Paldea League Headquarters
Geeta was woken by a phone call. Her drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by cold sweat and shock.
A creature estimated to be nearly a hundred meters tall—was this a dream?
If such a massive creature really existed, even her ace Pokémon would struggle to defeat it.
If the call hadn't come directly from Officer Jenny's report, she'd have thought someone was playing a prank.
But as more and more reports poured in, Geeta had to accept the truth: a monster of that size was indeed approaching Alfornada!
Her first thought was to contact Tulip, but Tulip's phone was off. She immediately sent someone to contact Tulip's assistant.
At the very least, they needed to stall the monster for some time—long enough for League reinforcements to arrive!
Unfortunately, Tulip was currently on an international flight to a Unova Region fashion show and couldn't return.
Even if Larry was still working overtime, he probably couldn't make it in time. Even if Geeta rushed out immediately, she likely couldn't reach Alfornada before the monster landed.
Could emergency evacuation be the only option left?
Geeta stopped in the newly established emergency command center, her face unusually conflicted.
If they evacuated, Alfornada's fledgling economy would take a heavy hit.
But... Is the economy really more important than the safety of Paldea's people?
Geeta remembered her goals and ideals when she became League President.
She wanted to make Paldea a region where people lived in peace, Pokémon thrived, nature and humans advanced hand in hand, and trainers grew strong and healthy.
There seemed little left to hesitate about.
Geeta took a deep breath, ready to authorize the emergency evacuation of Alfornada.
At that moment, a call was patched through her headset.
On the other end, Tulip wasted no words and spoke up directly:
"That person is near Alfornada, President!"
That person?
Geeta froze. When she heard the name Tulip uttered, hope sparked in her eyes.
Plans formed rapidly in her mind.
If it was Lucas, then he indeed might be able to stop the unidentified giant monster—maybe even drive it away.
Geeta's aura intensified as she calmly issued orders.
"Contact Lucas immediately—he should have left an emergency contact number with the League."
"Notify Alfornada to be ready to evacuate at any moment. We'll keep them updated as the situation develops."
"And prepare a helicopter—I'm going to Alfornada myself!"
…
A High Bluff Near the Beach, Dozens of Kilometers from Alfornada
Meanwhile, the commotion on the other side didn't disturb the good sleep of those in the two tents here.
Lucas had just switched shifts with his Swampert, who was on night watch. Staring at the moonlit sea, he drifted into thought.
He regretted not bringing a fishing rod—he could have fished.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
It wasn't the alarm, but an actual call.
Curious as to who would call him in the middle of the night, Lucas still answered quickly.
After the person on the other end finished breathlessly explaining, even Lucas paused in surprise.
A hundred-meter monster was about to land in Alfornada?
Good grief, was he being drafted into an Ultraman movie?
Still, this "little surprise in life" was a bit much.
So, the giant creature that Nemona and the others spotted—suspected to be a huge Dragonite—had actually shown up near Alfornada.
Thinking about it, the creature was probably casting a wide net, searching for its kind. When it failed here, it moved elsewhere, over and over for who knows how many years.
In a way, it was quite stubborn.
On the other end, Geeta's assistant sounded clearly panicked. If this hundred-meter Dragonite accidentally bumped into the giant rock at Alfornada, the town could face destruction.
Thinking of this, Lucas stood up at once, intending to wake the four soundly sleeping people in the tent.
Perhaps because they'd tired themselves out during the day, none of the four could be woken, not even Pikachu, who was stuck to Ash like a facehugger.
With no better option, Lucas called out Swampert again. He instructed it to protect the four while he was gone, then mounted Dragonite and flew toward Alfornada.
At Dragonite's speed, Lucas soon saw Alfornada's silhouette atop the giant rock.
The town was ablaze with lights, unmistakable even from afar.
A mournful cry echoed through the air. Lucas couldn't tell what creature made the sound.
It resembled the whale song of Wailord, but also Dragonite's cry. Yet most of all, Lucas's mind conjured the image of a great white-feathered bird, isolated in the deep sea trench.
It was really similar…
His eyes flickered, deep in thought.
Following the coordinates from the earlier call, Lucas directed Dragonite to land.
The spot was an open area at the edge of the giant rock, outside Alfornada.
All the town's police force—save those maintaining order inside—were gathered here.
They seemed unsurprised by Lucas's arrival, as if already notified.
But when they saw Lucas riding Dragonite, there was a brief moment of awkwardness.
Noticing this, Lucas glanced thoughtfully at Officer Jenny and asked bluntly, "What's the situation?"
Officer Jenny straightened, saluted, and introduced herself: "Thank you for your support, Mr. Lucas. I'm Jenny from Alfornada Police, badge number 09526!"
As she spoke, she sized up Lucas. Sure enough, as the higher-ups described, he was very young.
Still, Jenny didn't underestimate him—he was a rare Champion-level trainer.
In fact, at this moment, he was Alfornada's guardian deity!
"Let me brief you on the current situation,"
Jenny said, motioning for an officer to bring a portable 3D projector.
"Currently, the target is in the sea, about 20 nautical miles from the giant rock. Luckily, it's moving slowly, not making any rapid advances—or else the waves stirred by its size alone would be a huge problem."
