Chapter 87: A Refreshed Team
The news of Lord Alan's return spread throughout the Royal Capital that very day, along with descriptions of his adorable new appearance. The word "adorable" was personally endorsed by Queen Liz, so no one dared to refute it. For a time, the area outside the Royal Palace was quite lively, with many residents hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
While the general public couldn't enter, some people could. For example, the blue-haired little princess of the other Dragon Tamer Clan branch, who had just turned 10.
"Alan~"
That afternoon, Ryuuki rushed straight into the Royal Palace, searching everywhere for him. However, after half an hour of running around aimlessly, a tired Ryuuki came to the courtyard and plopped down on a bench.
"Sigh... Where did Alan go?" she wondered, turning to look at a chubby orange Pokémon and a purple, big-mouthed Pokémon sitting on the grass nearby. She wasn't surprised by their sudden appearance; new Pokémon showing up by Liz's side was no longer a strange occurrence.
"...What are you running around for?" Alan asked. He and Golbat had been leisurely sunbathing when Ryuuki started her frantic search.
"Huh? Big Fatty, are you talking to me?" Ryuuki's eyes lit up. She jumped off the bench and ran in front of him, looking up with curiosity.
"So you didn't recognize me," Alan sighed helplessly. He had initially thought her lack of an immediate greeting meant she had matured over the past two years, but he now realized the truth. He glanced at a nearby gardener, who simply smiled. Everyone knew who he was; they were clearly teasing the little girl.
"Hmm, you give me a familiar feeling," Ryuuki frowned, staring into his eyes. Gradually, her own eyes widened, and she pounced forward, throwing herself into his embrace.
"Recognized me?" Alan asked with a smile.
"Alan! Alan!" Ryuuki rubbed her cheek hard against his belly, as if trying to start a fire. She hadn't recognized him through any special power; she had recognized his gaze. No matter how much his appearance had changed, the way he looked at her was the same—the same gentle look her parents gave her.
"Speaking of which, where's your Natu? Weren't you always holding her?" Alan asked, patting her head.
"Hehe~" Ryuuki wasn't listening at all, completely immersed in her own world.
"Never mind... I'll go see Charmander and the others. He should have evolved by now, right?" Alan sighed and stood up.
"Golbat?" his companion asked, waking from a doze.
"I'm taking you to meet some friends. Oh, and this is Ryuuki. She'll be your friend, too."
"Golbat."
"...Hello," Ryuuki said, her attitude toward Golbat relatively aloof. As a lover of aesthetics, Golbat's appearance didn't impress her.
"Alan, where are you going? Take me with you!" she pleaded, wrapping her arms around his thigh.
"Won't your mother be angry?"
"Take me, take me~"
"Alright, alright, come on up," Alan scooped her up into his arms and took to the sky with Golbat. Having not been back in two years, he had to take a moment to find the direction of the Pokémon Academy.
The laws of the kingdom no longer used the term 'Magical Beast,' so all related institutions had been renamed. The Pokémon Academy, the Pokémon Research Institute, Pokémon Scholars, and so on.
"So fast~" Ryuuki shouted as they flew. The journey that used to take five minutes now took only one.
"Last time I left, I was just the strongest in the academy. This time, I should be the strongest in the Kingdom, right?" Alan thought with a smirk.
As they descended, a crowd of Pokémon had already gathered on the grassland below. Among them, a green bird-like Pokémon saw Ryuuki in Alan's arms, startled, a hint of spirit appearing in its dull eyes. It flapped its wings and flew towards a small grove.
"Alan, look! It's Dazey! Why did she run away?" Ryuuki pointed.
"Xatu? She evolved," Alan noted, impressed. He hadn't expected Ryuuki to send her Pokémon to the academy, but it was a smart move. 'She's at least Lv. 25 or above, which is pretty good.'
While Xatu's direct combat abilities weren't top-tier, its move pool made it an excellent support Pokémon, a role of utmost importance on a large-scale battlefield. A minute later, Alan found out why she had flown off.
She had gone to call for people.
When Alan looked at the Pokémon that Xatu brought back, his eyes couldn't help but light up. The scrawny Charmander from back then had grown into a robust Charizard. The two wild Gyarados now seemed somewhat gentle. The mischievous Gligar now carried a bit of an imposing aura. With the Golbat he had brought back, Liz's team had been completely refreshed.
However, the more he looked, the more something felt off. As the head of the Dragon Tamer Clan and Queen of the Royal Dragon Kingdom, four of Liz's five main Pokémon were Flying-types, and only one was a Dragon-type. Even Ryuuki's two Pokémon were both Flying-types.
"This... Gyarados and Charizard, they count as half-Dragon, right?" he mused.
[Inorin Note:
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