Chapter 315: Clair Has Come to Challenge the Rain Dragon King!

"One final important reminder to all guests: to capture a Pokémon within the Dragon's Den, you must make it follow you voluntarily. It may be swayed by your personal charm, admire your great power, or be lured by your food, but under no circumstances are you allowed to forcibly take away a Pokémon that has shown reluctance."

"This point is absolute."

As the Dragon Elder announced the true highlight of the Dragon Festival, the Dragon's Den Trial, the venue immediately erupted in an uproar.

The trainers selected and invited by the Dragon Clan were not the type who, overcome by greed, would disregard a Pokémon's will and forcibly capture it.

Drasna's narrowed eyes opened slightly: "My, my, as expected of a prestigious family with a long history in the Johto region; truly magnanimous."

Xia Ka nodded slightly, his gaze still lingering on Lance: "There are at least a hundred Dragon-type trainers invited here, not to mention those juniors in other venues not sharing our hall."

Cynthia tucked one hand into her pocket, rubbing the lipstick inside while lost in thought: "Even if the so-called trial filters out some individuals lacking in strength or character, a vast number may still remain."

"To be able to provide so many Dragon-type and pseudo-Dragon-type Pokémon at once, that Dragon's Den truly deserves its reputation alongside places like Meteor Falls and the Dragon Village."

Luo Mu looked curiously at Cynthia and the others, asking: "Does anyone plan to participate in the Dragon's Den Trial?"

Cynthia touched her chin and spoke first: "Not for now; after tonight's banquet ends, I plan to take a plane back to the Sinnoh region first thing tomorrow morning."

He glanced around quickly and soon spotted Luo Mu and his Dragonite.

Unable to hold back any longer, the moment Lance spotted Luo Mu and Dragonite, he intended to approach and invite Luo Mu to battle him; tonight's Dragon Festival inherently combined elements of a banquet and Pokémon battles, making such a request perfectly reasonable and difficult for anyone to refuse.

Xia Ka, standing over 1.9 meters tall, looked down at Lance with a serious yet sincere voice: "Elite Four Lance, could you wrestle with me—no, wait, that would be rather impolite."

Feeling immense pressure under the gazes of several people, Xia Ka did not understand why things had developed this way; he had merely indicated his own unwillingness to enter the Dragon's Den Trial, not stopped Iris's intentions.

Just as Lance, under the dissatisfied gaze of his cousin Clair, took large strides toward Luo Mu, a wall formed of muscle blocked his path.

Cynthia even began contemplating that if Xia Ka still disagreed, she might as well skip work for another day, dump her responsibilities on Lucian and Sidney, accompany Iris through the Dragon's Den Trial, and then escort her back to the Unova region.

Cynthia's feelings toward Iris were those of appreciation for a junior; she felt this child might someday become a trainer comparable to herself, which gave Cynthia a great deal of fondness for Iris.

This made Lance so angry he was nearly turning red with heat, yet he had to maintain an appearance of ease, moving with Xia Ka to a battle arena under the watchful eyes of numerous trainers, where each released their Pokémon.

Incidentally, the few villas his family purchased in the Unova region hadn't been occupied for quite some time; by then, he could notify the butler and take the opportunity to vacation there, exploring the mysteries of Unova's ancient legends.

Perhaps having been a teacher for so long, he had unconsciously picked up some professional habits; Luo Mu had been carefully observing Iris and did not miss that fleeting expression of disappointment on her face.

Iris froze for a moment, then shouted with full admiration: "I do!"

Cynthia and Drasna also turned to look at Xia Ka, wanting to know his answer.

The corner of Lance's mouth twitched; catching sight of many eyes casting glances from the periphery in his peripheral vision, he forced a strained smile, feeling as though his heart were bleeding: "Naturally, that is acceptable, Gym Leader Xia Ka."

On the other side, after escorting the Dragon Elder back to the ancestral home, Lance, having attended to most of the guests, returned to the banquet hall.

Luo Mu had also secretly prepared some food for Sandslash, after all, it had expended considerable effort just now and deserved some replenishment.

