Blaine stood on the magma-covered land, watching as a massive sonic boom erupted across the sky. Only then did he adjust his sunglasses and return to his research institute to prepare for the final battle against Team Rocket.
High above the clouds at six thousand meters, Garchomp retracted its scythe-like wings, its form resembling a high-speed fighter jet. Its body, crafted by nature, adhered perfectly to the laws of aerodynamics, allowing it to soar at supersonic speeds.
Ryuuske stood on Garchomp's back with his hands in his pockets. According to human records, a powerful Garchomp could fly at Mach 1—approximately 1,200 kilometers per hour, about twice the speed of a typical passenger jet. However, Garchomp capable of such speeds were exceedingly rare, with only those trained by elite trainers ever achieving such incredible velocity.
Clearly, Ryuuske's Garchomp was even faster, having far surpassed Mach 1, which was why its flight produced the sonic boom phenomenon.
The violent winds generated by its high-speed flight were sharp enough to tear a person apart, yet as they swept past Garchomp, they transformed into a gentle breeze. This was the power of Pokémon—their innate energy fields could even distort the laws of nature. And the trainers who commanded such creatures were, in the eyes of ordinary people, no different from "monsters."
Standing atop Garchomp, Ryuuske's short hair fluttered slightly as he surveyed the sky. With no reference points in the high-altitude clouds, even supersonic flight felt almost motionless. Beside him, Leaf sat with her legs stretched out, letting the wind tousle her light brown hair against her delicate, beautiful face.
"At this speed, we'll probably reach Pallet Town in less than an hour," Leaf sighed softly.
She suffered from ornithophobia, so none of her Pokémon were flying types. Normally, she relied on Jigglypuff's balloon-like properties to get around, but hot air balloons were painfully slow compared to Garchomp's supersonic flight—it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Fortunately, Leaf was only afraid of birds, not flying itself. Since Garchomp was a dragon, riding on its back caused her no discomfort. She even considered catching a fast-flying dragon for herself as transportation.
But she quickly dismissed the thought. The fastest-flying dragons were Garchomp and Dragonite(Dragnoir), both of which were incredibly rare. Leaf doubted she'd ever find one.
Sometimes, she wondered where Ryuuske had managed to find two such ultra-rare dragon-type Pokémon.
Of course, she didn't know that almost all of Ryuuske's Pokémon had been given to him by others. If she had, she might have been green with envy at his absurdly good luck.
The distance between Cinnabar Island and Pallet Town wasn't too great, especially when flying in a straight line. And with Garchomp's current speed, Ryuuske could easily use it for regional travel. Even flying from Kanto to Hoenn or Sinnoh wouldn't be a time-consuming endeavor for him now.
The only real challenge of high-altitude flight was navigation. Fortunately, the technology in this world was advanced enough that the Pokédex could function as a makeshift GPS. Ryuuske periodically checked his position on the device, and as they neared Pallet Town, he ordered Garchomp to descend.
The massive dragon's body pierced through the clouds once more, revealing the breathtaking sight of the azure ocean meeting the lush green plains along the coastline. Even Leaf couldn't help but stand up and gasp in awe.
Garchomp dove sharply, skimming just meters above the water like an amphibious aircraft. The powerful air currents sliced through the sea's surface like a blade. Then, with a graceful arc, it soared over the coastal cliffs, rustling the treetops before the Oak Research Laboratory came into view.
THUD.
Garchomp landed smoothly, the resulting shockwave sending dirt and grass flying in all directions, bending trees and forcing those nearby to shield their faces from the gust.
When the wind finally settled, Ryuuske heard a familiar voice—one choked with barely restrained fury and sorrow, hoarse as if its owner hadn't drunk water in days.
"You're back."
It was Gary, but his voice was nothing like his usual self.
Ryuuske lifted Leaf off Garchomp's back and frowned at Gary. The boy's face was twisted with anguish, his eyes red from recent tears.
Nearby stood another familiar face—Ash, who looked utterly helpless, as though he'd tried and failed to console Gary. Seeing Ryuuske, Ash visibly relaxed, as if he'd finally found someone who could take charge. He gestured frantically at Gary and then at the lab, not daring to speak too loudly.
