Pokémon: The Reemployment of the Retired Champion of Paldea

After waiting for about half an hour, the rain grew heavier, and Lucas, who stared longingly into the downpour, finally saw the silhouette of Dragonite.

Right behind Dragonite, a flash of red following it down filled Lucas with joy.

Success!

Although Delibird was a little rusty in flight after not flying for a while, it was indeed flapping its wings on its own to fly this way. Just this fact alone made Lucas overjoyed.

Dragonite deliberately slowed its flight to stay beside Delibird, just in case Delibird's bad luck struck again. After all, it had just dodged a bolt of lightning on its own; Lucas didn't want it to come back only to get struck by another one.

Very soon, the two Pokémon landed one after the other on the lake island. Excitedly, Delibird told Lucas about how it overcame its psychological shadow and even bravely tried to dodge a bolt of lightning in a less stormy area.

"Deli~!"

Like a child seeking praise, Delibird didn't care that its feathers were a bit damp. It ran straight toward Lucas.

"Great job!" Lucas gave a thumbs up. Seeing Delibird tilting its head in confusion at the gesture, Lucas smiled and patted its head. "You were very brave. As long as you keep growing stronger, you won't have to fear things you've already conquered."

Delibird's eyes lit up a little, and it flapped its small wings in excitement. "Deli!"

The heavy rain lasted until the next morning. The thick clouds over Casseroya Lake gradually dispersed, and sunlight poured down, bringing new vitality.

After the rain, crystal-clear water droplets covered the grass everywhere. With every few steps, you could see small puddles scattered about. Pokémon who had been hiding carefully began exploring the now unfamiliar environment, as the rain had washed away most scents, blurring territorial boundaries.

The area around Casseroya Lake was lively again.

On the Lake Island

Like stubborn cockroaches, after a whole day of rest, the six Gyarados seemed to think they were up for it again. Even with Dragonite present, they still started performing Dragon Dance in hopes of attracting mates.

Though the Dragonairs looked calm and indifferent, the restless swishing of their tail tips betrayed their true feelings.

To the Dragonairs, the Gyarados' antics were nothing short of harassment.

Without Lucas saying a word, Dragonite took the initiative and quickly chased away all six Gyarados. Landing beside the Dragonairs, Dragonite asked worriedly, "Drago~ Drago?" (Why don't you come with Lucas and me and settle at his farm?)

The Dragonairs exchanged troubled glances. The shiny pink Dragonair spoke first, "Drago~" (But we're still waiting for your mother~)

The Dragonairs had always been worried about where the Dragonite leader had gone. With her personality, she would never have abandoned her unhatched children.

They firmly believed the Dragonite leader must have gotten lost or run into trouble, which was why she hadn't returned.

Until the leader came back, they felt they had to protect this place.

Even though Lucas couldn't understand the Pokémon's conversation, he could more or less guess that Dragonite wanted to take the Dragonairs with him.

What worried Dragonite most, Lucas guessed, was the group of Gyarados.

The Gyarados might be acting on hormones now, but once the Dragonairs' coldness snapped them out of it, the Dragonairs would face a bunch of angry Gyarados. And with little fighting spirit or awareness, the Dragonairs would most likely be no match for multiple—or even more—Gyarados.

If they stayed, Lucas's Pokémon's deterrence would fade with time, and the Dragonairs would be in danger.

After thinking, Lucas spoke up to persuade them. "Dragonite is right to worry. The Gyarados nearby are always a hidden danger."

"Just passively waiting here isn't a solution. Though searching for an individual on this vast planet is hard, it's still better than just waiting."

Lucas admitted he had his own reasons for agreeing with Dragonite's suggestion.

With Dragonairs that could control the weather living at his farm, it would create the best environment for crops.

And instead of waiting for a leader who might never return, it was better to live with her children. Lucas could do his best to look for signs of the missing leader.

The Dragonairs looked at each other, knowing Lucas had hit the nail on the head. They were no match for the Gyarados—this ticking time bomb would go off sooner or later.

Plus, as the leader's children, following Dragonite seemed like a good option, and Lucas had promised to help search for their leader.

After a moment's silence, the Dragonairs made up their minds. The shiny pink Dragonair, as their representative, told Lucas they'd leave Casseroya Lake with Dragonite.

Since they were going to help look for signs of the Dragonite leader, they needed clues to improve their search.

After leaving Casseroya Lake, while packing up camp, Lucas asked, "Do you know if the Dragonite leader had any distinctive features?"

"Drago?" (What are features?)

The three Dragonairs tilted their heads, not quite understanding the word.

Lucas: "..."

Right, most Pokémon don't rely on appearance to recognize others. They use scent.

With that in mind, Lucas realized how impressive it was that Brock could distinguish between Nurse Joys from different cities, who looked nearly identical to him.

Lucas reorganized his words, pulling Dragonite over to serve as a model. Using terms the Dragonairs might understand, he asked, "For example, do you think the Dragonite leader has anything different compared to Dragonite here?"

Blindly searching for a highly mobile Dragonite wouldn't work, so Lucas wanted to use any unique features the leader might have to aid the search.

For example, Lucas's Dragonite looked exactly like a typical Dragonite: big cute eyes, chubby little claws, and a plump belly—adorable.

The Dragonairs understood this time. Comparing the leader in their memories to Dragonite, they realized the two really did look almost identical, like they were made from the same mold.

But if they had to point out a difference, there was one.

The shiny Dragonair stepped forward and called softly, "Drago~" (The leader used to belong to a trainer, so she always carried a black satchel and cherished it very much~)