After temporarily bidding farewell to Cynthia, Xia Ka, and the others, and following a battle, Luo Mu and Dragonite, hungry once again, plunged back into the feast; the dishes had by now been replaced with steaming hot new courses, prompting him to sigh in admiration at his own good fortune.

She had no money to purchase Poké Balls; the Dragon-type Pokémon provided by the Dragon Village was only the Axew currently still growing, and the Excadrill had been captured using a Poké Ball borrowed from Great Granny.

In the end, Xia Ka could only accept this blame and, "taking a step back," agreed to Iris's request to stay for one more day.

Drasna said leisurely in a light tone: "Eh, neither of you plans to go? But I shall go; perhaps there is a child very compatible with me, after all, the more children one has at home, the better."

Even Lance's own Dragonite was the same.

"After all, I currently have no intention of capturing and raising new combat forces, and my Garchomp cannot learn the move Extreme Speed."

Due to the rising atmosphere, many Dragon-type trainers had already begun battling each other; Luo Mu felt that standing slightly farther away with a plate in hand, watching the battles between their Dragon-type Pokémon, made for a very appetizing spectacle.

Luo Mu looked at Xia Ka and made a suggestion.

After all, although he was nominally representing the Dragon Village to participate in the event, if Xia Ka, as her guardian, were to leave, Iris herself would be unable to stay and participate in the Dragon's Den Trial.

Iris's eyes sparkled brightly, seeming very much looking forward to entering the Dragon's Den to encounter new partners; although she loved Excadrill and Axew, she still wanted to like more Dragon-type Pokémon, after all, they were all her partners, the wings that carried her soaring!

Yet Xia Ka's silent refusal caused Iris, who was about to speak, to fall silent; if Teacher Xia Ka did not plan to participate in the Dragon's Den Trial, they would have to board the plane back to Opelucid City in the Unova region tomorrow.

Xia Ka said nothing, merely shaking his head to express his meaning.

He also had no intention of participating in the Dragon's Den Trial.

Lance froze for a moment, recalling the matters the Dragon Elder had instructed him on before departing.

After yesterday's events at Mount Silver concluded, Lance tossed and turned all night last night, his mind filled entirely with the image of Luo Mu's Dragonite.

"Could you engage me in a Pokémon battle between Dragon-type Pokémon?"

On Xia Ka's side was his commonly used Pokémon, Haxorus.

Why had he inexplicably become the target of everyone's attention?

For the first time, Xia Ka began reflecting on the importance of something even his grandson Du Ruo had mentioned: that he was extremely serious about everything he did, often causing people to misunderstand his intentions.

The Dragonite beside him, whose mouth had not stopped moving for a moment, thought the same; fighting personally was indeed exhilarating, but watching other Pokémon fight while eating was also quite enjoyable.

The Dragon Elder's arrival was solely to announce the Dragon's Den Trial; Luo Mu and the others clearly noticed that ever since the Dragon Elder announced the trial, the atmosphere among many present had noticeably intensified.

If she wanted to increase her number of partners, she could only participate in the Dragon's Den Trial.

Yet at this very moment, Clair even made a face at her foolish cousin, then lightly ran in Luo Mu's direction.

【Lance, you are the face of our Dragon Clan. If anyone challenges you, you must accept the challenge; do not shy away from battle, even if the opponent is Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, Hoenn Elite Four Drake, Kalos Elite Four Drasna, or Paldea Champion-level trainer Luo Mu; display the strength of our Dragon Clan to the outside world.】

"It seems that is the case; Mr. Xia Ka, why not return to the Unova region after Iris completes the Dragon's Den Trial?"

The corners of his mouth lifting slightly, Luo Mu asked Iris, who was about the same age as Hearing Nimo and the others but still studying knowledge at school and quite immature: "Iris, do you want to participate in the Dragon's Den Trial and make friends with new partners?"

Even Luo Mu had to admit that the Dragon Clan's methods of handling affairs were textbook-level; not only did they establish connections with Dragon-type trainers and families from around the world, but families benefiting from the Dragon Clan would surely establish healthy and friendly relations with them, even sharing techniques, resources, and so on.

