The ground shook as the dust settled. Dragonite's body lay still, scorched and broken—but then it twitched. Slowly, painfully, the dragon shifted, shielding the man beneath it.
Lance crawled free, battered and bleeding, yet alive. His partner had taken the brunt of the Core Enforcer.
Ethan's brows rose. Even after all that… Dragonite protected him. No wonder he's so confident.
Lance's face twisted into a snarl. His pride was gone, replaced by murderous intent. "I'll remember your face, boy. For today's humiliation, I swear I'll have revenge."
Ethan smirked. "Why wait? I'm right here. Want revenge? Take it now."
He raised his hand as if to command Annihilape, whose fists still smoldered from Rage Fist.
"RAAAGH!"
But before Ethan could give the order, Lance's Aerodactyl swooped in, shrieking, wings spread wide. Lance laid a hand on its side, shaking his head. "Not here. Not now."
Ethan lowered his arm, his grin turning provocative. "Coward. A defeated opponent will always be a defeated opponent."
Aerodactyl roared furiously, but Lance pressed it down with a cold glare. His voice was low, dangerous. "Boy. Tell me your name. If you have the guts."
Ethan tilted his head, then answered without hesitation. "Sure. My name is Hao. Xing Hao. Remember it well. You're welcome to come looking for me anytime."
Lance's eyes narrowed. "Hao… You're strong, I'll admit it. But today's victory was nothing but luck. Next time, you won't be so fortunate."
He returned Dragonite into its Poké Ball, then mounted Aerodactyl with grim determination. "Wait for me. When we meet again, you'll regret this."
With a beat of wings, Aerodactyl carried him into the storm clouds and vanished.
Ethan snorted. "Go on, then. Hao of Vermilion City is waiting."
He turned to his fallen Charizard. Kneeling, he pulled a Revive Shard from his bag—worth four thousand Alliance Coins—and placed it gently into the dragon's mouth.
A minute later, Charizard's eyes flickered open. Its burns closed rapidly, scars vanishing before Ethan's eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Ethan asked quietly, watching the message window above its head.
Today had been Charizard's first true defeat since joining him. One hit—one Hyper Beam from Dragonite—had ended it instantly. Ethan worried it would crush the dragon's spirit.
Charizard groaned, shaking its head. Then its eyes hardened with unyielding determination. There was no despair, no fear—only resolve.
Ethan blinked as the system updated.
Level: 40. Trait: Unyielding Heart. After suffering defeat, Charizard's drive to improve has doubled its skill growth and experience gain. 204 days until next level.
Ethan's lips curled into a grin. "Well, well. Losing might've been the best thing for you. A Buff like this… it's even better than winning."
He patted Charizard's neck. "Good. That's how it should be. Today's loss means nothing. Dragonite only won because it's stronger now. Once you're on equal ground, you'll crush it."
Charizard roared softly in agreement. It believed the same. Its wings unfurled, and it immediately began practicing Flamethrower, flames lighting up the forest.
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't push too hard. We'll train, but not here. Let's leave Mahogany before trouble piles higher."
One day later, in Blackthorn City, Ethan stepped out of a Pokémon store, a polished Luxury Ball in hand—delivered by Silph Co. as promised. He went straight to the Pokémon Center and transferred Annihilape into the upgraded capsule. The ball pulsed faintly with warmth, designed to calm even the fiercest Pokémon and strengthen bonds.
He exhaled in relief. "That's one less thing to worry about. If Annihilape explodes again, maybe this will keep it from breaking everything around it."
But he didn't linger. Blackthorn was the ancestral land of the Dragon Clan—Lance's home turf. The Gym Leader here, Clair, was Lance's cousin. Staying too long was an invitation for disaster.
So Ethan passed through the city quickly, camping just beyond its borders, always alert.
Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Clan's cavern in Blackthorn, Clair rode her Gyarados into the depths, following a message from her cousin.
She found Lance waiting by the Dragon Lake, Dragonite and his blue Gyarados submerged in the waters, healing. Both bore vicious scars—red welts from flames, deep gouges from Precipice Blades, scales sloughed off by Core Enforcer.
Clair gasped, covering her mouth. "Cousin! How did your Pokémon end up like this?"
Lance's brow furrowed. His silence was enough to stop her questions cold.
Finally, he spoke, his tone low and commanding. "Do me a favor. Go to Vermilion City in Kanto. Investigate a trainer named Hao. Find everything you can—his background, his journey, every detail."
Clair nodded gravely. "Alright. But… was it this Hao who left Dragonite and Gyarados like this?"
Before she could finish, Lance's glare silenced her. She lowered her eyes quickly.
As she turned to leave, her thoughts burned. Damn that Hao. To wound my cousin's Pokémon so badly… just wait. I'll make you pay the price.
Elsewhere, Ethan paused in a forest clearing, asking Charizard to rest. He reached into his pack and drew out a crimson Poké Ball—the one containing the Red Gyarados.
This was the first time he had touched it since the capture. Soon he would need the beast's strength to dive into the depths of Cinnabar's seas in search of the Silver Wing. But before that, he had to establish trust.
He pressed the button.
A flash of light burst, and the Red Gyarados erupted into the clearing, towering, its coils blotting out the trees.
"ROOOAR!"
Its bellow shook the earth. Birds scattered, smaller Pokémon fled in terror.
Ethan stood calmly, waiting as the dragon vented its fury. When the roar subsided, he smiled. "Hello, Gyarados. I'm—"
The beast's jaws snapped open. Energy surged, white-hot.
"Hyper Beam…" Ethan cursed, eyes widening.
In a flash, he recalled it into the ball before the beam could fire. He stood frozen, hand trembling around the capsule. "Seriously? Straight to murder before I even finish saying hello?"
His calm expression cracked into anger. "You damned brute. Can't even hear my name without trying to vaporize me?"
But he forced himself to breathe. Getting angry won't help. Even the roughest Pokémon can be tamed with the right approach.
Charmander had once been stubborn, mistrustful, and angry at the world. Now it was Charizard—loyal, determined, proud. If he could win over a dragon like that, he could tame Gyarados too.
He pressed the button again.
Flash.
"ROOOAR!"
Hyper Beam charged instantly. Ethan recalled it again.
Flash.
"Hello—"
"ROOOAR!"
Back in the ball.
Again.
And again.
Over and over, nearly a hundred times. Each time, Gyarados roared and prepared to fire, and each time Ethan returned it before the blast could launch.
At last, his lips twitched into a grin. "Persistent, aren't you? Fine. I like that. Let's see who breaks first—me or you."
He lifted the ball again, eyes gleaming. "Gyarados, this game is only beginning."