I caught a Pokémon

Just as Xiaochun was about to speak, Adu spoke first, smiling, "That's hard to say. It might take one or two days, or it might take four or five days."

"Huh? That took so long?" Xia You was taken aback. "What about my gym battle...?"

“Of course it has to be postponed.” At this point, A-Du suddenly changed the subject and laughed, “We are indeed facing some difficult situations and cannot get away, but I think if a powerful Indigo League champion helps us, we may be able to return soon.”

Huh? You were waiting for this, weren't you?!

The implication was quite obvious, but before Xia You could speak, Xiao Chun frowned and looked at A Du.

"No, the Dragon Sanctuary is a forbidden area for us Dragon Masters. Outsiders are not allowed to enter. You know the rules!"

"It's alright." A-Du gestured for Tsubaki to calm down and patiently explained, "Back in Kanto, Xia You and I fought side by side to wipe out Team Rocket there. Whether it's his strength or his character, he's completely trustworthy! And most importantly, Xia You also has a Dragon-type Pokémon, so he can be considered a Dragon-type trainer too!"

This was the first time Xiaochun had met Adu and heard him praise and admire someone so highly.

She glanced at Xia You unexpectedly, thought for a moment, and then said nothing more.

Seeing Xiaochun say this, Xia You was actually unwilling and did not want to interfere in their dragon tamer affairs.

After all, this involves many family secrets, and if you accidentally hear or see something, you could cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

But... you're saying I'm a Dragon-type trainer?

It probably refers to my Gyarados...

"Since this is forbidden territory for you, I'd better not participate."

Before he could finish speaking, Adu's strong hand patted his shoulder.

"Oh, don't refuse." A smile appeared on Adu's calm face. "I've already said so many good things for you, why are you backing down in the end? And don't you want to see our Dragon Sanctuary? Okay, let me tell you the truth. Actually, we're going to stop someone, and this person has a Dark Ball that can steal other people's Pokémon. He's very difficult to deal with, so we need your help."

"Dark Ball? It can steal other people's Pokémon?"

For some reason, Xia You suddenly thought of Mewtwo.

"That's right, he's used those Dark Balls to steal Pokémon from many innocent trainers. He's a vicious Pokémon hunter!"

"Don't you have any other dragon trainers?"

Adu shrugged helplessly: "We dragon trainers follow an elite policy. Apart from us, everyone else has gone on trips. Now there are only some elderly people and children left. We can't let them go out there, can we? If word gets out, people will laugh their heads off!"

"Alright..." Xia You sighed and nodded. "Since you've put it that way, I have no choice but to help. Tell me, who exactly is that person? Why would it require both a Elite Four member and a Gym Leader to be mobilized?"

"He truly is the man I've chosen!" Adu patted Xia You's shoulder again and smiled. "However, we're pressed for time, so let's discuss the details on the way!"

Chapter 303 Top Cadre

A chilly mountain wind was blowing.

At this moment, in the north of Yanmo City, three fire-breathing dragons are flying rapidly across the sky above a mountain range in a straight line.

When the clouds that had been obscuring them parted, the sunlight shone down, illuminating the faces of the trainers on the Charizard.

Needless to say, this was Xia You and her group who had set off from the Yanmo Dojo.

In the procession, A-Du rode Charizard at the forefront, acting as the leader, with Xiao-Chun following closely behind. At the very back of the procession, Xia-You and Na-Zi rode his Charizard together.

As Dragon-type Pokémon trainers, Lance and Chloe's Charizards are very strong. At this moment, the three Charizards are gathered together, each one looking fierce and menacing, exuding a powerful aura.

Their goal this time was the dragon's lair in this mountain range. Only by passing through the dragon's lair could they reach the holy land of dragon tamers—the Dragon Sanctuary.

During their journey, Xia You also heard A Du recount what had happened.

It turns out that the Pokémon hunter wielding the Dark Ball was none other than Team Rocket's top executive—Vishia!

It's unclear why this infamous Pokémon hunter would target the Pokémon of the Dragon Sanctuary, so much so that after receiving the news, Lance had to abandon his work and rush back to help Tsubaki deal with this troublesome enemy.

Top executives, Bishas, ​​Pokémon hunters...

Xia You thought about it carefully in her mind.

He still had some impression of this person. He remembered that he had appeared in the fourth movie as the biggest villain, and he had also dragged Ash into an event that spanned '40' years!

However, according to what he knew, although Bisharp was the highest-ranking executive of the Rockets and held a high position of power, he was extremely ambitious and unwilling to submit to Giovanni. The two had different ideas and he had long wanted to take over, lead the Rockets, and then conquer the world!

It can be said that Bishas combines most of the characteristics of villains: evil, false, and completely self-centered. He not only harms others and Pokémon, but also takes away everything he wants. He is a complete villain!

But... Xia You remembered that he should be chasing Shirabi right now, so how did he end up here?

