This thought swirled frantically in his mind, making his whole body go cold, and he could barely even keep his footing.
Ariel stood at the center of the storm, feeling the weight of Sidney's hand on his shoulder and Drake's gaze opposite him—a gaze that seemed capable of piercing through a person's soul. His mind was also a bit dazed.
How did this develop into a drama of Elites fighting over a person?
To be honest, he had almost agreed to the proposal of becoming a subordinate just now.
Having the Dark-type Elite Sidney as a big brother was simply too tempting.
But Drake's appearance caused this impending landslide of wealth and status to hang suspended in mid-air.
"He is my person."
Drake's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy bomb exploding in the hearts of everyone in the hall.
Sidney's smile froze completely on his face. His hand on Ariel's shoulder tightened subconsciously.
He looked at Drake's ancient, unruffled face, a wicked fire burning in his heart.
This old man was intentionally making things difficult for him, wasn't he?
The stalemate lasted for over ten seconds, each second feeling as long as a century.
Ultimately, it was Sidney who deflated first.
He let out an exaggerated sigh, released Ariel's shoulder, and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Fine, fine. I won't argue with an old man like you. You can have him, alright? He's yours."
He shrugged, acting as if he didn't care at all, but the downward curve of his mouth and the flash of annoyance in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
There was no helping it; he really couldn't afford to offend this old man, Drake.
It wasn't just about strength, but also seniority and status within the League; neither were things a newly promoted Elite like him could compare to.
Seeing Sidney back down, Drake's tense aura also softened.
He glanced at Sidney and said in a deep voice:
"The next time I go out sailing, I'll keep an eye out for a good Dark-type Pokémon for you."
This was considered giving him a graceful way out.
Sidney wasn't someone who didn't know how to take a hint. Since Drake had given him face, he followed the path down.
He put back on that cynical smile and waved his hand at Drake.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it, old man. Don't forget, it has to be rare!"
After saying that, he stopped looking at Ariel, as if his previous persistence had just been a joke.
Drake didn't say more; he simply gestured to Ariel and turned to walk out of the League Building.
Ariel took a deep breath, suppressed the waves in his heart, and quickly followed.
As the two Elites and the mysterious youth left, the frozen air in the hall finally began to flow again.
Everyone let out a long breath and began to discuss heatedly, as if they had just survived a disaster.
Meanwhile, the waiter who had offended Ariel saw that the crisis was over and only wanted to disappear from this place of trouble immediately.
He lowered his head, hunched his chest, and tiptoed along the wall like a startled rat, trying to slip away and remove himself from Sidney's line of sight.
Unfortunately, he was dreaming.
Sidney had failed to recruit his man and was suppressing a belly full of fire with nowhere to vent.
He didn't lack Pokémon; the Dark-type Pokémon Drake promised was just a drop in the bucket.
What he lacked was a subordinate who was pleasing to his eye and had potential!
Ariel—what a great prospect!
A Dark-type Trainer with courage and skill. Most importantly, the light in that kid's eyes just now clearly showed he was tempted!
Sidney was certain that if he had just ten more seconds—no, five seconds!
Ariel would have definitely bowed down on the spot and called him 'Big Brother'!
It was all the fault of that blind waiter!
If he hadn't wasted time with his big mouth, allowing the old man Drake to catch up, he would already be celebrating with his newly acquired subordinate!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and the more he felt he had lost out.
Sidney's gaze swept across the hall and accurately Locked-On to the culprit who was trying to sneak away.
"Hey! You there!"
Sidney's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bolt of lightning striking the waiter's head.
The waiter's body stiffened violently, and cold sweat instantly soaked the clothes on his back.
He turned around stiffly, squeezing out a smile that looked worse than crying.
"E... Elite Sidney, what... what are your orders?"
Sidney had his hands in his pockets as he slowly paced over to him. He tilted his head to look him over with a warm smile on his face, but the words he spoke made the waiter feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar.
