Lionel's gaze was glued to the Dratini, unblinking; curiosity and amazement shimmered in his eyes.
Seeing him like that, Steven's face lit up with a grin he couldn't hide, glee sparkling in every line of his features.
He lifted a hand, pointed at the little fellow still wagging its tail in curiosity, and announced with open pride,
"You recognize it, don't you? This is Dratini—the fabled first form of Kanto's Dragonite."
"You might not believe it, but Lance hounded me for ages, begging for that Feather-Marked Fossil I showed you last time."
"I finally gave in and traded the fossil for his Dratini egg; it hatched just two days ago!"
Hearing this, Lionel's pupils shrank; he could scarcely believe his ears, outlandish guesses detonating in his head:
"Trade a Dratini for the Plume Fossil? The Fossil revives into Archen—so he swapped Dratini for Archen. Would Lance really do that?"
"Even if he didn't know what the fossil would become, once Archen actually stepped out of the restoration chamber, he still went through with the trade?"
"That's insane! Don't tell me he loves the nickname 'Dodo' so much he wants Pokémon worthy of the title?"
These bizarre notions swirled through Lionel's mind like a revolving lantern.
Lost in thought, he suddenly caught the smug curl of Steven's lips and the mischievous twinkle that flashed across his eyes.
Lionel's heart skipped; the matter was clearly far from simple.
Noting the curiosity brimming in Lionel's gaze, Steven's smile deepened.
He cleared his throat, delight and anticipation bubbling in his tone, and began to explain the whole story, savoring every detail.
When Lionel finished listening, he felt dazed; the affair was unexpectedly linked to himself and Tyrunt.
Lance had schemed so long for a Dragon-type, only to end up with Archen—truly, fate loved a joke.
Yet Lionel understood Lance's urgency; after what had happened to him, anyone would cling to the hope of finding real Dragon-types.
He bore the glorious titles "Dragon Emissary" and "Dragon Elite," his Pokémon all sounded mighty and draconic, every name carrying the word "dragon."
But in reality?
Aside from Dragonite, Dragonair, and Dratini—one evolution chain—none of his Pokémon possessed the Dragon-type at all.
Charizard is Fire/Flying, Gyarados Water/Flying, and even Aerodactyl is Rock/Flying.
All three look more draconic than the last, yet none share the slightest kinship with the Dragon-type.
Normally, with Lance's fame and power, no one dared breathe a word.
Then he met Drake—the genuine, all-Dragon Elite who commanded nothing but true Dragon-types.
Drake latched onto Lance's "dragon-in-name-only" team and coined the nickname "Dodo," spreading it wherever he went.
Soon everyone knew, and it became an open secret joke among the Elite circuit.
For someone as proud and competitive as Lance, how could he not panic?
If he didn't assemble a true Dragon lineup fast, his title might morph from "Dragon Elite" to "Flying Elite."
The "Dodo" brand would stick for good—utter disgrace.
Thinking this, Lionel silently sympathized:
A pseudo-Dragon Elite meets the real thing and gets exposed—anyone would spin in anxiety.
"So, interested in this Dratini?"
Steven suddenly asked, eyes bright; Lionel's heart missed a beat, his breath catching for half a second.
Dratini!
It evolves into Dragonite, the pinnacle Dragon/Flying Pokémon coveted by trainers across the League!
Who could resist?
Dragonite is the acknowledged benchmark of Dragon-types; its Dragon/Flying fusion grants devastating power and unmatched mobility.
Though its wings seem small, they don't hinder its speed, and more importantly it bears the incredible hidden Ability Multiscale.
Multiscale: when at full HP its scales layer like interlocking armor, massively boosting Defense.
It can also learn Dragon Dance, letting it tank hits with Multiscale while setting up to raise Attack and Speed.
It can then sweep the field.
Even better, Dragonite masters the recovery move Roost.
When health runs low it can retreat, heal fully, and reactivate Multiscale, rebuilding its indestructible wall.
Its staying power is supreme.
On top of that, it wields Extreme Speed.
In a burst of potential it becomes a blur, striking before foes can react—a true testament to its status as the Dragon-type benchmark.
Yet Lionel clenched his fists, forced down his racing heart, looked Steven in the eye and asked,
"Then… what's the other choice?"
Steven raised a brow, openly surprised. "Even Dratini couldn't make you say yes immediately?"
He drew the words out, eyes gleaming with mischief, testing:
"If you pass, I'll trade it to Elite Drake."
"Those two—Lance and Drake—jab at each other daily, yet each covets the other's Pokémon."
"I'll simply play middleman and swap Dratini for Bagon between them."
"So, are you taking Dratini or letting the chance slip away?"
Lionel waved his hands earnestly, resolve shining in his eyes:
"Dratini is priceless and I'm tempted, but I need to know the second option before I decide without regret."
Steven sighed, a flicker of admiration crossing his eyes.
He'd meant to tease Lionel into giddy excitement, yet the boy stayed calm and collected.
Any other trainer would already be jumping for joy, terrified the offer might vanish.
۞۞۞۞
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