Karen casually waved her hand. Come on, who did they think she was? She was Karen, after all!
Would it really be so easy for someone like Lance to catch her? If Lance really dared to come for her, she'd... well, alright, she couldn't beat him.
But just because she couldn't beat Lance didn't mean she couldn't bully the other League members, right?
Karen was the kind of woman with a slightly wicked personality—one who held grudges very tightly.
Will just shrugged even more indifferently. While it was true that he couldn't compete with a Champion in raw power, as a Psychic-type specialist, he could teleport away instantly the moment he sensed something was wrong.
After bidding farewell to Karen and Will, Lucas and Marnie set off toward the small village that Jiniao had mentioned.
"It really does feel kind of strange," Marnie remarked.
Now that she was alone again with Lucas, she glanced at him thoughtfully, seeing him deep in contemplation, and blinked her clear, bright eyes.
"What is it?" Lucas asked, snapping out of his thoughts and raising a brow.
"Isn't it weird?" Marnie tilted her head slightly, looking at the endless trees ahead. "I suddenly became a member of an evil organization… don't you think that's kind of bizarre?"
Yes, even though she'd been so resolute back in the Viridian Gym, now that she had time to reflect, Marnie found the whole thing strangely surreal.
Just a week ago, she had been the younger sister of the Spikemuth Gym Leader in the Galar region, and likely the future Gym Leader herself.
She even had a dream of becoming Galar's Champion, reviving her hometown Spikemuth, which was slowly losing popularity.
But now…
Forget about becoming Galar's Champion—she had become a member of an evil organization that everyone wanted to wipe out.
And not just any group—she had joined Team Rocket, in the faraway Kanto region, separated from Galar by an ocean of countless miles.
"A person's life is always full of unexpected twists and turns," Lucas said gently. "It's precisely because of the unknown that we're more driven and interested to keep moving forward.
If everything just followed a set path laid out by yourself or someone else, steadily moving step by step… is that really the kind of life you want?"
He gave her a warm smile as he gently ruffled her soft hair.
Marnie's steps paused for a moment. She turned her head and looked at Lucas, her beautiful eyes glimmering.
Yes.
It was exactly because of life's unpredictability that things like surprises could even exist.
And what made it even better was—
That it was a journey they were walking together, growing closer with each step.
But…
"And besides—there's an old saying: when you marry a man, you follow him. So don't even think about escaping," Lucas said, his smile gradually turning mischievous.
The hand that had been ruffling her hair slid down to gently pinch her soft, delicate cheek.
Mm… smooth and silky. It felt amazing.
Marnie stared at him expressionlessly. Right now, she seriously suspected she had been possessed a moment ago.
To think she had actually felt that life with this kind of man could become meaningful?
"Hmph~"
Still, feeling the warmth of his hand on her cheek, Marnie let out a soft snort, slapped his hand away, and continued walking forward, her ponytail swaying slightly.
Lucas chuckled softly. What a tsundere little girl.
The two of them continued walking and chatting as they moved along. After covering some distance, they arrived at a small creek.
"Let's rest here for a bit and grab something to eat," Lucas said after checking his phone and looking around.
Viridian Forest was huge—even with a clear destination in mind, it would still take some time to reach that little village.
"Alright, I'll prep the food," Marnie responded naturally. She pulled various food items out of her space backpack with practiced ease.
Lucas, meanwhile, took out the Poké Ball containing the Galarian Moltres, intending to continue its training.
"Ahhh!!!"
Just then, a panicked scream pierced the air.
Lucas turned toward the source and saw a thin figure running frantically toward them.
"Well, what a coincidence," he muttered with a grin as the figure drew closer.
When he saw the girl clearly, the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.
Golden blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, dressed in worn-out clothes, her delicate face filled with fear as she gasped for breath.
That appearance—so incredibly familiar.
Yellow.
----------------------------------------------------------
Her full name was Yellow Viridian.
This was Yellow's full name—not carrying any special meaning, it simply signified a girl from Viridian Forest.
She was a gift from Viridian Forest, a pure and kind-hearted child, someone who would wholeheartedly repay even the smallest favor from others.
