In a dense forest not far from the Oak Research Lab, a young girl stood atop a tree branch. One hand rested against the tree trunk, while the other adjusted a device on her eyes resembling binoculars.
Through the magnified lens, she observed Ash leaving the Oak Lab with excitement, holding his Pokédex and studying it intently.
——
[That Ash we met yesterday is quite interesting, Mewtwo.]
[Is that so…]
Mewtwo's tone was indifferent, as if he had no interest in Ash whatsoever.
Having stayed at the Oak Lab for a month, Ryuuske had spent most of his time chatting with Mewtwo to pass the time. Professor Oak was always busy with his research, completely absorbed in his work.
In truth, it had only been a few days since he escaped from Team Rocket and returned to Pallet Town, yet no one even noticed his disappearance. Oak had no desire to publicize his experience and simply reported the issue to the Pokémon League, leaving them to handle the problem.
Although the lab housed many Pokémon, none of them belonged to Ryuuske. And even though Pokémon were intelligent, they couldn't speak. Thus, chatting with Mewtwo became Ryuuske's best means of maintaining his connection to human society.
Since it was too late yesterday, Professor Oak let Ash stay overnight. Early this morning, Ash officially set off on his journey, while Ryuuske, as usual, started his day by cooking, reading, and studying.
"Ryuuske, come to my office for a moment."
After finishing his notes for the day, Ryuuske was about to take a break when he heard Professor Oak calling for him.
Though slightly puzzled by the request, he quickly made his way to the professor's office. It was a spacious room, with hundreds of Poké Balls neatly arranged along one wall. Several high-tech computers were running complex calculations, and research documents were scattered messily across the desk.
A particular machine caught Ryuuske's attention—it appeared to be a remote-space Pokémon transfer device, exuding an aura of futuristic technology.
"Ah, Ryuuske, you're here! Come, take a seat."
Beside Professor Oak's desk was an extra chair. Ryuuske took a seat without hesitation. On the desk, a family photo stood out—Professor Oak, his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson, Gary.
From previous conversations with the professor, Ryuuske learned that his son and daughter-in-law lived in Viridian City. A month ago, when Gary decided to embark on his journey as a Pokémon Trainer, Oak sent him to live with his parents for a month. By now, Gary had likely finished his stay and begun his own adventure.
Initially, Professor Oak had not wanted Gary to become a Pokémon Trainer. He preferred that his grandson follow in his footsteps as a researcher. No one understood the dangers of a Trainer's life better than Oak—dying in the wild was all too common.
Every year, the Pokémon League reported numerous missing or deceased Trainers, so much so that people had become numb to the statistics. While Trainers held high social status and special privileges, their journey to power was filled with peril.
Of course, there were also many powerful Trainers who turned to evil—Team Rocket's leader was the best example.
"After seeing Ash yesterday, I realized that I can't keep you here any longer. Ryuuske, you have your own aspirations and goals. It's time for you to set out and chase your dreams. Unlike other new Trainers, you have a natural advantage—with Mewtwo protecting you, you won't easily meet an untimely end. However, I must emphasize this: unless absolutely necessary, do not rely on Mewtwo. Not only for the sake of your own body but also to prevent dependence. Relying too much on Mewtwo will become a hindrance to your growth."
Oak spoke earnestly.
"This is already the second time you've told me that, Professor Oak. I understand."
Ryuuske's tone was calm, but his eyes burned with excitement. He finally had the chance to explore this wondrous world firsthand.
"…Professor, you didn't call me here just to say that, did you? Let me guess—since you've decided to let me travel, you must be giving me a starter Pokémon?"
Mewtwo was a special case. Normal new Trainers couldn't even dream of commanding such a powerful Pokémon, or even one slightly inferior to it. That's why raising one's own Pokémon was essential—building bonds and growing stronger together until they became the best!
"Hahaha! Ryuuske, you're mature and understand everything already, so I won't lecture you further. I've prepared your starter Pokémon in advance, but it's still a secret. I'll give it to you tomorrow."
Professor Oak winked playfully. "Aside from giving you this reminder, the real reason I called you here was to tell you about your special lineage—the meaning of the 'Ryuuske' name."
Ryuuske was momentarily stunned before sitting up straight.
To be honest, he had no idea if he possessed any special abilities. He had tried to sense something before but found nothing unusual within himself. He could use psychic powers—simple telekinesis like moving tables and chairs with a finger—but that wasn't his own ability. It came from his connection with Mewtwo, allowing him to tap into its psychic power. However, since he was still human, he could never wield it on the same scale as Mewtwo, who could wage wars with its abilities.
Now, Professor Oak was finally ready to reveal the truth behind the so-called "Dragon Taming Power." Ryuuske couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
While shuffling through research documents, Professor Oak explained:
"Dragon-type Pokémon are incredibly rare—not in terms of species, but in sheer numbers. No matter the region, Dragon Pokémon exist in small groups and have extremely low reproductive rates. Because of this scarcity, Trainers who own Dragon Pokémon are also rare. Perhaps due to this, Dragon-types tend to be born with greater talent and strength compared to other Pokémon."
"However, Dragon Pokémon also share a common trait—they are fiercely aggressive and violent. Every wild Dragon-type has a strong predatory instinct, and even those captured by Trainers often end up attacking their own Trainers.
In ancient times, when knowledge was still primitive, people classified vicious Pokémon like Gyarados as Dragon-types simply because of their dragon-like appearance. But modern research on energy attributes has confirmed that Gyarados isn't actually a Dragon-type—it belongs to the Water and Flying categories."
Professor Oak meticulously arranged his documents. As a leading expert, he never made definitive statements without concrete evidence. Over the past weeks, he had been searching for ancient texts regarding the "Dragon Taming Clan," and now, having confirmed his findings, he was ready to share them.
"In ancient times, humanity was much weaker than today, with far fewer numbers. They relied on Pokémon to fight against nature, struggling to survive. One of the deadliest disasters back then was the predation of Dragon Pokémon. These savage creatures would destroy entire human settlements, wiping out people and their Pokémon alike."
"Some humans attempted to tame them—some succeeded, but many failed. Compared to other Pokémon, Dragons were far harder to control. Attacking their own Trainers was common. However, during this era of hardship, certain individuals emerged as if blessed by nature itself. They awakened a special ability: 'Dragon Taming Power.'"
Professor Oak's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke, as if he could see the struggles and perseverance of ancient humanity in his research.
"These individuals were naturally attuned to Dragon Pokémon. They could communicate with them emotionally, understand their thoughts, and tame them without fear of being attacked."
"The first wielder of this power is lost to history, but records show that such individuals appear sporadically throughout time. Unlike psychic abilities or the 'Viridian Power,' this trait doesn't seem to be passed down through bloodlines—it simply manifests randomly. Because of this, those with this ability became known as the 'Dragon Taming Clan.' The most famous modern-day wielder is a certain Elite Four member."
Professor Oak stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hearing all this, I suddenly feel like this ability isn't that great," Ryuuske remarked with a wry smile.
"That's just the common impression. However, the real reason Team Rocket targeted you wasn't just because you had Dragon Taming Power—it's because your ability is different. You possess the original 'Dragon Taming Power,' the ability to control dragons themselves."
Oak's voice was serious.
"This power doesn't just make you close to Dragon Pokémon—it makes them stronger. It eliminates all of a dragon's weaknesses, meaning any Dragon Pokémon under your command will have no type disadvantage at all."
"In ancient times, when Dragons terrorized humanity, it was the original Dragon Tamers who led the fight against them. Back then, they had another name—'Dragon Slayers.'"
To be continued…
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