Chapter 2 – I’ll Follow You Instead

"Not sure if I should feel lucky… or terribly unlucky."

With no other choice, Lucas followed Pryce into the unknown, taking a deep breath to calm the storm inside his heart.

His emotions at that moment were complicated—a mix of anxiety and excitement.

Who was Pryce?

In Pokémon Adventures, he was a boss like no other—unprecedented and unmatched. In fact, in all the side stories of the Pokémon franchise, he was one of only two exceptions.

Yes, one of the only two trainers to ever defeat and capture a high-tier Legendary Pokémon using only regular Pokémon in direct combat.

Even Red, the protagonist of the first generation of Pokémon Adventures—a genius modeled after the original game protagonist—had only managed to severely injure Deoxys using his team, and that was a mutual knockout. He didn't actually win, let alone capture Deoxys.

Apart from Pryce, the only other trainer to accomplish such a feat… was Red!

In the anime Pokémon: Origins, Red used his Charizard X to defeat and capture a wild Mewtwo—with sheer force.

And Pryce did the same… perhaps even more effortlessly than Red.

If there were a power ranking for trainers, Pryce would unquestionably qualify as the kind of Pokémon Master that anime Ash kept shouting about.

After all, even among the strongest trainers like Lance, Giovanni, Cynthia, or Leon—those who have taken on wild high-tier Legendaries head-on—none had achieved as complete a victory as Pryce and Red.

"If I follow him, maybe I can truly step into the ranks of the top trainers…"

Having made up his mind, Lucas fixed his gaze firmly on Pryce, whose hunched figure and icy demeanor radiated dominance.

Ever since he was reborn into this world, Lucas had only one goal: to reach the peak!

He had already lived one life. If he didn't aim high now, what was the point of being reborn?

Following Pryce would help him grow faster than anything else.

Because right now, Pryce was the strongest trainer in the world—without a doubt!

Even Professor Oak and Elite Four Agatha, once his dearest friends, had already been outclassed by him.

Sure, as a scion of the Blackthorn Clan, Lucas had access to abundant resources. The elders saw him as the clan's future.

But those resources—money, rare items, Pokémon—couldn't compare to being trained by a true master.

Even though Pryce specialized in Ice-types, his overall strength made him more than capable of training others, regardless of type. With his guidance, Lucas's growth would be rapid, even if he didn't pursue the Ice-type path.

"If even Karen could become a Champion, why can't I?"

Lucas glanced at a blue-haired girl nearby. It was none other than Karen, the future seductive and powerful head of the Johto Elite Four!

Specializing in Dark-types, Karen even managed to overpower Bruno, the Fighting-type Elite, and became the Johto Elite Four's leader—showcasing her immense strength.

And who was Karen's mentor? Pryce.

If Karen could reach Champion level under Pryce, why couldn't he?

Lucas's crimson eyes blazed with determination.

No doubt about it—sticking with Pryce was the right call!

…

Ten Years Later…

In Ecruteak City, a historic city steeped in cultural legacy, time had passed.

The city was known for its two iconic towers where Ho-Oh and Lugia once resided—the Bell Tower and the Burned Tower.

There was also the renowned Ecruteak Dance Theater, home to the beautiful and famous Kimono Sisters. Many people came to this old city just to see their graceful performances.

Inside the theater's top-level private room, elegant music played softly.

A handsome young man in a white robe lounged lazily on a long chair, eyes closed, holding a phone in hand with a relaxed, carefree attitude.

This was none other than the grown-up Lucas!

"Ah~ You found Entei's trail? Good job. Keep up the good work~"

He yawned while casually replying to the person on the phone.

"Lucas, we worked hard to find that lead on Entei, and this is your response?"

A cold, irritated male voice came from the other end. Clearly, he wasn't pleased with Lucas's nonchalant tone.

'And what the hell does 'keep up the good work' mean?! Are you not planning to help at all?'

"Giovanni didn't assign the Rocket Team's strongest executive to Johto just so you could sit around doing nothing!"

