The group soared over the ocean for a while longer, until the Dragonites came to a halt before a raging storm.
Then they dove straight into it.
"Don't worry, bro — it's just an illusion."
Lin Yu was confused why they would charge into such a violent storm without any protection, but the girl's soft voice reassured him at once.
Sure enough,
beyond the storm lay an island hidden within it. From the inside, the outside was sealed off by a thick wall of white mist.
So this was Dragon Island?
The Dragonites slowly descended with the group. The two young men recalled their Dragonites into their Poké Balls, while the Dragonite known as "Shiba Eighteen" waved and flew off into the island's forest.
On the sandy shore at the edge of the island…
Lin Yu's eyes widened.
Dratini, Dragonair, Dewgong, Popplio…
All kinds of rare Pokémon thrived here.
By far the most numerous were Dratini and Dragonair!
When the Pokémon saw them land, they all fluttered over and circled the group.
"Alright, alright, I know you're all excited."
Ye Qingxue bent down to greet each one, her warm, innocent smile showing just how close she was to them.
A few Dratini stared at Lin Yu, circling him curiously.
They were wondering why this human had no Dragon Master Power within him.
Lin Yu easily picked up on their feelings.
He might not have Dragon Master Power, but he had Viridian Power — which could soothe Pokémon just as well.
Sure enough,
once Lin Yu released a gentle wave of Viridian Power, the Dratini grew affectionate toward him.
"Draa~"
Lin Yu pulled some Dragon-type Energy Cubes from his bag — the very ones he had made for Latias over the past few days.
"Dra? Draa!"
At the sight of the cubes, the Dratini and Dragonair grew even fonder of him.
Lin Yu was more than happy to interact with them.
Among these Dratini and Dragonair, even the lowest potential was Master-tier, and one Dragonair was Champion-tier!
Pokémon nearly unobtainable in the outside world were commonplace here.
"Bro, would you like to take a Dratini with you from here?"
Xiaoye walked over after greeting the Pokémon, leaning forward slightly and asking earnestly.
"…"
Before Lin Yu could reply, one of the two young men beside them spoke first.
"Little sister, Dratini are exclusive to Dragon Island. This…"
He glanced at Lin Yu.
His expression was neutral,
but even without using Aura, Lin Yu could sense ill will in his eyes.
"…friend of yours isn't part of the Ye clan. Strictly speaking, he shouldn't even be allowed onto Dragon Island."
He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking his mind.
These two were undoubtedly the Ye clan's most talented young trainers of their generation.
Every year, the Dragon Pool on Dragon Island opened twice — around July and October.
But only four spots were available each time.
That raised a critical question: who would earn those four spots?
Unlike other clans, the Ye family did not decide through rankings or competitions.
Every direct descendant got a chance, simply on a rotating basis.
But this was only their first opportunity to enter the Dragon Pool.
Earning a second chance was far harder — it depended entirely on how much their Pokémon improved after the Pool's baptism.
Only those whose Pokémon grew by huge leaps could qualify again.
Ye Tian was here for his second time.
Originally, the last spot should have gone to his own sister…
but now it had been taken by Lin Yu.
Naturally, Ye Tian held no goodwill toward him.
"Dragon Island is a Secret Realm too. If he's here, why can't he catch a Pokémon?"
Xiaoye played innocent, blinking wide-eyed at her cousin.
"But, little sister…"
The gap in status and talent left Ye Tian with little room to argue.
He could only turn his gaze toward Lin Yu — only for Ye Qingxue to step in front of him.
"Father and Uncle Du both agreed, so bro being here is completely fine!
Besides, Sister Mingshuang will get the same effect when she comes in October."
"You two…"
Ye Tian let out a bitter laugh.
He knew exactly why they had agreed…
all because of her.
The girl knew she was being unreasonable, but she had made up her mind to bring Lin Yu here no matter what.
"Alright, Xiaoxue."
Lin Yu gently ruffled her hair.
He didn't know the full details, but it was clear his presence had taken a spot from another Ye clan trainer — someone clearly connected to the young man before him.
So this girl had fought hard for him,
and even hidden it from him to stop him from refusing.
"Bro…"
"It's fine. Sir, may we have a word?"
Lin Yu stepped in front of Xiaoye.
There was no way he could let a girl stand up for him in a situation like this.
"Hm?"
Ye Tian raised an eyebrow.
He knew of Lin Yu — the National High School Tournament champion — and even admired him.
It was almost unbelievable that a first-year student from a small town could fight his way to the national title,
and even defeat Ye Qingxue when she was using her Dragon Master Power.
Ever since this little sister had returned, he had seen the clan head weep with joy for the first time. Her talent was simply staggering.
Most clan members awakened their Dragon Master Power around age 10.
Ye Qingxue had awakened hers at 12.
That wasn't even the most terrifying part.
After awakening, her Dragon Master Power surpassed most of her peers within a single year.
In two years, she left everyone her age in the dust.
In three years, she was on par with him…
and she was only 15.
As for now…
Ye Tian couldn't even sense the strength of her Dragon Master Power anymore.
A talent like hers was unheard of in the entire history of the Ye clan.
He had heard that this boy had raised her after she went missing.
So it was no surprise Ye Qingxue defended him so fiercely.
As for this boy's own talent…
Put simply: for a small-town trainer to win the national tournament in under a year was like something straight out of a dream.
But giving up a Dragon Pool spot and offering a Dratini? That was going too far.
Still, Lin Yu's calm, composed gesture earned him some respect.
The High School Tournament was a brutal competition among thousands.
If he had won it at that age, he would have shouted his victory from the rooftops.
But this teenager was willing to speak to him calmly?