Pokemon: A New Path

Black Rayquaza is one of the legendary Pokémon featured in the movie "Hoopa and the Clash of Ages." In that movie, it accomplished an unprecedented feat of battling seven other legendary Pokémon at once, showcasing strength far beyond that of an ordinary Rayquaza.

Naoki was amazed that such a powerful Pokémon had appeared in the Paldea region. Though he couldn't be certain whether this was the same Rayquaza from the movie, the mere possibility was enough to leave him in awe.

According to Dragonite's description, the sudden disappearance of the typhoon was closely linked to this Rayquaza. This brought to Naoki's mind Rayquaza's unique ability—Air Lock.

When Rayquaza appears, all weather effects are negated.

The idea that this Rayquaza could disperse a devastating typhoon simply by showing up and using its ability was a testament to its legendary status.

'This is truly the dragon of the skies!' Naoki thought, marveling at the power of Rayquaza.

His thoughts then drifted to the lucky pudding he had given Dragonite before it set off. Naoki speculated, "So, Dragonite must have eaten the lucky pudding and, by sheer luck, encountered Rayquaza in the sky."

"And after witnessing Rayquaza's incredible display of power, Dragonite was able to learn Dragon Dance."

The realization brought a twinge of regret to Naoki's heart.

'If only I had gone with Dragonite yesterday!' he thought ruefully.

He had never seen a real Rayquaza, let alone a Shiny one. Its rarity was beyond description, and most people would never have the chance to see a Rayquaza in their lifetime.

But Naoki had missed that opportunity.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.

Seeing Naoki's expression, Dragonite let out a confused cry, "Ouch?"

Naoki shook off his regret and instead chose to encourage Dragonite. "Dragonite! Remember what that Pokémon looked like. Set it as your goal and keep working hard!"

Hearing this, Dragonite's eyes filled with determination. "Ouch!" it responded with renewed vigor.

'One day in the future, can I be able to attain the same level of power as that Rayquaza, strong enough to break up a typhoon with just one move?

In Dragonite's mind, the image of itself as the most powerful Dragonite began to take shape. It envisioned returning to Dragonite Island, where the other Dragonite would look at it with shock and admiration. The thought alone filled Dragonite with excitement.

But then, Dragonite realized something.

It hadn't thought about its favorite Dragonite from the island in a long time.

Life at the ranch had been busy and fulfilling. During this time, Dragonite had not only become stronger and learned many new moves, but it had also made a lot of new friends.

There was Koraidon, Cyclizar, Alcremie, Butterfree.

In comparison, Dragonite suddenly realized that the idea of returning to its old life on Dragonite Island wasn't as appealing anymore.

Now, it had found a new goal in life.

It wanted to keep training hard to become like that mysterious Pokémon it had encountered—the one with the power to command the skies and the storms.

One day, it would cover the entire world in its rain and storm!

Dragonite's heart surged with fighting spirit. Without hesitation, it turned and flew to an open space in the pasture to practice the new moves it had learned.

Naoki watched as Dragonite, suddenly energized, began its training. He couldn't help but feel puzzled.

What's going on? he wondered. I didn't even encourage it this time, so why is Dragonite training so intensely on its own?

He stood by and observed Dragonite's actions.

It was practicing Hurricane.

In reality, Hurricane wasn't just a simple move—it was a large-scale area-of-effect (AOE) attack. Its area of impact was vast, making it difficult for opposing Pokémon to dodge, especially in a standard battlefield.

Dragonite practiced tirelessly, and as Naoki watched, he began to think of all the moves Dragonite currently knew. Suddenly, an interesting idea popped into his mind.

What if It combined Rain Dance, Thunder, and Hurricane?

These three moves could create extreme stormy weather conditions, which could be used to disrupt the opponent.

Dragonite, being a Pokémon naturally adapted to storms, would be able to move freely in such conditions, ignoring the chaos it created.

If the opponent wasn't specially trained to handle such an environment, they would likely be thrown into disarray.

And at that moment, Dragonite could use Thunder to deliver a devastating blow.

In theory, this strategy seemed entirely feasible.

However, Naoki realized that Dragonite hadn't learned Thunder yet; it could only use Rain Dance and Hurricane.

But even so, it was a solid foundation to build on.

Excited by the potential, Naoki immediately shared his thoughts with Dragonite, explaining how the combination of these moves could be used in battle.

After listening to Naoki's explanation, Dragonite looked puzzled at first, but then its eyes lit up as it finally understood what Naoki was suggesting.

"Ouch!" it exclaimed, eager to try out the strategy.

"Want to give it a shot?" Naoki asked.

Dragonite nodded enthusiastically.

It started by using Rain Dance.

Soon, dark clouds gathered overhead, forming a small cluster above Dragonite, and a gentle rain began to fall.

"Ouch?" Dragonite turned to Naoki, asking if that was all.

Naoki looked up at the sky and shook his head. "No, the scale of this rain is too small. It's more of a drizzle than a downpour."

Hearing this, Dragonite didn't get discouraged. It focused harder, combining its experience from using Rain Dance and the times it had watered the plants around the ranch. Concentrating intensely, it tried again.

The dark clouds in the sky grew darker, and the light drizzle turned into a more consistent rainfall, with larger raindrops. But it still wasn't the heavy rain they were aiming for.

Dragonite looked to Naoki for feedback, but again, Naoki shook his head.

Seeing this, Dragonite let out a small sigh, feeling a bit disheartened. But it quickly shook off the feeling and perked up once more.

Since it couldn't achieve the desired effect yet, it resolved to keep practicing Rain Dance until it could.

Dragonite set a small goal for itself: use Rain Dance 10,000 times! Through constant practice, it would increase its proficiency in the move.

Just then, Dragonite remembered that the ground hadn't been watered today. It flew over to the farmland, preparing to summon rain.

Seeing this, Naoki quickly called out, "No, no, no! It rained last night. There's no need to water now. If you do, the crops in the field might get flooded!"

"Ouch…" Dragonite paused, looking at the farmland. It suddenly realized that the farmland was a bit too small for all the practice it wanted to do.

It would be great if Naoki could grow more crops, Dragonite thought. That way, it could practice Rain Dance more often.

Dragonite expressed its regret that the farmland wasn't big enough, hoping that Naoki might consider expanding it so it could have more room to practice.

Naoki was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

'So, Dragonite is a bit of a straightforward, no-nonsense type', Naoki thought, finding the realization both endearing and amusing.

So silly, yet so cute!

He reached out and patted Dragonite on the shoulder, reassuring it. "This isn't something that can be rushed. It's not a goal you can achieve overnight, so don't worry. Take your time! You have plenty of time to practice, so be patient."

Dragon-type Pokémon are known for their longevity, with lifespans that can stretch over hundreds or even thousands of years.

Naoki thought of the Dragonite featured in the Pokémon anime that had lived for an incredibly long time, watching over several generations of trainers.

This particular Dragonite resided in the Dragon Sanctuary in Blackthorn City, in the Johto region, as the Pokémon of the previous Blackthorn Gym Leader. The former gym leader had dedicated his life to protecting the Dragon Sanctuary, and when he passed away, the Dragonite inherited his will, continuing to protect the sanctuary and guard it to this day.

'Dragonite has plenty of time', Naoki mused, 'and with that time, it will become just as strong as it dreams to be.'