Pokemon : The Master of Dragon-Types

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The Capital, a forbidden area.

On the third day of Jacob's absence, Nina stared at Jacob's Pokémon in the forbidden area, lost in thought.

Dreepy and Axew were both training diligently at this time. They kept Jacob's instructions in mind and trained seriously every day without slacking off.

As for Noibat, though it remembered Jacob's words, it was naturally lazy and always sought opportunities to rest. However, whenever it thought of that stern woman, Noibat could only grit its teeth and persevere.

In the end, only Charmeleon completely let loose after Jacob left. During the days without Jacob and Grovyle, Charmeleon had acquired a pair of sunglasses from somewhere and placed them on its snout to block the bright sunlight. It lay leisurely on the ground, taking naps.

People unfamiliar with the situation might think Charmeleon had grown lazy and had completely given up. Only Nina knew that Charmeleon was doing this deliberately, which was quite cunning.

At midnight every night, when Jacob's other Pokémon were asleep, Charmeleon would secretly rise and run to a secluded location for extra energy training. If it weren't for the sensitive Noibat discovering Charmeleon's movements and informing Nina, she would never have known how diligently Charmeleon worked during the night.

Charmeleon trained from midnight until five in the morning, sneaking back just before the other Pokémon awakened.

Meanwhile, during daylight hours, especially during morning physical training sessions in front of Dreepy, Noibat, and Axew, Charmeleon would feign laziness and nap.

Most despicably, Charmeleon not only shirked training itself but also encouraged Jacob's other Pokémon to join in, suggesting they rest and sleep together. If not for Nina's strict supervision, the gullible Noibat would have fallen for Charmeleon's tricks.

Nina also discovered that after several days of intense training, Charmeleon seemed to have broken through to the Lord level and learned Flamethrower, but Charmeleon kept this advancement secret. It only used Flamethrower during nightly training sessions to practice and refine the move. During daytime, it never used this skill in front of the other Pokémon, clearly concealing its true abilities.

Especially during daily training battles against Noibat, Nina could clearly see that Charmeleon wasn't using its full strength, maintaining only its peak Elite level power. It hadn't used Flamethrower even once, hiding its capabilities and allowing itself to be defeated by Noibat every time.

As the saying goes, "A biting dog doesn't bark," and this was exactly the impression Charmeleon now gave Nina.

What Nina didn't realize was that Charmeleon's objective was to compete for second place in Jacob's team. It had coveted this position for a long time. Now it was "raising a pig," with Noibat being the pig being fattened. In recent battles, Charmeleon deliberately lost to Noibat in every match, solely to make Noibat careless, waiting until Jacob returned—that would be the day to "slaughter the pig"!

Charmeleon secretly vowed: Once Jacob returns, it will be time to reveal my true power. Don't underestimate me because I seem weak. All my restraint has been for the purpose of surpassing you. Just wait, Noibat—the second place on the team will definitely be mine!

Meanwhile, the foolish Noibat remained oblivious to being targeted by this crafty schemer. Currently, it only felt that training was exhausting. Why was Teacher Nina even stricter than Jacob? It was truly tired, barely able to continue, desperately wanting to find a place to rest.

...

"Ring!"

Nina was daydreaming when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing the familiar name on the caller ID, she answered.

"Hello, Nina, it's been a long time since we've had drinks together," a charming female voice said from the other end. Just from the voice, one could tell she was a very alluring woman.

Nina herself hadn't consumed alcohol for over a month due to health issues. She needed rest after helping Jacob treat Axew's hidden injury, and Jacob had firmly instructed her not to drink, warning her solemnly. So even though Eleanor had called several times to invite her for drinks, she had declined.

"I'm really busy lately. I'll invite you for drinks when I'm free," Nina politely declined. Although she hadn't drunk for a month and somewhat craved alcohol, she also understood the importance of taking care of her health. Occasional drinking was fine, but now she was recuperating and naturally needed to abstain.

"You're really not coming?" Eleanor's tone was full of disappointment. "I specially prepared some excellent wine."

"I really can't come," Nina refused reluctantly. If she sneaked out to drink and Jacob found out, he would definitely be angry. "Next time," she promised.

"Nina, have you found a boyfriend?" Eleanor suddenly asked. "We used to meet at least monthly, but why haven't you visited for over a month? Don't you miss me?"

"What are you talking about? I'm busy leading the training class in the Secret Realm. How could I have time for romance?" Nina hastily explained. "Eleanor, I miss you too. I'll visit when I'm free."

"Okay."

"..."

They chatted for quite some time. Listening to Nina's hurried tone, Eleanor increasingly felt something was amiss.

...

Inside the Bug-Grass Secret Realm.

In the Sceptile clan's territory, Grovyle continually practiced Leaf Blade on the rocks. With persistent practice, it had successfully mastered the technique.

Jacob observed Grovyle while contemplating how to trigger its evolution. The energy in Grovyle's body had nearly reached saturation point and achieved the critical threshold. It was just one step away from evolution but couldn't seem to take that final step.

Jacob considered whether to arrange a battle between Grovyle and his brother to stimulate evolution. Suddenly, Sceptile approached Jacob and communicated: "Sceptile! Sceptile!"

The language barrier frustrated Jacob greatly, but fortunately, Sceptile recognized this issue and drew a pattern on the ground with its claws. This pattern was exactly the symbol of a Mega Stone.

"You mean the Mega Evolution Stone?"

"Sceptile!" Sceptile nodded, pointing first to the Mega Stone symbol on the ground, then to Grovyle, and finally to Jacob.

Although Jacob couldn't fully comprehend Sceptile's meaning, he could roughly guess that it probably suggested he use Sceptile's Mega Evolution.

Sceptile's reminder also brought to Jacob's mind his long-forgotten Key Stone and Sceptilite. As soon as Grovyle evolved into Sceptile, they could attempt Mega Evolution. It was time to bring these items back into use, but before utilizing them, he needed to fashion the Key Stone into an accessory for convenient carrying.

For instance, Ash's Key Stone was incorporated into a glove, Steven's into a pin, Alain's into a bracelet, and Kalune's into a pendant. These Mega accessories also served as their personal symbols.

What should I fashion my Key Stone into?

Jacob actually wanted to make his Key Stone into a pin like Steven's. Pins were stylish and elegant, showcasing a man's nobility, sophistication, maturity, and presence. Whether practical or not was secondary; the key was that it had to look cool.

Look at Steven, the wealthiest heir in the entire Pokémon world, and you'd understand why following Steven's choice made sense. However, the issue with a pin was that it required wearing a suit daily and styling his hair like an adult. The mere thought made Jacob uncomfortable. He still preferred T-shirts and shorts for their relaxed comfort.

After abandoning the pin idea, Jacob pondered further and finally decided to create decorations with Chinese cultural elements to promote his heritage. It was his responsibility; otherwise, these cultural elements might be appropriated by others.

Chinese-style accessories like rings, jade pendants, bracelets, and seals were all options.

The seal was too old-fashioned, the Key Stone would be difficult to inlay on a ring, and a bracelet resembled existing designs too closely. A jade pendant would be better. Jade had been a symbol of gentlemen since ancient times.

"A modest gentleman, gentle as jade."

I'm Jacob! I'm a gentleman, so I must wear jade. I'll acquire one tomorrow!