The incredible glimpse of power Reggie saw left him no choice but to send out his full team of six carefully-selected Pokémon to challenge Dragonite.
This team was handpicked by him—elite members who had battled through the league tournaments of four major regions. With his team at its peak, Reggie wanted to challenge the Battle Frontier.
But before he could even attempt the Battle Frontier, he was utterly crushed by that terrifying Dragonite, unable to put up any resistance.
Yet, after reflecting on his defeat and returning to that beach the next day, he found that the only change was a crowd of other trainers and Dragon-type enthusiasts also searching for Dragonite. The powerful lifeguard-costumed Dragonite, however, was nowhere to be found.
With a fire burning in his heart, Reggie postponed his Battle Frontier challenge. Instead, he began searching for a trace of that Dragonite in the Paldea region, taking his younger brother Paul, who had just received his starter Pokémon.
The search lasted almost a month. Fortunately, that Dragonite had been surrounded by a group of very distinctive students—students from Naranja Academy.
With this clue, Reggie finally found Nemona, who had just finished her gym challenge in Artazon Town and was heading toward Levincia City. From her, he learned the location of Dragonite's trainer and immediately hurried to Los Platos Town.
Reggie thought, this time he had to capture that Dragonite. Only then could he go to the Kanto region and challenge the Battle Frontier in peace.
The wait wasn't long. With Paul, who hadn't yet become jaded from witnessing his brother's defeat—just a bit proud and stubborn—Reggie finally saw the person and Pokémon he was waiting for.
Led by Luxray, Lucas and his Dragonite, who looked as honest as could be, came to the farm entrance and saw two brothers who looked nearly identical in every way except for their age.
That's the one!
Reggie's gaze locked onto Dragonite, his heart pounding with excitement.
Paul sized up Lucas, thinking he looked like a young farmer. Aside from owning such a rare Pokémon as Dragonite, he didn't seem like a strong trainer at all.
Paul was even more convinced that his brother was just being modest. Even his own Turtwig could probably last a few rounds against this farmer, who seemed to have nothing to do with trainers.
Feeling uneasy under Reggie's intense gaze, Dragonite took a step back to hide behind Lucas.
But Dragonite's 2.2-meter-tall frame couldn't be hidden by Lucas at all.
Patting Dragonite's soft belly to comfort it, Lucas looked at the brothers and asked, "Hello, I'm Lucas, the owner of this farm. Is there something I can help you with?"
Reggie nodded slightly. "Hello, Mr. Lucas. I'm Reggie, and this is my younger brother, Paul."
Reggie pushed Paul forward. "Paul, say hello."
Blushing, Paul hesitated and then quietly said, "Hello, Mr. Lucas."
"Hello," Lucas replied, though his eyes briefly showed a hint of confusion.
What did he just hear?
Reggie and Paul?
Wait—was it the Reggie and Paul he was thinking of?
Reggie continued, "We're from the Sinnoh region, currently traveling in Paldea. Not long ago, I lost to your Dragonite on Trainer Beach."
From Sinnoh, Reggie and Paul—the two brothers really were the side characters Lucas remembered from the anime.
"Trainer Beach?" Lucas frowned, recalling something. He had encountered other characters too, so he kept calm.
Reggie nodded. "Yes. At the time, your Dragonite was even wearing a lifeguard vest and hat. I was completely defeated by it."
Lucas: !!!
He remembered now. The day Mudbray evolved, he'd left Dragonite on Trainer Beach to watch over the students. Later, he'd heard about the incident on the radio.
No way—was Reggie another trainer who'd lost to Dragonite?
Lucas asked, "So, what brings you here today?"
Reggie bowed and requested, "I'd like to challenge your Dragonite again!"
Lucas: ...
Oh no, he's come right to the door!
After hearing the whole story from Reggie, and learning that Nemona had already cleared her second gym, Lucas couldn't help but admire how strong she was—a true prodigy at championship level in her first year.
Lucas discreetly glanced at Reggie standing on the open ground, and Paul, who had just released his starter Turtwig and was still bonding with it. It seemed Paul hadn't started his journey yet, nor adopted his later, more elite training style.
Lucas patted Dragonite on the shoulder, stopping it from sneaking off to nap, and said mercilessly, "You made the mess—you go fight."
"Drago~..."
Dragonite drooped its head and trudged over, looking like a wilted eggplant.
Seeing Lucas and Dragonite approaching, Reggie lit up with joy, thinking his request had been accepted.
Before Reggie could speak, Lucas said, "Honestly, we're not that far apart in age, so just call me Lucas. Otherwise, you'll make me feel old."
"How do you want to battle? One-on-one, or six-on-six?"
"Either is fine."
Reggie nodded seriously. "Then please have a full six-on-six battle with me."
Lucas nodded. "For me, it'll just be Dragonite. You can use whoever you like."
Reggie was stunned for a second. From Lucas, he sensed absolute confidence, and no intention to use any other Pokémon.
Lucas planned to fight his whole team with just Dragonite. Even gentle Reggie now wanted to go all out to show Lucas he wasn't weak.
Paul's face turned red with anger. In his eyes, Lucas was deliberately humiliating his brother.
Reggie took a deep breath and threw a Poké Ball. "Here's my first one: Bibarel!"
A brown-furred Pokémon with big front teeth appeared before Lucas and Dragonite.
A Normal-type Pokémon—Bibarel.
"Then it's decided—Dragon..."
Before Lucas could finish, a piercing cry echoed from the sky. A wave of scorching heat descended. Moltres, its body wreathed in bright, fierce flames, landed in front of Bibarel.
Everyone: ...
Paul's eyes widened. "What kind of Pokémon is that?!"
Compared to Paul's confusion, Reggie's pupils contracted in disbelief. "Mol...tres?"
He'd traveled and challenged in Kanto, so he knew of the source of the Sacred Fire.
Why was this legendary Pokémon on a farm?
Even Lucas was stunned by Moltres's sudden appearance. But when he saw the trace of cream on Moltres's beak, he understood.
It seemed Moltres had been healed by delicious food.