Team Rocket was a far cry from what it had once been, but correspondingly, it left fewer traces.
Under Giovanni, Team Rocket had carried out so many major plans simultaneously that there was no telling who had been responsible for stealing the Dratini.
"Can't this... be left to the Security Bureau?"
"It's just one more avenue."
The Security Bureau knew about the Dragon Clan's situation, and Lance was investigating too, but with Team Rocket so fragmented now, it was simply too difficult.
Besides...
"It's inconvenient for me to appear in public."
Lance hadn't entered a tournament for several years, spending his days wandering the world.
"I understand." Shen Qi knew the story. Back then, to use Team Rocket's resources to summon Lugia, Lance had brought the other three members of Kanto's Elite Four, including Koga, into Team Rocket, only to defect later.
So Shen Qi expressed his understanding. "I know. You might be like Koga, unable to appear in public because of what happened before."
"No." Lance waved a hand. "What are you talking about? I'm afraid my younger cousin will catch me."
The Dragon Clan's head was getting old and needed to choose a successor. Lance far surpassed his peers in both strength and strategy, and was even stronger than the previous generation's Pokémon Trainers. Naturally, he was the most suitable candidate.
On top of that, Lance wouldn't marry and kept roaming around, so the Dragon Clan's elders wanted to drag him home to settle down and establish himself.
Thus, the Dragon Clan searched everywhere for Lance. The other members didn't dare be too fierce, but his younger cousin Clair really was fierce, chasing her older cousin to the ends of the earth.
"You happen to have dealings with Team Rocket, and Koga said you worked very well together..."