Pokemon Earth’s Parallel World: Dragon Trainer

September 22, 2005

5:00 am

Inside the Laboratory

In the early morning hours, the laboratory was a hive of anticipation. Floyd, Kanraku, and his two disciples, Inoue and Yamada, gathered around the newly completed sphere ball.

Floyd, with a sense of purpose, reached out and pressed the lock mechanism on the sphere ball. Instantly, a red laser light enveloped Caterpie.

With another press, the sphere ball opened, and the red laser light interacted with Caterpie, causing the Pokémon to disappear from sight. A third press, and Caterpie reappeared as if by magic. Floyd repeated the process, his actions precise, demonstrating the ball's ability to absorb and release Caterpie at will.

(Caterpie: (҂ `з´) ︻╦̵̵̿╤── FLOYD)

"This… this is incredible," Kanraku uttered, his voice trembling with excitement as he witnessed the scene. His two disciples, Inoue and Yamada, shared in his thrill, their eyes wide with amazement.

"We've really done it, congratulations to us all!" Floyd exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face. He had already expected the result of this experiment, but the successful outcome was even more gratifying than he had imagined.

"We've succeeded!" Inoue and Yamada exclaimed in unison, jumping with excitement. They had never felt this level of exhilaration before. Although they had assisted Kanraku several times, this was their first participation in groundbreaking research.

"We must share this news with Kurogane-kun. He played a crucial role in this," Kanraku said, beaming with pride. "This epoch-making discovery is going to revolutionize the world!"

"I completely agree!" Floyd nodded in response to Kanraku's statement, contemplating that this breakthrough might even surpass Kanraku's expectations in the future.

"September 22, 2005 – this date will be remembered as the day we created one of the most legendary items known to humankind." He added.

Kanraku, caught up in the moment, also added, "No, this is just the beginning, Floyd-san. We are destined to create even more legendary items in the future."

Floyd didn't dispute his statement but thought to himself that although many great weapons might surpass the Pokéball in strength, but none could exceed this item's significance. It was comparable to a divine artifact.

In the Afternoon, 5:00 pm

Tetsuya slowly regained consciousness, his eyes adjusting to the white ceiling above. He found himself lying in bed, with Suzuki at his side, sleeping. As his vision cleared, he noticed a gathering of familiar faces on the other side of the room – Floyd, Kanraku, and his disciples.

"Y-you… all?" Tetsuya murmured, trying to sit up.

Floyd noticed Tetsuya stirring and quickly tapped Kanraku to draw his attention. "He's awake," Floyd informed him.

Kanraku, jolted from his thoughts, turned and saw Tetsuya regaining consciousness. "Oh, you're awake," he exclaimed, moving towards Tetsuya with evident excitement.

Tetsuya, still groggy, asked about the outcome of their work, bracing himself for potential disappointment. "How did the test go?" he inquired, a hint of apprehension in his voice.

To his surprise, Kanraku responded with an enthusiastic pat on the shoulder. "Kurogane-kun, you've done an outstanding job! We've succeeded! Our efforts have paid off, and you've been a pivotal part of this achievement," Kanraku exclaimed with pride.

"Wait, what? Can you tell me more? I want to see what we've accomplished," Tetsuya said, his excitement overpowering his fatigue. He attempted to get up from the bed, eager to witness the results firsthand.

Meanwhile, Suzuki, who had been resting, was awoken by the commotion. She looked up to see Kanraku and Tetsuya, both buzzing with excitement, heading towards the laboratory.

"Tetsu-kun! You're not fully recovered yet. Eh, Professor? Uhm… Kanraku-san!" Suzuki called out after them, but her words faded into the air as they hurried out of the room.

Floyd, amused by the unfolding scene, turned to Suzuki with a sly smile. "Sister Suzuki, it seems either of them would be a good choice for you," he teased lightly.

Suzuki, initially caught off guard by Floyd's comment, soon understood his teasing intent. Her face flushed with embarrassment and mild annoyance. "Floyd, you..." she began, but was cut off as Floyd playfully patted her shoulder.

