"Hello, my name is Ash. I'm a traveler from Pallet Town. I wanted to pass through and see whether the Pokémon here have potential to grow stronger!"
"The three people with me are my partners!" Ash added after hearing Caesar's words.
"Welcome. Please, follow me," Caesar said with a nod, then led them to a small wooden house.
Inside, Caesar retrieved four baskets from the counter, each holding thirty Safari Balls.
"The Pokémon in this Safari Zone can only be caught using these green-and-white Safari Balls. If anyone tries to use their own Poké Balls, they'll be expelled immediately!" Caesar explained as he handed a basket to Ash and his companions.
"Ash, come look at this—there's a Dratini here, with Mr. Caesar!" Cynthia suddenly exclaimed, pointing to several photos on the wall of the cabin. One of them showed Caesar standing near a Dratini.
A look of surprise spread across her face.
After all, a Pokémon like Dratini was incredibly rare and valuable. Catching one was nearly impossible, and even seeing one was considered a stroke of luck. On top of that, Dratini was a Dragon-type with two further evolutions, both of which were incredibly powerful.
"It really is true," Ash muttered as he walked over to examine the photo more closely. "I didn't expect there to be a Dratini here… I wonder if it could actually be caught."
Seeing the calm expressions on Ash and his companions' faces, Caesar was taken aback. Most people who learned about Dratini couldn't resist the temptation. Its rarity had drawn countless hunters, and even regular trainers were often consumed by greed.
"You don't seem all that concerned about Dratini," Caesar said, genuinely surprised. "That's rare these days. Most people who came here rushed straight into the Zone the moment they heard Dratini lived here, causing terrible destruction."
Perhaps because Ash and the others didn't seem like bad people, Caesar continued speaking:
"In truth, Dratini really does live here in the Safari Zone. When I was in my twenties, I nearly drowned while on patrol in one of the lakes. Dratini was the one who saved me. From then on, we would meet often. Over time, we became close friends, and I owe it my life."
Unfortunately, one day someone spotted them together and even managed to take a photo. When the pictures spread, hunters and trainers swarmed here in search of Dratini.
To protect it, Caesar had Dratini hide deep within the lakes of the Safari Zone. With so many lakes—many of them nearly identical—and Caesar's guidance, no one had ever succeeded in finding it.
Caesar himself stayed behind all these years, delaying his retirement, just to ensure Dratini's safety.
"Although Dratini is rare, Ash already has a Dragonite," Cynthia said with a smile. "And besides, he's one of the heirs of the Draconis Family. For him, a Dratini is really just within reach."
The Draconis Family, known for raising Dragon-type Pokémon, had long been associated with the lineage of Dratini and Dragonair. While their numbers weren't limitless, they had enough to maintain their prestige.
"Ah… so that's it," Caesar said, his pupils narrowing in sudden realization. "I didn't expect you to be a member of the Draconis Family. That explains why you aren't tempted by Dratini. And now that I think about it, the rumors of Professor Oak's protégé must have been about you!"
The mention of surnames made Ash sigh. He'd been wrestling with the issue for some time. On one hand, he had grown up under Professor Oak's care, and using the Oak name (Masaki Oak's line) didn't feel wrong. On the other hand, Skye Draconis had told him that what mattered most was simply acknowledging the Draconis bloodline.
But the gossip outside never stopped. If Ash took the Oak name, people whispered. If he used the Draconis name, it felt like a slight to Professor Oak, who had raised him since childhood.
Recently, however, Ash had come to a decision. Once he joined the Kanto League, he would formally take a new name that combined both families. That way, he could honor them equally—uniting their legacies under his own banner.
With the auxiliary system in his hands, Ash had no doubts. His path was clear: cooperate with the Draconis family and the Oak family, then establish a new family of his own.
The Oak family would eventually be passed down to Gary, and Ash had no intention of returning to the Draconis family because of Lance's situation—even if they acknowledged him. The best solution was to create a new family altogether.
This new family wouldn't need to be vast, nor would it rely heavily on outsiders. Ash envisioned buying an island, a place where his closest friends could live in peace—a sanctuary where Pokémon could be trusted more than humans.
Once the foundation was set, he could invite only those truly worthy of his trust to help manage it.
With that, the plan would be complete. As for resources, Ash intended to work directly with the Draconis family and the Oak family, forming a three-way alliance that would support and balance one another.
The Oak family specialized in research.
The Draconis family specialized in politics.
And Ash's new family would embody strength.
Together, they would form a triangular network of stability, one that was nearly unbreakable—unless Ash's ties with the other two collapsed. But in his heart, he knew that possibility was almost nonexistent.
Before all of this, however, there was one task Ash needed to complete: eliminate Giovanni and take control of Team Rocket's resources. Such an opportunity was far too valuable to ignore.
Team Rocket had grown so vast within Kanto—a region already dominated by eight powerful families—that their influence and resources couldn't be underestimated. This was precisely why Ash valued them: destroying Team Rocket was not just a necessity, but also a chance to harness everything they had built.
Both Skye Draconis and Samuel Oak had already approved of Ash's plan. They agreed that his vision was sound. With their connections and the advanced medicine Ash possessed, there was no need to worry about whether his new family would flourish.
...
TN:
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