Chapter 38: Shiny Gyarados!

Despite his excitement, Zhao Fang also harbored a few concerns. Why would Lance, the renowned Dragon-type Elite Four member of the Indigo League, come looking for him? The reason was painfully obvious—Lance had stated his intentions clearly. He wanted to battle Zhao Fang's Bond-Phenomenon Gyarados. Yet, Zhao Fang had no way to guarantee that he could trigger the Bond Evolution during the battle.

When Zhao Fang voiced this dilemma, Lance merely waved it off nonchalantly, having already heard about the issue from Professor Birch.

"Didn't you say yourself that the Bond Evolution might only be triggered in the heat of battle? Well, then let's give it a try. Besides, I'm very eager to see what your Gyarados is really like," Elite Four Lance said, looking at Zhao Fang with eyes full of anticipation.

The Indigo League was far too peaceful. It was peaceful enough to make Lance occasionally contemplate taking a break to step up and serve as the Champion just for the fun of it. However, two interesting newcomers had appeared in the Indigo League this year—one named Red and the other named Blue. Both were Trainers of immense potential, though Lance had not paid them much attention just yet.

Ever since becoming a League G-Men agent, Lance had been searching for a worthy opponent. Yet, whether it was the members of dark organizations who defied humanity by committing heinous atrocities, or the challengers who faced him in the Master Class tournaments, it had been a very long time since the Indigo League had produced an opponent capable of stirring a genuine fire within him.

As for Giovanni?

Lance had to admit that Giovanni's strength was formidable, but due to various circumstances, they had never actually battled. That remained one of his greatest regrets. However, the Champion who had recently traveled from the Sinnoh region to the Kanto region, Cynthia, was indeed an exceptionally powerful opponent.

Though the young Zhao Fang before him was still quite weak, the types of Pokémon he chose, combined with his dream of becoming a Dragon-type Master, gave Lance a strange sense of kinship.

Dragon-type Pokémon were simply the strongest! Even with the recent emergence of Fairies, dubbed the dragon-killers, Lance's inner conviction had never wavered. Every day, when training his Pokémon and gazing upon their magnificent, powerful forms, a blazing fire was ignited deep within his soul.

Yet even with his Mastery of Dragon Force, he had never achieved Bond Evolution with his own Gyarados. This left Lance intensely curious about Zhao Fang. He wanted to see what kind of experiences could possibly allow such a young Trainer to achieve complete synchronization with his Gyarados during a battle, thereby completing the Bond Evolution.

"Come on! The soul of a Trainer, everything you have experienced, everything you have seen, everything you have felt, your thoughts, your very essence—they will all be revealed in a Pokémon battle! I believe that every Trainer who dares to challenge the strong pours boundless passion into their Pokémon! Show me that burning passion!" Lance was fired up. The unknown evolution of the Gyarados, coupled with the radiant light of life that had erupted from the Ampharos, had set Lance's whole being ablaze. How he longed to witness the sheer aesthetic beauty of this brand-new form of Gyarados!

Zhao Fang nodded solemnly. This was destined to be an impossible battle to win, but even so, he wanted to see how someone wielding the Dragon Force raised his Pokémon.

The battle could not be held in Professor Birch's laboratory. And while Littleroot Town did have a field meant for Trainer battles, it still fell short of Lance's standards. In the end, Lance chose Petalburg City, specifically Norman's Gym.

"This is one of my aces, Dragonite, an exceptionally powerful Pokémon." Elite Four Lance released a somewhat chubby yet powerful-looking figure whose cute yet formidable appearance filled Zhao Fang with envy.

Dragonite was one of the mightiest Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, affectionately nicknamed the gentle giant within the player community. Seeing this Dragonite in real life, however, Zhao Fang noticed subtle differences. This Dragonite was exceptionally tall; though Zhao Fang did not know the standard height for the species, this particular individual clearly possessed a physique that surpassed its peers.

Dragonite looked at Zhao Fang with curious eyes. Pokémon could sense the outside world even from within their Poké Balls, and Dragonite had already perceived its Trainer's inner excitement. This aroused the Pokémon's curiosity: what kind of potential did this scrawny human possess that could evoke such an emotional response from its Trainer?

Zhao Fang caught a ride on Dragonite. He had to admit that flying on a Dragonite was a wonderful experience. Dragonite's speed was astonishing—countless times faster than a Pidgeot—and best of all, it was remarkably comfortable. Dragonite thoughtfully erected a barrier of Reflect to block the oncoming gale, sparing Zhao Fang from feeling any harsh wind at all.

This was infinitely more comfortable than riding Pidgeot. When riding Pidgeot, Zhao Fang always felt like his hairstyle was dancing wildly in a tempest, locking into bizarre shapes the moment he landed—truly terrifying.

Before long, Zhao Fang and Lance arrived in Petalburg City, touching down directly in the backyard of the local Gym. They were accompanied by Professor Birch and the others. Steven had tried to slip away midway, but seemingly constrained by something, he ultimately muttered under his breath and tagged along. Zhao Fang distinctly heard Mr. Stone mutter, "Being Champion is such a pain."

"Is Mr. Stone thinking about resigning from the Champion position because of this?" A bizarre thought flashed through Zhao Fang's mind.

Gym Leader Norman was away from the Gym, apparently dispatched on some League mission, and had been gone for several days. Fortunately, with Steven the Champion present, borrowing a Gym battle chamber was effortless.

"Well, this is nice. Although it falls a bit short compared to a Master Class arena, it will do. Let's begin, then—our battle! Gyarados, come out!" Elite Four Lance scanned his surroundings before tossing his Poké Ball. A massive, entirely red, and fiercely muscular Gyarados materialized on the field, the sheer overwhelming pressure radiating from it causing Zhao Fang to stop breathing for a few seconds.

Was this the true power of an Elite Four ace? Zhao Fang's mind went blank for a moment, but immediately afterward, a surge of intense excitement took over. He was shaking with exhilaration—the last time he had felt this way was when facing Cynthia.

"Gyarados! Let's face this together!" Zhao Fang also threw his Poké Ball. As his Gyarados emerged, Lance nodded approvingly; this Gyarados had been exceptionally well-raised, its physique rivaling his own.

Facing the formidable Shiny Gyarados opposite it, Zhao Fang's Gyarados let out an angry roar, its presence entirely unsuppressed by any intimidation drop.

Feeling the formidable aura radiating from the opposing Shiny Gyarados, Zhao Fang clenched his fists. The intoxicating blend of excitement and immense pressure made his breathing grow shallow and rapid.