Though Lance appeared friendly and easygoing during his conversation with Maki, beneath the surface, he carried a subtle pride that was hard to miss.

  He wasn’t someone who overly concerned himself with whether new acquaintances were "worthy" of his friendship, but Maki's dispy of skill and demeanor during their battle had clearly earned his respect.

  “So, you’re part of the Dragon Cn,” Maki said, feigning a look of realization as he nodded thoughtfully. “Figures. I can’t think of anyone else who’d casually train a Dratini.”

  The Dragon Cn wasn’t entirely secretive, unlike the Draconids of the Hoenn region. While the cn preferred to keep a low profile, many of its members held prominent positions within the Pokémon League.

  Lance scratched his head, chuckling with mild embarrassment. “Sorry about not mentioning it earlier. It’s not like I was deliberately hiding my identity, but you know how the elders are—they’ve got all these ridiculous rules about what we can or can’t say.”

  His tone turned to one of mild frustration as he spoke about the elders of his cn. It was obvious that his time within the cn’s strict confines had left him with plenty to compin about, and now that he had a chance to vent, he wasn’t holding back.

  “I get it,” Maki replied with a sigh, pretending to look a little hurt. “To someone like you, I’m just an ordinary trainer.”

  Maki’s acting was impeccable. Years ago, before Sabrina had mastered her psychic abilities, he’d easily fooled her countless times. Afterward, however, nothing got past her—she could seemingly read his thoughts before he even finished speaking.

  In comparison, Lance was far easier to fool.

  “No, no! That’s not what I meant!” Lance excimed, panic creeping into his voice as he took the bait.

  Maki could hardly suppress his ughter, spping Lance on the shoulder as he bent over, grinning. “I was kidding! Lance, you’re way too gullible!”

  Lance’s face flushed. Realizing he’d fallen for the joke, he muttered in exasperation, “You... stop messing with me already.”

  Feigning a change of subject, Maki asked, “So, are you staying in Saffron City?”

  “Not exactly,” Lance replied, his tone hesitant. “I’m here on some cn business, but I can’t really go into the details...”

  “I understand,” Maki said with a sympathetic nod. Internally, though, he thought, You don’t need to expin—I already know why you’re here.

  Lance, unaware of Maki’s inner thoughts, rexed. “Thanks for understanding,” he said, then raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

  “You bought Dragon-type Pokéblocks from me earlier. I’m guessing they’re for your Dratini?”

  Lance nodded. “Dratini’s still developing, so mid-level Pokéblocks are better suited for it than high-grade ones. But even mid-level ones need to be high-quality. That’s why I went to that shop where I ran into you.”

  For most trainers, even mid-level Pokéblocks were an extravagance, but to Lance, they were just a temporary measure.

  “I can make custom Pokéblocks for Dratini if you’d like,” Maki offered casually. “The ones you bought earlier were just something I threw together st night.”

  “Really? You’d do that?” Lance’s eyes lit up. Custom Pokéblocks were on an entirely different level from mass-produced ones, but getting them wasn’t easy. Even as a member of the Dragon Cn, Lance couldn’t simply demand them without involving his elders.

  “It’s no trouble. I need to make them for Charmander anyway, so it won’t take much extra effort.”

  “In that case, I’ll pay you the full price,” Lance said firmly. “I know you’re selling Pokéblocks because you need the money, so I won’t take advantage of your kindness.”

  “It’s really not necessary,” Maki protested. “Just cover the cost of the berries—”

  “No way,” Lance interrupted. “If you won’t accept fair payment, then I won’t take the Pokéblocks. Besides, it’s not like I’m strapped for cash.”

  Reluctantly, Maki agreed to Lance’s terms.

  “It’s fine,” Lance added with a grin. “I’ll just submit the receipt to the cn for reimbursement. It’s not even my money, really.”

  Maki gave him a deadpan look. This guy... the future Dragon-type Champion sure knows how to work the system.

  Before long, Lance excused himself, saying he had urgent matters to attend to. The two exchanged contact information before parting ways.

  Once alone, Maki moved to a secluded corner and sent a message to Sabrina, sharing his location.

  Within seconds, Sabrina appeared in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere.

  “Something good happened?” she asked, her gaze sharp. “You seem to be in an unusually good mood.”

  Maki grinned. “I just met someone interesting. I’ll expin ter. Let’s head back first.”

  Interesting? Sabrina frowned slightly. Even after all this time apart, he hadn’t been this cheerful when they reunited.

  “Who?” she asked, her tone neutral but probing.

  “You know him,” Maki replied cryptically. “I’ll tell you everything back at the gym.”

  Before Maki could say anything else, Sabrina pced a hand on his shoulder. The world blurred around them as she teleported them both directly to her room at the Saffron City Gym.

  —————

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