The Meteor Village was not a particularly luxurious place. In fact, to speak honestly, from the outside, it even appeared somewhat primitive.
Arriving before one of the most remote grass huts at the edge of the settlement, Zinnia stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Grandmother, I've come back," she called into the hut.
Creak… The door opened slowly, and out walked an elderly woman, her hair completely white, her frail frame wrapped in an old ceremonial robe of white. Supporting herself with a wooden cane, she stepped outside, her clouded yet still bright eyes falling upon Zinnia with genuine delight.
"Ah, Zinnia, my dear… did you find the Great Dragon God?"
Her aged voice was slightly raspy, carrying with it a mixture of weakness and anticipation. In her gaze, a faint hope shimmered.
"Yes, Grandmother… but…" Zinnia lowered her head in shame. "I am deeply sorry. I have failed you. I was not chosen by the Dragon God."
Her tone was heavy with guilt. She had disappointed not only her grandmother, but the expectations of the entire tribe of Draconids. Had Rayquaza not reached out and pulled her from despair, she might still be wallowing in isolation, unable to forgive herself. At that time, her failure to achieve Mega Evolution with Rayquaza had almost shattered her completely.
Yet, though she had failed, fate had arranged for a new chosen to emerge.
"I see…" The old woman's expression froze. A shadow of disappointment passed over her wrinkled features.
"But you need not worry, Grandmother. The Dragon God has already chosen a new chosen. And look—" Zinnia lifted her hands, gesturing toward Lucas with a smile. "I have brought him back with me."
This, in truth, was the greatest blessing.
"A… a new chosen?" The grandmother—Agnes, the current elder of the Draconid Tribe—was momentarily stunned. Age had dulled her reflexes; her reaction was far slower than that of the young.
(TN: I forgot if I called it chosen or something else, If I'm wrong please leave a comment.)
"I have captured Rayquaza," Lucas said bluntly, without hesitation. Producing the Poké Ball that held the mighty dragon, he declared calmly, "If by your people's traditions that makes me the chosen, then indeed, I am."
"Oh, magnificent… that is truly wonderful." A light shone in the elder's clouded eyes, joy banishing the weariness of her face. Bowing deeply in an ancient gesture of reverence, she said respectfully, "I, Agnes, elder of this generation's Draconid Tribe, extend my sincerest praise and honor to you—our chosen."
The Draconid people had always regarded Rayquaza with utmost reverence. To them, anyone who gained recognition from the Sky Dragon was the highest, most sacred being imaginable.
"You need not be so formal," Lucas replied, gently lifting the old woman up. "I've already spoken with Zinnia. When the meteor comes for Hoenn's skies, I will handle it."
Indeed, the tribe's prophecy of the falling meteor would be his responsibility to solve. And if memory served, within that meteor resided a Deoxys. When the time came, he intended to capture it as well.
"Thank you—thank you so very much, Chosen," Agnes said, relief spreading across her aged features. This disaster had weighed heavily upon the tribe for centuries; now, at last, they could breathe easier.
"Zinnia, go and spread the word. Inform everyone that they are to come and pay respects to our new chosen," Agnes ordered promptly. It was only right that every member of the tribe should greet the one chosen by the Dragon God.
Lucas, however, raised a brow and halted her. "That won't be necessary. Elder Agnes, may I ask… have you and your people ever considered leaving the Meteor Village to live elsewhere?"
At this, both Agnes and Zinnia were stunned. The girl turned her wide eyes toward Lucas, surprised; he had never mentioned this before.
"Yes," Lucas continued casually. "The Draconid people are all skilled trainers of dragons. I believe each of you could find promising futures if you lived beyond these mountains."
"Do you mean…" Agnes hesitated, her sharp mind not yet dulled by age. "…that you would have the Draconid people become your strength, your allies?"
"If you must put it that way, then yes." Lucas nodded without the slightest hesitation. "But rest assured, Elder. I would never drag the Draconid People into ruin. At most, I might ask for your assistance with certain matters in the future."
His thoughts were clear—although the Draconid People was strong, none among them reached champion level save Zinnia herself. For Lucas, she was the true prize.
"Chosen, you jest," Agnes replied with a faint smile. "Since you bear the approval of the Dragon God, none of us would refuse your request. Besides… for too long have we been bound by the prophecy of the falling star. Perhaps it is time to seek a new way of life."
Her words carried centuries of weariness. Indeed, their prophecy had shackled them for millennia. In truth, the tribe had long yearned for freedom.
"But such a migration cannot be decided lightly. Please, Chosen, allow me time to consult with our people. Those willing to leave will contact Zinnia. For now, let her accompany you."
"That will be enough. Thank you, Elder," Lucas said, bowing politely. Having Zinnia with him already exceeded his expectations.
The elder smiled, then turned to Zinnia. "Go. Show our chosen the village."
As she left slowly, Green smirked at Lucas. "I should've guessed. No wonder you agreed to come here with Zinnia. You want to take the whole tribe with you! Your appetite really is enormous."
"Shut your mouth if you don't know how to use it properly," Lucas shot back with a glare.
Green quickly shrank her neck grumpily. "Fine, fine… I'll shut up."
Zinnia, however, was smiling. "I think it's a wonderful idea. We've lived here too long. The outside world… it could give us more colorful lives."
"Lucas, let me take you deeper into Meteor Falls. There are many wild Pokémon living here, and quite a number of Dragon-types as well. If you come across any you like, you can try catching them."
