Following Jinya's lead, Kashiwagi arrived at a wide, open clearing. There, he met the younger generation of Meteor Village—those who hadn't yet departed on their own journeys.
Mawile really couldn't stand being surrounded by Dragon-type Pokémon, so she had insisted on returning to her Poké Ball. Finding her impossible to persuade, he had no choice but to comply.
Looking around, he saw three young adults, including Jinya, along with a group of boys and girls. The oldest looked no more than eleven, while the youngest was a little girl of about four.
"I've heard so much about you! My name is Renza!"
"Me! I'm Pompom!"
"Otaki."
"I'm Chizu! Nice to meet ya, please take care of me!"
"Yuzu~"
The group swarmed Kashiwagi. Without waiting for Jinya to introduce them, they enthusiastically introduced themselves—even the youngest girl chirped her name in a milky voice.
Kashiwagi acknowledged them one by one.
There were only about a dozen of them, fewer than he had expected.
However, based on his observations of the village's scale and the number of houses, the total population might only be around a thousand. Setting aside the young Dragon Tamers out on journeys, having this many children left behind was actually a decent number.
Still, the People of the Meteor had a heritage in Hoenn dating back two thousand years; it was a bit curious why their population remained so small.
Though Kashiwagi had his doubts, he didn't dwell on them—he wasn't a sociologist, after all. He took an extra look at the girl named Yuzu, mostly because she was hugging a pale purple, oval-shaped slug: a Goomy.
While most Dragon-types in Meteor Village were native to Hoenn, there were occasional Pokémon from other regions... as well as those formerly thought to be Dragon-types, like Charizard, Gyarados, and Aerodactyl.
In the context of the anime, a Pokémon's typing was categorized by researchers based on various factors; they didn't exactly walk around with a "Dragon-type" symbol floating over their heads.
Of course, just like this sixth-generation Goomy or the Tyrantrum Zinnia had shown earlier, there were Dragon-types from other eras present in the village. They were just fewer in number.
Maybe I could use that Base Stat-limited clue here? Kashiwagi thought. If I hit the jackpot, it would likely be one of these pseudo-legendaries from a different generation.
The thought surfaced but quickly sank again as he remembered his recently evolved Hydreigon, along with his yet-to-evolve Shiny Feebas and Porygon.
A person's energy is finite.
Just a while ago, he'd been feeling guilty that his growing team meant less time for Aggron. To immediately turn around and itch for a new capture felt wrong. Even if adding new members was inevitable, it should wait until his current team reached a certain stage of growth.
"Kashiwagi! Kashiwagi! You have Dragon Pokémon too, right?"
The shouting snapped him out of his wandering thoughts.
He saw the young Dragon Tamers looking at him with eyes full of curiosity. He couldn't help but nod. "I do, yeah..."
Though it's less of a 'Dragon' and more of a 'Husky' Pokémon, he thought.
"Can we see?"
"Let's battle! Let's see whose Dragon is stronger!"
"Yeah! Big brother Jinya, come on! As the strongest young Dragon Tamer currently in the village, you should welcome Kashiwagi with a hot-blooded battle!"
"Big brother Kashiwagi~ Yuzu wants to see Dragon Pokémon~"
These extreme "Dragon-stans" shouted one after another. Even the youngest girl let go of her Goomy with one hand to tug on Kashiwagi's sleeve, looking up at him with expectant eyes.
Jinya smiled as well. "If you don't mind, how about a Dragon Pokémon battle with me?"
"No! Me first!"
Renza—a tall, thin boy with a bowl cut so long it almost covered his eyes—reached out to intercept the challenge. His face was flushed bright red with excitement. "I-Is that okay, Kashiwagi?"
"Of course."
Kashiwagi nodded slightly. He noticed the others naturally backed away, clearing a wide enough space without needing to be told.
Come to think of it...
Though he'd noticed it earlier, looking at the ground now, it was clearly a battlefield that had been renovated and repaired many times from constant combat.
Choosing to meet him here...
