Mawile

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thunderstones hurtled down from the sky toward the Gyarados below. There was no need to aim; the raging electricity erupted the moment it touched the seawater, destroying everything nearby.

In the end, the Gyarados could only retreat helplessly. They could not even reach their opponent and had no choice but to endure the attacks. It was hardly a pleasant feeling.

"Roar!!"

A thick white beam swept across the sky. One disgruntled Gyarados had unleashed a final Hyper Beam to vent its anger.

As the Gyarados departed, the dark clouds overhead slowly dispersed, revealing a cheerful Pupitar flying this way and that. It seemed the battle had let Pupitar release all the stress built up over the past while.

Dian gazed at the dazzling rainbow and the setting sun, knowing another day had passed.

Remembering the rainstorm just now, his gaze grew distant for a moment, and two verses surfaced unbidden in his mind. "A faint rumble of thunder, a clouded sky—if only rain would come, I could keep you here. A faint rumble of thunder, a clouded sky—even if no rain falls, I will remain here." (From the Man'yōshū.)

"Was that a poem?"

The young man beside him recovered from his shock and extended a hand to Dian. "My name is Reggie. Nice to meet you."

"A poem? No, it's a love story."

Dian smiled, then shook the hand of the somewhat puzzled Reggie. "I'm Dian. Nice to meet you."

He took out a Poké Ball and recalled Pupitar, who was flying back and forth high overhead. "Sorry, I need to check on Mawile first."

He gave Reggie an apologetic smile, said a word to the first mate nearby, and headed back to his room.

As for the admiring looks around him, he simply pretended not to