellow freshmen but also sophomores, juniors, and even seniors. Chris realized that the top three seniors in the league could easily catch the Shiny Axew before he had a chance.
It wouldn't be easy.
The intramural league selects the top five strongest trainers in the entire school, so if Chris wanted to secure a spot in the top three, he'd have to compete against some very experienced students.
It was going to be tough…
"Let's start down this path," Chris decided. He didn't know when he'd get the chance to visit the next region, or if that region would even have a place to catch Axew.
With a Shiny Axew right in front of him, he had to try.
Competing against the upperclassmen? It might be difficult, but there was still a chance!
Besides, Olivia mentioned the option of asking a professor to use their privilege to arrange another capture. If Chris approached Theodore, what kind of bargaining chip would he need to offer?