Bill's Lighthouse

Xiao Yan and his companions arrived at Bill's Lighthouse because he had suddenly remembered that an enormous Dragonite lived nearby, one that could supposedly grow and shrink at will.

"Xiao Lan, you can't get a Pokédex until you're ten, but nobody said you can't have a Pokémon. What Pokémon do you want? Just tell your big brother."

"Then... Xiao Yan, I want an Eevee~" Xiao Lan gazed at him with her big, dewy eyes.

Hmm... Eevee are pretty rare in the wild. Their cute looks attract tons of people, and they have plenty of evolution paths, too. All in all, they're well worth raising.

"All right! Once I catch a Pokémon today, I'll help you catch an Eevee."

"Let's pinky promise!" Xiao Yan held out his right hand and hooked pinkies with Xiao Lan to seal their promise. He looked at his sworn little sister with utter adoration. That was right! This guy had already caught the virus known as a "sister complex."

"Let's go into that lighthouse." Xiao Yan noticed that the lighthouse door was unlocked, so he took Xiao Lan by the hand and walked inside.

As soon as they entered, a man wearing a white coat and glasses walked in.

"Who are you?" the bespectacled man asked, looking at Xiao Yan and Xiao Lan, who had just barged in.

"Sorry to intrude. My name is Xiao Yan, and this is Xiao Lan. I'm a Pokémon Trainer. I didn't know anyone was inside, so we came in by mistake," Xiao Yan hurriedly explained.

"Oh, I see... My name is Bill, and I'm doing a little research in this lighthouse. Since you're a Trainer, you must have come from Professor Oak's place. You have a Charmeleon beside you, after all. Charmeleon evolves from Charmander, and Charmander is one of the starter Pokémon in the Kanto region."

"That's impressive! Oh, right! Could I borrow your phone, Professor?"

"Sure. The phone's over there. Help yourself."

Xiao Yan eagerly walked over to the wondrous phone with a screen and called Professor Oak. Over the years, Professor Oak had taken meticulous care of him and had become something of a family member.

"Professor, look! I have two Badges now." Xiao Yan took out his two Badges and showed them to Professor Oak on the screen.

"Oh~ Looks like you're keeping pace with Gary. He has two Badges now, too. Also, Xiao Yan, what Pokémon have you caught lately? Could you let me take a look?"

"No problem. I'll send one over for you to see first." Xiao Yan placed a Poké Ball on the Transfer Machine beside the phone. As soon as the machine activated, the Poké Ball vanished and was sent to Professor Oak.

"Th-this... Could this be Ho-Oh?! A follower of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune! How did you get one?" Professor Oak was startled by the Pokémon inside when he opened the Poké Ball.

"I can't tell you that." "That's all right, Xiao Yan. Could I ask you to lend me Ho-Oh for a few days so I can study it?"

"Sure, but you can't let anyone else see Ho-Oh."

"Thank you! Ah! My instant noodles are going to burn."

"Professor, you should eat something nutritious, too. You need the energy to do your research."

"Xiao Yan, thank you for caring about me. I'll end the call here." After Xiao Yan hung up, a sudden shiver ran through him.

"Xiao Yan, so you have a legendary Pokémon!" Xiao Lan whispered into his ear. Only then did he remember that she had been watching right beside him.

"Listen, you absolutely cannot tell anyone about this." Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Lan and warned her with a very serious expression.

"Mm-hmm! I definitely won't tell anyone."

Xiao Yan went over to thank Bill, who was sewing a costume.

"Professor Bill, thank you. We should be on our way now."

"You're welcome! Have a safe journey."

After saying goodbye to Bill, Xiao Yan and his companions reached the shore. Great waves crashed against the rocks, and the sea breeze gently brushed their faces. Mist filled the air, and an enormous figure gradually approached. When the lighthouse beam fell upon it, they saw a bulky body with orange-yellow skin, large gray eyes, a rounded snout, and small nostrils. Two long, slender antennae and a small horn topped its head. Cream-colored stripes ran along its belly, extending all the way to the tip of its long tail. Each of its sturdy limbs ended in three claws, and a pair of wings utterly out of proportion to its body hung from its back. This was Dragonite, a Pokémon known as a pseudo-legendary.

"Dragonite, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Battle me! I'm going to catch you." That was right-Xiao Yan boldly declared his intentions to Dragonite.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" It only did a little damage to Dragonite. Seeing Pikachu looking dejected-Xiao Yan had told Pikachu to put on an act beforehand-Dragonite shrank down to comfort Pikachu.

"Charmeleon, Dragon Rage!" Dragonite had so much HP that forty points of damage barely tickled it. Dragonite came over to comfort Charmeleon, and Xiao Yan dropped to his knees in sorrow-it was all an act. Dragonite voluntarily picked up the empty Poké Ball in Xiao Yan's hand and let him catch it.

"Charmeleon, Pikachu, we caught Dragonite!" At that moment, all three of them-no, one human, one dragon, and one electric mouse-instantly changed their expressions, beaming with brilliant smiles. Their acting had been quite convincing. From his prior memories, Xiao Yan knew that this Dragonite was very gentle but also very strong, so he had decided to put on an act. Trying to force it would only hurt it, after all, so he had chosen a peaceful solution.

"Xiao Yan, were you just putting on an act for Dragonite?" Our clever, adorable Xiao Lan pressed him for an answer. "Actually, I just didn't want to hurt Dragonite."

"I really don't know what to do with you. Remember my Eevee, too."

"All right, I'll remember."

"You're still the best, Xiao Yan." Xiao Lan hugged his arm and wheedled affectionately, melting his heart. Looking at the adorable little sister beside him, Xiao Yan felt blissfully happy.