Thinking of this, Dragonite shook its head firmly. It wanted to stay—live with Naoki! But before that, Dragonite hoped Naoki could accompany it to Dragonite Island.
It wanted to show off the moves it had learned in front of the group of Dragonites, to tell them that it had become the most powerful Dragonite among them, and to let them envy it!
Dragonite looked serious and tugged at Naoki's arm with its big, round claws.
"Awoo!"
"What's wrong?" Naoki asked, initially not understanding. It took him a moment to realize that Dragonite wanted to take him somewhere.
Unfortunately, since Dragonite couldn't speak, they couldn't communicate directly. After trying for a while to get its point across, Dragonite saw that Naoki still didn't understand. It lowered its head with a frustrated and aggrieved expression, looking utterly pitiful.
Naoki's heart softened, and he reached out to gently pat Dragonite's head. Considering Dragonite's earlier actions, he guessed, "Do you want me to go somewhere with you?"
Hearing this, Dragonite's eyes lit up instantly. "Awoo!"
'The place where Dragonite wants to take me...' Naoki thought, feeling a surge of curiosity. His intuition told him that it wasn't Lake, nor the cliff where they first met.
He recalled something he had read in a Pokédex entry about Dragonite's habits—how it would fly from the sea to the lake every evening, stay there overnight, and then fly back to the sea in the early morning. This meant that the place Dragonite wanted to take him was most likely Dragonite Island, located out in the ocean, where many Dragonites lived.
"Is it far from the ranch?" Naoki asked, aware of the responsibilities he had to take care of at home. 'I can't afford to be gone for too long,' he thought.
"Awoo!" Dragonite shook its head. With its speed, they'd get there quickly.
Seeing this, Naoki nodded in agreement. "Okay."
Dragonite cheered, signaling that they could set off right away.
Naoki looked up at the sky, estimating the time. 'It's still early,' he thought. 'We should be able to get back before dark.'
But to avoid any issues, he prepared food in advance for all the Pokémon on the ranch. He told them that he was going out with Dragonite and that if they returned late, they should go ahead and rest without waiting for him.
All the Pokémon had no objections, except for Koraidon, who wanted to come along too.
Naoki had no choice but to bring it with him.
After settling everything at the ranch, Naoki climbed onto Koraidon's back. Under Dragonite's lead, they left the ranch and began their journey to Dragonite Island.
The two Pokémon gradually rose into the air, and the ranch below shrank into a small black dot, eventually blending into the vast wilderness of the Paldea region.
The wind whipped past his ears, the clear blue sky stretched endlessly above, and in the distance, the endless Paldea Sea came into view.
Both Pokémon moved swiftly, and after about ten minutes, they left Paldea and reached the ocean.
Seeing the familiar surroundings, Dragonite happily called out to Naoki, "Awoo~" It began to dance energetically, imitating the powerful and majestic movements of a mysterious Pokémon.
Naoki watched, and suddenly a thought struck him. "Is this where you met the black Pokémon?"
Dragonite nodded eagerly. "Awoo!"
It looked up towards the higher dome of the sky, indicating that the Pokémon had flown even higher, disappearing above the clouds.
"Rayquaza originally lives in the atmosphere," Naoki mused, gazing up at the sky and the mysterious expanse beyond. He spoke to Dragonite with a touch of awe, "It's very rare for it to descend this low. You were incredibly lucky to have encountered it."
A pang of regret hit him as he added, "If only I had come with you back then."
'After all, that was a Shiny Rayquaza!' Naoki thought, feeling the weight of what he had missed. 'Just seeing it once would have made my journey to this world worthwhile.'
Most people rarely get the chance to see a legendary Pokémon even once in their lifetime.
Seeing that Naoki was still captivated by the thought of Rayquaza, Dragonite tilted its head and asked with a curious "Awoo?" suggesting, 'Should we try to find it?'
Naoki understood what Dragonite was implying and shook his head with a chuckle. "Forget it," he said. 'For Rayquaza, the entire atmosphere of the planet is its domain. It was in Paldea before, but now, who knows where it's flown off to? It could be on the other side of the planet by now.'
As they continued their flight, the Paldea region slowly disappeared from view, replaced by the vast expanse of the blue ocean stretching endlessly in all directions. The tranquil sea occasionally gave way to white-capped waves, where groups of dolphins flew gracefully above, diving to catch schools of fish just beneath the surface.
On small, scattered islands, the white sand gleamed in the sunlight, with coconut trees swaying gently in the breeze. A few Chewtle poked their heads out from the beach, basking in the warm afternoon sun. Occasionally, a playful Finizen would leap out of the water, splashing back down as it chased its companions.
From his vantage point in the sky, Naoki marveled at the vibrant, teeming life below. 'These are Pokémon that are hard to find on land,' he thought, gazing in awe at the natural beauty spread out beneath him.