At this moment, Xiaochun looked back at Xia You and saw that he hadn't fallen behind even after flying for so long. She couldn't help but praise him, "Not bad, you can actually keep up with our speed. It seems you've raised your Charizard very well!"

Xia You didn't mince words: "Training is only one aspect; the most important thing is that my Pokémon talent is quite good!"

Through their brief encounter, Xia You discovered that this woman was somewhat tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She was efficient in her work, confident in her words and actions, and had a decisive personality, making her quite easy to get along with.

After flying for another ten minutes or so, they finally landed in front of a lake.

Although the lake was not large, the current was very rapid. Xia You looked towards the source and saw that there was a dark water cave in the mountain next to the lake, from which the continuous river flowed out!

From a distance, the rocks outside the water cave, whether naturally formed or carved later, resemble a gaping maw with two fangs on each side, making the water cave look very eerie!

The fire-breathing dragon folded its wings, and Xia You leaped down.

As soon as they landed, a short, white-haired old man suddenly darted out from behind a rock and quickly walked up to them.

"Young Miss! Young Master Adu! You've finally arrived!"

Upon seeing the old man, Adu skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Kabu, how's the situation? What about the Bishas people?"

The old man named Kabu had clearly been waiting for a long time. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "I've been following him and saw him enter the dragon's lair with my own eyes!"

"We've already entered the dragon's lair!?"

"Damn it!" Xiao Chun turned to look at the water cave and clenched her fist. "How was he so fast? And how did he know the entrance to the dragon's lair was here!?"

As she spoke, she noticed that Kabu was looking at Xia You and Nazi, so she briefly introduced them to each other.

"This is Kabu, the steward of our Dragon Trainer clan. He has served us for decades and also serves as a referee at the Blacksmith Gym. Kabu, these two are our helpers. One is Xia You, the champion of the Indigo League, and the other is Sabrina, the gym leader of the Goldenrod Gym."

Kabu quickly greeted him.

Judging from Xia You's eyesight, he was at least seventy years old. He was dressed in a well-fitting suit, and his face not only had few wrinkles, but he was also very energetic and had very bright eyes.

"So you are Mr. Xia You!" Kabu exclaimed in surprise. "I've heard of your great name and deeds! With your help, we are now much more confident in catching that Pokémon hunter!"

At this moment, Lance had already put away Charizard, and he took out another Poké Ball, interrupting their conversation.

"Alright, there's no time to waste. Let's head to the Dragon's Lair. We must stop Bishas before he enters the Sanctuary and enslaves the Pokémon there!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Xia You: "We'll be traveling by water from now on. The water conditions there are quite complicated, so please be careful."

"I see."

Atsushi and Tsubaki simultaneously released Gyarados, and with a leap, Tsubaki jumped onto them.

It's safe to say he's a true dragon trainer. Whether it's Charizard from earlier or Gyarados now, Lance and Tsubaki's Pokémon have a very high degree of overlap.

But speaking of overlap...

Under their watchful eyes, Xia You opened the Poké Ball and released her Gyarados.

Pfft!

Gyarados's massive body plunged into the water, creating countless splashes.

It roared to the sky, then glared menacingly at its two brethren. Even though they were both Gyarados, Lance and Tsubaki's Gyarados were clearly outmatched in terms of aura and had to take a step back under its tyrannical power.

It's obvious who's stronger and who's weaker at a glance!

Sensing that this Gyarados seemed a bit different from others, Xiaochun looked at Xia You curiously: "I didn't pay much attention to what Adu said before that you also had a Dragon-type Pokémon. But I didn't expect that you would have both Charizard and Gyarados. If outsiders didn't know the details, they would definitely think that you were a dragon trainer just by looking at us standing together!"

"There's no way around it," Xia You said with a shrug and a smile. "Charizard and Gyarados are both Pokémon that I really like, how could I possibly miss them!"

Clearly, this remark won Xiaochun's favor. She nodded and then shifted her gaze to the Gyarados's body covered in wounds.

These wounds, large and small, covered almost the entire body!

It is said that scars represent honor. Even without asking Xiaochun, she knows that this Gyarados must have gone through a thrilling battle to become so ferocious!

Chapter 304 Dragon's Lair

Lance, riding Gyarados, continued to lead the way, walking at the very front.

Xia You and Natsumi still rode together, while the old man named Kabu rode on Tsubaki's Gyarados.

Three Gyarados swam across the lake, passed through the sharp reefs beneath the surface, and braved the swirling currents before entering the entrance to the dragon's lair.

However, looking at this dark water cave, Xia You felt that it didn't look like a dragon's mouth at all, but rather more like a snake's mouth!

Kabu was very good at reading people's expressions. While holding onto Gyarados's scales tightly, he noticed that Xia You seemed curious about the place, so he took the initiative to explain: "Dragon's Lair is a complex cave formed a long, long time ago when a dragon-type Pokémon caused a ruckus. Actually, its official name within the Dragon Trainer family should be Dragon's Cave, but those four characters are too long and difficult to pronounce. Out of habit, people have simplified the name of this place to Dragon's Lair."