Suppressing his anger, the man—Carr, one of the Three Beasts under Giovanni—spoke with growing fury.

He had tolerated Lucas's arrogance for too long.

A cocky brat who always acted above everyone else, treating Carr like he was nothing. What the hell was wrong with this guy!?

Carr's chest heaved with rage. He was a real power player within Team Rocket.

'Tch. Typical Blackthorn brat. That Kanto Champion was insufferably proud too—and this damn kid's just like him!'

"Oh? What else can I say, dear Sir Carr?" Lucas chuckled lightly, completely unfazed by Carr's impending outburst.

"You—"

"It's just Entei. Surely you can handle that much? Or is this all the mighty Three Beasts are capable of?"

He cut Carr off mid-rant with a mocking tone.

Sure, Entei was a decent catch… but Lucas had a far grander target in mind.

He looked out the window, lips curling into a wild, arrogant smile.

Far off in the distance lay a vast continent—Galar!

And his target… was the Legendary Pokémon that nearly destroyed Galar thousands of years ago.

The source of Dynamax—

Eternatus!

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Bastard!!"

In the underground control room of Goldenrod City, Carr slammed the disconnected phone against the floor with a loud crash.

The phone shattered.

All the Rocket Grunts in the room froze. No one dared to breathe loudly.

Carr's ruthless, dictatorial nature was known throughout Team Rocket—especially among those serving under him in Johto.

He was clearly furious. No one wanted to test his patience.

"What did he say?" a hoarse female voice asked. It was Sird, another of the Three Beasts.

"Same as always—told us to handle it ourselves."

Carr's face, eyes, and voice were all gloomy. His anger was boiling.

"That damn brat. I'm going to report him to Boss Giovanni! He's done nothing since coming to Johto! Absolutely nothing!"

"He's the one who requested to hunt down the Legendary Beasts. Now that we've found something, he just shrugs it off?!"

"Screw him! Just because he's strong, he thinks he can do whatever he wants?! Why the hell is he the so-called strongest executive?! Huh?!"

Carr waved his arms wildly, saliva flying everywhere as he ranted. The sight was almost comical.

Sird quietly took a step back, not wanting to get spit on.

"Serves you right for getting schooled by Lucas," she muttered inwardly.

Half a year ago, Johto's Rocket operations were under the Three Beasts—effectively Carr.

Then, Lucas was parachuted in as the newly promoted strongest executive.

Carr, unable to accept this, challenged Lucas immediately.

What happened?

Carr's entire team got wiped out by a single Pokémon.

Since then, Carr had "calmed down"... not that he had much choice.

Now he could only fume in secret.

…

Galar Region – Hammerlocke City

"Now this is a fine city."

On the streets of Hammerlocke, Lucas walked with a smirk, admiring the medieval architecture and thick historical atmosphere.

This central Galar city was a major tourist spot.

Its Gym Leader, Raihan, was considered the second strongest in Galar—behind only Champion Leon.

Some even claimed Raihan could be Champion-level if he were in another region.

But Lucas hadn't flown here for sightseeing.

"Almost there…"

He glanced at the map and headed toward a particular location:

Hammerlocke Stadium, the city's iconic structure.

Galar's love for battles and sports was world-renowned, and thanks to Leon and Chairman Rose, trainers were held in high regard.

With their combined leadership, Galar had grown powerful and prosperous.

"They really did pour a fortune into this whole 'battle spectacle' thing."

Lucas stood before the massive stadium. Galar's Dynamax system made outdoor, large-scale arenas essential.

"This is it."

He released a Rhyperior and ordered it to dig underground directly beneath the stadium.

He jumped into the tunnel behind it and soon arrived in a massive underground chamber—

The hidden Energy Plant beneath Hammerlocke Stadium!

And within this Energy Plant was sealed a terrifying entity from millennia ago…

The Darkest Day—the one who nearly destroyed Galar—

Eternatus!

"I can feel it... That's the power of a Dragon. Poison-Dragon type... Eternatus!"

(End of Chapter)