But the further they flew, the more it became clear—they were far from Paldea now.
Time seemed to stretch on, and Naoki couldn't quite tell how long they had been flying. Just as he began to wonder if they were nearing their destination, a small island appeared on the horizon.
The island was lush and vibrant, with thick vegetation covering most of its surface. From a distance, the entire island seemed like a green gem set in the blue ocean, with dense foliage forming a ring around the island's center. Under the bright sunlight, the island radiated life and energy.
Dragonite's eyes lit up at the sight, and it excitedly called out, "Awoo!"
Naoki raised an eyebrow, recognizing Dragonite's excitement. "Is that where you used to live?"
"Ouch!" Dragonite nodded, its eyes sparkling with nostalgia.
Naoki smiled and didn't ask any more questions. As they neared their destination, Dragonite and Koraidon began to descend, flying closer to the ocean's surface before landing on a steep cliff. The waves crashed rhythmically against the rocky outcrop below as Naoki dismounted from Koraidon.
"Ouch~" Dragonite hummed happily. Being back where it had grown up filled it with joy, and it eagerly took the lead, guiding Naoki and Koraidon through the island's dense vegetation.
Naoki and Koraidon followed, their eyes wide with curiosity as they took in the island's unique environment. The plants here were incredibly lush, with tall grass and robust trees. Yellow and white wildflowers dotted the forest floor, and the branches of the trees sagged under the weight of ripe, colorful fruit.
'Interesting,' Naoki thought, comparing the scene to the Dragon's Den in Blackthorn City, back in the Johto region. 'That place was special too, covered in flowers and trees that bloomed year-round. They said it was due to the influence of the dragon-type Pokémon living there.'
If this was Dragonite's homeland, then surely there were other Dragonite here as well. 'Could it be that the Dragonites presence here is what makes the vegetation so abundant?' Naoki wondered, his curiosity piqued.
He paused beneath a large tree, its branches thick with leaves, and reached out to pick one of the large leaves. But before he could, a small figure suddenly darted out from behind the leaf.
"Ah!" Naoki yelped in surprise, losing his balance and falling backward onto the soft grass.
Hearing the commotion, Koraidon and Dragonite quickly turned around and spotted a small, snake-like Pokémon covered in light blue scales with a bright white belly. The Pokémon poked its head out from behind the leaves, curiously observing the unfamiliar human. It had a pair of big blue eyes, a white bump on its forehead that would eventually become a horn, and white fins on either side of its head. Its large, round, white nose made it look more endearing than intimidating, despite its serpentine body.
Koraidon came over and helped Naoki to his feet. Naoki looked at the small Pokémon and couldn't help but feel relieved. "It's a Dratini!" he exclaimed.
For a moment, he had feared it might have been a poisonous snake hiding in the tree.
Dragonite, recognizing the Dratini, ran over and let out a couple of reassuring roars. However, the Dratini immediately looked like it was on the verge of tears.
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Why are you being so mean to it?"
Dragonite shook its head, looking innocent. "Awoo…" it grumbled softly.
Dragonite wasn't being aggressive—it was simply worried about the little Dratini's safety. Dratini are at their most vulnerable stage, and during this time, they are usually protected by older Dragonite and Dragonair in the group. These older Pokémon watch over them until they evolve.
On this island, all the Dratini typically live in the lake at the center of the island, and they're not supposed to leave without adult supervision.
Realizing that Dragonite wasn't being mean, Naoki stood back, watching the interaction between the two Pokémon. Dragonite seemed to scold Dratini gently, and the little dragon followed it like a child caught doing something wrong.
The group continued to move forward, with Dragonite leading the way. After passing through the dense circular forest, they arrived at the center of the island.
Naoki's eyes widened in amazement as a vast lake suddenly came into view.
The sight left him completely stunned. "Wow, there are so many Dragonite!"
The lake was teeming with Dratini and Dragonair, swimming about freely. On the grassy banks of the lake, numerous Dragonite gathered in small groups, some sitting, some standing, and others lying down in the sun, sleeping soundly.
Some of the Dragonite had stern, almost intimidating expressions—reminiscent of the fierce Dragonite that once belonged to Clair in the anime. Others had gentle, serene expressions, watching the Dratini in the lake with warm, protective eyes.
Naoki's gaze caught on something special in the lake—a Dratini with a pink body, standing out among the others. 'That's a shiny Dratini!' he thought, his heart swelling with excitement. 'It's so pink and cute!'
At that moment, the group's arrival attracted the attention of the entire Dragonite clan. They all paused, turning their gaze towards the newcomers. Naoki watched as his Dragonite flapped its wings and flew over to the group. It seemed to be speaking with them, and then, under the watchful eyes of the gathered Dragonite, Dratini, and Dragonair they ascended into the sky.
