"Yozora, the Indigo League is only two months away. By now, you should've already collected all eight badges, right?" Ryūnan clapped his hands and casually lured Yozora's Dratini over to him.
Ryūnan was usually arrogant toward ordinary trainers, but when it came to Yozora, his attitude was noticeably friendlier.
This alone showed just how much he acknowledged Yozora's strength.
Yozora shook his head. "Sorry, I only have seven badges."
Hearing that, Ryūnan's eyes widened slightly in disbelief—but soon he nodded to himself in understanding.
To him, it wasn't that Yozora lacked the strength; it was simply that his pace was a little slower.
"No matter. There's still plenty of time. With your skill, getting that eighth badge will be effortless!"
Ryūnan played with the Dratini for a short while before returning it to Yozora. Smiling, he said: "But before that, how about a full 6-on-6 battle? At the Indigo League, the two of us are bound to clash sooner or later. Why not size each other up now?"
"Of course." Yozora smiled and nodded. The chance to battle an expert like Ryūnan was something he welcomed eagerly.
Seeing Yozora accept, Ryūnan's face lit up with joy. "Good. Then prepare your lineup—I'll be waiting here."
Yozora shook his head. "No need to prepare. I can start anytime."
Ryūnan frowned immediately, his eyes flicking toward the Dratini perched on Yozora's shoulder. The meaning was clear: that Dratini hadn't even shed its skin yet—it was still a baby, with no combat ability whatsoever.
To bring it into a 6-on-6 battle against him? Wasn't that looking down on him?
"Arrogant! Using a newborn Dratini in a 6-on-6 is the same as fighting with five Pokémon against six! Who does he think he is, treating Ryūnan like this?!" Some of the spectators, already swayed by Ryūnan's overwhelming aura, began shouting in his defense.
At that moment, they naturally stood on Ryūnan's side, condemning Yozora's supposed arrogance.
Yozora just chuckled, enlarging the Research Ball in his hand. "Relax. Dratini's inside this Research Ball. It's not part of my six main Pokémon."
Only then did Ryūnan nod in satisfaction. The surrounding crowd exchanged whispers, finally realizing the truth.
Instantly, the looks directed at Yozora carried newfound respect. Who would have thought—Yozora wasn't just a trainer, but also a Pokémon researcher.
Amid the excited cheers of the audience, Yozora and Ryūnan took their places on the battlefield.
At the same time, Ryūnan recalled his Dragonair. That Dragonair was his trump card, and in a full 6-on-6 match, it wasn't to be sent out so lightly.
Once both trainers were ready, the referee raised his voice: "This match will follow Indigo League rules—6-on-6! Each side may switch Pokémon twice mid-battle. Now, begin!"
As soon as the words fell, Yozora and Ryūnan released their first Pokémon.
"Houh!"
"Moo—!"
Yozora sent out a Machoke, while Ryūnan revealed a Miltank.
[Machoke] (Fighting): Commander-tier, Elite Four potential.[Miltank] (Normal): Senior-tier peak, Senior potential.
"Oh? You also have a Miltank?" Yozora's eyes lit with surprise.
"You said… 'also'?" Ryūnan instantly caught the key word. A flash of jealousy flickered in his heart. "So, you have one too?"
As a core heir of the Blackthorn Clan, Ryūnan had access to abundant resources. Like Gary Oak, he was a prodigy with money and power at his disposal.
But Miltank—especially one with Senior potential—wasn't something money alone could buy.
He had gone through great lengths to obtain his, and yet Yozora casually admitted he had one too.
Still, Ryūnan quickly calmed himself. He already acknowledged Yozora's strength.
In his eyes, anyone who lacked the Blackthorn Clan's Dragon Power but could still stand at his level wasn't an ordinary talent. If Yozora couldn't even acquire a decent Miltank, he wouldn't be worthy of being his rival.
"Miltank, use Defense Curl to polish your body, then Rollout!" Ryūnan commanded sharply.
For him, Miltank was only a support Pokémon, never a main force.
But unlike Yozora, who could carry extra Research Balls, Ryūnan was limited to six Pokémon only.
On his journey, having Miltank around was indispensable, so it always took up a slot.
Of course, in a casual battle like this, he didn't mind bringing it out. But if it were the Indigo League itself, he would never waste a precious slot on a Miltank.
"Boom—!"
Miltank curled up and rolled forward like a pink wheel, charging at full speed.
Yozora remained calm. "Machoke, Bulk Up and hold it."
"Houh!" Machoke roared, crossing its muscular arms to brace itself against the impact.
The Rollout slammed into it with tremendous force—enhanced by Defense Curl, its power was doubled. Machoke was pushed back three full meters.
But that was all. The attack barely scratched it. Machoke still radiated unshakable momentum.
"Now, Brick Break!"
White light flared along Machoke's palm. With a single strike, it smashed Miltank to the ground.
Fighting-type moves were super effective against Normal-types—double damage.
On top of Machoke's raw strength, the one blow was enough to instantly knock Miltank out.
"Miltank is unable to battle. Machoke wins!" the referee declared.
Ryūnan pursed his lips, but his expression didn't falter. To him, Miltank was only a filler. Losing it didn't matter.
"Your turn—go, Aerodactyl!" With a swift motion, Ryūnan sent out his second Pokémon: the ancient sky tyrant, Aerodactyl.
[Aerodactyl] (Rock/Flying): Commander-tier high rank, Elite Four potential.
Its whole body was gray, with the appearance of a pterosaur—tall and lean.
Though Aerodactyl was taller than Charizard, its slim frame made it appear less bulky. But precisely because of its streamlined build, Aerodactyl excelled in flight. Its speed was terrifying, often circling high above to exert crushing pressure on land-bound Pokémon.
That was why it had earned the title of Sky Tyrant.
Strictly speaking, Aerodactyl wasn't a Dragon-type, but Rock/Flying.
Even so, some latent Dragon-type energy flowed within its body, allowing it to wield Dragon-type techniques like Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, and Dragon Dance.
…
…
(End of Chapter)