Pokemon: A New Path

Dragonite Island, Central Lake, 3:00 PM.

Naoki and Koraidon sat together by the lake, gazing up at the sky where white clouds drifted lazily. The serene atmosphere around them filled Naoki with a sense of peace and wonder. Nearby, Dragonite was the center of attention, surrounded by the other Dragonites, all of them listening intently as it recounted its adventures over the past few months.

Naoki and Koraidon chose not to interrupt, instead sitting quietly by the lake, soaking in the island's unique beauty. Though deep within the ocean, the island's environment felt just like the mainland—likely due to the powerful presence of the Dragonite.

The lake in the island's center was a perfect circle, encircled by lush trees, resembling a full moon resting in the arms of the sea. As Naoki imagined the night falling over this place, a vivid scene came to his mind:

The lake would mirror the night sky, with a bright moon above and another shining within the water. As Dratini swims through, the reflection would ripple, breaking the moon's image. But given time, the moon in the lake would mend itself, whole once more. Dratini would nap on this "full moon," lulled to sleep by the gentle moonlight.

These tranquil images filled Naoki's heart with a deep sense of contentment. He lay down beside Koraidon, gazing up at the blue sky framed by the circular clearing above.

Suddenly, the light above him dimmed. Naoki looked up to see several petite Dratini gathered around, their big eyes filled with curiosity as they observed the strange human lying on the ground.

Their shadows blocked the sunlight, and their expressions seemed to ask, 'Why is this human lying here?' 

Naoki was surprised at first, but then he smiled, reaching out to gently poke the cheek of one of the tiny dragons. The Dratini's smooth, soft skin felt wonderful to touch.

Surrounded by these adorable quasi-legendary Pokémon, Naoki felt as though he had reached a pinnacle in life.

'Dratini are so cute!'

But Naoki had to admit, compared to other Dragon-types like Dragonite and Dratini, Dratini were exceptionally gentle and friendly—both to humans and their own young.

"Woo~" one of the Dratini cooed, its voice melodic and innocent.

Naoki sat up, his curiosity piqued by a memory from earlier. He began scanning the lake for the shiny Dratini he had glimpsed before.

But after searching for a while, he couldn't spot it.

'Strange, did I imagine it?' he wondered.

Determined to find out, Naoki approached a nearby Dratini and asked, "Did you see a pink Dratini around here?"

"Woo?" Dratini blinked, not quite understanding.

Naoki clarified, "A Dratini that's a different color—pink, not blue like the others."

This time, Dratini seemed to understand. With a nod, it happily dove into the lake. After a short while, it emerged with a small, light pink Dratini in tow.

Naoki's eyes lit up at the sight.

'It really is a Shiny Dratini!'

While most Dratini are a soft blue, this one was a lovely shade of pink, making it look especially cute and delicate. The little dragon, still timid from being brought over, shyly peeked at Naoki.

'This one must be shy,' Naoki thought, feeling a surge of affection.

Naoki wanted to reach out and gently touch the mini dragon, but the Dratini immediately showed a look of fear on its face.

Seeing this, Naoki instinctively reached for his pocket, hoping to find some candy to coax the little Pokémon. However, he quickly realized that he hadn't brought anything with him except two bottles of milk for emergency treatment.

'Pity,' Naoki thought, feeling a pang of regret. If he had known Dragonite was taking him to Dragonite Island, he would have packed all the snacks from the refrigerator.

With nothing else to offer, Naoki could only try to show his kindness through words. "Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you. We just want to be friends."

Despite his reassurance, the Dratini remained frightened.

Naoki followed the Dratini's gaze and quickly understood what was causing its fear.

"Ah, gah." Koraidon, standing nearby, noticed Naoki's gaze and immediately tried to look innocent, as if saying, 'I didn't do anything!'

Naoki couldn't help but sigh, 'You're scaring it, Koraidon.'

He was about to say something more when he noticed that the gathered Dragonites had suddenly fallen silent, their attention focused on something in the sky.

A wild Dragonite was descending from the sky, slowly landing on the island.

Naoki immediately noticed the change in his own Dragonite's demeanor—it looked nervous, almost shy.

'Something's off,' Naoki thought, narrowing his eyes. He could sense that something unusual was happening.

As any experienced Pokémon Trainer knows, Pokémon can fall in love and even have relationships much like humans. 

In the anime, for example, Meowth once had feelings for a female Meowth named Meowzie, but she chose to be with a Persian instead. There's even that famous line about Tropius falling in love with Miss Joy's Meganium.

And now, watching his Dragonite gather its courage to approach the wild Dragonite, Naoki couldn't help but be reminded of a young boy nervously confessing his feelings to his crush.

His Dragonite looked incredibly nervous, its usual confidence replaced by shy hesitation as it walked up to the wild Dragonite and said something Naoki couldn't quite hear.

But whatever Dragonite said, it had a profound effect. The wild Dragonite immediately assumed a fighting stance.

Naoki, completely bewildered, asked out loud, "What are they doing?"

"Ah, gah." Koraidon not entirely understanding the situation but recognizing the wild Dragonite, responded with a sound that conveyed its confusion.

Dratini, who had been observing quietly, spoke softly to Naoki, as if answering his question, "Woo…" (The Dragonite is confessing its love to the other Dragonite.)

Naoki's eyes widened in realization. 'Confessing love? So that's why Dragonite is so nervous!'

But Dratini wasn't finished. It explained that all the Dragonites on the island knew the wild Dragonite was no ordinary Pokémon. 

"Woo…" (But that Dragonite is very special. It's incredibly strong. Any Dragonite that confesses its love to her is usually beaten to a pulp.)

Naoki's concern grew as Dratini continued, revealing the wild Dragonite's unique condition for accepting a mate.

"Woo…" (Only the Dragonite that can defeat her head-on can become her mate. Together, they will raise a powerful Dratini.)

Unfortunately, Naoki couldn't understand the Pokémon language, so he had no idea what Dratini was trying to convey fully.

He could only watch as his Dragonite and the female Dragonite began their battle.

The fight started with a surge of intensity. The female Dragonite unleashed her full aura, radiating a terrifying intent as she swooped down toward Dragonite.

At first, Naoki's Dragonite was clearly frightened by the sheer ferocity of the attack. But it quickly gathered its courage and adjusted itself. With a burst of speed, it narrowly dodged the Dragon Dive and immediately used Rain Dance.

Dark clouds quickly gathered overhead, and heavy rain began to pour down from the sky.

Dragonite then flapped its wings, summoning a powerful storm. The rain-soaked winds roared as they swept across the battlefield, engulfing the female Dragonite in a swirling tempest.

For a brief moment, shock registered on the female Dragonite's face. She was baffled—this Dragonite, who once struggled to learn even basic moves, was now wielding immense power.

But despite her surprise, the female Dragonite wasn't one to back down easily. Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself and plunged back into the battle, determined to fight with all her might.

This would not be a battle easily won.