Do not misunderstand; he was not coveting Luo Mu's Dragonite; it was simply because of the special aura emitted when yesterday his Dragon Legion confronted that Dragonite, which stirred in Lance a fighting spirit to decide the outcome against Luo Mu's Dragonite.

For Lance, naturally, it was his signature Pokémon, Dragonite.

Although Lance very much wanted to defeat Haxorus in a few moves right now and go battle Luo Mu, Xia Ka, as the Gym Leader of Unova's eighth gym, possessed immense strength himself, not to mention his time immersed in the path of a trainer might even exceed Lance's own age.

This battle would certainly not be easily resolved.

On the other side, Clair, known as the number one person below the Elite Four in the Johto region, daring to challenge even the Elite Four, with her only known failure being against Champion Lance, went directly to Luo Mu.

As soon as she arrived, Clair directly stated her stance.

"Luo Mu, let's have a Pokémon battle!"

Because Luo Mu had told Clair she did not need to always use honorifics when speaking to him, Clair had let loose, returning to her usual spirited demeanor.

Luo Mu paused mid-bite of his steak, chewed it slowly and swallowed, then calmly grabbed a napkin from the side to wipe the sauce from the corner of his mouth, saying lightly, "Alright."

"Huh?"

Xiaozhuang had already prepared herself for a prolonged battle, even considering provoking the Dragonite beside Luo Mu, who was still burying her head in devouring cake without lifting it, to achieve her goal.

Luo Mu's casual "Alright" had caught Xiaozhuang completely off guard.

Setting down his now-empty plate, Luo Mu looked at Xiaozhuang and smiled, "However, the Pokémon I'm sending out this time isn't Sandslash, but Dragonite. Is that still okay?"

Xiaozhuang froze for a moment, her face filled with fighting spirit: "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Because the battling atmosphere among the trainers present was too intense, it took a while before Luo Mu and Xiaozuang finally secured an available battle field.

The moment the two stepped onto the battlefield, many surrounding trainers noticed that the competitors were none other than Xiaozhuang, the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, and Luo Mu, a Champion-level trainer from the Paldea region.

This was interesting; earlier, the battle between Luo Mu and Iris had featured him not going all out, and his Pokémon, Sandslash, wasn't particularly strong.

Now, the Dragonite beside him, which had defeated the Fire God, was clearly about to fight. Some people, originally drawn by the fierce battle between Lance and Xia Ka, thought it over and then directly gathered around.

This included Iris, who had been watching her mentor battle Lance. Compared to watching Xia Ka, whom she had seen battle countless times and who often dragged her to watch his Gym matches, Iris was far more curious about the power of that Dragonite which had shown her a "storm."

As soon as Iris moved, she inadvertently caused Cynthia and Drasna to move closer to Luo Mu and Xiaozhuang's battlefield as well.

Watching the two facing off, both Cynthia and Drasna became interested.

As Lance's cousin, just how strong Xiaozhuang was something even they knew well; it seemed this time they would witness Luo Mu's true strength firsthand.

The referee for this match was a person arranged by the Dragon Clan.

The referee picked up professional red and green flags, moved to either side of the battlefield, and stated in a deep voice: "Next will be a Pokémon battle between Miss Xiaozhuang of the Dragon Clan, the organizer of this Dragon Grand Festival, and Mr. Luo Mu, a Champion-level trainer from the Paldea region."

"The battle will be a one-on-one single battle; the first side to render the opponent's Pokémon unable to battle wins."

Hearing the referee call out Xiaozhuang's full name, Luo Mu was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected that Xiaozhuang and Lance truly shared the surname Dragon.

So Lance and Xiaozhuang were just their everyday names? Adding the characters "Dragon" in front, Dragon Lance and Dragon Xiaozhuang were their full names?

Several thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind; after confirming with the referee that he understood the rules, Luo Mu shouted, "Go, Dragonite!"

The Dragonite, who had been following Luo Mu all along, flapped her wings and flew into the air above the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Xiaozhuang took out a Lure Ball, her smile vanishing as a serious expression appeared on her face.

"I'm counting on you, Kingdra!"

Red light from the Safari Ball illuminated the field as Kingdra's figure materialized.