Ryuuske extended his psychic senses to scan the lab. While his abilities weren't precise enough to pick up fine details, they worked like radar, giving him a rough layout. The interior wasn't in complete disarray—some documents were still neatly arranged—but all the Poké Balls containing Pokémon were gone. Most importantly, Professor Oak and Gary's sister, Daisy, were missing.
After a moment's thought, Ryuuske concluded that Team Rocket was behind this. Professor Oak was likely safe since he wasn't in Kanto, but Daisy had probably been taken hostage.
"This is all your fault…"
Gary stood beside his fully evolved Charizard, his head lowered, teeth clenched.
"Hm?"
Ryuuske raised an eyebrow. Gary was usually the epitome of calm—a trait supposedly honed through childhood training. But now, he was acting like an emotional child, lashing out blindly.
"It's because you provoked Team Rocket that they came to Pallet Town!!! This place is my grandfather's life's work—the purest, most untarnished place in the world! And now it's ruined! All because of Team Rocket! Even my sister was taken hostage!"
Gary's roar was filled with rage, his face contorted with fury.
"Uh… my mom was taken too…"
Ash muttered weakly. Ryuuske couldn't help but feel like their personalities had suddenly reversed.
"Calm down, Gary. Don't blame others for everything. Sure, Ash and I have clashed with Team Rocket, but you've spent the last ten months making trouble for them too. If anything, you're more responsible for drawing them here. I have no family in Pallet Town, so even if Team Rocket took hostages, they can't use them against me."
Ryuuske's words were brutally cold, making Gary's expression darken further.
Still, Gary forced himself to swallow his anger. Then he noticed Leaf standing beside Ryuuske and, with great effort, kept his tone steady as he asked, "...Who's she?"
"Professor Oak's Squirtle is with her."
That single explanation told Gary everything.
"So, you're the one who stole my grandfather's Squirtle. You've got some nerve showing your face here, thief."
Already on edge, Gary finally found an outlet for his rage. With a snarl, he lunged at Leaf, his expression so terrifying that the usually quick-witted girl froze in shock.
Just as Gary's hand was about to grab her, Ryuuske intercepted his wrist.
"Let go! I'm taking her to the police! A habitual thief like her must have a long record. What are you doing with someone like this, Ryuuske?!"
Gary struggled against Ryuuske's iron grip, shouting furiously.
Leaf patted her chest in relief, silently scolding herself for letting her guard down. She didn't know when she'd started trusting Ryuuske so much, but seeing him and Gary interact had made her assume Gary was an ally.
She'd forgotten that Gary was the grandson of her theft victim.
THUD!
When words failed, Ryuuske opted for action—driving his knee into Gary's stomach.
"...Picking on a girl isn't a good look. Especially when you're just trying to dump all your pent-up rage on someone else to make yourself feel better. That's what weak people do."
"Guh—!"
Gary doubled over, clutching his stomach as he dry-heaved.
Then, in a blind fury, he swung a fist at Ryuuske's face.
Ryuuske dodged twice before realizing Gary had actual combat training. Though not a master, his punches were disciplined, clearly the result of professional instruction.
Seeing that a fistfight might end badly for him, Ryuuske decided to cheat.
He raised his left hand and used Force Choke.
Gary's face turned red as he clawed at his throat, lifted into the air by an invisible force. His legs kicked wildly as he struggled for air.
Charizard moved to intervene, but Garchomp—twice its size—blocked the way, glaring down with predatory intensity.
A drop of sweat rolled down Charizard's forehead. It averted its gaze, its flaming tail flicking nervously.
It knew Ryuuske wouldn't actually kill Gary.
Once Gary was immobilized, Ryuuske treated him like a punching bag—left hook, right hook—until his handsome face was swollen and his mind clear.
With a flick of his left hand, Ryuuske tossed Gary onto the grass, then cracked his knuckles as he looked down at him.
"...Feel better now?"
Gary lay silently, but the madness from before was gone.
Truly, the best way to restore someone's rationality was with a Friendship-Shattering Fist. The ancients never lied.
Ryuuske nodded in satisfaction.
To be continued…
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