The atmosphere fell into a heavy silence. Raihan's handsome face was clouded with uncertainty, his eyes fixed intently on Oleana.
Oleana, on the other hand, wore a dark expression. She had never been particularly skilled at hiding her emotions. Though highly capable, before becoming Rose's secretary, Oleana had been a reclusive researcher.
Her usual demeanor was one of calm composure—or perhaps stoicism—as it made her subordinates respect and fear her.
"Don't believe me? Why don't you ask your esteemed Secretary Oleana?"
Seeing that both Raihan and Oleana remained silent, Ryuu Shiro spoke with a faint smile.
"Raihan, I…"
Hearing this, Oleana finally couldn't hold back and wanted to explain. No matter how she spun it, the truth about Eternatus would likely come to light.
But Ryuu Shiro was the greatest enemy now!
From the very beginning, Oleana didn't believe she or Rose were in the wrong. Chairman Rose had sealed Eternatus for the sake of Galar's future.
What was wrong with that?
Just because Eternatus was now bringing calamity to Hammerlocke, did that make them wrong?
That made no sense! Oleana firmly believed that her and Rose's intentions were justified.
Everything was Ryuu Shiro's fault!
He was the one who broke into the Energy Plant and forcibly released Eternatus!
"Don't worry, Secretary Oleana. I know what I need to do."
Raihan took a deep breath. From Oleana's expression, he understood that Ryuu Shiro wasn't just spouting nonsense.
Eternatus had indeed been hidden here, and Oleana and the others were clearly involved.
This left Raihan with a complicated mix of emotions.
"There's no need to sow discord. No matter what, I trust Secretary Oleana."
Raihan turned to Ryuu Shiro and spoke in a low voice, but he knew his priorities.
Oleana's issues could wait. The most pressing matter now was this Team Rocket Executive!
Oleana might have her problems, but Ryuu Shiro was undoubtedly a villain!
"Hmph~ How boring."
Hearing this, the smile on Ryuu Shiro's face slowly faded. His crimson eyes darkened with a sinister glint. He had hoped to watch the two of them question each other, but Raihan had proven unexpectedly calm and rational.
"Flygon, Dragon Claw!"
Raihan's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he gave the order to his Flygon.
He could sense that Ryuu Shiro was dangerous!
Striking first was the most efficient way to deal with him. As long as they could subdue Ryuu Shiro, everything else would be easier.
Flygon's wings flapped as it charged at Ryuu Shiro at high speed.
"Too naive."
Ryuu Shiro smirked coldly. He had deliberately kept his distance from Raihan and Oleana earlier to prevent any sudden attacks.
He tossed a Poké Ball, and a long, elegant figure instantly appeared in front of him. The shadow tore through the air, striking Flygon squarely in the face!
In the next moment!
Flygon, which had been moving at high speed, was sent flying backward as if it had been hit by a tremendous force, crashing heavily into the wall!
"How is this possible!"
Raihan and Oleana's pupils contracted in shock as they glanced at Flygon, now deeply embedded in the wall.
Though not as strong as Raihan's ace Duraludon, Flygon was still one of his main Pokémon!
Yet, in that split second, Flygon had been knocked back?
"Why wouldn't it be possible? Did you really think I was inferior to you?"
Ryuu Shiro leisurely spun the empty Poké Ball in his hand, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Raihan.
Standing in front of Ryuu Shiro now was an incredibly elegant, pink-and-purple Pokémon.
It was a serpentine Pokémon, measuring about four to five meters in length. Its upper body stood tall, and its clear, beautiful black eyes calmly gazed down at Raihan and Oleana.
Its back was a stunning pinkish-purple, while its belly was a creamy white. A sharp dragon horn protruded from its forehead, and white wings extended from either side of its head.
Noble, beautiful, and sacred! This was the most immediate impression this Pokémon gave off.
"A Shiny Dragonair!"
In an instant, Raihan, a Dragon-type specialist, recognized the Pokémon.
It was the Dragon-type Pokémon Dragonair from the Kanto region. Dragonair's final evolution was Dragonite, the ace Pokémon of Kanto Champion Lance!
And Dragonite was renowned as a pseudo-legendary!
Moreover, this Dragonair was a Shiny variant. While ordinary Dragonair were blue, this one was pinkish-purple!
"That's right. This is the dragon that's been with me since I was a child."
Ryuu Shiro shrugged, giving Dragonair a satisfied glance.
Indeed, this Dragonair was his starter Pokémon. Even before he was kidnapped by Ho-Oh, Dragonair had been by his side.
To this day, Dragonair remained his absolute ace!
As for why Dragonair hadn't evolved into Dragonite, it was a decision Ryuu Shiro and Dragonair had made together.
....
Pokémon evolution is perhaps the most mysterious and wondrous force in the Pokémon world.
Evolution not only allows a Pokémon to undergo a comprehensive enhancement but also brings about changes in its abilities and physical form.
The reason Ryuu Shiro chose not to evolve his Dragonair into Dragonite wasn't solely because Dragonair's appearance was more elegant than Dragonite's.