Cheering herself up, Zinnia spoke to the three companions with a hint of pride.
Meteor Falls in Hoenn had long enjoyed a reputation for being home to Bagon, just as Johto's Mt. Silver was known for Larvitar, and Sinnoh's Mt. Coronet for Gible.
But in truth, Zinnia knew very well—Meteor Falls held more than just Bagon!
"In that case, I'll have to take a good look."
At the mention of Dragon-type Pokémon, Lucas raised his eyebrows. Sleepiness was the last thing on his mind now.
And so, Zinnia led Lucas and his companions deeper into Meteor Falls. Having grown up here since childhood, she was naturally familiar with the terrain.
Indeed, within the waterfall caves lived many Dragon-type Pokémon. Unfortunately, none of them managed to fully capture Lucas's interest.
Instead, it was Green and Marnie who ended up with surprising gains.
"Oooh~ these wings feel so soft!"
Green wrapped her arms tightly around the neck of an Altaria and absolutely refused to let go, rubbing her cheek again and again against the cloud-like wings.
The sensation was heavenly—so comfortable that she was almost intoxicated by it.
Meanwhile, Marnie's delicate face carried a rare smile as she gently stroked the head of another Pokémon with satisfaction.
This one resembled a small theropod dinosaur, with black fur covering its body and patches of blue skin beneath.
It was none other than Deino, the first stage of the pseudo-legendary Hydreigon from the Unova region!
That truly was an unexpected encounter. Meteor Falls did indeed house many Dragon-types, but Pokémon from other regions were far less common. And to run into a Deino of all things—what a stroke of luck!
(AN: In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Deino really can be found in Meteor Falls.)
At first, Lucas himself had been somewhat interested. Unfortunately, this particular Deino's potential didn't meet his personal standards. So, he let Marnie have it instead.
By the time the group returned to Meteor Village, Agnes had just finished gathering all the Draconid clanspeople to hold a discussion.
Lucas did not join in—after all, it was their tribe's internal matter.
Instead, he and his group rested for the night in nearby Fallarbor Town.
By the next day, Lucas was ready to take his leave. He had been in Hoenn for several days already, and it was time to return to Indigo.
This time, Zinnia would accompany him. Although the Draconids had yet to reach a unified decision, most of them did not strongly oppose leaving their secluded village.
Half a day later, their plane touched down precisely at Goldenrod City Airport in Johto.
"What a huge city…"
Zinnia looked all around, her face brimming with curiosity. This was the first time she had ever left Hoenn for another region, and she couldn't help her wonder.
"Goldenrod is the largest city in Johto, of course it's massive. Come on, let's eat first. Afterward, I have something important to take care of."
Lucas chuckled, leading the three girls toward a nearby restaurant. After their meal, he had business to attend to—business that was very important!
Goldenrod Dyeing Workshop!
This was the largest dyeing workshop in the entire city, specializing in producing all sorts of dyes, paints, and coloring agents.
After strolling a while down the commercial streets following their meal, Lucas naturally led the group straight there.
"…"
Seeing the building before her, Zinnia helplessly covered her face with one hand. She already understood what Lucas had come here for.
Seriously…
"Hey~ Jack! Jack, are you around?"
Lucas strode into the workshop and called out the owner's name with practiced familiarity.
"Oh~ Lucas, it's been ages since you last dropped by."
From behind the bar counter came a young man with golden hair, a loud floral shirt, and a cigarette dangling from his lips. With a broad grin, he gave Lucas a big hug.
"Business has been good lately, hasn't it?"
"Of course! Lucas, you really are a genius! Thanks to the dyeing service you introduced, orders have been flooding in."
Jack gave Lucas a thumbs up. Just a year ago, his dyeing workshop had been on the brink of collapse.
But Lucas had invested in his shop and introduced a brand-new project—refining harmless, safe dyes to be used exclusively for Pokémon.
Yes, Pokémon dyeing!
After being dyed, a Pokémon's appearance remained natural and lifelike, without the slightest trace of artificial tampering. Thanks to this, the workshop's reputation had skyrocketed within the noble and upper-class circles.
"You know, Lucas, just the other day Whitney herself came by with her Clefable. You wouldn't believe it—"
Jack exhaled a puff of smoke, shaking his head as he led Lucas toward the dyeing room, talking non-stop as usual.
"She actually wanted to dye her Clefable green! My god… but, well, the customer is always right. Still, that green Clefable was… beyond an eyesore, I swear."
Ever since switching his business to this line of work, Jack thought himself immune to all manner of odd requests. But the tastes of noble ladies, pampered heiresses, and wealthy madams continued to stun him.
Especially Whitney. She might be the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, but her sense of aesthetics was downright terrifying.
A "life-green" Clefable—what in the world was she thinking?
"So then, Lucas, which Pokémon are you here to have dyed today?"
Jack snuffed out his cigarette, already fishing out another one. His curiosity was piqued.
After all, this was the first time Lucas had personally come to dye one of his own Pokémon.
"This one."
Lucas responded by pulling out a Luxury Ball and tossing it.
With a flash of light, a massive dragon unfurled its serpentine body, swaying lightly as it descended. Its sharp, regal eyes gazed down from above.
Rayquaza.
"…Oh… shit… Rayquaza…"
Jack froze completely, staring wide-eyed. The cigarette slipped from his fingers and fell unnoticed to the floor.
The legendary Rayquaza—was Lucas really planning to dye that?!
(End of Chapter)