Time passed quickly.
A few days later, Ethan left his secret base accompanied by all his Pokémon.
When he turned his phone back on, the first thing he saw was the screen showing a shocking number: more than 999 missed calls.
It was clear that during the fifteen days he had disappeared, his phone had been ringing nonstop.
After scrolling through the call logs for a while, Ethan indeed found calls from Alex Baxter and President Beckett. He smiled slightly and decided to return the call to President Beckett.
"Ethan, you little devil! Where the hell have you been all this time?!" roared an angry voice on the other end the moment the call connected.
"Uh... my phone broke..." Ethan replied with an awkward smile, scratching his nose.
"Enough excuses! Get to the main headquarters immediately. Now!" President Beckett's voice thundered even louder, clearly on the verge of losing his patience.
Not long after, Ethan arrived, riding on his Pidgeot, at the Sky Secret Kingdom.
As soon as he landed, he was surrounded by President Beckett, Alex, and several researchers. They all looked at him with inquisitive expressions, eager for him to reveal the information about Kingdra's evolution.
"Well... I still can't say it."
Ethan's words nearly made everyone lose their composure. Only President Beckett, after studying him carefully, seemed to understand something.
"President, I'd like to speak with you in private."
President Beckett hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Ethan, is it that you want to enter Dragon Valley?" he asked, his gaze sharp.
Ethan nodded quickly and took out a notebook he had already prepared.
"President, here is the method for Kingdra's evolution. I want to use it to exchange for a slot to enter Dragon Valley."
His expression was determined. From the beginning, he had decided that this information would be his bargaining chip, and he wouldn't hand it over until his access was secured.
"I understand," President Beckett said after a moment of silence. "The choice of when to make this kind of discovery public is your right."
"Before that, I assure you I won't disclose it under any circumstance."
President Beckett nodded, accepting Ethan's terms. Immediately afterward, he began contacting Dragon Valley.
...
Half a day later.
In the sky, two swift silhouettes streaked through the clouds—a Dragonite and a Salamence, each ridden by a young man. They were Lucien Foster and Marcus Foster.
In a dense forest on the outskirts of Ironvale City, Marcus finally spotted Ethan and let out a sigh of relief.
"Finally found you, Ethan."
"Ah, I had some things to take care of. Nothing serious," Ethan replied calmly, making Marcus roll his eyes.
"Lucien, you came too, huh? It's been a while." Ethan smiled.
Lucien nodded without saying a word, which made Ethan feel a bit awkward.
"Ethan, let's battle. You'll use your Slowking, and I'll use my Dragonite. After the battle—regardless of the result—I'll take you to Dragon Valley. Of course, you can find someone else to take you if you prefer."
The words, spoken calmly by Lucien, carried firm resolve.
"A battle, huh?" Ethan scratched his head in resignation.
From Lucien's expression, it was clear there was no way to refuse. Perhaps he still hadn't gotten over the fact that Ethan had defeated him last time without even using his Slowking.
"Alright, let's battle."
Ethan took out Slowking's Poké Ball. Soon, the two found a clearing in the forest and released their Pokémon.
"DRAAAGGGG!"
Dragonite roared fiercely at its opponent, assuming a battle stance.
"Yaaadon!"
Slowking lifted its head, and upon sensing the intensity of its foe, also grew serious.
"Begin the battle!" announced Marcus, sighing as he took on the role of referee.
"Dragonite, use Thunderbolt!"
"Slowking, use Psychic!"
Boom!
The commands were given simultaneously. In the air, the two powerful energies collided, exploding in a blinding flash.
In terms of raw strength, they seemed evenly matched, but with the type advantage, Dragonite had a slight edge.
"Slowking, keep using Psychic."
"Dragonite, don't move. Use Dragon Pulse."
Lucien had learned from his previous defeat: he knew that Slowking's greatest strength lay in using its psychic power to control the enemy's movements. So this time, he chose not to dodge, but to confront it head-on with sheer power.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The attacks clashed again and again, energy bursting through the air like a raging storm.
Zzzzt!
A bolt of lightning tore through the air, striking straight toward Slowking.
But just before it hit, a psychic barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the impact.
Boom!
The barrier shattered into countless fragments of light, like broken glass.
As the shards scattered, Slowking vanished from sight.
In the next instant, he reappeared behind Dragonite, the red gem on the shell atop his head glowing intensely. A concentrated psychic wave—channeled through the attached Shellder—formed into a sphere of energy and struck the dragon's back, sending it flying through the air.
"What?! Attacking right after teleporting?!"
Lucien and Marcus widened their eyes in shock—Slowking had seamlessly linked Teleport and Psychic without pause.
Boom!
Before Dragonite could recover, Slowking's eyes glowed blue. Another blast of psychic energy struck him directly.
Even so, Dragonite—worthy of being a pseudo-legendary—endured the double assault without fainting.
But as he tried to rise, Slowking had already immobilized him with mental power, and after several more Psychic attacks, the dragon finally fell.
"It's already over?"
"That Slowking is monstrously strong!" Marcus exclaimed, goosebumps running down his arms.
"I lost again...?" Lucien muttered, clenching his fists as he looked at his fallen Dragonite.
After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and relaxed his hand. A look of acceptance crossed his face. This time, it seemed he finally understood.
(End of chapter)