A man in his thirties stood at the bow of the S.S. Anne, watching as passengers were guided one after another onto lifeboats.

"Mr. Gilroth, it's your turn now,"

A sailor stood behind the man, gently reminding him.

"Ah, it's my turn already, huh…"

The man named Gilroth seemed to snap out of a trance as he turned to the sailor. His tone was fervent, even expectant:

"…You know, I'm a world-renowned collector. I used to think I had gathered the rarest treasures on Earth. But after witnessing that battle earlier… I realized something."

"What's most beautiful in this world… isn't lifeless artifacts, but these powerful and magnificent Pokémon!"

He clenched his fists with passion.

"I'd give anything to add those legendary Pokémon to my collection—even if only for a moment!"

The sailor gave an awkward smile. He didn't quite understand what the famous collector was rambling about, but he urged him onto the rescue boat regardless.

In the Johto region, in front of a luxurious villa,Caitlin and Shauntal stood silently at the door, waiting.

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky began to spiral, twisting unnaturally. From the horizon, a barely-visible speck approached rapidly. It crossed the sky at supersonic speed, breaching the sound barrier. Despite the vibration of its velocity, the object remained stable—until in the blink of an eye, it dove from the skies, slamming into the ground and unleashing a violent storm-like gust.

It was a Garchomp, nearly 8 meters tall.

Its body followed the perfect rules of aerodynamics, its wings able to fold and expand like those of a supersonic jet. Its flying speed surpassed Mach 1 with ease.

The energy field generated by this dragon-type Pokémon shielded its rider from the effects of such high-speed movement. Garchomp was one of the few Pokémon capable of such feats naturally—but only when trained by a master.

And Cynthia was nothing short of a master.

A tall young woman leapt off the Garchomp's back. She was a breathtaking beauty dressed in a long, sheer black gown. Her figure was curvaceous, her long legs barely concealed beneath the gauzy material. Her presence was enough to make any man pause and stare.

Yet no one who saw her focused on her looks—because her aura was overwhelming. Calm, wise, confident. Her eyes radiated strength beneath a veil of kindness.

"Cynthia!"

Caitlin's eyes sparkled as she ran up to greet her.

Cynthia smiled gently, in contrast to her cold and regal appearance. She looked past Caitlin and nodded warmly.

"…It's been a while, Shauntal."

"It truly has, Miss Cynthia."

Shauntal gave a slight bow and stepped back, giving the two women space.

"You seem… very different, Caitlin."

Cynthia's sharp gaze scanned her old friend. Caitlin's hairstyle had changed drastically—her twin tails now defying gravity. But it wasn't just the appearance. It was her presence.

She had matured. There was something steadier in her eyes.

"I've been through a lot. If I stayed the same… I'd be hopeless,"

Caitlin smiled warmly, not elaborating.

Cynthia didn't pry—she wasn't one to dig into private matters. She nodded.

"…You've grown, Caitlin. Stronger."

Then Cynthia looked around with interest.

"…So, where's the one you said had a Gabite?"

"He already returned to Kanto," Caitlin replied casually, though a subtle tension crept into her voice. "If you really want to meet him, Cynthia, with your Garchomp, you could reach Kanto in no time."

But deep down, she hoped Cynthia would refuse.

"…No need," Cynthia replied after a thoughtful pause. "It'd be rude to show up uninvited. We'll cross paths eventually."

Caitlin let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes… he's still traveling. We shouldn't disturb him."

Cynthia caught the flicker in Caitlin's eyes, her teasing smirk suggesting she'd seen right through her friend's hidden thoughts. Caitlin's face flushed.

Cynthia couldn't help but reflect:

The old Caitlin would've lost control of her powers from this kind of teasing.

She really had grown up.

"I've never been to Johto before, by the way," Cynthia said. "Oh! That reminds me—I've made a major breakthrough in my research."

"You know I've been studying ruins and ancient legends in Sinnoh for years. Recently, I found something amazing!"

She began to speak more quickly, her eyes lighting up with academic fervor.

"Some stone tablets in the ruins depict not just Arceus, but other legendary Pokémon attacking it! It's unbelievable! Some of those legends even involve Pokémon from other regions!"

"In Johto, there's Ho-Oh and Lugia. Maybe I should conduct an investigation here as well…"

Cynthia was glowing with excitement. To her, this was the hint of a hidden truth, something the world wasn't meant to know.

But Caitlin panicked.

"Let's go back to Sinnoh first!" she interrupted quickly.

She knew Cynthia's interest in legends ran deep. And she also knew that when it came to trivial decisions, Cynthia had a tendency to overthink everything.

She wasn't about to let Cynthia stay in Johto and possibly run into him.

Thankfully, Cynthia took the bait and smiled.

"You're right. Back to Sinnoh it is."

Then she noticed the document Caitlin was holding.

"…What's that, Caitlin?"

"To thank Logan for everything he's done for me, I'm preparing a gift!" Caitlin said excitedly. "I spent all day researching dragons from Unova. This report shows a rare one I want to catch and give him!"

She unfolded a picture.

"Look! Isn't this the perfect gift? He definitely won't reject it!"

Cynthia blinked at her friend's sparkling enthusiasm.

It was like Caitlin had fallen into some kind of love-struck trance—the kind where you'd offer your entire life savings to someone and thank them for the honor.

She hoped Caitlin wouldn't get hurt. Emotional wounds were always the slowest to heal.

But she still said seriously:

"…That dragon is one of the rarest in Unova. Sightings are few and far between. Even wild ones—untamed—are incredibly powerful. You're not ready to handle one yet."

"But Logan won't be going to Unova anytime soon! That means this is exactly what he needs!" Caitlin insisted.

"Once I get there, I'll collect more info. I know the hardest part is tracking it down. But as for capturing it—Cynthia, you'll help me, right?"

Caitlin looked at her like a pleading child.

Under that desperate gaze, Cynthia sighed.

"…Fine. If you really find it, I'll help you catch it."

Still, she knew—it wouldn't be easy.

A dragon that could rival her Garchomp in rarity and power? It wouldn't be found without a fight.

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T/N:

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