"Little one, don't be afraid. We won't hurt you."
On Lucas's face lingered a gentle smile, his gaze burning slightly as he looked at the baby Lugia before him—this young one wasn't even half as tall as him.
Although what he loved most were Dragon-type Pokémon, the juvenile Legendary in front of him still carried a tremendous allure.
To raise a top-tier Legendary Pokémon from its earliest stages—this was something unheard of since ancient times!
"Awuuu…"
The little Lugia let out a timid whimper. Although it truly couldn't sense any malice from the man before it, the unfamiliar surroundings and what it had just gone through still left it feeling deeply afraid.
"It looks… very timid, doesn't it…"
Noticing Lugia's fear, Ilene blinked and whispered softly.
Even Legendary Pokémon, when they were children, weren't all that different from human children.
And it was understandable—suddenly being taken away, with a mind still as immature as a child's, of course little Lugia would be scared.
"That's why, after all, it's still just a child," Green muttered, his gaze scanning up and down the small Lugia.
It was truly difficult to imagine that such a timid little one would someday grow into the mighty Sea Guardian, Lugia.
"If it's still a child, then it's actually not that hard to deal with."
Lucas chuckled lightly, pulling out Pokéblocks specially prepared for Psychic and Flying-types.
As if a naïve and innocent child could possibly trouble him?
The only real pity was that his Dragon Force didn't work on Lugia. After all, unlike Viridian Power, which carried natural affinity with Pokémon, or N's special bloodline that gave him innate closeness with them, his power was exclusive to Dragons. But then again, even Viridian Power wasn't universal—it depended heavily on the situation and the Pokémon's emotions at the time.
Otherwise, even Yellow in the original story wouldn't have been chased around by wild Pokémon.
"Relax. We mean you no harm. You should be able to feel that, right?" Lucas spoke gently, moving his steps slowly closer to Lugia.
Pokémon were far more sensitive than humans at perceiving emotions, and Legendary Pokémon especially so—they could keenly sense the intentions of a person's heart.
Though still innocent and a little bewildered due to its age, even young Lugia could instinctively sense the good and evil in people.
It tilted its head, its large eyes gazing doubtfully at Lucas.
"Here, have some of this. You must be hungry."
Lucas unwrapped the Pokéblocks and placed them in front of Lugia, then took a few steps back to show his goodwill.
Lugia's mother usually brought it here to feed. Perhaps Legendary Pokémon required little food, but this was still a young one—it needed abundant nutrition to grow.
"Wuu?"
The small Lugia stared at the Pokéblocks on the ground, then lifted its head to look at Lucas again.
He smiled and gestured toward the food.
Hesitating for a moment, Lugia leaned its head forward, sniffed the Pokéblocks, and found the scent delightful.
"Wuuu!?"
Opening its mouth, it took a bite and began chewing. Instantly, its big eyes lit up, sparkling with joy.
These were Pokéblocks crafted by a top-tier breeder—both in taste and nutrition, they were the best of the best for any Pokémon.
Accustomed only to eating seaweed, little Lugia had never tasted such delicious food.
Emmm…
Watching Lugia eat so eagerly, Green couldn't help but think of a certain familiar creature… a little growlithe.
"Eat slowly. There's plenty more."
Lucas smiled warmly, watching as he slowly approached Lugia and gently stroked its head.
No resistance.
Seeing Lugia's eyes curl into crescents of joy as it chewed, Lucas's own expression softened even more, his smile like that of a doting father.
"So, in the end, it really is still just a child…"
Witnessing the scene, Green covered his face helplessly. With just a bit of food, you were completely won over? As expected of a little Lugia.
But then again, it wasn't surprising. A child's world was simple and pure. Otherwise, how else could you explain why some children in the human world could be lured away with nothing more than a piece of candy?
"Awuuu—!"
Lugia ate at lightning speed. In no time, an entire packet of Pokéblocks—worth tens of thousands—was gone, devoured clean.
Then it lifted its head, staring at Lucas with wide, expectant eyes, letting out a pleading cry.
"There's more, but you can only have one more pack."
Chuckling, Lucas rubbed Lugia's neck and pulled out another packet of Pokéblocks.
It wasn't stinginess—Pokéblocks contained extremely rich nutrition. And Lugia was still young; overeating in a single meal wasn't good for its body.
"Wuuu! Wuuu!"
The moment Lugia spotted the new pack, it grew excited, calling out again and again in joy.
"So cute~"
Ilene's eyes shone brightly. Lugia's body wasn't exactly small compared to most Pokémon, but its design was undeniably beautiful.
And paired with its identity as a Legendary Pokémon, the appeal was overwhelming. For an instant, Ilene felt like even her Mime Jr. didn't compare.
