"I wouldn't dare refuse a gift from an elder—hurry up and call him Uncle Yan!"
Lincoln cut in, prompting Ethan.
Ethan suddenly remembered the black streak that sliced the sky last night and knocked that Alakazam out of the air. Was the trainer of that Dark-type… this old man?
"Hello, Uncle Yan. If there's a chance in the future, please look after me," Ethan said quickly. He nudged Lana, who also offered a prompt greeting.
Lincoln then introduced the boy beside him—his younger brother, Zack, a junior high student in the same year as Ethan who had just finished the exam.
Ethan and Lana gave brief introductions. Uncle Yan smiled pleasantly the whole time; Zack only snorted and looked away, clearly not interested in chatting with peers. Lincoln shot Ethan and Lana an apologetic smile.
Thanks to Zack's attitude, the car's atmosphere froze over. No one spoke as the limo rolled out of downtown toward Megalith Square on Zhaoyang City's outskirts.
In the East Asia Alliance's Liao Province, Zhaoyang City holds a storied place in paleontology lore—"where the first flower (Lileep) bloomed and the first bird (Archen) flew." Sure, that's marketing puff; in the Ancient Era, which revived fossil was "older" is debatable. But the site is undeniably important—major, unique fossils are unearthed here year after year, and the city is stacked with Rock-type specialists.
After the modern Dragon-Slaying War, the Alliance pushed balanced development across typings, and Zhaoyang seized the moment. The Wang family rose through the selection trials, winning the world-class Rock Gym charter for the East Asia Alliance and anchoring it here. For over 50 years, the Alliance has defended that title, with the Wangs serving as hereditary Gym leaders.
Megalith Square sprawled across a huge footprint, a landmark of the Alliance. The entire plaza was paved in dark-brown rock, but not flat—gentle undulations (about 1–1.5 cm) made it feel like walking on a sea of stone waves.
At its center stood the Rock Gym. Dark brown, rugged, and proud, its façade was shaped like an open rock book. Etched on the "pages" were fossil Pokémon in their pre-revival forms—a living gallery of Zhaoyang's heritage.
As Ethan took it in, the birthmark on his left wrist warmed.
Was the system "sniffing out food" on its own?
He narrowed his eyes at the carved pages. "You didn't actually embed real fossils in there, did you?"
Lincoln blinked. "Huh? You've heard that rumor?"
"When the gym was built last century," Uncle Yan said, eyes distant with memory, "the first Gym Leader personally set a batch of fossils into those pages. If a fated person could find one, it would belong to them—and the gym would revive it for free."
He shook his head. "Because fossils are too important, Alliance officials met the first Leader and the matter was never publicized. Few know the truth; most think it's just marketing."
Lincoln nodded. "If not for our family's records, I wouldn't believe there really are fossils in there."
They headed inside. Uncle Yan split off to find the current Gym Leader. Zack, being Zack, ghosted away without a word.
"Sorry," Lincoln said, grimacing. "Rebellious phase. He's like that with everyone."
"I do have a presumptuous request, if you'll hear me out," he added. "If you're willing, there'll be a reward."
Lana rolled her eyes at the phrasing. Ethan didn't mind—reward sounded fine. "We can try, if it's within reason."
"Zack's always been proud and solitary. He'll be attending Bin City High this fall. Our family's influence is weaker there—and we don't want to meddle too much in his growth…"
"You're not asking us to be bodyguards, are you?" Lana cut in.
Ethan frowned too. Earning a bit was fine; shadowing a rich heir wasn't.
Lincoln waved both hands. "Nothing like that. I just believe you two will make Liao Province No. 1 Trainer High. If Zack runs into trouble, I hope you'll look out for him now and then."
That, they could do. Lincoln sweetened it further: until school starts, he'd cover their Pokémon rations, with deliveries to their homes starting tomorrow.
Two months of free food? For two not-rich teens, that was a gift.
Lincoln's subtext was simple: befriend Zack; help with small stuff as classmates; call Lincoln for the big stuff. Frankly, it sounded easy—who's going to hassle the second heir of a world-class Gym?
With that settled, Lincoln first took Ethan to register Houndour properly—no more embarrassing "unregistered ball" problems when the Alliance checks his file.
Then Lincoln handed Ethan a black case and a bank card before leading them to the arena. The case held the dead Volcarona egg Houndour coveted; the card was Alliance compensation for the seized Solgaleo Z-Crystal—1,000,000 yuan. Not Solgaleo-Z's true value, but generous—especially since Lincoln could've played gatekeeper.
All told, Lincoln was worth befriending: humble, not snobbish, and—importantly—generous.
The Rock Gym's arena complex was semi-open: pros used it to spar, apprentices trained here daily. The first-floor field was empty; small clusters chatted on the second-floor gallery.
"Need a terrain change?" Lincoln asked.
Ethan glanced at Lana. "Up to you."
"No need," Lana said. "The field's fine for mine."
"Same here," Ethan said.
"I'll ref," Lincoln grinned. "Let me see whether the Alliance's youth have a future."
A match—ref'd by the Gym's young master—immediately drew eyes from the gallery. When they saw two junior-high kids stepping up, eyebrows climbed. After watching pros all day, a noob fight could be a fun palate cleanser.
Ethan and Lana noticed the amused looks but didn't care. They faced each other and focused.
"Sis Lana, you've hidden your starter long enough. Time I met it."
"Hehe—come out, Boss Cat!" Lana sang.
Red light spilled from her ball and formed a sleek, big cat: light gray fur glossy as velvet, rounded face with a slight whisker curl, half-lidded eyes with purple shadow, and a blue gem set in its forehead.
Persian—and not the Kantonian kind. This was Alolan Persian, the Dark-type "Boss Cat."
Ethan clicked his tongue. A rare form. Was Lana also "chosen"? How on earth did she land a Dark-type Persian?
"Where'd you get it?" he asked, watching the Persian sit cross-legged and lick a paw like a queen.
"Found it near school," Lana said. "It was a Meowth then. It wanted to fight, not be a toy, so it ditched its former owner."
Ethan was speechless. Picked up an Alolan Meowth and bonded it to Persian already? Alolan Persian evolves by high friendship—their bond ran deep.
He palmed Houndour's ball. "Careful—she's strong."
He'd already scanned it: Ability: Fur Coat. Level 7.
"Lubi!" Houndour barked, fired up. Finally—a fair fight. Those rabbits had bullied him with numbers and level; he despised them. Today, the future Sun Envoy would flatten an ugly cat on center stage and defend canine pride!
Persian paused mid-lick, glanced at the overexcited mutt across the field, and smirked. …Not the brightest.
"Single battle—one Pokémon each," Lincoln called. "Victory by faint or surrender. Begin!"
Both trainers' faces hardened in unison.
"Persian—Sucker Punch. Show him who's boss!" Lana snapped first.
"Pre-learned priority, huh?" Ethan muttered—then raised his voice: "Houndour, Fire Spin!"
Persian blurred across the floor. Lana's smile sharpened. "Brother Sheng, you sure your Fire Spin can catch my Persian?"