"Ty—runt~"
As Ethan and Iris Jade were heading down the mountain, a familiar cry suddenly reached their ears.
Ethan turned around—and there it was.
Tyrunt was standing right behind them.
For a moment, Ethan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Tyrunt… why are you here?"
"Ty—runt!"
Tyrunt grinned proudly, clearly saying that it wanted to follow Ethan.
Truth be told, Ethan was happy inside.
After all, Tyrunt was a purple-tier opportunity. Its potential wouldn't be low—at the very least, it should be around Elite Four–level aptitude, similar to Marshtomp.
And more importantly, Tyrunt was a Dragon-type Pokémon.
Even without any luck-based boosts, its future prospects were guaranteed to be excellent.
But the problem was—
Tyrantrum clearly hadn't agreed to let Tyrunt leave.
Yet here Tyrunt was, chasing them down the mountain.
Ethan wasn't stupid.
Looking at the little guy anxiously urging him onward, Ethan immediately understood.
This kid had run away.
"Tyrunt," Ethan said seriously, "tell me the truth—did you sneak out?"
The moment Ethan asked that—
Tyrunt froze.
The excitement on its face vanished instantly, replaced with panic.
It hesitated, clearly wanting to shake its head and deny it—
But before it could—
A terrifying dragon's roar echoed from deep within the mountain.
"ROAAARR—!"
Tyrunt's entire body began to tremble.
Earlier, when it ran out on impulse, it felt free and exhilarated.
But now that its mother had discovered the escape—
And judging from that roar, she was furious—
Fear instantly overwhelmed it.
Tyrunt was still just a child.
It didn't know what to do.
And honestly, even in the human world, plenty of grown adults freeze on the spot the moment their mom gets angry.
Seeing Tyrunt trembling in fear, Ethan let out a slow breath.
"Alright, Tyrunt… I get it."
"I know you want to leave."
"But you also have to listen to your mom, okay?"
"If I really took you away like this, she'd be heartbroken."
"I know you want to see the outside world…"
"But we can't do it this way."
"How about this?"
"I'll go back with you. We'll talk to your mom together and try to convince her properly."
As Ethan spoke, his voice calm and sincere.
Tyrunt fell silent.
Then it looked up at Ethan—at the warmth in his eyes—
And suddenly, its heart felt lighter.
It was still afraid of its mother.
But knowing someone would stand beside it made all the difference.
After a moment, Tyrunt nodded firmly.
"Ty—runt!"
From the side, Iris couldn't help voicing her concern.
"Ethan… I know Tyrunt likes you."
"But do you really think you can persuade Tyrantrum to let it go with you?"
Iris knew Tyrantrum's temperament very well.
With her, Tyrantrum was gentle and cooperative.
But that was only because of their bond.
To every other Pokémon in the back mountain, Tyrantrum was a fearsome tyrant.
Her ferocity and dominance were legendary.
Iris was genuinely worried that Ethan might walk straight into danger.
Ethan, however, just smiled calmly.
"Don't worry, Iris."
"Even if she's hard to talk to, I have a way to make her listen."
"And in terms of strength…"
"I'm not afraid of Tyrantrum."
That answer stunned Iris.
She didn't quite understand what Ethan meant—
Until he calmly took a Poké Ball from his pocket.
"Come out, Metagross."
The ball opened with a heavy thump—
And a towering, silver-white Pokémon nearly two and a half meters tall appeared.
"Meta—gross!"
Metagross emerged with a goofy, contented smile—
Then immediately leaned toward Ethan, pressing its face against his.
"Alright, alright," Ethan said helplessly.
"We've got serious business right now."
Though he scolded it verbally, he didn't push it away.
Metagross was incredibly careful, controlling its strength perfectly—clearly afraid of hurting him.
Meanwhile, Iris stood completely frozen.
"…Ethan."
"…That's your Pokémon?"
Ethan laughed.
"Yep."
"Metagross, say hello to Iris."
Metagross complied instantly, squinting its eyes and flashing a wide grin.
"Meta—gross!"
Iris's mind went blank.
She could clearly feel how terrifying Metagross's strength was.
She couldn't pinpoint its exact level—
But just its presence alone was far more oppressive than Tyrantrum's.
And yet—
Such a powerful Pokémon obeyed Ethan without hesitation.
That was what shocked her the most.
In the Pokémon world, the stronger a Pokémon was, the higher its standards for a Trainer.
There were countless cases where a Trainer simply couldn't command their own Pokémon.
And Ethan was still a rookie Trainer.
Yet Metagross followed his every word.
That was unheard of.
Seeing Iris still stunned, Ethan smiled.
"Wait here for a bit, Iris."
"I'll take Metagross and Tyrunt back and talk things out."
Before Iris could respond—
Metagross gently lifted Ethan and Tyrunt with psychic power, placing them onto the broad platform atop its head.
"Ty—runt!"
It was clearly Tyrunt's first time being this high up, and it bounced with excitement.
The next moment—
Metagross activated Magnet Rise.
With a smooth surge of psychic force, it lifted into the air and flew back toward the cave.
Iris watched the massive silver figure disappear into the distance.
Only then did she finally murmur to herself:
"…That Metagross is at least Elite Four–level."
"And Ethan can command it so naturally…"
"…Does that mean his ability has already reached an Elite Four–level Trainer's standard?"
The thought left her with a bitter smile.
She had taken a full year to become a professional Trainer—
And was hailed as a genius because of it.
Yet now…
Compared to Ethan—
She suddenly didn't feel like much of a genius at all.
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