A black executive vehicle slowly entered Donghuang Academy.
After a brief stop, it exited the campus and followed a narrow forest path, driving deep into the primeval woods.
Inside the vehicle sat a middle-aged man.
His appearance wasn't especially imposing, but his silence carried a natural gravity—one that made people instinctively take him seriously.
Beside him sat a young man who shared about sixty percent of his features.
That young man was Ethan Stone.
The middle-aged man was none other than Ethan's father—
Victor Stone, Champion of the Donghuang League.
"Dad," Ethan spoke first, breaking the silence,
"when did you get back to Donghuang?"
"I finished my assignment the day before yesterday," Victor replied calmly.
"Yesterday was the first day I could return."
He paused briefly before asking,
"How is it, Ethan?"
"Are you adapting well to academy life?"
Ethan nodded.
"Yeah. It's pretty good."
"These past two weeks have been really comfortable."
The most exhausting part of his days was designing training plans for his Pokémon—and even that only took about an hour of focused thinking.
Compared to high school, where homework dragged late into the night, this life felt liberating.
Back then, Ethan had always felt those endless assignments were pointless.
Yet skipping them had never been an option.
Now, at the academy, there was no such burden.
He had time—
time to train, to play, to grow alongside his Pokémon.
That was what truly made him happy.
Seeing that his son was content, the usually stoic Victor allowed a faint smile to surface.
Though he spoke little and spent less than a month a year with Ethan, Victor cared deeply about him.
Victor himself had grown up an orphan.
He understood better than anyone what loneliness felt like.
Everything he had fought for—
every battle that led him to the Champion's throne—
was so his son could live a better life.
As long as Ethan was safe and happy, Victor felt at ease.
After a short silence, Ethan asked,
"Dad, you said we're going to the Dragon Den to adopt a Pokémon?"
"I thought the Dragon Den was completely closed to the public."
The Dragon Den lay deep within the primeval forest—a vast valley inhabited by Dragon-type Pokémon.
In recent years, to ensure long-term survival and avoid disturbance, the Dragon Den had formed an agreement with the Donghuang League.
Some of its powerful dragons would partner with elite Trainers.
Victor himself possessed a Champion-class Haxorus, a Pokémon that had once formed a pact with the Dragon Den.
Because of this alliance, the Dragon Den was now under official League protection.
Without explicit authorization, entry was impossible.
That was why Ethan was surprised his father could bring him there—
and even allow him to choose a Pokémon.
"You're right," Victor said.
"The Dragon Den is closed to outsiders."
"But I once saved the Dragon Lord."
"In return, he granted me a single chance to select a dragon hatchling."
"When I reached Champion rank, I no longer had the desire to raise another Pokémon from scratch."
"So I kept that opportunity."
Victor glanced at Ethan.
"You're eighteen now. You've become a Trainer."
"So I decided to give that chance to you."
His tone was calm, almost casual—
as if he were talking about a trivial favor.
But Ethan knew better.
This was the Dragon Den.
A place whose value couldn't be measured by money.
Even if most dragons were ordinary, the possibility of encountering a pseudo-legendary existed.
And that priceless opportunity…
his father had simply handed to him.
For a moment, Ethan didn't know what to say.
People often said parents raising children was only natural.
But Ethan understood—
nothing in this world was truly "natural" or "owed."
His father simply loved him.
Seeing Ethan fall silent, Victor chuckled softly.
"Don't feel pressured."
"I just remembered you always liked Dragon-types when you were little."
"So I kept this in mind."
"Even if you don't have great talent as a Trainer, that's fine."
"As long as you grow up safely and happily, that's enough for me."
Ethan smiled.
"I understand."
But as he looked out the window, his eyes hardened slightly.
Something unspoken settled in his heart.
The vehicle eventually came to a stop deep within the forest.
"Champion Victor," the driver said,
"this is as far as the road goes."
Victor nodded.
"Alright. Park here."
He turned to Ethan.
"Let's get out."
"The rest of the way can't be traveled by car."
"We'll need Pokémon to proceed."
Ethan nodded and followed his father out.
The moment they stepped out, Victor released a Poké Ball.
"Charizard. I'm counting on you."
A massive Charizard, over two meters tall, appeared before them.
Ethan blinked.
"It's been a long time, Charizard."
The Charizard recognized him instantly.
Despite its fierce appearance, it had always been gentle with Ethan.
When Ethan was younger, Charizard had even lived with him for a time.
Later, after breaking through its limits and growing far stronger, it became a permanent member of Victor's battle team.
Still, their bond remained.
"Charrr—!"
Victor smiled faintly.
"Come on."
"We'll ride Charizard to the Dragon Den."
Ethan hesitated.
Charizard was large, but carrying two people was still a burden.
"Dad," Ethan said,
"I also have a Pokémon that can help with travel."
"How about you ride Charizard, and I follow behind?"
Victor froze.
Before he could respond, Ethan took out a Poké Ball.
"Come out, Metagross."
With a flash of light—
A massive Metagross, nearly as tall as Charizard but several times broader, materialized before them.
The instant it appeared—
Victor's pupils constricted.
His breath caught.
"The Metagross from the manor…"
"…It's reached Champion class?!"
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