He couldn't help but chuckle. "You guys didn't plan this battle in advance, did you? Acting all enthusiastic so I wouldn't be able to say no?"
He intended it as a joke to lighten the mood, but to his surprise, the group collectively looked away, acting guilty.
Kashiwagi: "..."
"Well, well... you are from the outside, after all!"
A kid who looked about eight or nine couldn't hold it in and blurted out, "The brothers and uncles who came back wouldn't stop praising you! They said you might be the most outstanding Dragon Tamer of our generation! Everyone was just dying of curiosity—"
"Ahem, sorry. That was my idea. If you want to blame someone, blame me," Jinya said, looking rather embarrassed after being found out.
Renza's face turned even redder. "I—I, I—"
So your face was red because you were nervous this whole time.
"Sigh..."
Kashiwagi rubbed his forehead, speechless. He wasn't actually angry.
After all, it was just a harmless little setup intended to get him to agree to a battle. Had Janya never been outside? Didn't he know the rule out there is "When two trainers' eyes meet, the battle begins"?
The Dragon Elder's decision to move out of Meteor Falls and increase contact with the outside world was definitely the right call.
"I didn't mean to scold you guys... fine, let's let the battle do the talking."
He looked at Renzo across from him. "Any specific rules? Like a coin toss for the first move?"
"N-No!"
Is this guy a bit of a stutterer?
Seeing this, Kashiwagi tossed a Poké Ball into the air, releasing Hydreigon.
"Hydrei-g-o-n!"
Hydreigon appeared in the air, letting out a deep, rasping cry.
The crowd, which had been feeling guilty just a moment ago, suddenly had their eyes light up in unison.
"A Hydreigon!"
"It looks so strong! And it's huge!"
"How come it doesn't look that mean? I remember Goro's Hydreigon was super fierce. It would roar at anyone who looked at it. I was scared to even make a sound when I walked past his house."
"That's just 'cause you're a wimp! Besides, who says Hydreigon has to be mean? I think Kashiwagi's Hydreigon is great!"
"I heard Hydreigon are really hard Dragon Pokémon to raise, right? Their growth cycle is way longer than others..."
"So cool! So cool! Yuzu thinks it's so cool!"
The surroundings quickly became noisy.
The chatter soon turned into cheers for both sides.
This made Kashiwagi realize that more than words, these Dragon fanatics cared about strength—the moment they saw a powerful Dragon-type, they naturally got fired up.
He looked toward his opponent in the distance.
"H-Here I come!" the later spoke, his face crimson as he threw his Poké Ball.
Pop!
The light flashed.
A flying dragon appeared, its body a vibrant turquoise with two long, thick antennae growing backward. It sported a pair of large, broad green wings edged with red lines, and its eyes were shielded by red hemispherical covers.
The mystic Pokémon, Flygon—the former "Ground Dragon."
A follow-up choice like this?
Kashiwagi was a bit surprised, but he didn't underestimate it for a second. He spoke quickly: "Nasty Plot!"
"Hydrei-g-o-n!"
Hydreigon let out a low growl. As he observed the Flygon, his expression suddenly turned incredibly sinister, and the light of a stat boost shimmered across his body.
At the same time, Flygon flapped its wings violently, sending a gale of swirling sand rushing toward Hydreigon.
"Dragon Claw!"
The opponent, having been a step slow with his command, had no intention of buffing Flygon. He chose a straightforward offensive approach.
Shing!
A brilliant green glow enveloped Flygon's relatively short claws, forming laser-like energy talons. With a whistling howl that tore through the wind, it charged right up to Hydreigon—who had just finished his Nasty Plot—and swung down fiercely!
Screeech!!
"Dragon Pulse!"
Kashiwagi's voice rang out, incredibly calm.
"You won't make it if you order an attack now!" someone nearby cried out.
Just as that person said, choosing to attack instead of dodging while Flygon was mid-strike would normally be too slow. However, there was one thing they might not have realized.
In battle, you can achieve a more powerful result by paying a small price!
