Chapter 100: The Brave Fights the Evil Dragon

"Hello, I'm Lance, but you can call me Big Bro Lance!"

His striking red hair immediately caught attention. At around fourteen or fifteen years old, he appeared even more energetic than Sato.

If he wasn't mistaken, the person in front of him was none other than the future Flying-type (Dragon-type) Elite Four member, Dragon Master Lance!

A bit full of himself!

That was Sato's first impression. If he had met him in his previous life, he probably would have been reincarnated even earlier.

Now, he no longer felt as uneasy as before, when even Officer Jenny's presence would make him uncomfortable.

"Bro... Lance?"

"Hey! From now on, I've got your back. If anyone bullies you, just tell me, The Big Bro! I'll make sure they regret it!" Lance excitedly patted Sato on the shoulder, speaking with high spirits.

Strong sense of loyalty, likes stirring things up!

That was Sato's second impression of Lance. He could hardly connect this lively fool with the future Dragon Master who would captivate thousands of fans.

"Sato, don't judge him too quickly. Lance is actually a very reliable partner," Nurse Joy said with a gentle smile, noticing Sato's dazed look.

"Hmm..."

Reliable? He was going to be the future Dragon-type Elite Four, and even a Champion! Once the initial shock faded, what remained was joy.

After saying goodbye to Nurse Joy, Lance led Sato straight to their team's secret base.

Calling it a "secret base" was a bit of an exaggeration, it was actually a private villa on the far eastern side of Silver Town.

Apparently, it belonged to a wealthy teammate whose family left it vacant, so they were using it for now.

Upon entering, while it wasn't excessively luxurious, the decor was quite refined.

In the main hall, two young men and two young women were gathered, surrounded by their Pokémon as they appeared to be preparing lunch.

"Wow, a little cutie!"

Sato's steps faltered, and he was left speechless as he looked at the girl who had just spoken.

"Come on, everyone, let me introduce our new member, Sato!" Lance clapped his hands, gathering the group to introduce him.

"This is Rose Joy, our team's medic," he said, pointing at a girl with pink hair who looked quiet and composed, also around fourteen or fifteen years old.

"I know you! Many of my sisters have mentioned you before. I'm Rose, nice to meet you!"

"Rose-sis," Sato greeted politely. Having so many older sisters in his life, he was getting used to it.

"This is Will, the team's intelligence officer. He handles all our mission acquisitions, action plans, and intel gathering. His battle skills are pretty decent too, just slightly below mine!"

Lance pointed at another person, a young man in a white shirt, suspenders, and black-rimmed glasses. He gave Sato an emotionless once-over.

"I'm Will. I'll run a test later to see what role suits you best."

Straight to the point, he completely ignored Lance's teasing. Though not yet an adult, he carried himself like one.

"Don't scare him off right away. I'm White, a Pokémon Breeder responsible for logistics. I enjoy researching Pokémon food, I'll prepare some special meals for your Pokémon later."

White slung an arm around Will's shoulders, grinning.

Finally, someone with an average appearance. White was the type of person who would blend into a crowd, exuding warmth and simplicity.

"Nice to meet you," Sato greeted White with a smile, feeling the most comfortable around him.

"Let me know if you need anything. The villa is a bit small, so make do for now. Any empty room is yours to use," White said kindly.

Sato smiled but suddenly had nothing more to say.

"My turn, my turn! I'm Clair, Lance's cousin. Just call me Big Sis Clair!"

The last member introduced was a lively girl with blue hair, who excitedly addressed Sato as a "little cutie."

Pure-hearted? Sato glanced at her and felt even less inclined to speak.

"Hey, why won't you call me that…?"

"Alright, alright. You're the same age as Sato. Stop acting like an older sister and go play somewhere," Lance flicked Clair's forehead, looking exasperated.

Sato observed the five people before him, one future Champion, one future Elite Four, the strongest Gym Leader in Johto, plus a Joy and a wealthy Pokémon Breeder.

This lineup was a bit overpowered.

After the introductions, everyone continued chatting while feeding their Pokémon. Sato and Will spoke the least, but since Sato was new, he was frequently bombarded with questions.

Meanwhile, Clair was still sulking over Sato's refusal to call her "Big Sis Clair."

Sato sighed inwardly. Think it through, girl. Your name alone makes it impossible for you to be called 'sis.'

At one point, Will took some time to "interrogate" Sato, and after considering both individual preferences and the team's needs, Sato was temporarily assigned the role of support.

In other words, he would help with everything but wouldn't be responsible for any main duties, exactly like Clair's role.

Lance handled battles, while medical support, intelligence, and logistics were all covered. Sato and Clair just had to cheer from the sidelines.

Despite their friendliness, Sato was still just a kid with no adventurer rank and only one Gym Badge, a gifted one at that. The fact that they weren't mocking or rejecting him was already a blessing.

Sato wasn't worried.

Even though his role was the same as Clair's, once they entered the wild, he'd have chances to prove himself. Being support meant he could be involved in everything—wasn't that a sign of versatility?

Oh, right... he finally learned their team's name: The Braves Fights the Evil Dragon Adventure Team!

No wonder!

No wonder no one had mentioned the name until now.

"Well, you see, the Adventurer's Guild has a rule, once a team is registered, its name can't be changed unless the team disbands and reapplies. However, disbanded members have a two-year cooldown before they can take on new missions,"

Lance explained awkwardly. What kind of ridiculous rule is that?

Sato nodded in resignation. There was no point in complaining, the team name was already registered on his adventurer ID. No turning back now.

....

That evening, White showed off his culinary skills, preparing a feast to welcome Sato. It was hard to believe that a wealthy heir aspired to be a Pokémon Breeder, yet he was excelling at it.

Smells amazing!

Sato gulped down the last spoonful of creamy mushroom soup and glanced at his contented Pupitar. If it was satisfied, the other Pokémon must be too.

"Tomorrow, we finish our final preparations. The day after, we head for Mount Silver!"

"Oh!"

"The Braves Fights the Evil Dragon Team, let's go!"

"…"

The next day, Rose Joy carefully examined the team's health and prepared special antidotes for Gengar and Ariados.

Due to the tight schedule, Sato didn't get to choose the mission and had to follow along with the pre-planned objective. Will also took some time to brief him on the relevant intel.

Not wanting to be outdone, White spent the entire day in the kitchen, refining the Pokémon's meal plans at an impressive pace.

As for Lance, he went straight for a double battle against Sato.

After showcasing his skills in front of everyone, Sato could tell that their smiles had become much more genuine.