Such people were incredibly rare back on Lucas's original world, Earth, but in this world, there were actually quite a few children like Yellow...
After all, the hearts of young people were often filled with the most sincere dreams and emotions. They longed for a beautiful future—naive and pure.
To put it bluntly, this world was drastically different from Earth. On Earth, the internet was so highly developed that online information was a chaotic flood. In an age where even elementary schoolers could freely surf the web, could you expect a child to maintain a pure and innocent heart?
Dream on.
But Yellow was still different from the typical kind-hearted child—because she was a gift from Viridian Forest. She possessed a natural talent so outstanding that it could rival the world itself!
Just like Red, Blue, and Green, Yellow was a true prodigy of her generation, favored by fate itself!
And that was precisely why Lucas had come looking for her.
"I was planning to go search for her... but I didn't expect her to deliver herself right to my doorstep."
Looking at the panic-stricken Yellow, Lucas's lips curled slightly as he slowly walked toward her.
At that moment, Yellow, who was desperately fleeing, hadn't noticed there were people ahead—her mind too overwhelmed with anxiety.
"Hik... I really didn't mean to hurt you! I just saw you were injured and wanted to help treat you..."
Yellow looked back over her shoulder, her dusty little face full of distress. Her lower lip trembled as if she was about to burst into tears.
Not far behind her, a massive Pokémon was glaring at her with cold, vertical pupils.
It was a long, snake-like Pokémon—about four meters in length—slithering across the ground with eerie grace.
If it coiled up, you'd see clearly that it strongly resembled a cobra.
It was an Arbok! Yes, an Arbok!
But what was most shocking wasn't that it was an Arbok—it was that this Arbok wasn't the usual purple color. It was a shining golden-yellow!
Golden yellow was supposed to be a bright and warm color.
But this Arbok's body had a dull, almost sickly shade of gold, which instead gave off an eerie and sinister feeling.
A Shiny Arbok!
"Hiss~"
A faint hissing sounded as the Arbok's cold, vertical pupils locked tightly onto Yellow. Its chilling, menacing stare made Yellow's heart tighten in fear.
"This is... just too unlucky..."
Even when she used the Viridian power to sense emotions, all she could feel from this Arbok was intense anger and hostility.
Yellow understood that her reckless actions had stirred the suspicion of this extremely wary Arbok—it had mistaken her as someone trying to take advantage of its injury and capture it.
But she really hadn't meant that!
She didn't even have a Poké Ball! How could she possibly capture a Shiny Arbok?
She had simply seen it injured and wanted to use her powers to help heal it.
Yellow had no choice but to keep running. If that Arbok caught up, it wouldn't be something she could laugh off.
Snake-type Pokémon were inherently cold and dangerous—especially Arbok. Arbok were carnivorous!
Their usual prey was small Pokémon. And judging by the sheer size of this one... Yellow had zero doubt that it could swallow her whole without a second thought.
She loved Pokémon dearly—but she had no intention of donating her own body as food for one!
"Eh? There's someone up ahead?"
It was at that moment that Yellow spotted a figure in the distance, and her heart suddenly tightened.
She bit her lip. Despite her fear, the kind-hearted Yellow decided to change direction.
Because the Arbok chasing her was far too strong—definitely not something an average Trainer could handle.
She didn't want to drag innocent people into this.
But just then—
"Quite the big fellow. Moltres—Dark Pulse."
"Chirp—!"
A clear male voice reached Yellow's ears, followed by a sharp, ominous cry.
A large, black-and-red bird Pokémon soared into view, appearing above Yellow with blazing wings.
A wave of deep purple, dark energy streaked over Yellow's head, shooting toward the Arbok behind her!
The Arbok's pupils narrowed menacingly. Its coiled body twisted as it narrowly dodged the Dark Pulse.
Boom!
The blast of energy hit the ground behind it with a deafening explosion.
"So strong!"
Yellow felt a sudden rush of wind behind her. The force was immense! This red-and-black bird was insanely powerful!
"Are you alright?"
Lucas stepped forward, glancing at the Arbok, which had now coiled up and was warily watching the Galarian Moltres. He turned to Yellow and smiled gently.
