chsdbacks Page 31
Page 31
Its bloodshot eyes, which had been filled with anger and fighting, softened completely.
All scrutiny, tests, and vigilance vanished in that moment.
Instead, there was a sense of relief and relief, and a hint of... loneliness that was barely perceptible.
"Roar--!!!"
A low, unintelligible roar came from deep within Gyarados's throat.
This time, the voice was devoid of any violence; instead, it carried an ancient, weathered charm that echoed throughout the cave.
This seems to be a form of approval.
A power transfer between an ancient guardian and a new caretaker.
Lin Che raised his head and looked at it.
He understood.
He nodded slightly in response.
Gyarados took one last deep look at the Dratini that was happily drinking from its bottle.
That look was extremely complicated.
There is reluctance, love, hope, and also a sense of resolute determination.
Its mission is complete.
The next moment, its massive body stopped moving and slowly retreated, disappearing into the deep pool.
A huge ripple spread across the water's surface.
The water then returned to calm.
That terrifying and great guardian vanished completely into the deep pool it had guarded for countless years.
Chapter 38: The Focus of Attention – Future Flight Plans!
As Lin Che and his group passed through the damp bushes, the scattered campfires and lights of the camp finally came into view again. The Poké Ball containing the Dratini in his arms was emitting a faint warmth.
The newborn Dratini is filled with pure curiosity about everything in this world. Even through the sphere, it seems to be able to sense the chaotic and noisy human presence outside.
Almost the instant they stepped onto the edge of the camp, a sharp gaze locked onto them.
Then came the second, the third...
The camp, which had been relatively orderly, suddenly erupted into a frenzy, as if an invisible hand had abruptly pushed the sound waves in the air!
"Look! Lin Che and the others are back!"
"Chen Hao! How are you guys? That Gyarados..."
In the crowd, Chen Hao shoved aside those who surrounded him, his face pale with the shock of surviving a close call, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light. He straightened his chest and, with all his might, roared, drowning out all the surrounding noise.
"Gyarados is nothing! I'll tell you something even more exciting!"
He paused deliberately, enjoying the thrill of all eyes being on him, then pointed to Lin Che, who stood calmly beside him, and announced, word by word.
"My brother Che, while we were holding off Gyarados, caught that guy's precious treasure—a Dratini!"
Dead silence.
Absolute silence.
The entire camp seemed to be muted, and everyone's movements and expressions froze at that moment.
Immediately afterwards, a sound wave ten times more intense than before exploded out!
"Holy crap! Are you fucking serious?!"
One of the boys was so shocked that his voice changed. He gripped Chen Hao's arm tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh.
"Dragonite? That kind of dragon-type Pokémon that only exists in legends?!"
"Absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes!"
A student who had gone with Chen Hao was now the center of attention. He was so excited that his face turned red and he was spitting as he spoke.
"That Gyarados was as fierce as a monster; even all of our Pokémon combined couldn't withstand it! Che took advantage of the chaos we created and caught that newly hatched Dratini with a precise throw!"
His words cleverly packaged their crushing defeat as a heroic act that created an opportunity for Lin Che.
"Champion-level potential... I heard Chen Hao say that that Mini Dragon has champion-level potential!"
This word, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, completely ignited the nerves of all newborns.
Champion-level potential.
Everyone present knew perfectly well what those four words represented.
That means that as long as you train it step by step, the ultimate goal for this Pokémon is to become an Elite Four member, or even a legendary champion!
This is a dream that countless trainers can never achieve in their entire lives!
"Divine luck... Is this the luck of a top scholar? It's outrageous, it's simply unreasonable!"
"Comparison is the thief of joy! We're still basking in the glory of catching a Pokémon with excellent potential, while others have already secured their Champion seed."
envious.
Hey.
worship.
incredible.
Countless complex emotions intertwined to form a vast net, firmly enveloping Lin Che at its center.
He became the eye of the storm, the undisputed focus of the entire event.
Even the college teachers in charge of leading the team rushed over after hearing the news. When they pushed through the crowd and their eyes fell on Lin Che, the initial scrutiny was gone, replaced by a solemn look of "respect".
"Congratulations, Lin Che."
The teacher in the lead spoke in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible admiration.
This is more than just luck; being able to make the most accurate judgments and take the most precise actions in such a chaotic situation is itself a top-level trainer skill.
Meanwhile, in the freshman class chat group, Chen Hao dropped a real bombshell.
[Chen Hao: Brothers, I have an announcement! My brother Che has caught a Dratini with champion-level potential! @All members]
one second.
two seconds.
The screen was instantly flooded with a tsunami of "Holy crap" and all sorts of shocked and distorted emojis.
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!]
【Huh? Did I see that right? Chen Hao, your account got hacked?】
[Is this for real?! A mini dragon?! And a champion potential one at that?!]
[Photos! No pictures, no truth!]
[Chen Hao: [Image], see for yourself! It's a bit blurry, but the outline is correct!]
Faced with all this overwhelming discussion and inquiry, Lin Che's reaction was frighteningly calm.
He simply nodded politely to the teachers, declined all the students who tried to get closer to ask for information, and walked through the crowd without saying a word.
His steps were steady, his eyes unwavering, as if the deafening roar outside was a world apart from his own.
He quietly returned to his tent, zipped it up, and shut out all the noise and attention.
Inside the tent, the light was dim and there was only silence.
Lin Che sat on the simple cot, not immediately releasing his Pokémon, but instead closed his eyes and began to conduct a completely new and thorough assessment of his team in his mind.
The phantom images of three Poké Balls slowly appeared in his mind and began to rotate.
The first one is his ace attacker.
A champion-level potential Growlithe.
Its image was crystal clear in his mind, its body engulfed in flames, its extreme speed and ferocious physical attacks the sharpest spear to tear apart any opponent's defenses.
The second one is his core special attacker.
Alolan Vulpix with near-Champion level potential.
Although it hasn't evolved yet, Lin Che can already foresee its elegant transformation into an Ice Queen. With its dual attributes of Ice and Fairy, powerful special attack, and crowd control abilities, it will be an indispensable magic turret in the team.
Then, he focused all his attention on the third Poké Ball.
The absolute core of the future is also the Mini Dragon, which has championship-level potential.
This was no longer a vague plan, but a reality already in his grasp. He could almost see a majestic dragon soaring into the sky, dominating the entire battlefield with an aura of supreme power.
A powerful attacker, a special attacker, and a future core player.
The basic framework of the three main players has been formed.
Each one possesses an immeasurable future.
This lineup is enough to drive any peer, and even many professional trainers, crazy.
But Lin Che's brows furrowed slightly in the darkness, unnoticed by anyone.
He was acutely aware that his current team, though seemingly impressive, had a fatal weakness.
A weakness that could cause him to lose everything at a crucial moment.
That is—mobility.
His mind began to race through the possibilities.
If he encounters a bottomless cliff while exploring a secret realm, how should he cross it?
If, in a future official battle, the opponent sends out an aerial overlord such as a fossil aeroda or a fire-breathing dragon to relentlessly suppress him from the sky, how should he respond?
Should we make Arcanine jump up and use its incredible speed to crash into something?
Or are we still hoping that the Six-Tails' freezing wind can accurately hit a high-speed moving aerial target?