Dragonite took a deep breath, concentrating hard. Dark clouds began to gather in the once-clear sky, and soon, it started to rain. As the wind picked up, the rain intensified, forming a fierce storm that swept across the island. Dragonite flew in circles within the storm, electricity crackling around its body. With a loud rumble, a massive bolt of lightning struck down from the clouds, hitting the ground with immense power.
The wild Dragonite by the lake stared in amazement. Some of them widened their eyes, their faces displaying a very human-like shock.
As the rain eased and the clouds cleared, revealing the bright sky once again, Dragonite landed proudly on the ground.
At that moment, Naoki finally understood the purpose of Dragonite's return. 'It wanted to show off the moves it learned!' he realized.
After Dragonite's impressive display, the young Dratini in the lake looked on with wide-eyed admiration. They had never seen such a powerful Dragonite before, and their awe was evident.
At this moment, one of the wild Dragonite, clearly impressed yet defiant, stepped forward and challenged Naoki's Dragonite to a battle.
Dragonite blinked and then grinned, accepting the challenge eagerly.
Both Dragonite took to the skies, circling each other under the watchful eyes of the other Dragonite. The tension in the air was palpable.
The wild Dragonite made the first move. It opened its mouth wide, and a swirl of purple energy began to gather, forming a potent 'Dragon Rage' attack.
Naoki immediately recognized the move. 'So, how will my Dragonite respond?' he wondered, his gaze fixed on his Pokémon.
But his Dragonite didn't panic. Instead, it flapped its wings forcefully, accelerating with blinding speed to launch a preemptive strike. In a flash, it closed the gap and slammed into the wild Dragonite before it could unleash its 'Dragon Rage'.
The impact was so swift that the wild Dragonite lost its balance, and the purple shockwave it had been gathering dispersed harmlessly into the sky.
'Not bad, and you know how to use your super speed to launch a preemptive attack,' Naoki thought, feeling proud.
But the battle wasn't over yet.
The wild Dragonite, momentarily stunned by the speed of its opponent, quickly regrouped and launched a new attack. It flapped its wings, summoning a powerful storm that whipped up the surrounding area.
However, this move had little effect on Naoki's Dragonite. After all, it had faced far worse storms before—storms strong enough to test the mightiest of Pokémon. Dragonite stood firm, unfazed by the winds, and even began to dance amidst the storm, recalling the majestic figure of Rayquaza that it had once seen.
Then, with a burst of energy, Dragonite charged forward against the wind. A layer of electricity crackled around its fist as it prepared to strike with 'Thunder Punch'.
The wild Dragonite tried to counter, spreading its wings wide. A white glow enveloped them as it prepared to strike back with a 'Wing Attack'.
But Dragonite wasn't deterred. It met the attack head-on, its tail glowing with draconic energy as it swung a powerful 'Dragon Tail' at its opponent.
The two Pokémon collided mid-air, and for a moment, it seemed they were evenly matched. But then, with a final surge of power, Naoki's Dragonite sent the wild Dragonite crashing to the ground, landing with a thud on the grass below.
The battle was over.
As Naoki's Dragonite hovered in the air, victorious, the entire audience of Dragonite, Dratini, and Dragonair watched in stunned silence. They couldn't believe their eyes.
'The last time they saw him, he was just a clumsy Dragonite who couldn't learn any moves,' they thought. 'How did he become so powerful?'
Under the astonished gaze of the other Dragonite, Naoki's Dragonite descended to the ground and approached the defeated Dragonite. It looked at its fellow Dragonite with concern, not wanting to cause any lasting harm.
Naoki quickly ran over with Koraidon at his side. He pulled out a bottle of Milk, which had the ability to restore a Pokémon's strength, and fed it to the injured Dragonite.
Within moments, the visible scars on the wild Dragonite's body began to heal, its strength returning.
The wild Dragonite looked up, astonished at the human who had healed it. It wasn't angry—after all, battles like this were common among Dragonite. But it was curious. It turned to its now-stronger companion and asked, "Awoo?" (How did you become so powerful?)
Naoki's Dragonite beamed with pride and replied, "Awoo!" (That's because I found my trainer!)
The wild Dragonite looked puzzled. "Awoo?" (Trainer?)
Dragonite, recalling how Koraidon had described what a trainer was, explained, "Awooo!" (It means a human who can help Pokémon become stronger and learn new moves!)
As soon as they heard this, all the other Dragonite who had been watching the battle, eager to grow stronger themselves, turned their gaze to the only human present.
Naoki suddenly felt a wave of nervousness, sensing all those eyes on him. It was as if he had just become the center of attention in a very big way.
But before any of the wild Dragonite could approach, Naoki's Dragonite stepped forward protectively, spreading its wings wide and growling, "Awooo!" (This is my trainer!)