"I... I'm fine... thank you…"
Seeing the handsome, well-dressed, and dignified young man in front of her, Yellow lowered her head shyly and answered in a voice as soft as a whisper.
Having lived her whole life in a small village in Viridian Forest, she'd never seen anyone like him before.
It wasn't that she was shy because he was handsome—she simply wasn't good at dealing with people.
In her tiny world, her only companions had been the kind elders of the village. Outsiders were rare.
"You don't have to be so nervous. I'm not a monster who eats people," Lucas joked light-heartedly.
He hadn't expected this version of Yellow—who, in the original story, had such a brave and resolute spirit that she could even stand face-to-face with Lance without flinching—to be this bashful.
But come to think of it, outside of battle, Yellow had always been a pure and simple girl.
"Ah? N-No, I didn't mean that... I'm not..."
Yellow's dust-covered cheeks immediately turned red at his words. This time, she was genuinely embarrassed—so flustered that she could barely speak.
"What a sweet child," Lucas smiled even more warmly. "Here, wipe your face. Head over to my friend over there. I'll handle this big guy."
He handed her a clean handkerchief and pointed toward Marnie, who was watching from a distance.
"Um…" Yellow originally didn't want to accept the handkerchief, but Lucas gently pushed it into her hands, leaving no room for refusal.
She pursed her lips, quietly moved. She looked like a plain, slightly scruffy girl—she never expected a stranger to treat her with such kindness.
"Hmm?"
"It wasn't really trying to hurt me... Could you please not harm it?"
Yellow looked at Lucas nervously. Even though being chased by Arbok had been terrifying just moments ago...
As someone who truly loved Pokémon, Yellow understood that this wasn't really Arbok's fault.
She had been careless, approaching a badly injured and extremely cautious wild Pokémon too suddenly.
"Don't worry. And besides, this big guy…"
Lucas raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze toward the Shiny Arbok. His eyes gleamed slightly.
Its appearance, size—everything about it was top-tier. And it was a Shiny!
A normal Arbok usually measured about 3.5 meters in length. But this one—just by estimating—was easily over 4 meters. And it was wild!
With proper training, it could definitely grow even larger.
Honestly, Lucas was a bit tempted himself. He hadn't expected to find not just Yellow but also a Shiny Arbok during this trip to Viridian Forest.
"Thank you, big brother…"
Hearing his gentle reply, Yellow let out a small sigh of relief. Her sensitive intuition told her he wasn't lying.
And it made sense—he looked like a Trainer. And not just any Trainer—a very strong one.
If it was a Shiny Pokémon, then of course he'd be interested.
Yellow stepped behind Lucas, her clear and pure eyes filled with admiration as she looked at him.
A Trainer...
Yellow had just turned sixteen this year. She also longed to become a Pokémon Trainer.
But having lost her parents early, her life had been supported by the kind elders of the village. She didn't even have the money to buy a Poké Ball—becoming a Trainer was just a distant dream.
The Galarian Moltres slowly flapped its wings, its burning red aura billowing outward. Its sharp, birdlike eyes stared coldly at the Arbok on the ground.
"Hiss~!"
Sensing the growing pressure, the Arbok's pupils grew more menacing. Suddenly, it opened its blood-red maw and fired a series of dark purple toxic globs at the Moltres.
Sludge Bomb!
"Use Hurricane," Lucas ordered.
He raised an eyebrow, impressed that this wild Arbok dared to launch an attack even under the overwhelming presence of a legendary Moltres.
"Screee—!"
The Galarian Moltres shrieked sharply. With a dramatic sweep of its eerie wings, it summoned a violent windstorm.
A colossal gust surged forward like a tidal wave, blasting apart the incoming Sludge Bombs effortlessly.
Under the force of the hurricane, the Arbok was flattened to the ground by the pressure, unable to move.
Razor-sharp wind blades swirled through the storm, slashing relentlessly at the Arbok's body.
Arbok gritted its teeth and forcibly raised its body, diving directly into the ground—Dig!
"Oh?"
Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly and released Gardevoir.
Dig was a Ground-type move, but considering this Arbok, it might be trying to escape. Just in case, he had Gardevoir keep a close watch with its psychic powers.