Kingdra resembled a seahorse, possessed dragon horns, and its blue scales shone brilliantly under the lights. Although the current battlefield was on land, Kingdra freely manipulated Water-type energy to form a layer of mist enveloping itself, floating on the battlefield as if swimming in water.

The moment Kingdra appeared, Dragonite's originally dazed and cute expression changed instantly.

Staring fixedly at Kingdra, Dragonite began releasing her aura and pressure, as if she held some deep grudge against Kingdra.

Kingdra similarly stared back at Dragonite with its red dragon eyes, the mist around its body beginning to churn as if ready to transform into a massive whirlpool and swallow Dragonite whole at any moment.

Iris was stunned; although this was a battle, wasn't the speed at which tensions escalated too fast?

Cynthia patted Iris's head, speaking gently: "Because in the wild, Kingdra and Dragonite are like natural rivals."

Drasna added: "To analogize, it's like the relationship between Seviper and Zangoose in the Hoenn region, though not as severe as theirs; Kingdra and Dragonite within the same team can still get along friendly."

"I see."

Iris nodded, displaying a cute expression of having learned something new.

Just as Cynthia and Drasna were educating Iris, the conflict between Dragonite and Kingdra reached its peak; if not for waiting for the trainers' commands, the two Pokémon would likely have started fighting the very next second.

"Whirlpool!"

Xiaozhuang struck first; Kingdra, unable to wait any longer, let out a roar, directly churning up boundless currents formed from Water-type energy, creating a vast whirlpool that smashed toward Dragonite in the air.

"Slice through it, Air Slash!"

"Bwooo!"

Under Luo Mu's command, facing the massive whirlpool smashing toward her, Dragonite showed an expression of disdain; her dragon wings flapped rapidly, sending crescent-shaped Air Slashes raining down upon the whirlpool like drops, slicing it into a sky-full of water spray in the blink of an eye.

The Whirlpool was shattered directly, causing Xiaozhuang to frown slightly; if they were by a river or the sea right now, Dragonite absolutely could not have so easily dealt with the whirlpool churned up by Kingdra.

"Rain Dance!"

Kingdra lifted its head and roared; instantly, the sky was covered by dark clouds. Since everyone watching was a trainer, they very tacitly pulled umbrellas from their pockets and opened them.

Watching a Pokémon battle capable of changing the weather, how could one not make this level of preparation in advance?

At this moment, Cynthia also opened a black umbrella, casually pulling the completely unprepared and bewildered Iris under her cover.

Besides the umbrella, she also carried sunglasses, windproof goggles, sandproof goggles, and a folding fan, focusing on being able to handle wind, rain, drought, or sandstorms with ease.

The moment most people opened their umbrellas, bean-sized raindrops poured down like a waterfall, turning the entire battlefield into a world of rain within seconds.

The commotion here even affected the battlefield on the other side; Lance, who was commanding his Dragonite to engage in close combat with Haxorus, glanced at his uniform which was already soaked, revealing an expression of barely enduring his limit.

"Xiaozhuang..."

For some reason, neither Luo Mu nor Dragonite made any move to stop Kingdra from using Rain Dance, and the result of this action created the current scene: a swift Kingdra emitting a shimmering blue light, moving so fast under the rain curtain that it had become an afterimage!

Cynthia subconsciously wanted to explain this to Iris, but Iris answered first: "I know this one; Kingdra's Ability is Swift Swim, which doubles its speed in the rain, right!"

Drasna looked slightly surprised, smiling as she spoke: "Little Iris really understands Dragon-type Pokémon well."

In the rain, Kingdra's movement speed had become so fast that ordinary people could hardly see it; Xiaozhuang didn't know why Luo Mu wasn't stopping her or using other weather moves to contest the weather with Kingdra.

She only knew that Kingdra's next attack, poised to strike, would be very cool!

"Kingdra, Hydro Pump!"

Under Xiaozhuang's command, a brilliant blue light rapidly gathered in Kingdra's long tubular mouth.

The next instant.

Kingdra aimed at the soft abdomen of Dragonite, who seemed above her head and hadn't yet reacted, and fired a Hydro Pump compressed to the extreme like a raging torrent toward Dragonite!

(End of Chapter)