"Sister Suzuki, there's no need to hide it. It's quite obvious. Whether it's the professor or brother Tetsuya, the choice is yours. You won't lose either way; both are men I deeply respect." Floyd said, his tone sincere yet teasing.

"Floyd-san..." she began, her voice trailing off.

"Eh?" Floyd turned towards Suzuki upon hearing her call, only to see her bowing her head with a menacing aura. He wanted to back away, but it was too late; Suzuki had already pinched his ear.

"Sister...?" Floyd didn't feel much pain initially, but Suzuki increased the pressure, causing him a bit of discomfort. "Sister, that hurts a bit," he winced.

Suzuki, her face still flushed, rebuked him. "Youngest, you're too young to be meddling in others' affairs," she scolded, her tone light but firm.

Floyd, about to respond, was cut off by Suzuki's teasing question. "And since you're so keen on matchmaking, who would you choose between Bianca and Chen Xin?" she challenged, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Floyd, taken aback, stammered, "Eh, eh? What do you mean? Why Chen Xin?"

Suzuki's eyes widened as she realized she might have inadvertently revealed more than she intended. Imagining Chen Xin's reaction if she found out about this conversation filled Suzuki with panic. She quickly exited the clinic, calling over her shoulder, "Forget I said anything!"

Floyd, left in a state of confusion, pondered over Suzuki's words. "What? What was that about?" Floyd was left puzzled but began to piece things together. "Does Chen Xin have..."

He wasn't naive. He reflected on Chen Xin's reactions during their encounters and sensed something there. But he quickly dismissed these thoughts, deciding it was better not to assume anything uncertain, to avoid potential embarrassment.

With a slight sigh, Floyd then walked over to Yamada and the others to wake them up.

…

Meanwhile, Chen Yu, Linh, Kang Jihoon, and the rest of the group were growing increasingly curious and doubtful about Kanraku's activities. It was the second time a meeting had been canceled without explanation.

Suzuki Akiko and Ryota, tight-lipped as ever, offered no insights, only suggesting that Kanraku might report on the developments the following day.

Their curiosity piqued, they yearned to uncover the secrets of the laboratory. Yet, they knew they had to wait for Kanraku's official report.

For now, they focused on their responsibilities, training their Pokémon with renewed vigor, but still… each of them were wondering what groundbreaking discoveries were being made behind closed doors.

…

Inside the laboratory, everyone's eyes were fixed on the second completed sphere ball, meticulously crafted by Tetsuya. The air was thick with anticipation.

This time, it was Floyd and Fraxure's turn to test the result. As the sphere ball cooled down after a few minutes, Floyd reached out to take it from Tetsuya's hand.

"Fraxure, we're up," Floyd said, looking confidently at his companion.

"Fraxure~," responded Fraxure, nodding without any hesitation, trusting Floyd completely.

With a steady hand, Floyd pressed the sphere ball's button against Fraxure's head. In a remarkable display of technology, the ball absorbed Fraxure effortlessly.

Click!

It happened in just two seconds, and Fraxure was seamlessly contained within the sphere.

Then, with another press of the button, a red laser light emanated from the sphere, projecting a structure that gradually took the form of a red silhouette. Before everyone's astonished eyes, it materialized into Fraxure.

"It's really a success!" Tetsuya couldn't hide his amazement, his voice filled with awe. This was a groundbreaking moment for him, having never witnessed such a spectacle before.

And he wasn't alone in his astonishment; Akiko, Ryota, Nakamura, and Aizawa were equally taken aback, their faces reflecting the wonder of witnessing this technological marvel for the first time.

"Kurogane-kun, can we make more?" Kanraku, eager to continue the experiment, turned to Tetsuya with hopeful eyes. Tetsuya, understanding the significance of the moment, nodded affirmatively and set about forging another sphere.

Hours passed, and it was finally Kanraku's turn to test the device with Blastoise. Just like with Fraxure and Floyd, the process was swift and seamless, taking just two seconds to subdue Blastoise successfully.

"Success! True success! We've really done it!" Kanraku's voice boomed with joy, echoing through the laboratory.

Floyd, observing the assembled group, posed a question, "What should we name this item?"