"Freeze right there!"
"Who gave you permission to breathe?"
Sidney's voice suddenly rose, and his smile became ferocious.
"In my life, I hate it most when people breathe in front of me! Didn't you know that?"
The waiter was scared out of his wits and instinctively held his breath, his face turning beet red.
Seeing this, the surrounding crowd also fell silent, not daring to take a single loud breath for fear that they would be the next target.
Looking at the waiter's ridiculous and pitiful appearance, the fire in Sidney's heart finally smoothed out a little.
He waved his hand in disgust, as if shooing away a fly.
"Get lost!"
"Don't come back to work ever again!"
...
Outside the League Building.
As soon as Drake's Salamence appeared, the pressure belonging to a top-tier Dragon-type Pokémon instantly enveloped the entire League hall exit.
Its crimson, hard shell reflected a metallic luster in the sunlight. Every slight flap of its massive wings, spanning several meters, kicked up a strong wind capable of messing up one's hair.
Its vertical pupils swept over the surroundings, domineering and ferocious, like a fierce beast stepped out of ancient myths.
An Elite Four Level Pokémon, simply by standing there, was enough to make one feel their own insignificance.
Ariel's heart gave a heavy thud.
This Salamence had once hunted him down, though he had been wearing a mask and leading Team Evil at the time.
Drake didn't say much; he just patted Salamence's neck and vaulted onto the dragon's back with a nimble flip.
He looked back and beckoned to Ariel, who was still dazed on the spot.
"Kid, get up here."
Ariel steadied his mind and, mimicking Drake, climbed up somewhat clumsily.
The scales on the dragon's back were unexpectedly smooth; he could even feel the warm body temperature and the powerful heartbeat coming from below.
"Sit tight."
As soon as Drake finished speaking, Salamence let out a deafening roar and beat its wings violently!
A terrifying force of acceleration hit him; Ariel's body leaned back uncontrollably, and he instinctively gripped the protrusions on Salamence's back with all his might.
The gale was like a knife, instantly filling his mouth and nose, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The scenery before him receded rapidly, turning into blurred blocks of color, as the outline of Ever Grande City quickly shrank in his vision.
They were rushing toward the horizon at an inconceivable speed.
Ariel's heart was filled with immense shock.
This was completely different from the feeling of riding Flying-type Pokémon himself; this wasn't flying, this was riding a storm, this was conquering the sky!
Senior Drake sat ahead of him, his figure steady as a rock, the gale unable to even move the hem of his clothes. That composure and strength made Ariel yearn for it.
He couldn't help but look down; the azure sea was like a flawless sapphire, dotted with a few tiny ships.
The sea breeze blew against his face with a salty, moist scent, causing his nerves, which were taut with tension, to relax slightly.
Why exactly had Drake brought him here?
Drake had only said he would come to Ever Grande City to find him, but as for what he wanted to do, he hadn't said anything.
Is it just for training?
Ariel speculated in his heart.
Special training at the Elite Four Level for the Ever Grande Conference in two weeks?
This thought made his heart burn with excitement.
After an unknown amount of time, Salamence's speed began to slow down.
A lush green island appeared at the end of the sea horizon and rapidly grew larger in his field of vision.
The island wasn't large, but its ecological environment was surprisingly rich.
The shore was a soft sandy beach, the center of the island was a dense primeval forest, and most eye-catching was a vast, open training ground on the island, along with a rugged and domineering wooden cabin beside it.
What made Ariel's pupils contract even more was that the silhouettes of Pokémon could be seen everywhere on this island!
A few Blastoise were sunbathing on the rocks by the sea; in the sky, several Dragonite were circling and flying elegantly; in the shadows of the forest, the massive figure of a Tyranitar seemed to flash by.
Water-type, Dragon-type, Flying-type... there were even several Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon that were hard to come by!
This place was practically a miniature Pokémon ecosystem, a paradise protected by a top-tier powerhouse!
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