Pokemon: A New Path-Spotlight[550]

Indeedee stepped in to check on Dragonite, then turned to the Trainers and blew the whistle.

"Ai ah!" 'Dragonite is unable to battle. Koraidon wins this match!'

"I lost after all…" Clair let out a breath, her expression a mix of awe and acceptance. She retrieved her Poké Ball and returned Dragonite. "Thank you for everything, Dragonite. Take a well-deserved rest."

She looked up and smiled at her opponent.

"As expected of you, Senior. With strength like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if even my cousin couldn't defeat you."

Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Your cousin?"

"His name is Lance," Clair explained. "Like me, he's part of the Dragon Clan. He's always been serious and responsible."

A wry smile crossed her face. "I think you've met before, haven't you? He said you battled each other during a League event in Unova a few years back."

Naoki blinked. "He told you about that?"

Clair nodded. "He's very interested in you. But his work keeps him busy—he hasn't had the time to visit."

Naoki nodded slowly, his thoughts drifting.

Lance's job… must be his role as a Pokémon G-Man with the Kanto League.

Pokémon G-Men were essentially Pokémon Investigators—agents tasked with uncovering and stopping the illegal use of Pokémon across the regions. They worked like international police, tracking down criminal organizations like Team Rocket.

Naoki chuckled inwardly. If the Champion himself is an undercover agent, doesn't anyone recognize him?

He remembered how, even at the end of Ash's journey in the anime, Team Rocket was still lurking in the shadows. Giovanni had even sent Jessie, James, and Meowth to scout out other regions like the Paldea region.

But Paldea was simply too far from Kanto. In the end, Team Rocket hadn't been able to extend their reach here.

Which meant Lance wouldn't be dropping by anytime soon.

Naoki glanced at Clair. "So, what will you do now?"

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Clair thought for a moment, then smiled. "I'll return to Blackthorn City and stay there for a while. After that, I might travel to other regions and see what I can learn."

Naoki gave her an approving nod. "Then I wish you safe travels. And when we meet again, be ready for a rematch. I'll be looking forward to seeing how much stronger you've become."

"Alright!" Clair agreed firmly.

The next time they met, she was determined to leave a strong impression on Naoki.

With that, Clair left Naoki's ranch.

Her journey through the Paldea region had come to a perfect close—she'd earned all eight Gym Badges, passed the Champion Assessment, and even met the legendary trainer herself.

There was no reason to linger in Paldea any longer. Clair made plans to return home to Johto.

While waiting for her flight at the airport, she pulled out her Rotom Phone and called Lance.

The call connected quickly.

When Lance saw her face on screen, he immediately suspected she had battled that trainer.

"How did it go?" he asked.

Clair sighed. "Just like you… I lost."

Lance: "…"

"He really is that strong," she admitted. "But to be honest, there's something else that stuck with me even more."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"It's the number of Dragon-type Pokémon Naoki-senpai owns," Clair said. "I did a rough count—he's got dozens of Dragonite alone. And that's not even including the other Dragon-types. Honestly, compared to him, it feels like he's the one who comes from the real Dragon Master lineage."

Lance: "…"

The two cousins from the Dragon Clan fell silent.

Lance thought of the Pokémon in his own Dragon's Den—and grew even quieter.

After a moment, Clair suddenly remembered something funny that she had previously brushed off.

"You know, people online have started joking about you."

"Hm?" Lance sounded wary.

"They're saying you're not really the Dragon Master… more like the 'Flying King.'"

Because, before becoming Champion, Lance always introduced himself as the Dragon Master.

But his team… was notoriously lacking in actual Dragon-types. Gyarados. Charizard. Aerodactyl. All Flying-types, none originally Dragon-type.

In fact, to make his team truly dragon-themed, Lance had to fill it with three Dragonite.

Lance: "…"

That silence… was his only farewell to dignity.

Looking at Clair on the screen, he muttered, "Aren't you the same as me?"

Clair went quiet too.

The cousins exchanged a look and silently agreed to drop the subject.

But in their hearts, they both made the same decision: once their current responsibilities were handled, they would venture out to find new Dragon-type Pokémon.

They would expand their legacy properly—no more Flying impostors.

...

April 15, Alliance Calendar 201. Early Summer.

The swirling rumors about the "Cyclizar Mask" incident in the Alola region had finally begun to fade. Things across the islands slowly returned to normal.

With peace restored, Naoki made a new plan.

Starting tomorrow, he would officially set off on a new adventure—to explore the Alola region, collect Z-Crystals, and master the unique Z-Moves that his Pokémon could use.

Before heading to Alola, Naoki had one important thing left to do: visit Levincia City to see Iono.

It was honestly a little embarrassing. Ever since they started dating, Iono had been the one constantly traveling back and forth to see him. Naoki had never once visited her hometown. But it wasn't intentional. Between flying between Alola and Paldea, managing his ranch, and caring for dozens of Dragonite, Naoki had been overwhelmed. Still, it felt unfair to keep letting Iono shoulder all the effort.

So today, he planned to pay her a surprise visit.