Hydreigon quickly raised his two smaller side-heads, taking the Dragon Claw head-on. At the exact moment the Dragon-type energy exploded into smoke, he spat out a searing, three-colored torrent of draconic flames!
BOOM!
The terrifying energy tore through the smoke, slamming into Flygon's body. To the onlookers, it looked like a massive energy dragon head had clamped its jaws onto Flygon, pushing it back over ten meters before violently exploding.
KABOOM!!
A plume of smoke billowed high into the sky.
"Roost!" Kashiwagi commanded again.
Hydreigon stared at the smoke and slowly landed. His body was wrapped in a faint white light as countless feathers appeared out of thin air and drifted onto him, causing the wounds on his smaller heads to heal rapidly.
By the time the smoke cleared, Hydreigon's condition was fully restored.
On the other side...
Flygon lay on the ground, struggling to flap its wings to stand up. Unfortunately, after a few futile twitches, its eyes closed and it fainted. Its body was covered in burn marks; it looked severely injured.
The surrounding crowd stood slack-jawed. Their gazes darted between Flygon, Hydreigon, and Kashiwagi, their expressions turning blank in unison.
An... an instant KO?
In just one turn?
"So strong..."
"Even Big Brother Jinya's dragons couldn't do that, right?"
"Amazing! Hydreigon is so cool!"
The faces of these young Dragon Tamers quickly filled with admiration. They began to cheer loudly, and any lingering sense of distance they felt toward Kashiwagi vanished completely.
Jinya and the last young man, Pompom, looked at each other, equally filled with disbelief and shock.
On the field...
Renza comforted his Flygon with a bitter face. Before the battle started, he never imagined it would end so quickly. How could this Hydreigon be so powerful?
"I... I lost," he said as he recalled Flygon.
Kashiwagi gave him a respectful nod.
"Hydrei..."
Hydreigon let out a bored sneeze. He preferred battles with a lot of back-and-forth—like the previous fight with Tyrantrum. Opponents who refused to stay down were the fun ones.
How was a Pokémon like Flygon, who fell after a single hit, supposed to showcase his true might?
Fortunately, his second opponent arrived quickly.
"Can you battle me, Kashiwagi?"
Pompom walked over with a serious expression. Looking at his face, you might think he was a bit chubby, but one look at his bulging, muscular arms revealed that it was just "baby fat."
"Of course."
Kashiwagi glanced at Hydreigon. "His stamina is still high, but do you want to wait for the stat boosts to wear off?"
"Thank you! But that won't be necessary!"
Pompom gave a stiff, slight bow and threw his Poké Ball forward.
Pop!
A flash of white light.
An Altaria appeared, boasting cloud-like, fluffy white wings, and let out a clear, melodic cry.
"Al-taria~!"
Though Kashiwagi was slightly disappointed it wasn't another Dragon-type pseudo-legendary, he still needed to be wary of Altaria, a traitor to the Dragon race. Who knew if it had Fairy-type moves like Dazzling Gleam?
"Draco Meteor!"
Kashiwagi issued the command immediately.
The Special Attack boost from Nasty Plot hadn't faded yet. A Draco Meteor used now would reach a terrifying level of power!
"Hydrei-g-o-n!"
Hydreigon tilted his center head back to concentrate. An orange-red orb of energy gathered in his chest and abdomen, emitting dangerous ripples that made the surrounding air tremble.
Pompom seemed to realize the danger of Draco Meteor and shouted quickly, "Moonblast!"
"Al-taria!"
Altaria flapped its cloud-like wings as a shimmering silhouette of a moon appeared above its head. Energy flowed into its beak, forming a pink sphere of energy that was launched violently toward Hydreigon!
Whoosh!
The moment Moonblast streaked forward, Hydreigon finished charging and launched the Draco Meteor into the sky!
The orange-red energy projectile soared upward with incredible speed, bursting like a firework into countless shining meteors that shrieked through the air!
"Dodge it!"
"Let's dodge it too!"
Both trainers gave similar orders at the exact same moment, but the threats they had to dodge were worlds apart.