"Now, about the true identity of this giant monster—please see the model we built from our observations."
She subtly glanced at Lucas's Dragonite, which seemed to sense something and stared into the distance.
The device activated, projecting a model—a winged creature, looking just like Dragonite beside Lucas.
"As you can see, though it's hard to believe, our analysis indicates that the so-called 'giant monster' is none other than your Pokémon's kin—a Dragonite."
Jenny continued:
"Remote measurements estimate its body at around 100.46 meters. About a third of its body and its entire tail are submerged, so there may be some error."
"Based on its route, there's an 85% chance it will pass by the giant rock. If it collides with it, or even just scratches itself…"
"Not to mention worse scenarios—like if it finds the rock annoying and fires a Hyper Beam…"
Just imagining this sent chills down Jenny's spine.
Jenny's briefing was thorough; even Lucas couldn't find any gaps.
Lucas nodded. "So, what's your plan—drive it away, defeat it, stop it, negotiate?"
Jenny replied without hesitation:
"If possible, we hope you can get it to stop or turn away. If the issue can be resolved peacefully, without force, that's best."
Lucas nodded. "So, I'll act at my discretion. Understood."
Jenny smiled awkwardly. After all, this was an unprecedented event. It had been less than twenty minutes since the report—how could they already have a perfect plan?
Lucas declined Jenny's offer of helicopter support—he wasn't sure how the giant Dragonite would react to the sound.
Using the device's tracker, Lucas and Dragonite quickly reached the target area.
The place was enveloped in thick fog. A gigantic shadow moved slowly, emitting an ancient, mournful whale song.
Lucas realized this might explain why news of the giant Dragonite was so rare.
Without modern technology, it would be difficult to spot such a shadow in the fog with the naked eye.
"Bwu…"
Dragonite suddenly called out, staring at the huge shadow in the mist, eyes somewhat sad.
The creature seemed to be searching, calling for something.
Searching for a long, long time, to the point of numbness, moving mechanically but refusing to give up.
"Can you understand its call?" Lucas asked Dragonite.
"Bwu." Dragonite nodded.
The meaning was a bit fuzzy, but the emotions in that kindred cry couldn't be faked.
"Then try calling out to it."
Lucas patted Dragonite, signaling it to climb higher.
This giant Dragonite's strength was unfathomable. Even though Dragonite had grown much stronger since the Champion Examination, Lucas hoped to avoid a fight if possible.
After all, he hadn't brought his full team this time.
But if needed, he could call Calyrex for backup.
Dragonite soon flew to the giant's side and called out loudly.
At first, the giant Dragonite ignored it, moving on.
Lucas wondered if it was a little hard of hearing.
After a few more persistent calls, the giant Dragonite finally reacted.
The light in its huge eyes changed from numb to emotional.
It watched Dragonite and Lucas.
"Rooaar?"
The cute, dopey cry of Lucas's Dragonite sounded deep and booming from the giant's mouth.
The giant tilted its head in the fog, surprised anyone would approach it.
Usually, other creatures avoided it at all costs.
The giant Dragonite seemed a bit at a loss.
Imagine—after living alone for who knows how many years, someone suddenly talks to you. What would you do?
Its reaction was interesting.
Worried its size might scare Lucas and Dragonite, it carefully submerged itself, leaving only its head and part of its neck above water.
It seemed afraid even a wave might sweep them away.
Its eyes flickered with obvious hope as it called out:
"Rooaar~?" (Have you seen my companions?)
But, unused to surfacing, it nearly choked on water.
"..."
Lucas fell silent.
How silly.
It really was a Dragonite!
Sadly, he couldn't understand its speech.
So, he left the conversation to Dragonite.
Dragonite dropped lower, pointed at itself, and asked, "Bwu?" (Aren't we the same kind?)
The giant Dragonite was dozens of times bigger, but Dragonite still saw it as kin.
Just like the larger Dragonite in the Dragon's Den—this was just an even bigger Dragonite!
But the giant shook its head, stirring a wave. "Rooaar." (You are my kind, but not my companion.)
A lonely look flashed in its eyes.
On its search, it had met other Dragonite like this one.
They were helpful, friendly.
But to the giant, there was always an insurmountable barrier.
It couldn't feel a sense of belonging; it always had to be careful not to hurt them.
In the end, it could only wander the sea, numb and alone, searching for companions who may or may not exist.
The giant Dragonite had accepted this.
Dragonite were kin, not companions.
Its true companions must be somewhere else in the world, waiting to meet again.
Disappointment flashed in its eyes, but it was used to disappointment. Slowly, it began to rise from the water, sending up a spray, and called softly:
"Rooaar—" (Looks like you don't know where my companions are either. But thank you for talking to me. I must go—my companions are still waiting.)
Lucas couldn't understand their conversation, but the emotions in the giant's eyes told him enough.
So—
Should he ask the giant Dragonite not to approach Alfornada, and end things here?
Or…
A faint itch in his chest made Lucas look down at the silver feather on his necklace.
An idea flashed through his mind.
If it was Lugia, would it know something?
…