Lucas was genuinely intrigued by this Arbok...
Whoosh— Just then, the sound of breaking earth erupted. A massive golden serpent suddenly burst forth from underground, leaping high into the air and aiming to bite the airborne Galarian Moltres.
"Though its speed is fast, the gap in power is far too wide. Dark Pulse."
Lucas chuckled lightly and gave the calm command.
Galarian Moltres slightly lifted its body and gathered sinister, purple-black energy in front of it.
In the next moment, Dark Pulse was fired straight out, striking the Arbok that was clearly overestimating itself.
With a pained screech, Arbok's body plummeted to the ground like a kite with a broken string.
"Fiery Wrath."
Galarian Moltres raised its head high, its sharp, piercing cry ringing across the sky. A black-and-red flame aura surged wildly around it.
The malevolent energy surged across the ground, carving strange patterns. In the next instant, the black-and-red energy exploded like a tidal wave and engulfed the Arbok entirely.
Boom!
Fiery Wrath!
With a thunderous explosion, the energy burst outward. Arbok collapsed to the ground, utterly defeated and unable to move.
"Poké Ball."
Lucas thought for a moment, then tossed out a Poké Ball toward the Arbok.
After all, it was a Shiny Pokémon, and from what he had observed, this Arbok had exceptional potential.
Sure, in the games, Arbok's base stats weren't anything to brag about, but in the real Pokémon world, strength was never solely determined by base stats.
What mattered more were a Pokémon's natural talent, potential, and how well it was trained.
There are no weak Pokémon—only weak Trainers.
Of course, that being said, no one's expecting a Rattata to beat a Legendary…
Guys like Pryce, who sent a Swinub to fight and defeat Ho-Oh and Lugia? That's once in a millennium.
Even so, not even Pryce would seriously send out a Pidgey or Rattata against a Ho-Oh, right?
Lucas wasn't that reckless. He was extremely picky about a Pokémon's potential. You could say his standards were high.
He wasn't just an evolution purist—he simply had zero interest in naturally weak Pokémon with little growth potential.
But this Arbok was different.
This Arbok could be unique. Just look at Agatha's Arbok—it mastered the secret technique "Death Gaze" and was insanely powerful.
The secret behind that technique lay in transforming the pattern on Arbok's neck to boost its basic stats.
Now that Lucas knew this, he was confident he could eventually replicate Death Gaze.
And he believed—his Arbok would one day surpass Agatha's.
"From now on, stay with me. I'll make you stronger and stronger."
The Poké Ball hit Arbok. After just three flashes, it settled—clearly, Arbok had submitted.
Lucas picked up the ball and smiled.
"Nice, another Pokémon with outstanding potential added to the team."
"W-Wow! That's amazing! Like, really awesome!"
Seeing how easily Lucas defeated and caught the terrifying Arbok, Yellow widened her eyes slightly in awe.
"This big brother really is super strong…"
"Well, the danger's been dealt with. But next time, if you don't have the means to protect yourself, don't go disturbing Pokémon with bad tempers like that one."
Lucas put the Poké Ball away and turned to Yellow with a smile.
It was really fortunate he happened to pass by. With that Arbok's grumpy disposition, she'd have been in serious trouble otherwise.
"I understand. Thank you, big brother. If you hadn't helped me, I really don't know what I would've done…"
Yellow pursed her lips and lowered her head politely, then bowed slightly in gratitude.
Despite her poor upbringing, the girl had clearly been raised to be well-mannered.
"No need to thank me. Our meeting must be fate. Come, I'll take you somewhere to rest."
Lucas smiled gently.
What a surprisingly simple way to earn Yellow's gratitude.
Although having ulterior motives toward such an innocent, naïve girl might seem disgraceful to some, he couldn't fight fate.
Yellow—basically a 70% guaranteed success!
There was an unseen gleam of satisfaction in Lucas's eyes.
Who was Yellow?
A kind-hearted girl who would always repay kindness!
All it took was Ash saving her once and leaving a deep impression, and she dared to stand up against the Kanto Elite Four for him.
Something with low effort but potentially huge returns? Only a fool would pass that up.
A child chosen by the world! A dream, indeed.
(End of Chapter)