Hydreigon flapped his wings rapidly as the pink orb of light streaked toward him. A sudden burst of altitude sent the Moonblast whistling harmlessly beneath him, where it struck the ground and erupted into a cloud of smoke.
Altaria, however, was forced into a desperate aerial dance. It twisted and lurched through the sky, barely managing to weave through a Draco Meteor that seemed to have eyes of its own, constantly cutting off its path of flight.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The meteors slammed into the earth, triggering rings of brilliant fire and dust. The young onlookers were forced to retreat even further, scrambling back to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
"He even knows Draco Meteor?!"
"Oh man! How long is it going to take to clean the field after this?"
"Hydreigon is so cool!"
Amidst the smoke, they screamed and cheered. Jinya, however, kept his eyes fixed on Kashiwagi and Hydreigon, his gaze wavering as if he were deep in thought.
It had to be said—Altaria's movements were incredibly nimble. Despite the deluge of meteors, not a single one managed to score a direct hit. It had dodged them all.
Pompom's tense expression began to soften.
Unfortunately, he didn't seem to realize that moves aren't just for damage; they are also tools to restrict an opponent's space.
While Altaria thought it was putting on a masterclass in evasion, it was actually handing Hydreigon the perfect opening.
"Hydrei!"
"Dragon Pulse!"
Kashiwagi responded to his partner's cue and issued the command.
In an instant, light flared within Hydreigon's three mouths. Deep blue, azure, and violet-red energies surged forth, fusing into a colossal energy dragon. Its tattered, skeletal wings unfurled completely, letting out a violent roar as it tore through the air toward Altaria!
Pompom's face paled. "Dragon Pulse!"
He knew Altaria didn't have the strength left to dodge. His only choice was to meet the attack head-on.
"Al-taria!"
Altaria took a deep breath, draconic flames flickering in its beak. But it wasn't fast enough—or rather, Hydreigon's attack was simply too swift. Before it could even release its own pulse, it was swallowed whole by the energy dragon!
The spectral beast clamped its jaws onto Altaria, adjusted its trajectory mid-air, and slammed the bird-dragon straight into the ground!
BOOM!
The earth shuddered violently. The concentrated Dragon-type energy detonated into a blinding white light. A visible shockwave rippled outward, sending soil flying and tearing up chunks of turf.
The spectators were forced to turn away, shielding themselves from the onslaught of dust and grass clippings that whipped against them like needles.
A moment later, the light faded.
The once-simple field was now a wasteland of small craters surrounding one massive pit. Lying in the center of that crater was Altaria, its eyes swirling in a daze.
It had been knocked out cold by a single Dragon Pulse.
"A... another one-shot?"
"Doesn't Draco Meteor lower Special Attack?"
"I feel like this Hydreigon might be even stronger than Big Brother Goro's..."
"How could it not even survive one Dragon Pulse?"
"So strong! Hydreigon is super strong!"
The aspiring Dragon Tamers buzzed with excitement. None of them could have imagined Pompom's Altaria would fall so quickly.
"HYDREI-G-O-N!"
Hydreigon roared at the sky, declaring his second victory.
The power he had gained after evolving far exceeded his own expectations. Even he could hardly believe how strong he'd become. With power like this, maybe even Aggron wouldn't be his match anymore?
Kashiwagi, meanwhile, was just relieved that this Altaria didn't know Dazzling Gleam. Until Hydreigon learned Protect, he really didn't have a clean answer for wide-range Fairy-type moves. He would have had to just overpower them.
I guess learning moves really is tough for everyone, Kashiwagi thought. It's not just me who slows down once a Pokémon already knows a lot. Thank goodness for those Move Rewards from the Simulator.
"I lost!"
Pompom recalled Altaria and bowed in defeat. His decisive, straightforward manner gave Kashiwagi the distinct feeling he was facing a martial artist from an old movie.
"Hydrei..."
Hydreigon flew over, making a soft, affectionate sound. Kashiwagi praised him quietly, stroking his large central head before looking over at Jinya.
