Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Come out, Kyurem."

Dylan didn't hurry to leave; instead, he released the Ice Dragon, Kyurem.

Kyurem appeared in its standard form, its golden dragon eyes fixed intently on Ultra Necrozma, as if lost in thought.

"Not bad, my Kyurem is still as imposing as ever," Dylan remarked, growing increasingly fond of his Kyurem as he sprayed it with a Hyper Potion.

Though its appearance wasn't exactly beautiful, Kyurem's fierce look was certainly distinctive.

Upon hearing this, Kyurem lifted its head slightly—'I'm the most imposing one!'

Lillie blinked her big eyes, feeling a little eager to approach Kyurem, but memories of its previous ferocity made her hesitate.

"How are you? Are your injuries still severe?"

After spraying a bottle of healing medicine on Kyurem, Dylan asked it.

"I've recovered a lot," Kyurem responded, moving its body and speaking in a deep, raspy voice through telepathy.

It could clearly feel a significant improvement in its condition; human medicines were quite effective.

However, more than its physical state, it was still fixated on Ultra Necrozma. How could that being be so powerful?!

After staring at Ultra Necrozma for a while, Kyurem shifted its gaze to Reshiram, the White Dragon, with an unrestrained intensity that made Reshiram's feathers stand on end.

Creepy!

"Dylan, let me 'consume' the White Dragon."

After some thought, Kyurem spoke to Dylan.

"???" Reshiram almost plastered a giant question mark onto Kyurem's face.

Dylan chuckled, glancing at Reshiram.

"No, Kyurem, we are all allies," Dylan shook his head at Kyurem.

"If I devour the White Dragon and then merge with the Black Dragon, I could return to my original form!"

If Kyurem were in human form, its brows would certainly be furrowed at this moment.

"Compared to that useless White Dragon, the Dragon God form would naturally be more beneficial to you, and you wouldn't have to worry about me turning against you."

"Since I've decided to follow you, I won't betray you."

Kyurem spoke in a low tone. It was a proud Ice Dragon, and though it had a violent nature, it never went back on its word—that was its pride.

Besides, a human's lifespan was a mere century; for a being like Kyurem, favored by the world, a hundred years was hardly more than a nap.

A century was nothing to Kyurem, so there was no need to break its promise.

"…"

Reshiram stared at Kyurem with its bright blue eyes. If it weren't for knowing it couldn't win, it would have lunged at the Ice Dragon to bite it.

Was it even speaking a language?!

"Kyurem, you're too extreme. Interactions between lives shouldn't be judged solely by strength," Dylan sighed, patting Kyurem as he spoke.

"Reshiram is my companion. Its strength may seem insignificant to you, but that doesn't matter to me."

Dylan~!! What a great friend!

A warm current flowed through Reshiram's heart, making the entire dragon feel cozy. As expected from the chosen hero—so touching~

But…

"Even if it gets scared and doesn't dare to fight, even if it only yells about beating Zekrom, even if its holy appearance hides a Sea King's nature, it's still my White Dragon."

Reshiram's expression turned blank. It no longer felt touched at all.

"Allies should not harm each other, Kyurem. You may not understand this since you've never had much interaction with others, but you need to remember this," Dylan said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the resentful gaze from behind.

Kyurem looked puzzled upon hearing this. Allies? It never had allies; at best, the White Dragon and Black Dragon were its kin.

Yet, Kyurem hardly acknowledged that.

"...Boring."

But soon, it snorted disdainfully. The strong should never lower themselves to interact with the weak—that was its definition of being a strong one.

Even if it became Dylan's partner, it wouldn't abandon its pride.

"No worries, take your time."

Dylan shrugged. He didn't expect Kyurem's mindset to change quickly after just being captured; it wasn't surprising for a being like Kyurem to have its own will.

"Let's head to a nearby city for some food."

Dylan glanced at his phone's map. This area was a bit remote, but it wasn't a big deal.

"Kyurem, I'll need you to give us a ride."

With his destination set, Dylan recalled Ultra Necrozma and the White Dragon, who was casting a gloomy glance.

Dylan, you big traitor!! Now that you have an Ice Dragon, you're not riding me anymore?! This Ice Dragon is all cold and stiff; it's nowhere near as soft and warm as my feathers!!

However, Dylan indeed wanted to try riding an Ice Dragon for a change.

"Roar~!"

Kyurem did not refuse, raising its head and roaring as flames burst over its body, transforming into its White Kyurem form.

Since it had already decided to follow Dylan for a century, Kyurem naturally accepted him.

"Lillie, come on."

Dylan sat atop White Kyurem, extending his hand to Lillie as the dragon's golden eyes squinted slightly.

Lillie's heart pounded as White Kyurem's golden gaze bore down on her, making her feel goosebumps.

Yet, seeing her brother on the dragon's back, she took his hand and climbed up.

She was on!

From riding the White Dragon to now riding the Ice Dragon, Mother, your daughter is truly accomplished!!

Lillie was filled with excitement. She was probably the second human in the world to ride Kyurem!

It was just a little uncomfortable. Lillie shifted her position—its icy touch was even more chilling than Articuno.

Hmm, personal review: riding Kyurem wasn't as comfortable as Reshiram, but Lillie wouldn't dare say that out loud…

White Kyurem snorted uneasily. Having humans on its back felt strange.

