Chapter 99: Villain Boss

If I really have to battle Zinnia, I should prepare thoroughly.

Though I grumbled about Dad making this battle arrangement without asking me, getting the chance to go all out against a Champion-level Trainer is a rare experience.

It's the perfect opportunity to test my current strength!

And since Zinnia is the inheritor of the Draconid people, it's only natural she's a Dragon-type Champion-level Trainer. She's incredibly powerful, making her an ideal opponent.

Yeah, Zinnia is a true Dragon-type Champion, not just someone who specializes in Flying types.

"If I remember correctly, her team in the games includes Goodra, Tyrantrum, Altaria, Noivern, and Salamence, right? In reality, she'll probably have a full team of Dragon-types with another one added in."

I thought it over. Why does it feel like Zinnia's team has a lot of Flying-types? Well, it doesn't matter since I'm not planning to use my Poison-type lineup anyway.

Using Poison-types against Flying Pokémon puts me at a disadvantage. If they don't touch the ground, Toxic Spikes can't activate, and ground-based troops are naturally weaker against aerial ones.

I'll go with a Dark-type lineup and throw Articuno in there. If the first five get beaten, I'll send out Articuno to freeze her Mega Salamence!

Yes, perfect! A pure Dark-type lineup with one Ice-type shouldn't be a problem, right? After all, if someone can call a team with three Flying-types and three Dragon-types a "Dragon Legion," then why can't my team with five Dark-types and one Ice-type be called a Dark-type team?

If Lance can do it, why can't I?

Half an hour passed quickly, and the three of us sat in the living room chatting.

"Phew~ finally back."

The door opened, and a handsome, mature man in his forties walked in, carrying several bags. Walking beside him was a woman with short purple hair.

It was, of course, my dad, Itto, and mom, Amelia.

"Baby~!!"

The moment Amelia stepped through the door, she spotted me and quickly changed her shoes.

"Mom, I—"

"Ah, my dear son, I've missed you so much."

Before I could finish, Amelia enveloped me in a tight hug, cutting off my words.

"It's been nearly two months since I last saw you. I told you to come with us for a vacation, but you didn't listen. You're just as stubborn as your dad, always so hard-headed when you decide on something."

After hugging me tightly for a moment, Amelia sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Dad said he left the Gym in my hands, so if I left, the business would crumble." I shrugged.

"Besides, you and Dad were enjoying your alone time. Why would I want to intrude?"

"You little rascal, give me a break! I've got so many businesses I'd rather hand over to you, and yet you only care about the Gym? That's not something we need to worry about."

Dad, Itto, chuckled as he scolded me.

"Anyway, take a look at this."

Itto fished a red tablet-like device out of his pocket and tossed it toward me. Just as I was about to catch it, the device floated in front of me and lit up automatically. Two glowing dots at the top of the screen lit up like eyes.

"Mr. Baby, it's so nice to meet you~ Rotom!"

A cheerful mechanical voice rang out from the device's speakers.

"Hello there, you're a Rotom Pokédex, aren't you? Dad, you actually made one?" I asked, surprised.

"Yup, it wasn't too hard. As long as you design a suitable form and function that appeals to Rotom, it'll happily enter the device."

Itto nodded.

"Your mom and I just came from meeting with Professor Kukui to get this first prototype. When he heard we were developing a Rotom Pokédex, he offered a lot of technical support."

"This first unit is yours. Oh, and by the way, son, the Master Ball project over at Silph Co. is almost finished. You'll be able to pick it up next month."

Itto walked over and patted me on the shoulder, a wide grin on his face.

"Once the Rotom Pokédex goes into full production, my wealth will probably double again. Man, no matter how low-key I try to be, I just can't avoid being on the road to becoming the richest man in the world!"

"I really hate money, you know? It's so annoying!"

Itto sighed dramatically, striking a pose, but just as quickly, a loud smack echoed through the room as Amelia hit him on the head. You could tell it was a solid hit just by the sound.

"Why are you showing off in front of the kids?" Amelia glared at him, while Itto rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly.

"Tch~"

Really, Dad?

I clicked my tongue in disdain. This guy even wrote me a letter talking about finding me a stepmom? What a joke!

"Uncle and Auntie are just as close as ever," Ilene commented with a smile.

Lillie smiled softly, seemingly used to this dynamic between her godparents. However, a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes as she remembered her own broken family.

Once, she had a loving father and mother, but now...

Still, Lillie quickly buried those feelings. She knew she was incredibly lucky.

With the family reunited, there was plenty to catch up on.

Amelia decided to cook dinner herself, and both Ilene and Lillie eagerly volunteered to help. Though one was a homebody queen and the other a former Aether Foundation heiress, neither had much experience in the kitchen. They could only assist with basic tasks.

Meanwhile, Itto and I sat on the couch, chatting.

"I heard from President Vernon that you've been spending a lot of time with Champion Lance?"

Itto lit a cigarette, smoke curling around him.

"Yeah, probably because of my Viridian power. Lance seems to have a good opinion of me. He even invited me to become a member of the Elite Four." I nodded, not hiding anything from my dad.

"And what did you think about that?"

"Not interested. Being a Gym Leader is easy and relaxed."

"You lazy brat, no ambition at all." Itto laughed and scolded me.

"With a dad like you, what ambition do I need?"

I shrugged. As Itto had told me before, I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, starting my journey on the shoulders of a giant.

There was no helping it; my dad was just too rich!

"No argument there. Our family's wealth is enough for you to live it up forever. But you've really made me proud, son. Hahaha~"

Itto was genuinely proud of my recent achievements, to the point where his business associates had been calling him to tease him, their voices dripping with envy. It was making him feel quite smug, to say the least.