"It is cute, I'll admit. But I think this one is already spoken for…"
Green glanced at Lucas, pursing his lips as he spoke.
No need to guess—it was obvious Lucas had his eyes on this Lugia.
"Its potential is immeasurable. With proper training, it can become the strongest Lugia yet."
Standing up, Lucas smiled faintly. He didn't bother hiding his intention—Lugia belonged to the class of top-tier Legendaries.
Sure, once upon a time, both Lugia and Ho-Oh had been defeated and captured by Pryce, even forced into acting as kidnapper accomplices. But that didn't prove Lugia was weak.
It only showed how overwhelmingly strong Pryce had been.
Besides, Lugia was a Legendary species, and within its kind, strength varied. He remembered how the Lugia in the Hoopa and the Clash of Ages movie had put up a decent fight.
Even when facing the evil Unbound Hoopa, it managed to hold its own.
Unbound Hoopa was still a Mythical Pokémon, but Mythical power levels fluctuated wildly. On one end, you had Phione, essentially powerless and existing only to look cute. On the other, you had Arceus, capable of creating and destroying worlds, practically an unbeatable cheat.
Unbound Hoopa, however, was at the extreme high end of that spectrum.
On its debut, it crushed wave after wave of Legendaries.
It fought and defeated both Reshiram and Zekrom, as well as Regigigas—taking on three at once and winning. It fought and defeated Kyogre and Groudon together. With its special ability to summon through space rings, Hoopa effortlessly toyed with these titans.
And yet…
That same dazzlingly powerful Unbound Hoopa was sealed away by humans wielding Arceus's power…
From a terrifying super demon, it was reduced to a mischievous little trickster god. Hmm. Praise be to the Llama God—Arceus forever!
Still, even that monstrously powerful Unbound Hoopa was held off for a time by Lugia.
Yes, most of Hoopa's attention had been focused on Ash and the Bound Hoopa during that battle, but that didn't erase the fact that Lugia's strength was formidable.
"Once things settle down here in Kanto, maybe I should head to Kalos and search for the Arche Valley…"
Lucas raised his brows slightly in thought. After most of its abilities were sealed, the Bound Hoopa had stayed in the Arche Valley…", living every day mischievously.
That made Bound Hoopa one of the easiest top-tier Pokémon to approach. The problem was the Valley's location—it was as much a mystery as the hidden tribes of the Draconid People.
At least the Draconids lived in Meteor Falls, and that much was recorded in the original story. But the Arche Valley…"'s whereabouts…
Who knew?
So, he would have to wait for a time when he was truly free before investigating.
Just then—
The entire base shook violently. The sudden tremor nearly knocked everyone off balance.
The little Lugia, busy munching Pokéblocks, stumbled hard, falling to the ground and crying out in pain.
"What happened?"
Struggling to stay upright, Lucas turned to Butch at the entrance and demanded answers.
This was a massive undersea base. Its balance was rock-solid. It should have been impossible for it to shake like this.
There was only one explanation…
"Report, Lord Lucas—uh, the protective shield… has been broken by Lugia…"
Butch's face was pale with shock. After hurriedly confirming with the Rocket members in charge of security, he quickly delivered the news.
The shield—was broken by Lugia!
"As expected."
Lucas wasn't too surprised. That shield had only ever been designed for defense; it had no counteroffensive ability whatsoever.
And with a Legendary's stamina and endurance, Lugia could simply pound away endlessly. It was only a matter of time before it broke through.
He had only underestimated the speed. Part of the problem was the base's limited energy reserves—but mostly, it was the mother Lugia's frenzied assault.
Frowning slightly, Lucas glanced at the small Lugia, who was now rubbing its sore face with its tiny wings, and pulled out his phone.
"Doctor…, how are things on your end?"
Lucas directly called Dr. Nambo, his tone sharp.
"Mr. Lucas… things are not looking good."
Inside the control room, Dr. Nambo's expression was dark as night.
"The protective barrier has been broken by Lugia. It is now entering the base."
He never imagined the mother Lugia would go this insane. He had thought the barrier would at least hold for a while. Instead, in just ten minutes, it was shattered.
Now, the undersea base lay completely exposed before the furious Legendary.
"Your trap isn't finished yet?" Lucas had no patience for Nambo's useless complaining.
"No. That's the worst part… The trap still needs twenty more minutes to be ready."
"But at this rate, in only ten minutes Lugia will have destroyed the entire base."
"We… we might all be fish food soon…"
Watching on the monitors as Lugia blasted open a hole and charged inside, Dr. Nambo spoke in terror.
There was no doubt—having had its child taken, this Lugia would go on a rampage of destruction!
(End of Chapter)