"When is the Big Boss planning to step up?"
"Me?"
Jinya blinked, looking hesitantly at Hydreigon. "Maybe your Hydreigon should rest first. He just fought two battles; he must be exhausted."
"Well... I don't mean any disrespect to Pompom or Renza, but Hydreigon is actually in top form right now. He doesn't need a break."
Kashiwagi patted Hydreigon's chin. The heavy thwack of his hand against the dragon's scales would have sounded painful to most, but Hydreigon merely squinted his eyes in pure bliss.
The effects of Nasty Plot were lasting much longer than expected. Even now, the boost hadn't faded.
Hearing Kashiwagi's words, the crowd turned as one to look at the hesitating Jinya.
"Big Brother Jinya! Do it!"
"I want to see you fight Kashiwagi!"
"Jinya-nii! It's a dragon-on-dragon showdown! How can you not be pumped seeing such a strong Dragon-type right in front of you?"
Jinya started to protest, "No, I just didn't want to win by wearing him down..."
He trailed off as he saw Kashiwagi step aside and make a "please" gesture. At this point, refusing would just be rude.
Jinya pulled out a Poké Ball and walked to the spot where Pompom had stood.
He had to admit, Kashiwagi's Hydreigon was far more powerful than he'd imagined. Yet, according to the elders, Kashiwagi had been training Pokémon for less than six months—and he'd had Hydreigon for even less time.
How did he do it?
Jinya couldn't fathom it. Perhaps this was what a true "genius" looked like—just like that person who was their age but already leagues ahead of them.
Still, he wasn't going to give up easily. The battle hadn't even begun, and no one could say for sure who would win!
"Go! My partner!"
Pop!
A flash of white light revealed a towering Pokémon that looked like a cross between a dinosaur and a shark, with a yellow star on its snout.
"Garch-h!"
Garchomp let out a low growl, its golden eyes locked onto the Hydreigon across the field.
"A Garchomp?"
Kashiwagi's lip twitched. He'd finally run into a pseudo-legendary, but why wasn't it a Salamence? The Meteor Village was practically crawling with Bagon and Shelgon.
He could excuse Altaria and Flygon, but a member of the People of the Meteors using a Garchomp? It just felt... off.
Fine. Doesn't matter who it is—we're going all out!
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Charge in! Dragon Claw!"
Both trainers gave their orders almost simultaneously.
But Hydreigon was faster. The light flared in his three maws, and the tricolor energy surged out, forming that ravenous energy dragon once again. The spectral beast "flapped" its withered wings and roared as it lunged at the charging Garchomp.
Garchomp didn't flinch. It spread its wide shark-like fins like a great bird spreading its wings. A brilliant green glow coated them, forming razor-sharp energy blades as it sliced directly into the oncoming dragon!
Swoosh—BOOM!
The air exploded. Multicolored Dragon energy burst into a thick screen of smoke, the resulting gale whipping Kashiwagi and Jinya's hair back.
Suddenly, Garchomp burst through the smoke, continuing its relentless charge. Judging by the faint wisps of smoke clinging to its hide, it had taken almost no damage from the collision. It was incredibly fast—in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Hydreigon!
"Hydrei!"
Hydreigon's eyes widened, but not in fear—in excitement. He loved opponents who could actually trade blows. That was the only way to truly see how far he'd come!
"Dragon Breath!"
"Dragon Rage!"
Once again, the commands were nearly simultaneous.
This time, the Pokémon were perfectly synced. Hydreigon exhaled a thick, azure wave of draconic fire, while Garchomp spat out a purple shockwave of pure energy!
The two clashing forces of Dragon-type energy collided with a thunderous roar!
BOOOOOM!!
The explosion was loud enough to burst eardrums. Searing air distorted the vision of everyone watching, as if the world itself were being evaporated. A wall of thick smoke surged outward, instantly swallowing the entire battlefield.
The aftershocks were far more powerful than Kashiwagi had anticipated.
And all that from just a clash between Dragon Rage and Dragon Breath.