Dragonite is hailed as a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, and its strength is undoubtedly formidable. Generally, a Dragon's power can only be fully unleashed in its final evolutionary stage.
However, Dragonair possesses an ability that Dragonite could never match—the power to control the weather!
Yes, Dragonair has the innate ability to manipulate the weather at will, a racial trait unique to its species.
This ability, however, disappears once it evolves into Dragonite.
So, the choice was between freely controlling the weather and the comprehensive boost that evolution provides.
Most people would undoubtedly choose evolution, but after much deliberation, Ryuu Shiro had a deep conversation with Dragonair. He always respected the choices of his Pokémon.
In the end, they decided to equip Dragonair with an Everstone!
While the final evolution, Dragonite, is undeniably powerful, the ability to control the weather was equally hard to give up.
Moreover, Ryuu Shiro was confident that through training, he could make up for the power lost by not evolving.
In the Pokémon world, evolution is often seen as the ultimate path, as the enhancements it brings are indeed significant. However, it doesn't mean that a Pokémon cannot surpass its evolved form without evolving.
A Pokémon's strength ultimately depends on its Trainer, not simply on the Pokémon itself.
After all, Pryce's Swinub is a prime example of this.
Of course, if Dragonair's weather control wasn't so enticing, Ryuu Shiro would have been an evolutionist.
The boost from evolution is simply too good to pass up.
"Isn't it beautiful? I think so too."
Ryuu Shiro smiled as he gazed at Dragonair. Even now, without evolving, Dragonair remained the ace of his team.
Yes, even Ryuu Shiro's pseudo-legendary Tyranitar couldn't shake Dragonair's position.
And let's be honest…
Shiny Dragonair's beauty is truly unparalleled!
"Goodra!"
Without responding to Ryuu Shiro, Raihan solemnly tossed another Poké Ball.
A bipedal Goodra appeared in front of Raihan—the pseudo-legendary Dragon-type Pokémon from the Kalos region!
Being able to repel Flygon in a single move, even if it was a surprise attack, was a testament to Dragonair's astonishing power!
Thus, Raihan didn't dare to be careless. Moreover, his ace Duraludon had been severely injured by Eternatus and couldn't Dynamax.
To deal with Ryuu Shiro, he had to be even more cautious.
"A pseudo-legendary Dragon, huh? Let me see the power of the so-called 'The tamer of dragons!'"
Ryuu Shiro examined the Goodra with interest, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Raihan specialized in Dragon-types and was known as the "The tamer of dragons!" in the Galar region.
"I'm also a Trainer who loves Dragon-types. I truly hope you don't disappoint me, Raihan. If you're too weak, I'll be quite disappointed."
"Having someone like you among Dragon Trainers is truly a disgrace."
Raihan snorted coldly, ignoring Ryuu Shiro's taunting words.
He was passionate about Dragons—extremely passionate.
Under normal circumstances, if he met another Trainer who loved Dragons, he would have been very enthusiastic.
But with Ryuu Shiro standing before him, he couldn't muster any warmth.
Having witnessed the disaster in the distance, Ryuu Shiro, the one who caused it, showed not a hint of remorse or guilt.
This kind of cold-blooded person, Raihan found utterly repulsive.
"Enough with the big talk. Should I apologize? Well, I'm sorry then. Blame it on their bad luck."
Ryuu Shiro sneered without a care. He was a pragmatist. If achieving his goals required some sacrifices, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Besides, you should feel honored to be part of the backdrop for Eternatus's awakening. This is…"
"The opening chapter of a legend~"
Ryuu Shiro's smile widened, his handsome face now filled with a sinister aura.
Yes, isn't it only fitting for Eternatus's awakening to have a grand stage?
"Indeed, I will capture Eternatus! And become a legend!"
Ryuu Shiro lifted his chin, his words brimming with fervor, arrogance, and self-assurance.
"You…!"
Hearing this, Raihan was furious—so angry that his arms trembled.
What did he mean by "feel honored"? What kind of shameless, heartless person could say such a thing?
Thanks to the timely evacuation, there were likely no civilian casualties, but this entire area had been reduced to ruins!
So many people had lost their homes!
And what was most infuriating was that this man spoke as if it were all justified!
"Stop dreaming. I'll send you to prison myself!"
Raihan stared at Ryuu Shiro, who was still smiling, and spoke through gritted teeth.
He finally understood—this man was pure evil.
There was no trace of kindness, compassion, or humanity in him.
All Raihan could see was a deep, abysmal darkness and an overwhelming ambition.
"Oh? With what power?" Ryuu Shiro chuckled lightly, tilting his head as he looked at Raihan.
Thinking he could send him to prison? How bold.
"Goodra, Dragon Pulse!"
Without wasting more words on Ryuu Shiro, Raihan immediately gave the order to Goodra.
Meanwhile, Flygon, which had been knocked back by Dragonair, had now recovered.
Goodra let out a low growl, gathering a greenish-blue Dragon energy in its mouth before firing it at Dragonair.
"Let me show you what a real Dragon Pulse looks like." Ryuu Shiro scoffed.
"Dragonair! Crush it!"