In this world, the line between Trainers and regular folks is very clear.

But when a family has a strong Trainer backing them, their position becomes unshakable.

Just like how the Devon Corporation, owned by Joseph Stone, has grown to rival even Silph Co. in wealth and influence.

Actually, a few years ago, Devon was just a small company focused on mining iron and refining steel. Why has it developed so quickly in recent years? (According to the information, Devon's growth happened in just a few years, which is quite terrifying.)

This rapid development can't be separated from Joseph Stone's outstanding business acumen and operational skills, as well as the technology they developed. However, it's also closely tied to his son, Steven!

Many people believe that Steven's growth is due to the resources of Devon Corporation, but in fact, it would be more accurate to say that Steven and Devon Corporation have achieved success together.

Joseph Stone put all his effort into supporting his son's career as a Trainer, and Steven didn't disappoint him. A few years ago, Steven successfully became the Champion of the Hoenn region.

The resources available to a regional Champion are unimaginable! Not to mention that Steven was not even twenty at the time and still had a lot of potential.

As the father of Hoenn's Champion, Joseph Stone's Devon Corporation, both directly and indirectly, gained tremendous benefits. They developed new types of Poké Balls and various item-related technologies, propelling Devon into becoming one of the world's top companies, even rivaling Kanto's Silph Co. and Galar's Macro Cosmos Group!

Rivaling Silph Co.? What does that mean? Silph Co. is the company that controls Poké Ball technology! In a world centered around Pokémon, one can imagine the immense scale of Silph Co.

Yet Devon managed to match Silph Co.'s scale in just a few years. Surely, this was also supported by the Hoenn League, given that their own Champion was the son of Devon's president. How could they not support it?

Oh, it's worth mentioning that Steven stepped down two years ago and recommended his close friend Wallace for the position. Wallace didn't let Steven down and successfully defeated the Hoenn Elite Four to become the Hoenn Champion.

But even with Steven stepping down, Devon remains the largest company in Hoenn, with an unshakable position!

Why? Because the president's son is the former Hoenn Champion, and the current Champion is Steven's recommended close friend.

With such connections, who would dare touch Devon Corporation, aside from the League?

Thinking about this, Itto couldn't help but nod as he looked at his own son. He used to be envious of Joseph Stone for having a Champion-level son.

But now, there's no need for envy! His assets were no less than Joseph Stone's, and once the Rotom Pokédex technology fully matures, his wealth will grow even more!

As for comparing sons, in just two months, Dylan had grown from a fresh graduate of Pokémon School to someone capable of defeating high-ranking Team Rocket executives and even capturing them! Impressive!

"My son Dylan is also Champion material! And in the future, he'll definitely be stronger than that Steven!"

"It's just the beginning," Dylan said modestly.

"You cheeky brat, putting on airs even with me," Itto laughed and scolded him.

"But I have to remind you, I've received word that lately, Lance hasn't been getting along with the Kanto League."

"Oh?"

"Just last week, during the operation to suppress Team Rocket in Celadon City, which you participated in, the day after, there was a Kanto League meeting. It's said that Lance got into a conflict with the council members, and he even released his Dragonite during the meeting."

Itto clicked his tongue in surprise.

"Senior Lance does have quite the temper," Dylan's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this.

"It's mainly the council members. Those fools are incompetent, but they are arrogant, greedy, and self-righteous. They probably criticized Lance during the meeting, pushing him too far."

Itto was gleeful at their misfortune, having no fondness for the Kanto League council members, who had often used their positions to extort money from him.

But just as he finished speaking, he noticed his son giving him a strange look.

"What's the matter?"

"You've got it wrong."

"Wrong? How so?" Itto was taken aback. Could his information be incorrect? No way, he had confirmed it with several people.

"Senior Lance definitely didn't lose his temper," Dylan shook his head, speaking seriously to his father.

"If those council members had really angered Senior Lance, they wouldn't have walked out of that meeting room."

Dylan was certain that the Lance of this world was absolutely the same as the one in the Pokémon Adventures manga—perhaps not as extreme yet, but if truly pushed to the brink...

Reenacting the events of the manga? Lance could absolutely do it. A few arrogant council members? Nothing a swipe from Dragonite couldn't handle.

Even in this world, Lance had certainly eliminated quite a few Team Rocket members behind the scenes. He wouldn't show mercy.

Itto was shocked by this revelation.

"That... surely... couldn't happen, right?" Itto frowned. This wasn't something to joke about.

"No, Dad, it's entirely possible," Dylan's eyes flickered slightly.

He suddenly realized why, after rescuing Proton and Archer, Giovanni had left that bold message at the Celadon Police Department.

At the time, Dylan had found it strange, as it didn't seem like something Giovanni would typically do. But now, he understood.

Giovanni had already seen Lance's increasingly obsessive and twisted nature. He was pushing him!

Lance, who was proud and fiercely protective of Pokémon and nature, would eventually be consumed by his extreme love! As long as Team Rocket existed, Lance would never be able to surface.

Giovanni was deliberately provoking Lance, trying to push the Dragon Master deeper into darkness!

When that time comes, Lance, who was once Kanto's Champion and protector, might become an even greater threat than Team Rocket—a nightmare for Kanto!

Whoa, now that's an exciting thought.

But if Senior Lance really does turn evil, as a Gym Leader, would I have to step in?

That wouldn't feel right. Senior Lance has taken such good care of me as his junior.

Dylan hesitated for a second before deciding he would have to step in. If his mentor lost his way, it was his duty as a junior to bring him back with Articuno!

Darn it, I really wish I had Kyurem right now!

(End of Chapter)