To say something like that in front of Lance—that his whole team is made up of Flying-types.
That's... that's bold.
He's really not afraid of getting hit with a Hyper Beam from Dragonite, huh?
Although... it's not wrong...
[Lorelei: Hahahaha, this is gold! The so-called Dragon Master's team is all Flying-types, and he still calls himself a Dragon specialist. This is priceless!]
[Lorelei: Honestly, stop calling yourself a Dragon Master. Just go by Dodo instead.]
The Sevii Islands—an island chain located to the south of Kanto.
Island Four, also known as Icefall Island, is home to Kanto's Ice-type (definitely not Water-type) Elite Four member, Lorelei.
Inside a cozy house on the island, Lorelei hugged a plush Lapras and burst into laughter.
Cold as ice on the outside, but inside? Total softie.
The room was adorably decorated—pink walls, fluffy carpets, and a bed overflowing with plush toys and pillows.
Lorelei and Lance had never gotten along. Just thinking about Lance and his constant "Dragons are supreme, Dragons are unbeatable" rant made her blood boil.
So when the perfect opportunity came to roast him, there was no way she'd pass it up.
And for some reason, the nickname "Dodo" just felt so right for him. Like destiny.
[DragonMaster Lance: You... you!]
[Lorelei: Don't worry, Caleb, I've got your back. He won't dare touch you.]
[Caleb: Thanks, Aunt Lorelei.]
!!!
"System Notification: Caleb has deleted a message."
Even though it was deleted quickly, everyone saw it loud and clear.
Caleb had just called Lorelei "Auntie"...
That word... was forbidden.
Icefall Island, Lorelei's room.
The joy on her face froze in an instant as she stared at her phone, expression darkening.
The temperature in the room dropped with her mood.
Auntie... Auntie, huh. Heh.
Caleb, was it? I'll have your little ice sculpture ready.
[DragonMaster Lance: He's not wrong, though. Still not married at your age, Lore-Lore-Auntie.]
[Lorelei: Laugh it up, Dodo. Come battle me if you've got the guts!]
[DragonMaster Lance: Gladly. Don't cry when I beat up a senior citizen.]
[Lorelei: I'm gonna freeze your dragons—no, your birds into popsicles!]
?!
Three lines, and now two Elite Four members were practically at war over me.
This kind of record... might be a first in the whole Pokémon world?
?!
Three lines, and he completely broke two Elite Four members.
Gold, who was originally trying to flex in front of the newcomer, suddenly found himself completely outshone.
?!
Three lines, and he's already pissed off two of the strongest trainers in Kanto.
Everyone in the chat was now fully aware—this newly joined Poison-type Gym Leader had a tongue sharper than a Seviper's fang.
At that moment, Blue, who had been quietly watching the group chat, saw the argument between Lorelei and Lance intensifying.
Her intuition had been right all along.
Things in Kanto were about to change.
...
Wednesday, Solaceon Town.
Strolling through the streets, Caleb noticed there were a lot of new shops lately.
Several newly opened inns and restaurants had popped up, all within walking distance of his Gym.
And maybe it was just his imagination, but the town itself seemed a lot more crowded than usual.
Even the vegetable vendor who normally opened at 8 a.m. was already swarmed with customers just after six.
Seriously? This isn't even a tourist hotspot.
Probably some influencer posted a random pic and now all these trend-chasers are here trying to "check in."
Hmm? This new shop looks decent. Nice design.
As soon as Caleb opened the door, a heated debate hit his ears.
"Gengar's gotta go full offense—aggression wins games!"
"What if the opponent leads with Will-O-Wisp? You're toast!""My Espeon has Magic Bounce. Status moves don't scare me."
"Fake Out, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch—ever heard of those?"
Uh-oh...
Why did these people all look so familiar?
Blue hair, yellow hair, green hair, red hair—weren't these all regulars at the Gym?
For some reason, Caleb instinctively reached into his pocket and pulled a mask onto his face.
"New here?" the blue-haired young man greeted enthusiastically. "Come on, come on—tell us your story!"
"Boss, we need another chair over here!"
"Coming right up."
From the kitchen emerged a white-haired, skinny old man.
"Old man!"
Caleb instantly recognized him and blurted it out.
Wasn't this the washed-up former Elite Four member?
The blue-haired guy quickly cut him off: "Show some respect! This is our group leader."
"Group leader?"
Caleb looked the old man up and down, an amused smirk on his face.
"Well, our group leader sure is aging gracefully~"
At that moment, the old man recognized Caleb too—but didn't make a move.
Because just like Caleb, he was also disguised.
With his reputation, if people realized who he really was, he'd be ripped to shreds.
After all, when you're old, nothing stings more than being publicly shamed.
Caleb didn't expose him—just as the old man hadn't exposed him.
He casually sat down next to the blue-haired youth and spotted a brown-haired boy in the corner.
Ritchie!
He never expected to see him here too.
"The Gym opens for challenges this afternoon, right, Ritchie? You remember everything we taught you?" the red-haired guy asked.
"Yeah, I got it—taunt first if it's Ghost-type, use Safeguard against anything unfamiliar." Ritchie's eyes gleamed with determination and confidence.
"Thanks for all your help these past few days."
Red, yellow, blue, and green all smiled proudly.
It felt like they were passing down their legacy to the next generation.
Seriously, it's not like I'm some final boss. Why are they all ganging up on me?
Caleb thought silently to himself.
The group started analyzing the potential strategies Caleb might use.
Encore with Disable...
Substitute, Protect, Toxic...
Salt Cure, Iron Defense, Body Press...
Gravity, Hypnosis, Dream Eater...
As the discussion heated up, they looked more and more eager—like they wanted to storm the Gym right then and there.
Meanwhile, Caleb had picked up some useful info, like how Ritchie's Larvitar had evolved into a Tyranitar.
He now knew its move pool.
He even learned about the trump card Ritchie had prepared.
...
Afternoon, Solaceon Gym.
After many days, Ritchie once again stood before the Gym's entrance.
Looking at the large doors of Solaceon Gym, his heart pounded with nerves, fear, and uncertainty.
Behind him, his four mentors—red, yellow, blue, and green—watched him with encouraging eyes.
He placed both hands on the doors, flexed his muscles, and pushed them open.
In that moment, memories came flooding back—his crushing defeat, the instant Kruz and Rain got knocked out, the grueling training Kruz went through after evolving...
I can't let my teammates down. I can't waste everything my mentors taught me.
This time... I have to win!
As the door opened wider, a familiar battlefield appeared before him.
Caleb stood at its center, turned to face Ritchie, and said in a deep and mysterious voice:
"You've come?"