Pokémon: I Am a Dragon Tamer!

After the storm, the sky cleared, and the oppressive atmosphere that had weighed down Lavender Town gradually dissipated. 

Humans are sensitive creatures, deeply affected by their surroundings. The residents of Lavender Town were no exception. Living in such a stifling environment, where they couldn't even speak to strangers, had inflicted a profound psychological toll. But now, at last, that pain had been lifted. 

After Ryuuske's indirect victory over Agatha, he informed Lavender Town's governing council of everything that had transpired. The town was small, lacking its own Gym, so its affairs were managed by a small elected committee overseeing daily life. 

Ryuuske didn't reveal that it had all been the work of Elite Four member Agatha—that would only cause panic. Instead, he claimed it was the scheme of a rogue Trainer, one he had defeated and driven away. 

The laughter of children once again filled this town, known for its graves and mourning. Ryuuske was hailed as a hero, and though some sensationalist media arrived seeking interviews, he declined them all. Many of the Trainers who had been under mind control also expressed their gratitude. 

The only regret was that Agatha's experiments had lasted two months. Some Trainers and their Pokémon hadn't survived long enough for Ryuuske's arrival, perishing within the Pokémon Tower. There was nothing to be done but mourn and erect their tombstones where they had fallen. 

As for the heavily damaged upper floors of the Tower of Prayer, repairs would be handled by Lavender Town's council—no need for Ryuuske to concern himself. 

--- 

Inside a Lavender Town inn— 

"You haven't eaten in days. I'd suggest sticking to liquids and water for now." 

Ryuuske frowned as he watched Gary devour his meal. 

Gary glanced up at him but obediently slowed down, taking small, deliberate sips of porridge to refuel his starved body. 

"Thank you. Really." 

Gary's voice was hoarse from dehydration, but his gratitude was sincere. Though proud and even tsundere by nature, he was still a reasonable young man. 

"Don't mention it. We're friends, after all. When Professor Oak told me you'd gone missing, I came as fast as I could. Luckily, I wasn't too late—a few more days, and you'd have ended up like those corpses in the tower." 

"After leaving Vermilion City, I stopped by Celadon first. When I heard about Lavender Town's… unique traits, I came to check it out. I met an old man named Fuji here. He told me about the situation in the Tower of Prayer—how all the Ghost-type Pokémon had vanished. I went to investigate and ended up trapped. Almost died in there." 

Gary closed his eyes as he recounted his ordeal. 

Listening, Ryuuske fell into thought. The Fighting-type Pokémon of Mt. Moon had disappeared, and now the Ghost-types of Lavender Tower were gone too. There was no way these events weren't connected. And with two Elite Four members specializing in Fighting and Ghost-types respectively, it was clear Agatha was behind this—or at least deeply involved. 

"Gary, don't forget to let the Professor know you're safe." 

"Yeah… I worried them this time." 

Gary sighed. 

Ryuuske barely held back an eye-roll. Your grandfather wasn't worried at all. He was happily slurping ramen when he told me you were missing. 

Just then, a knock came at the door. Ryuuske blinked, then went to answer it. 

"What is it?" 

When he returned, he was holding a package. Gary looked at it curiously. 

"Someone sent me a delivery. From Saffron City…" 

The moment he saw the sender's location, Ryuuske knew who it was. Only one person in Saffron would know his current whereabouts—Sabrina. 

Tearing open the package, he found an elegantly ribbon-wrapped gift box inside. Ryuuske was genuinely surprised. That cold, aloof woman had such a delicate side? 

He eagerly opened the box. Inside lay two neatly arranged badges—Fuchsia Gym badges, the ones Koga would have awarded. 

"Looks like these are our spoils of war." 

Ryuuske picked up the badges with a grin. 

"Your spoils, not mine." 

Gary, now finished eating, wiped his mouth with a napkin. 

"Huh? You don't want it?" 

"I didn't beat Koga." 

"Who cares? He gave you the badge. You're seriously refusing?" 

Ryuuske was exasperated. Girls can be tsundere, but a guy? Really? 

"I refuse. Next time I see him, I'll beat him myself and take the badge properly." 

Gary stubbornly shook his head, his pride unyielding. 

"Fine, whatever. If you don't want it, two badges are useless to me anyway." 

With that, Ryuuske tossed one of the Fuchsia badges into the trash. 

These badges were made of special materials, but beyond their symbolic value, they were meaningless. The original badges held by Gym Leaders, however, seemed to possess some unique function. 

He clipped the remaining Fuchsia badge onto his bracelet, where it joined Pewter, Cerulean, Vermilion, and Saffron's badges. Only Celadon, Cinnabar, and Viridian's remained. 

Technically, only four badges were needed to qualify for the Indigo Plateau Conference. Collecting all eight wasn't mandatory—especially since Gym Leaders sometimes took extended leaves. If the rule were strict, Trainers would be out of luck if they encountered an absent Leader. Viridian's Gym, for instance, hadn't been open for years under Giovanni. 

This flexibility allowed Trainers to choose Gyms that suited their strengths, making badge acquisition easier. Sabrina's Saffron Gym, for example, had such a high failure rate that few even attempted it. 

For Ryuuske, these badges were now more of a collector's hobby than a necessity. 

"Gary, you should rest here in Lavender for a few more days. Recover properly before heading out." 

After securing his badge, Ryuuske offered the advice. 

"That's the plan. Where are you headed next?" 

"According to my original route, Celadon City." 

As he spoke, Ryuuske walked to the nearby desk and sat down, pulling out his laptop. He inserted the USB drive Sabrina had given him. 

The drive contained only one document—massive, likely hundreds of thousands of words long. The sheer volume of data was staggering, but before Ryuuske could even begin reading, the title alone seized his attention: 

—"The Eevee Modification Project."

To be continued…

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