Early in the morning, after finishing his chores at the ranch, Naoki climbed onto Koraidon and set off for Levincia.

After a thirty-minute flight, they touched down on the bridge leading into the city.

It was 9:30 a.m. According to the schedule, Iono should be at the Levincia Gym receiving challengers. Perfect.

"Let's head straight to the Gym, Koraidon!"

"Gah!"

Following the directions on his map, Naoki and Koraidon passed through the bustling city streets and arrived at a tall, high-tech skyscraper: the Levincia Gym.

As soon as they stepped inside, the automatic sensor doors slid open with a soft whoosh. On the first floor, a cheerful receptionist greeted him.

"Welcome! If you're here to challenge the Gym, please register your trainer info."

Naoki smiled. "Is the Gym Leader in right now?"

The receptionist, thinking he was a trainer who had come earlier when the Gym was closed, nodded politely.

"Yes! She's currently waiting for challengers on the battlefield. If you want to meet her, you'll need to register first."

Naoki: "..."

Guess that's just how it worked here. He could play along for now—it might even make the surprise better.

He submitted his trainer details, and since he hadn't challenged any Gyms in Paldea before, the receptionist assumed he was a newcomer from another region.

"Great! Just head through this hall to the battlefield," she instructed with a bright smile.

Naoki followed the staff down a corridor that led to the central city square—an open-air battlefield.

That's when he remembered one important detail: the Levincia Gym battles were broadcast live on Iono livestream!

The square was packed. Trainers, fans, and passersby crowded around the giant screen. Cheers and excited chatter filled the air.

Iono stood confidently in the middle of the field, microphone in hand, her voice full of enthusiasm:

"Okay everyone~! It's time for another electrifying livestream with your favorite influencer, Iono! Today's challenger is... huh?!"

She looked down at the challenger's info on her screen and froze.

Naoki?

No way. Was it Naoki?

Just then, Naoki was escorted to the edge of the battlefield by the receptionist.

"Just head through this tunnel and you'll be on the field. Good luck, Trainer!"

Naoki stood frozen for a moment.

So many people. Would this cause trouble for Iono?

He caught her gaze from across the stadium and subtly nodded. Let's just play it cool.

Taking a deep breath, Naoki stepped into the spotlight.

Iono's eyes widened when she saw him. Her expression lit up.

Naoki's here? For her?!

In a heartbeat, she dropped the act.

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd and the livestream audience, Iono ran across the battlefield and threw her arms around him.

The audience: "?!?!?!"

Naoki froze. "Uh, your fans are watching..."

The central plaza of Levincia City, normally buzzing with excitement, had suddenly fallen into an eerie silence.

The crowd gathered to watch the Gym battle stared, dumbfounded, at the battlefield before them.

"What is even happening right now?!"

"Dude, I didn't sign up for this drama! I want a refund!"

"I don't think you can refund free entry. Levincia Gym battles have always been free to watch…"

While the male audience members grumbled in confusion, the female fans lit up with interest, their eyes sparkling like they'd just spotted a juicy slice of watermelon.

"Wait, who is that guy? Is he Iono's boyfriend?!"

"Oh my Arceus, this is HUGE! The livestream queen has a boyfriend?!"

"Well, he does look pretty dependable."

"I'm pretty sure you're about to lose a lot of followers like this," Naoki said with a helpless look, glancing at Iono in front of him.

He knew how much effort she had poured into her livestreaming career to grow her fanbase.

If she ended up losing fans over something like this… all of that effort might go to waste.

But in response, Iono just beamed and said playfully, "Aww, are you worried about me?"

"Well… this is your dream, isn't it?" Naoki replied with a sigh.

Hearing that, Iono's smile grew even brighter. "Hehe! I used to worry about all that stuff… but now, I've got something even more important to care about!"

Naoki realized what she meant, and his face turned a little red.

As they finally parted, Iono gave him a mischievous grin, her smile as dazzling as ever. She skipped back to her side of the field.

Picking up her mic, she addressed the crowd, her eyes still fixed fondly in Naoki's direction.

"I'm gonna snare your attention with my glimmering glare! Who's behind the cam? It's me—Iono!"

"Good morning, good evening, good night, and hey-hey-hello! It's time for the Iono Show!"

"Today's challenger? It's Naoki! A man so awesome, he could shoot down a flying Wattrel with a single flick! YEAH YEAH!"

"Naoki?" murmured some spectators, confused.

Some had never heard the name before. Others seemed to vaguely recognize it.

"Wait… Naoki… Naoki Ranch?! Could he be that Naoki—the one who runs the ranch?"

"Who's that? Is he famous?" a young girl asked, tilting her head.

An older fan nodded with conviction, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Of course! That's the guy who runs the only delivery service in the world that uses Dragonite! A reporter once visited his ranch, and get this—Naoki's not just a rancher, he's a seriously powerful trainer! I can't believe we're seeing him here today!"

"Hehe," Iono giggled, raising her voice again. "I bet everyone's super curious about who Naoki really is, huh?"