Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 505: Drayden and Iris

Unova Region, Opelucid City.

The Opelucid Gym was a majestic sight, its entire structure exuding an imposing grandeur.

Above the gym's main entrance, two massive dragon heads were sculpted—one on each side.

Due to either the building's age or the sculptor's style, the two heads appeared quite similar, to the point that most visitors instinctively assumed they were the same dragon.

But with a closer look, subtle differences became evident.

Johan needed only a glance to recognize the pair: they were the legendary dragons of Unova.

The Dragon of Truth—Reshiram.

The Dragon of Ideals—Zekrom.

This tied directly into Unova's ancient founding legend.

When Johan and the others arrived at the gym, Alder had already dozed off again, leaning back in a chair and hugging his Herdier, snoring peacefully.

Johan moved to wake him but was stopped by Officer Jenny, who signaled to let him rest.

It was obvious—even though she was annoyed by Alder's sleazy flirting, she still respected him from the bottom of her heart.

Otherwise, when he flagged them down, she wouldn't have even stopped.

"Alder..." Officer Jenny said softly, a hint of sorrow in her voice as she and Johan got out of the car.

"I know," Johan replied, glancing at the sleeping champion with admiration. "I've heard what happened to him."

Losing his most cherished partner—perhaps one who had been with him for half a lifetime—was a devastating blow.

Yet Alder didn't quit. Despite his lax demeanor, he never abandoned his duties as Champion. Even if he no longer wanted the position, he held on, searching for a worthy successor to ensure Unova wouldn't be left in chaos.

This sense of responsibility might not be as dramatic as Steven's 22-day battle against Groudon and Kyogre, but it was equally worthy of respect.

"Professor Johan... you really won't consider Alder's offer?" Officer Jenny asked again, hope flickering in her eyes.

The Jenny family didn't just admire Johan because of the battle strategies he'd provided, or even because he held a senior position as an international officer—technically part of their extended network.

It was his heart.

His efforts to treat Pokémon suffering from trauma, and his readiness to help both trainers and Pokémon in need, whether online or in person, demonstrated his genuine kindness.

That was something truly worth admiring.

Not to mention—his strength and past accomplishments weren't insignificant either.

This time, Johan didn't deflect. After a moment of silence, he replied:

"I'm not ready."

He wasn't strong enough to shoulder the responsibility.

And mentally, he wasn't prepared for it either.

Sure, Alder's invitation may have been half-joking. After all, no region had ever appointed a Champion from outside their homeland.

Still, Johan gave his honest answer.

Even in Hoenn or Sinnoh, he didn't think he was ready for a Four Elite seat—let alone Champion.

He saw himself as someone who just wanted to live peacefully with his Pokémon and help those in need when possible. That kind of laid-back mindset wasn't fit for such a heavy burden.

Noble ideals often clashed with harsh reality.

"Let's go visit Drayden," he said with a smile, turning toward the gym.

Officer Jenny hesitated, then looked back toward the car.

She caught Alder cracking one eye open, grinning mischievously, waggling his brows, and gesturing toward Johan—urging her to "use your charm."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving now! Hmph!"

As they approached the gym entrance, a girl with long, fluffy purple hair in a yellow dress came storming out, face flushed and eyes glassy with tears.

BANG!

She was running so fast that she crashed right into Johan's chest.

Johan staggered, while the girl landed squarely on the ground.

"Ow..." Johan winced and rubbed his stomach—she really packed a punch.

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Still, he immediately bent down to help her up.

"Are you okay—"

But as he got a good look at her face, he froze.

Wasn't this... Iris?

From the anime Best Wishes—the girl who traveled with Ash, dreaming of becoming a Dragon Master?

Only, right now, she was just a little squirt.

Suddenly, it made sense why the collision hurt so much.

Among all of Ash's traveling companions, Iris was probably the most physically gifted. Raised in the wilds of the Village of Dragons, she was less like a child and more like a superhuman jungle girl.

"I—I'm fine," Iris mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

She glanced up and found herself staring into Johan's face.

So handsome. And kinda familiar?

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Calm footsteps echoed from behind.

Iris's expression changed instantly.

She turned to flee—only to find Officer Jenny blocking the exit.

"Miss Jenny! I didn't do anything wrong this time!" she stammered.

Jenny smiled warmly. "Iris, it's you."

She gently patted Iris's head—they clearly knew each other.

This likely had something to do with Iris's "big incident" a while ago.

At the recommendation of the Village Elder and Drayden, Iris had come to Opelucid to study at his academy.

But a wild child raised in nature wasn't cut out for the city's rigid schedule. Sitting in classrooms, structured lessons—it just wasn't her thing.

She missed home.

So she climbed the tallest radio tower in Opelucid, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Village of Dragons.

That caused a minor uproar and brought Officer Jenny to the scene.

Since then, Iris had been branded the school's "problem child."

The footsteps arrived.

A tall, broad-shouldered man in slacks, white shirt, and gloves approached. His white hair and beard were immaculately groomed.

This was Drayden—Gym Leader of Opelucid, and principal of the Opelucid Academy.

