It was only eleven in the morning, so since it was still early, Natsui and Sabrina headed straight for the Blackthorn Gym.
Perhaps because it was ruled by a clan and influenced by its ancient heritage, the Blackthorn Gym looked very stately and grand. Unlike other gyms with their peculiar designs, this one was like a manor. When inside, one could feel a heavy sense of history in every corner.
In the courtyard, there were many statues of Dragon-type Pokémon and trainers. Although Natsui didn't know who they were or what glorious deeds they had performed, he figured they must be the successive Gym Leaders from the Dragon Tamer Clan who had managed the Blackthorn Gym, or powerful trainers who had emerged from here.
And after they had either passed away or retired, people had erected statues for them, placing them here to continue silently guarding the gym.
Crossing the courtyard, the two arrived inside the gym.
The spacious and bright hall was completely silent, filled with exquisite murals and decorations. The floor was covered with a high-quality carpet. But after standing in the foyer for a long time, they saw no reception staff.
"Is anyone here?"
Natsui called out softly, but even after a long wait, no one appeared. Just as he was wondering what to do and was about to go deeper into the gym to find the staff, he suddenly saw a familiar man walking down the marble staircase.
This person had spiky red hair like fire, wore dark blue clothes underneath, and had a black cape tied on the outside. Such distinct features made his identity instantly recognizable—it was none other than the Elite Four member, Lance.
"Huh? Mr. Lance?"
"It's you!" Seeing Natsui, Lance was also very surprised. "What are you doing here? Oh, what am I thinking? You could only be here for one reason. You must be here to challenge the Blackthorn Gym, right?"
Natsui smiled and nodded. "That's right. I'm here to win the Rising Badge. Is the Gym Leader here?"
Just as Lance was about to say something, a fiery woman suddenly came down the stairs.
The woman looked to be in her late twenties, with long, light-blue hair tied in a ponytail. However, her unique bangs made her look a bit strange. Natsui's first impression was that she looked like a humanoid Gyarados.
She wore a tight-fitting blue leather suit and long boots. As she tied a similar cape behind her, she saw Lance still standing at the bottom of the stairs and urged, "Lance, there's no time to waste! We should get going!"
After passing Lance, she finally noticed the two strangers standing in the foyer, talking with him, and couldn't help but look them over.
"Who are these two? Friends of yours?"
"Them…" Lance turned sideways and said in a very gentlemanly manner, "Let me introduce you. This handsome young man is the Natsui I mentioned to you before. Don't be fooled by his young age; he's very strong. As for the lady beside him, she is Ms. Sabrina, the Gym Leader of the Saffron Gym in the Kanto region. And the one beside me is the Gym Leader of this gym, Clair."
Sabrina nodded lightly, which counted as a greeting.
Natsui extended his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Clair. My name is Natsui. I'm here specifically to challenge the Blackthorn Gym."
After sizing Natsui up for a few moments, Clair also shook his hand. "So you're the one who won the Indigo Conference. It's a pleasure. But I'm sorry, a gym battle isn't convenient right now. Lance and I have to deal with a very tricky problem and must leave immediately."
"That's fine," Natsui said, waving his hand. "I can wait here. But I was just wondering when you might be back."
Clair was about to speak, but Lance cut in first, saying with a smile, "That's hard to say. It could be a day or two, or maybe four or five days."
"Huh? That long?" Natsui was taken aback. "Then my gym battle…?"
"It will have to be postponed, of course," Lance said. At this point, his tone suddenly changed, and he smiled. "The matter we're dealing with is indeed a bit difficult, and we can't get away. But I think if we had the help of a powerful Indigo League champion, we might be able to come back very soon."
Huh? Was he waiting to spring this on me?
The implication of his words was obvious. But before Natsui could speak, Clair frowned at Lance.
"No! The Dragon's Holy Land is a forbidden place for our Dragon Tamer Clan! Outsiders are not allowed to enter! You know the rules!"
"It's fine," Lance gestured for Clair to calm down and explained patiently. "In Kanto, Natsui and I fought side by side to clean up Team Rocket there. In terms of both strength and character, he is completely trustworthy. And most importantly, Natsui also has a Dragon-type Pokémon, so he can also be considered a Dragon-type trainer."
This was the first time Clair had seen Lance praise and recommend someone so highly.
She gave Natsui a surprised look, thought for a moment, and then said no more.
Seeing Clair's reaction, Natsui was actually reluctant and didn't want to get involved in the Dragon Tamer Clan's affairs.
After all, it would involve many family secrets. If he accidentally heard or saw something, it could cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.
But… calling me a Dragon-type trainer? He must be referring to my Gyarados…
"Since it's your forbidden land, it's better if I don't participate."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Lance's strong hand was already on his shoulder.
"Hey, don't refuse," Lance said, a smile on his steady face. "I've already said so many good things about you. Why are you backing out at the last minute? And don't you want to see our Dragon's Holy Land? Alright, I'll be honest with you. This time, we're going to stop a certain person. And this person has a Dark Ball that can steal other people's Pokémon. He's very difficult to deal with, which is why we need your help."
"A Dark Ball? It can steal other people's Pokémon?"
For some reason, it suddenly reminded Natsui of Mewtwo.
"That's right. He's used that Dark Ball to steal many innocent trainers' Pokémon. He's a vicious Pokémon Hunter."
"Doesn't your Dragon Tamer Clan have anyone else?"
Lance shrugged helplessly. "Our Dragon Tamer Clan follows a policy of elitism. Besides us, everyone else is out traveling. Right now, there are only some elders and children left. We can't possibly send them, can we? If word got out, we'd be a laughingstock."
"Alright…" sighing, Natsui nodded. "Since you've put it that way, I guess I'll have to help. Tell me, who is this person that requires both an Elite Four member and a Gym Leader to deal with him at the same time?"
"As expected of the man I have high hopes for!" Lance patted Natsui's shoulder again, a broad smile on his face. "But we're short on time. Let's talk about the details on the way."
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