Dragon-type Pokémon?

Aside from legendary and mythical Pokémon, Xia You couldn't think of any Dragon-type Pokémon that could alter the terrain and create such a large water cave, capable of causing such a commotion!

"What kind of Pokémon is it? Could it be Latias or Latios? Or some other Dragon-type Pokémon?"

"I'm not too sure about that, since it happened several hundred years ago. But according to legend, when the first head of our Dragon Trainer family went to stop that Dragon-type Pokémon, he obtained a Dragon Fang from it. Since then, every three years, the Dragon Trainer family has washed the Dragon Fang with water from the lake to pray for the health and prosperity of all Dragon-type Pokémon in the Johto region!"

At this point, Kabu turned to Tsubaki and reminded her, "By the way, Miss, the Water Splashing Day is in a little over a month. Now that you have inherited the dojo, you will be needed to perform the Water Splashing Ceremony!"

Xiao Chun gave a soft "hmm".

"I see."

Kabu seemed very talkative, and Xia You was also very curious about this matter, so she chatted with him for a few more minutes.

Perhaps Kabu thought Xia You was a friend of Xiao Chun and A Du, or perhaps it was because of his status as a champion. In any case, he didn't hold back at all when talking to Xia You, and he told her almost everything he knew.

The two talked for a long time around the Yanmo Dojo, and it was only then that Xia You realized that the mountain range they were in was extremely vast, and even the snowy path they had crossed earlier belonged to the same mountain range as the Dragon's Lair.

The water cascaded over Gyarados, making a splashing sound, but it had no effect on Gyarados whatsoever.

As they spoke, they had already passed through the long entrance and entered the interior of the dragon's lair.

As they ventured deeper into the water cave, the light grew dimmer and visibility decreased, forcing them to turn on their flashlights to navigate in the darkness.

A gust of wind blew through the cave, and for some reason, Xia You felt that there was something eerie about this dragon's lair, as if some ghost was coldly watching him!

It's obvious that these must be wild Pokémon that they disturbed, and they're keeping a close eye on these uninvited guests!

The water cave is riddled with numerous branching paths, leading to many unknown places. According to Kabu, even the dragon tamer family has not been able to explore all of these water caves for hundreds of years.

After traveling several hundred meters more, the river inside the cave became increasingly rapid and icy. At a fork in the road, Adu patted the Gyarados's neck to stop it.

There were no traces to be seen around, making it impossible to determine which way Bishas had gone.

He turned to look at Xiaochun and Xiayou, frowning as he said, "This is the main fork in the road. The waterway is extremely complicated, with two paths leading to the left and right, each going in a different direction. If you take the wrong step even slightly, you'll get lost. We haven't seen any sign of Bixias yet, and we don't know which path he took!"

Looking at the two forks in the road, Xiaochun asked, "What do you plan to do? Should we split up and chase them separately?"

Adu didn't answer immediately. After looking at her carefully for a few moments, he then looked at Xia You.

"Champion, what do you think?"

Stroking his chin, Xia You pondered, "Since Bishas is heading towards the Dragon Sanctuary, we should prepare for the worst and not have any hope for the dungeon. After all, he's a notorious Pokémon hunter, and he must have his own way of finding the right path. I think we should just go directly to the Sanctuary!"

Xiaochun nodded in agreement: "That's right, I think so too!"

Since they agreed, A-du led them on another journey.

The three Gyarados zigzaggled through the cave for over half an hour before finally leaping off a massive underground waterfall and plunging into a cold pool, reaching the other end of the cave.

To be honest, if Xia You were to traverse the water cave on her own, she would absolutely not go down into such a waterfall. And this can be considered the last barrier of the Dragon Sanctuary.

Stepping out of the water cave, the view became bright and open.

What appeared before Xia You was a huge valley. Sunlight shone down, and as far as the eye could see, there was lush green grass, beautiful flowers, and trees everywhere.

In the most conspicuous spot, two or three Dragonite were lying in the flower bushes sunbathing, surrounded by several Dragonair and Dratini.

"We've arrived." Adu turned to Xia You, a hint of pride in his voice. "This is the paradise of Dragon-type Pokémon, and also the secret realm of us Dragon Trainers—the Dragon Sanctuary!"

Xia You looked around in surprise: "I thought the Dragon Sanctuary was in a cave, but it turns out it's in a valley. Why didn't we fly over from the sky?"

“The only way to go is through that path,” Xiaochun shook her head and explained, “The Dragon Sanctuary is protected by a mysterious power. From the sky, you can only see bare mountain peaks; it’s impossible to find this place!”

"I see."

That being said, but...

Xia You looked around again and saw swarms of giant butterflies flying in the air, several small rattata chasing each other on the grass, and in the distance, beautiful flowers and shuttlecock grass playing there.

"It seems there are many other types of Pokémon here besides Dragon-type Pokémon!"