He looked stern. His gaze sharp.

As soon as he appeared, Iris instinctively hid behind Johan, peeking out from his waist.

"Ka-kaah?"

Gengar's head poked out of Johan's shadow, scratching its own head.

Was this little girl taking its spot?

Gengar leaned to the other side, looking directly at Iris.

"Mr. Drayden," Johan greeted respectfully.

Drayden softened slightly. "You're Professor Johan?"

"I am."

"Was told you'd be visiting—didn't expect it today."

Iris blinked.

Johan?

As a student, she'd often heard classmates mention someone called "Professor Johan."

Supposedly the strongest teacher—universally loved and admired.

Some even wished he'd come teach at their school.

So this is him? He's so young... Iris thought.

Then she turned—and saw...

"Ka-kaah~~"

Gengar, grinning wickedly, tongue out, waved gleefully.

A chill hit her spine.

"GHOST!!!"

Iris shrieked, bolted from behind Johan, and hid behind Drayden.

The girl who feared nothing—except Ice-types, and maybe ghosts.

Probably linked to how Dragons are weak to Ice.

To be honest, it was hard to imagine this timid girl would one day become Unova's Champion—standing beside Cynthia and Diantha as one of the few female Champions.

Drayden led the group into the gym as he and Johan chatted.

"Go rest," he told Iris, tone unchanged.

"Okay..."

She scurried off obediently, completely forgetting her dramatic exit minutes earlier.

Officer Jenny paused, then followed her. She figured the men had something important to discuss and politely gave them space.

"Mr. Drayden, this is from the headmaster."

Johan reached into Gengar's mouth and retrieved the package.

"Thank you."

Drayden accepted it and unwrapped it—revealing a triangular, tiered object.

Johan's pupils shrank slightly.

The DNA Splicers!

The item entrusted to him by the old headmaster... was this?

The DNA Splicers—a sacred relic of Unova, kept by Drayden.

Most people had forgotten its purpose.

But Johan knew.

It was the item used to fuse or defuse Kyurem with Reshiram or Zekrom.

In the original timeline, Team Plasma froze Opelucid City trying to steal this from Drayden.

Colress, their top scientist, needed it to activate his machine for fusing Kyurem and Zekrom.

Though later in Sun and Moon, Colress developed his own fusion gear for Necrozma—purely through science. Mad genius, that one.

But still...

Johan was shocked that the headmaster had possession of something so vital.

Drayden noticed his expression.

"You recognize it?"

"I heard about it from Cynthia," Johan replied.

She had visited Unova before, seeking Drayden to study it.

Drayden nodded—it made sense.

Sadly, without the dragons, any study remained theoretical.

He carefully stored the DNA Splicers.

Then, unexpectedly, he asked, "Professor Johan, would you be interested in teaching a class at our academy?"

Johan blinked.

"As a teacher, what did you think of that girl?"

He meant Iris.

"A bit reckless," Johan admitted. "But she seems kind."

Drayden nodded, then shared Iris's background—her reasons for coming, and what she had experienced.

"You want her to leave the school?" Johan asked.

Drayden's calm demeanor earlier, when Iris fled, suggested he wasn't trying very hard to stop her.

He explained: the academy was stifling her spirit. She wasn't thriving there. Her growth was being suppressed.

It was the classic clash between academic and experiential learning.

Academia prized knowledge and tactics.

Field trainers valued bonds and instincts.

Iris clearly fit the latter.

"Still," Johan said, "isn't pushing her out like this going to hurt her?"

Might she feel like a failure? Like she was being rejected?

That was exactly the emotional weight Iris carried when she returned years later with Ash.

"But that could become her motivation," Drayden insisted.

To prove everyone wrong...

Cliché revenge plot vibes?

Johan bit his tongue.

"She's just a kid. What if she can't handle it?"

Drayden fell silent.

Eventually, he muttered, "I believe in her."

He trusted her potential.

But Johan had a different philosophy.

If someone was better suited to another path, just tell them.

Encourage them. Support them.

Why choose painful rejection over uplifting guidance?

He always tailored training to his Pokémon's personalities and strengths—even letting Gengar punch things instead of using special attacks, because Gengar liked it.

Maybe not optimal—but it made Gengar happy.

Drayden and Johan had clearly different teaching ideologies.

Which suited Opelucid's dual-natured identity.

To his credit, Drayden wasn't rigid. He saw Johan's point.

"How about that lesson?" he asked again.

This wasn't a challenge—it was an opportunity to compare philosophies.

Johan adjusted his glasses. "Alright."

How would they compare?

Simple:

A battle.

Nothing showed philosophy more clearly than a Pokémon battle.

And for a Pokémon academy?

There was no better way to teach than by showing them a real match.

This was their unspoken agreement.

"Eh?"

Back in the car, Alder woke up and blinked.

Johan vs. Drayden?

Now that got him excited.

"Let's go! I gotta see this!" he shouted, startling Officer Jenny.

But truthfully?

She was intrigued too.

After all...

Drayden wasn't just any Gym Leader.

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Powerstones?

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