"Let's go, Kyurem."

"Roar~!"

With a thunderous roar, White Kyurem, surrounded by red and blue light, soared into the sky and flew toward a specific direction.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

"Zekrom, are you alright?"

N stood in a forest, startled to see Zekrom wobbling through the sky.

Boom~!

Zekrom landed heavily, but almost stumbled as it did, alarming N.

"Zekrom!"

"I'm okay, N. Some unknown guy saved me."

Zekrom's weak and tired telepathic voice reached N, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

N quickly took out a Hyper Potion and an Ice Heal to spray on Zekrom.

"That Dylan guy!!"

Seeing the injuries and frostbite on Zekrom's body, N felt a deep pain, thinking about Dylan. Even someone as calm as N couldn't help but grit his teeth.

Dylan! You're really unforgivable! How could you do this?!

Tricking us into taking the blame for your mess. You should be responsible for your own mistakes—that's a basic principle even children understand!

"White Dragon!!"

Zekrom was also grinding its teeth at the moment. It knew it—Reshiram might appear pure and sacred on the surface, but it was definitely dark on the inside.

This beating today was totally undeserved. The Ice Dragon had hit hard without holding back; it hurt like crazy!

"N, once I recover, let's go find the White Dragon and its hero!"

"Alright!"

Zekrom just couldn't swallow this grievance; it was completely innocent!

N immediately agreed. Dylan had truly gone too far this time, and N wanted to vent his anger too.

But just then, N's phone rang.

"N, we have a lead on the person who framed Father," Ghetsis's voice was as cold as ice.

"Who is it?" N frowned. He couldn't forgive someone who harmed his father and was determined to seek justice.

"The Unova League released the news. I'll send you the link. N, this person is definitely a major enemy on our path to ideals! You have to defeat him!" Ghetsis said sternly.

"I understand, Father." N nodded and then opened the news interview video sent by Ghetsis.

Seeing the handsome, black-haired youth in the video, N's previously dull eyes began to flash—it's you again...

Dylan!!

"Father, he's the one chosen by the Dragon of Truth."

"?" Ghetsis was momentarily stunned, then gritted his teeth.

How could such a vile person gain Reshiram's recognition? Disgusting! Does Reshiram not care about good and evil? Bah!

"Very well! That's perfect! N, get ready. Once we confirm this guy's location, you're going to defeat him!"

Ghetsis spoke sternly. The one chosen by the Dragon of Truth was indeed formidable, which explained why Ghetsis couldn't defeat him.

But it didn't matter!

My adopted son is invincible! A mere White Dragon and its hero—N will surely win!!

Besides, Colress had revived Genesect; they could ambush Reshiram directly. How could they lose?

After N defeated this scoundrel, how should he humiliate him?

A cold, sinister smile crept onto Ghetsis's face. This guy was courting death by crossing him!

At Driftveil City, a port city in Unova, the name Driftveil means "sail and whirlpool."

Driftveil was known as the gateway to the Unova region, a hub for many shipping routes. Although Unova was shrouded in darkness, the port was still bustling with lights.

Yes, Ultra Necrozma was no longer draining the light, so normal lighting was functional.

Hence, Driftveil City appeared just like any other night.

But in reality, it was still different—it wasn't even five o'clock in the afternoon!

Dylan and Lillie had arrived at Driftveil City, the nearest city to their location.

On their way, the Unova League had also contacted him, and his reward had already been arranged for him here in Driftveil.

In front of the Driftveil Gym, Dylan and Lillie found three people waiting for them.

One of them was a burly, rough-looking man wearing a black bowler hat, dressed like a nouveau riche—the Gym Leader, Clay.

Beside Clay stood a sweet, innocent-looking girl with short pink hair, wearing a long pink coat over a white top with a red tie, and blue pants.

Dylan raised an eyebrow; she was Clay's daughter, Lacey, ranked third among the Elite Four of the Blueberry Academy.

The last person was a middle-aged man with long orange hair. His distinctive outfit and the Poké Ball hanging from his neck identified him as Alder, the current Champion of Unova.

"Hahaha~ It seems our guests have arrived. Dylan, the Gym Leader, nice to meet you~"

Noticing Dylan and Lillie approaching, Alder's eyes lit up, and he laughed warmly.

Clay and Lacey looked over with curiosity.

"Champion Alder, you're too kind."

Dylan approached the three and spoke with polite humility.

"This isn't just politeness. Ghetsis is ambitious, cunning, and quite capable. Capturing him is no easy task."

Alder clapped Dylan on the shoulder, his demeanor enthusiastic.

"Dylan, it's impressive you caught him! I heard you're a Gym Leader from Kanto. Ever thought about coming to Unova?"

"You're still young, right? Let me tell you, if your skills are good enough, I'll give you my position as Champion! Plus, Unova has plenty of beautiful women!"

"I've traveled all over Unova these past few years, so I know what I'm talking about—like Tyrantrum and little Rosa, for example. What do you think, Dylan? If you come to Unova, I'll personally introduce you to a girlfriend!"

Alder's arm was around Dylan's shoulder as he spoke with boisterous enthusiasm, as if ready to recruit him on the spot.

Meanwhile, Clay, Lacey, and Lillie were all sporting looks of shock.

Unova's Champion? Really?