Blackthorn City, Johto Region.
Armin and Lance departed from Alola and Kanto respectively, arriving at this sacred city of dragons by noon the next day.
The moment Armin stepped out of the airport, he spotted that unmistakable head of red hair.
Lance stood with his hands in his pockets, glancing around casually.
"The little girl who was with you?" he asked.
"She stayed in Alola," Armin replied.
Lance nodded.
Then, after a brief pause, he spoke more formally.
"Based on the information you left behind, the Kanto League conducted a full internal purge. We uncovered quite a few moles. Unfortunately, Giovanni escaped. Viridian Gym is now officially under Agatha's management."
So the timeline has finally aligned with what I know.
Armin nodded without comment.
Lance straightened slightly.
"On behalf of the Kanto League, I thank you."
Armin raised a brow.
"I'm more interested in practical matters. So… what's so special about this Dragonite?"
Lance laughed softly.
"I knew you'd say that. Get in. You'll see when we arrive."
…
They drove toward the Dragon's Den, located in the outskirts of Blackthorn City.
Even before entering the valley, Armin heard it—
A powerful dragon's roar echoing through the mountains.
Lance, who was driving, lifted an eyebrow.
"Where's your Mimikyu?"
"In its Poké Ball."
"Good. Prepare for battle. If you can't defeat it, it absolutely won't go with you."
Armin nodded and quietly opened Mimikyu's status panel.
Mimikyu
Level: Lv. 38
Gender: ♀
Type: Ghost/Fairy
Ability: Disguise
Egg Move: Destiny Bond
Moves: Scratch, Astonish, Copycat, Sucker Punch, Shadow Sneak, Slash, Shadow Claw
"How strong is it?" Armin asked.
Lance thought carefully.
"Hard to say. But it's definitely not weaker than your Mimikyu."
Armin: …
Great.
…
They reached the entrance of Dragon's Den.
Armin followed Lance through a narrow passage and into the sacred valley.
"There!" Lance pointed east.
Armin turned—
And froze.
A massive, green Dragonite was pinning a Haxorus to the ground.
Haxorus struggled wildly, but Dragonite's weight alone was overwhelming.
Dragonite grinned.
Its claws ignited with flames—
Fire Punch.
BOOM.
Haxorus fainted instantly.
Dragonite leapt into the air, snorting twin streams of Dragon Breath through its nostrils, then turned its gaze toward a trembling Tyrunt nearby.
That arrogant expression—
It was basically a high school delinquent ruling the campus.
Lance spread his hands helplessly.
"It's fought almost every Pokémon in Dragon's Den. Everyone avoids it now. So? Want to try?"
Armin's eyes lit up.
"Of course."
As they spoke, Dragonite knocked Tyrunt out cold and lifted its head, scanning for its next opponent—
Then it saw them.
Two humans.
"Why is it flying toward us?" Armin blinked as the massive green Dragonite approached.
Lance explained patiently.
"It probably thinks you're another Trainer trying to capture it. A lot of people are interested in it."
"…I am here to capture it."
Lance smacked his forehead.
"Right. Well, all those Trainers ended up losing miserably."
Before his final word fell—
Dragonite descended before Armin.
It hovered midair, looking down at him with supreme arrogance.
Armin looked up.
Their gazes locked.
Dragonite narrowed its eyes.
A smirk curled across its face.
Then—
It lifted a claw.
And made a "come at me" gesture.
Lance wisely retreated a dozen meters.
Armin almost laughed.
He genuinely wondered why shiny Dragonite had to be this shade of green.
It looked absurdly cute and menacing at the same time.
"Wuuuu~"
Dragonite let out a resonant cry and dropped to the ground, aura flaring violently.
No words were exchanged.
Trainer and Pokémon moved into position.
The system panel appeared:
[A wild Shiny Dragonite has appeared!]
"Double Team—go!" Armin commanded.
Mimikyu split into over a dozen identical figures, charging in a straight formation.
Dragonite scoffed.
It opened its mouth—
A powerful Twister roared forth, sweeping across the battlefield.
One by one, the clones burst like bubbles.
In seconds, only the real Mimikyu remained.
The Twister struck—
Its Pikachu disguise head flopped limply to the side.
Disguise broken.
"Destiny Bond!" Armin ordered instantly.
But Dragonite sensed something.
It beat its wings—
And unleashed a raging Hurricane.
Mimikyu's small body was hurled skyward like a kite with snapped strings—
Then slammed violently into the ground.
The winds dissipated.
Dragonite's mouth glowed with purple draconic fire.
"Copycat!" Armin snapped.
Copycat activated—
Mimikyu summoned a raging Hurricane of its own.
Blades of wind howled forward.
At the same time—
Dragonite unleashed another Twister.
The two forces collided midair.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three—
The clash detonated.
A blazing mushroom cloud erupted above the field.
Dragonite's emerald eyes reflected the spectacular explosion.
For a brief moment—
It was stunned.
"Copycat again!" Armin commanded.
This time—
Purple dragonfire gathered in Mimikyu's mouth.
Dragonite snapped back to attention.
It flapped higher into the sky, violet aura surging around it—
Then dove straight down in a blazing draconic charge.
Armin remained perfectly calm.
He almost wanted to ask—
Did this Dragonite not know that Dragon-type moves don't affect Fairy-types at all?
The next second—
The battlefield would teach it.