Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 2: The Dratini of Dragon's Den

The title system was Asahi's cheat after transmigrating into the Pokémon world.

Its function was straightforward: fulfill the conditions to unlock a title and choose a reward from three options.

Having acquired the Power of Viridian, Asahi didn't rush to leave the nature reserve. He had one more thing to do before reporting to the League.

He headed to the Safari Zone near the reserve.

From a distance, he spotted Caesar, dressed in cowboy attire, polishing his beloved revolvers.

"Old man Caesar!"

Asahi waved to Caesar in greeting.

Hearing Asahi's voice, Caesar's hand trembled, nearly causing his gun to misfire.

Carefully placing the gun back in its holster, Caesar lifted his head. Upon seeing Asahi, his eye twitched violently as he asked warily, "Asahi, why aren't you in your nature reserve? What are you doing here?"

"Is that how you treat an old friend? We've been neighbors for two and a half years!" Asahi was clearly unhappy with Caesar's tone.

"Spare me. Without you as a 'friend,' I could've lived a few more years." Caesar snapped back in frustration.

Over the past two years, Asahi's mischievous Gardevoir had turned the Safari Zone upside down, causing Caesar to receive numerous complaints from visiting trainers.

As for Asahi... he wasn't much better, often using Pokémon from the Safari Zone to fish out poachers.

Whenever Asahi came looking for him, it never ended well!

Hearing Caesar mention this, Asahi didn't bother to argue—after all, his Gardevoir did have a playful streak.

"Anyway, I'm here to say goodbye this time!"

"Goodbye? You're finally being transferred?" At those words, Caesar instantly jumped from his seat.

Caesar stared at Asahi, his face filled with excitement. If it weren't for the no-fire policy in the wild, he would've lit some firecrackers to celebrate!

God knows how he had suffered under the shadow of Asahi and his Gardevoir for the past two years.

Now, he was finally seeing them off.

"....."

Watching Caesar's exuberant display, Asahi felt his fists clenching.

"Do you have to be this happy... I haven't even left yet."

"Ah, right, right, I shouldn't celebrate too soon."

Caesar quickly restrained his overflowing joy and asked seriously, "So, what are you here for?"

"A Safari Ball. Give me one!" Asahi extended his hand.

After being a ranger for so long, he wasn't going to leave empty-handed. Before departing, he planned to capture his second Pokémon.

Hearing Asahi's request, Caesar became genuinely curious:

"I've been forcing Safari Balls on you for ages, and now you suddenly want one? Why the change of heart?"

Though he was curious, his hands didn't slow down, as he grabbed a pile of Safari Balls from a nearby box.

"We're old friends. Take as many as you want!" Caesar generously offered.

As long as he could get this guy out of here, Caesar was willing to pay any price, even waiving the entrance fee for Asahi.

Seeing the pile of Safari Balls in front of him, Asahi knew exactly what Caesar was thinking.

However, he only took one Safari Ball from the pile, saying, "I don't need so many. One is enough."

"One? You already have a target? Tell me, what Pokémon are you after?"

Caesar was curious about which Pokémon could pique Asahi's interest.

Having known Asahi for so many years, Caesar knew how high his standards were. Ordinary Pokémon simply wouldn't catch Asahi's eye.

Finally hearing Caesar ask, Asahi played with the Safari Ball in his hand, raised his head, and smiled slightly. He then uttered a name that made Caesar's expression drastically change:

"... Dratini!"

Without waiting for Caesar's response, Asahi walked directly towards Dragon's Den.

...

"Asahi... Asahi, wait for me!"

In the Safari Zone, Asahi walked ahead while Caesar waved and called out from behind.

After finally catching up, Caesar panted, "How did you know there's a Dratini in the Safari Zone?!"

Ever since accidentally leaking the information about Dratini in the Safari Zone, which drew a frenzy of trainers, Caesar had kept his mouth shut, never mentioning Dratini to anyone.

How did Asahi know?

"Your photo on the wall," Asahi replied matter-of-factly. "Every time I visit your ranger cabin, I see the photo of you with Dratini on the wall. Only a blind person wouldn't notice."

"....."

The answer was so reasonable that Caesar was left speechless. In this matter, he had indeed been careless.

But Caesar still wanted to salvage the situation.

"Cough, cough, that was decades ago. Back then, there was a craze for capturing Dratini, but with so many trainers failing to find one, it's likely the Dratini have long since migrated."

Caesar tried to dissuade Asahi from searching for Dratini.

Although he didn't believe Asahi could find Dratini, the trauma from that past incident was too great. A horde of trainers had swarmed the zone, capturing nearly every Pokémon. The mere thought still made him uneasy. He didn't want the Safari Zone to experience that again.

Asahi responded to Caesar's caution with just one sentence:

"I've been a ranger here for two and a half years, and you know me well. Do you think I'd do something I'm not confident in?"

Hearing this, Caesar had no rebuttal.

Indeed, as Asahi said, he never did anything he wasn't confident about.

If Asahi was so certain...

"... Could it be that the Dratini from back then never left?"

At this thought, Caesar felt a glimmer of hope. If possible, he too wanted to see that Dratini again!

...

Wild Safari Zone - Dragon's Den

"You're sure Dratini is in Dragon's Den?" Caesar frowned as he looked at Dragon's Den. "Although I did find Dratini here back then, the trainers who came later scoured this place and never found any trace of Dratini."

"They are them, and I am me... Gardevoir!"

Standing by the lake, Asahi called to his Gardevoir.

At Asahi's command, Gardevoir crossed her blue arms over her chest, lifted her head, and began to sing a melodious tune.

Caesar's eyes momentarily glazed over, but since Gardevoir had deliberately avoided affecting Asahi and him, he quickly snapped out of it. "Disarming Voice?!"

Even just the aftereffects nearly entranced him. How strong was Asahi's Gardevoir now?

Was Asahi trying to lure Dratini out with Disarming Voice? Caesar pondered.

The previously calm lake surface began to ripple.

Goldeen, Poliwag, Magikarp...

A swarm of Water-type Pokémon emerged from the water, their eyes filled with admiration as they gazed at Gardevoir.

Even Caesar, the Safari Zone's ranger, was seeing for the first time how many Pokémon lived beneath the lake's surface in Dragon's Den.

But... where was Dratini?

Sweeping his gaze around without spotting Dratini, Caesar was about to speak when the lake surface surged again.

Splash!

Water rose high.

The enchanted Pokémon swiftly moved aside.

Soon after, a large and small figure leapt from the water.

Water droplets, catching the sunlight, formed a rainbow in the sky.

A slender blue body stretched in mid-air, its white wings at its ears glowing a pure white.

"Dratini and... Dragonair?!" Caesar's eyes widened.

Asahi, however, was unsurprised.

After all, this wasn't his first encounter with Dratini and Dragonair!

"Over here!" Asahi waved to the Dragonair and Dratini in the sky.

The Dragonair and Dratini in the sky also spotted Asahi and Gardevoir below.

Dragonair showed no reaction, but Dratini eagerly dove toward Asahi.

"Meekoo!"

Its soft body wrapped around Asahi's neck, nuzzling his cheek with its white snout.

"Long time no see, Dratini. As promised, I've come to take you with me!"

---