≪ • Saint Seiya x Pokémon • ≫
Ikki climbed Mount Lu in search of the formidable Gym Leader specializing in Dragon-type Pokémon, a figure he’d heard about in every region he’d traveled through. He sought someone truly powerful, and if this leader lived up to the rumors, the detour of countless miles and the grueling trek through the winding, mystical forest would be entirely worth it.
But Shiryu was the first rival Ikki couldn’t defeat.
Since then, he returns to the mountains periodically to challenge him. He lost, tied, or won. Yet each time, Ikki found himself not fixated on victory, but on the way Shiryu fought; his calm, his precision, and the way each move seemed to flow from a deep understanding of both his Pokémon and the battle itself. It wasn’t just strength that radiated from him, but discipline, patience, and a quiet wisdom Ikki had never encountered before.
Every clash left him with more than a result: it left a lasting impression, a challenge that went beyond blows or Pokémon attacks, something that made him question himself and pushed him to constantly improve.
And though his pride burned when he couldn’t win, there was something in that feeling that kept him coming back, an intense, almost magnetic curiosity he couldn’t ignore.
Part 1 -> Character introduction [IKKI & SHIRYU]
Part 3 -> Evolution of their relationship 1
Part 4 -> Evolution of their relationship 2