"Then let's not waste any time. My first Pokémon... is this one!"
Drake was the first to throw a Poké Ball.
Pop!
The red-and-white ball opened, and a flash of white light landed on the open ground.
"Dumo!"
Shelgon appeared: an oversized volleyball in a shell, with a round body, four stubby legs like support pillars, forward-facing eyes, and a fierce glare.
It might not have reached its final evolution, but Shelgon was one of Drake's main Pokémon.
It moved slowly but reacted quickly. Years of training had given it astonishing defenses, and its attacks were exceptionally swift.
Back in Advanced Generation, it had taken Pikachu's Thunderbolt without flinching, then defeated it cleanly with a Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw combination.
Even Brock, with all his knowledge of battle theory, had been stunned.
Ash's defeat served as warning enough.
Baimu knew better than to underestimate this round-looking Shelgon. He sent out the Pokémon he had chosen to lead with.
"I'm counting on you!"
"...Dree."
Dragapult poked its head out. Sensing the surrounding gazes and the scent of Dragon Pokémon in the air, it flicked its tail uneasily.
The Dreepy siblings in its launch ports, on the other hand, were excited. They were far more comfortable with the surroundings than it was.
If a battle had not been about to start, the two, who had been running especially wild lately, would even have gone out to play with the other Dragon Pokémon.
"It's Dragapult! Baimu used it in the tournament!"
"What a presence. I can feel how its strength has made it lonely..."
"Can Brother Baimu beat Drake of the Elite Four?"
"Of course! He's the Dragon Tamer favored by Black Rayquaza!"
The Draconids watched the Pokémon on both sides with anticipation. As they whispered among themselves, nearly all of them