When it came to Dragon Island, Lance's expression was unprecedentedly serious.
Even though Ash was among them, matters concerning Dragon Island had to be taken seriously. It's the foundation of the Dragon Taming Race's strength. Whether it's capturing Pokemon, trials within the clan, or various rewards, all are related to Dragon Island. There is a presence on Dragon Island that even the Dragon Taming Race must respect.
If Ash and the others overstay their time on Dragon Island, they will definitely face severe punishment, unless there are special circumstances.
So even when facing Ash, Lance had to adopt a stern demeanor to warn them seriously.
The three nodded to indicate they understood, then all three mounted on Dragonite's back, put on blindfolds, and began their journey to Dragon Island. Along the way, Dragonite's speed made Gary and Paul cling tightly to its body.
Only Ash seemed completely at ease sitting on Dragonite's back. Not to mention his outstanding physical fitness, just riding Pokemon was something he'd done countless times after Pidgeot and Charizard evolved.
After all, as a child, he dreamed of flying on a Pokemon. After starting his journey, although he could use jumping as a form of flying, Ash still wanted to ride on Pokemon to experience the sensation of flying.
So flying on Pokemon was second nature to Ash, even if Charizard was much slower than Dragonite.
Throughout the journey, Ash was well-behaved and didn't use Aura Power to explore the surroundings. He wasn't the kind of person who was greedy for knowledge. There was no need to know the exact location of Dragon Island. Even if he could never return after capturing a Pokemon this time, he would be fine with it.
If someone else with less integrity but Ash's abilities were in his place, they'd likely be plotting a route to remember, to return someday and capture more Pokemon from Dragon Island.
Although Dragon Island belongs to the Dragon Taming Race, they don't really control it. The Pokemon on Dragon Island are allowed to grow freely and only set foot on the island when someone in the family needs a starter Pokemon or as a reward.
Hence, Dragon Island remains mostly uninhabited. If someone were to know the route and sneak over there, unless they caused a commotion on the island, no one would notice.
This was why Lance was so cautious, even though he knew Ash, Gary, and Paul wouldn't do such things, yet he still had to ensure the utmost vigilance.
As time passed, Ash clearly felt that the airflow around him had changed. He had arrived in a place filled with intense Dragon Power. Even as Dragonite continued flying at high speed, he could feel the Dragon Power stimulating his skin.
They should already be over Dragon Island now, and they would probably land soon.
As Ash had anticipated, in under two minutes, Dragonite's speed gradually decreased and eventually came to a full stop.
"Woo-oh~" Dragonite called out, signaling to Ash that he could remove his blindfold. Ash took off the black blindfold and slowly opened his eyes.
What appeared before him was a forest, with no trace of Pokemon in sight. The surroundings looked the same in every direction, leaving him unaware of where they were.
Beside him, Lance and his Dragonite were also descending, but there was no sign of Paul and Gary.
"We've arrived, Ash."
"Uh… where are Gary and Paul?"
"Since you're the Champion, you have the privilege to directly enter the inner region of Dragon Island. As for them… not only do they need to explore the island, but after finding this place, they also have to pass the Dragon's Trial to arrive here."
The inner region of Dragon Island… Dragon's Trial… Ash knew there were many conveniences for entering Dragon Island as a Champion, but he hadn't expected to have so many more privileges than the runner-up and third place.
Being able to come directly to this inner region of Dragon Island was one thing, but not having to participate in the so-called Dragon's Trial saved a lot of effort, allowing him more time to search for Pokemon.
"Is there any difference between the inner region of Dragon Island and the outside?" Ash looked around, curiously asking.
"Firstly, the Pokemon species. It's safe to say all the Quasi-God Dragon Type Pokemon on the island are in the inner region. While there are quite a few Dragon Types on the perimeter, Quasi-Gods are scarce. Even if you find one, its talent might not be good, though the quality of a Pokemon's talent is up to the Trainer's discerning eye. There's no talent tester here."
"Secondly, the inner region is not large, and Pokemon are densely populated. There are almost all types of Dragon Type Pokemon, and they've all been selected to enter here, meaning their talent is outstanding."
"In your Pokedex, you have the distribution of Pokemon within the inner region of Dragon Island. Almost all species' habitats are marked, except for a few areas we haven't explored. The outer region, however, lacks a complete map and does not mark where Pokemon are, because the area is so vast that marking it is unrealistic."
After hearing Lance's words, Ash couldn't help but marvel. The treatment and benefits as a Champion were on another level compared to the runner-up and third place.