"Professor, what are you doing?" Mark and Ash asked as they reached the upper floor of the lighthouse. Professor Bill was gazing out over the sea.
"Waiting," the professor replied simply.
"Professor, hello! My name is Ash, and I'm from Pallet Town, just like Mark. You said you were waiting—but waiting for what?" Ash's curiosity sparkled in his eyes.
"For a Pokémon unlike any other… a phantom that's unimaginably gigantic. It might be the largest Pokémon in the world. For years, I've been here, hoping to catch a glimpse of it," Professor Bill said, his eyes full of hope.
Then, he pulled out a recorder and pressed play. A sound poured out—a deep, flowing resonance like a dragon's cry.
"This is the voice of that Pokémon. I can vaguely sense its meaning—'Where are you? I want to meet you.' For years, I've been broadcasting this message from this lighthouse out to the sea, telling it I'm here and I want to meet it," the professor explained.
At that moment, a melodious response came from the seaside, remarkably similar to the one from the recorder. Mark knew—the legendary Dragonite was arriving! Suddenly remembering something, he quickly sent out Scyther.
"Scyther, scout the coast! If you see a duo with a Meowth, attack them with Vacuum Wave!" Scyther took off at once. Moments later, a bothersome sensation buzzed at Mark's ears.
"The Rocket Team? How could they be there?" Ash wondered aloud.
Mark smirked without saying a word—because, of course, you are there.
"Finally, I'm coming… I want to meet you… come quickly…" Professor Bill's eyes sparkled with emotion.
A colossal shadow approached from the distance and slowly walked toward the lighthouse. Only then did everyone see—it was a Dragonite.
"Th-This is Dragonite! How can a Dragonite be this huge?" Giselle gasped in astonishment.
"So… your true form is Dragonite? Do you know I've been waiting for you here, hoping to become friends with you?" Professor Bill stepped forward, speaking gently. In truth, this Dragonite was extraordinarily intelligent. It had long sensed someone calling it in the name of friendship, but knew the caller wasn't its true companion, so it never revealed itself. But today, it felt two familiar auras and finally appeared.
Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon—it was an ancient Pokémon surviving from primordial times, with power nearly equal to the Legendary Beasts. The system couldn't fully calculate its stats. Mark saw the message flash on his screen—an ancient Pokémon. No wonder it had such size and strength!
Dragonite didn't pay much attention to Professor Bill. Instead, its gaze fixed on Mark and Ash. The sight made both boys a little nervous.
"Host, this Dragonite probably wasn't attracted by the sound Professor Bill broadcasted," the system whispered to Mark. "If that were the case, it would have come long ago. Its appearance today is likely due to you and Ash. Ash's special wave energy resembles that of ancient Wave Warriors, and Dragonite lived in that era, so it feels familiar."
No wonder! The Dragonite that hadn't responded to years of calling suddenly appeared at their arrival. It was their special auras drawing it in—but while Ash's bond came from wave energy, what connection did Mark have?
After looking at Ash for a while, Dragonite realized that Ash wasn't its companion—it merely shared wave energy similar to its ancient friend. That explained the strange sense of familiarity. Then it turned to Mark—and discovered something else. This boy… this boy could be its companion! It felt an overwhelming warmth and couldn't resist reaching out.
"Mark, be careful!" Giselle cried.
"It's alright! Dragonite means no harm—I can feel it," Mark reassured her. Yes! Mark and Dragonite shared the same sense of belonging. Could it be… that he had some connection to the ancient world? He couldn't help but wonder.
Dragonite extended its hand toward Mark. Without hesitation, Mark stepped forward and placed his hand on it. As expected—it was his true companion! Sensing Mark's familiar aura, Dragonite's face lit up with joy.
"Dragonite, hello! My name's Mark."
Dragonite nodded and let out a beautiful dragon cry to the sky. Though the language barrier remained, Mark could feel the warmth of friendship flowing between them.
"Dragonite… you've been searching for a companion, right? You must have been so lonely. I feel it—I feel this natural bond between us."
Though their languages differed, the boy and the dragon conversed effortlessly. Somehow, they understood one another's thoughts. After some time, Dragonite gently set Mark down.
"Dragonite, I'm sorry! I have dreams to fulfill. I'll have to leave tomorrow. But please believe me—no matter where I go, our bond won't change. Once I become stronger, I'll return as a trainer and officially befriend you!" Mark promised.
Dragonite said nothing, but with its keen intelligence, it surely understood that Mark couldn't leave together with it now. It smiled at Mark in understanding, then flew from its body and placed two items in his hands. Though reluctant, Dragonite slowly departed.
Mark looked at the items—a flute and a scale. He had never seen these in his past life and didn't know what they were. Instantly, he asked the system.
"Host, both are incredible treasures!" the system responded. "The flute is called the Dragon Flute—it's used to summon Dragonite. It's meant for when you're in danger, calling it to protect you. However, its power is limited—it can only be used three times. The scale is a dragon scale from Dragonite's body. When you eventually catch a Dragon-type Pokémon, this scale will have wonderful uses."
So that's what it was! A gift from Dragonite itself! Thank you, Dragonite!
"It seems the one truly destined to be with Dragonite isn't me, but you!" Professor Bill smiled wryly from the side.
"No, Professor! Dragonite just told me—it knows you aren't its true companion, but it's still grateful to you, because it understands your heart is sincere. You genuinely wanted to be its friend," Mark replied.
"R-Really?! Dragonite really said that?!" Professor Bill's face lit up with renewed spirit. His heart swelled with joy—if Dragonite could understand him, all his efforts weren't in vain!
Mark hadn't lied to him. Though Dragonite had never come out to meet the professor, it hadn't strayed far. For thousands of lonely years without a companion, the sudden appearance of someone genuinely wanting to be its friend brought it true happiness.
The next morning, Mark and Ash bid farewell to Professor Bill and set off toward Vermilion City. Their paths aligned, so they chose to travel together for now. Meanwhile, Professor Bill remained at the lighthouse, determined to continue waiting for Dragonite. He was certain that one day, the moment would come when they'd truly become companions—and when it did, it would be a bond for life.
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