But in the nick of time, relying on its wits and courageous spirit, Mudbray pulled off a brilliant victory over Klawf.
Lucas and his Pokémon all cheered for Mudbray's final High Horsepower attack—it was perfect!
Standing on the outcrop, Mudbray peered nervously at the dangerous sea below, feeling regret for losing the steady heart that Tapu Bulu had taught it.
Looking at the fainted Klawf, Mudbray raised its head to call out to Lucas—but suddenly, things changed.
Its body was enveloped in a brilliant white light, stretching and growing larger like clay being molded.
The parted hair on its head rapidly became long, dreadlock-like mane, and its limbs grew thick, boot-like armor made of mud, harder than rock.
When the light faded, Mudbray had evolved into Mudsdale.
The once-similar-sized Mudbray was now a giant, even bigger than Swampert.
Seeing such an impressive transformation, Growlithe was awestruck, already imagining its own future evolution into a mighty Pokémon, not losing to Mudsdale in size or strength.
Lucas, full of joy, was about to congratulate Mudsdale when, above the roar of the waves, he heard the sound of cracking rock.
If the outcrop barely held the 110 kg Mudbray, then the evolved Mudsdale, at 920 kg, was far too heavy!
In Mudsdale's confused gaze, the rock under its feet cracked at incredible speed.
Within seconds, Mudsdale lost its footing and plummeted downward, with the fainted Klawf falling too.
Lucas froze, and then his year of travel-honed instincts kicked in—he grabbed Mudsdale's Poké Ball and aimed!
As for Klawf, Lucas's heart raced as he shouted, "Delibird, please!"
"Deli~!"
Delibird, quickly recovering from the chaos, shot down like an arrow to catch Klawf.
Lucas didn't hesitate—he hit the button, the red beam connecting with Mudsdale.
Success. Mudsdale was recalled just in time.
Delibird struggled back up, dragging the unconscious Klawf with it.
All was well.
After a moment, Lucas found a safe spot and released Mudsdale, who, though shaken, tried to maintain its composure.
Lucas soothed his Pokémon, recalled them, and rode Swampert back to the beach.
He returned the students to their parents, reminding Eri to call him on her return, then flew Arven back to the lighthouse lab on Dragonite.
However, he didn't notice the students and Dragonite giving him odd looks.
…
That night, after showering, Lucas sat at his desk, writing in his notebook under the lamp, with the Paldea news playing in the background.
As his notes filled the empty pages, Lucas smiled.
On the bed, his Serperior and Mimikyu crawled out, curious about what he was writing.
As regular guests in Lucas's room, Serperior and Mimikyu knew he'd been staying up late for days working on this.
When they saw what he'd written, both Pokémon suddenly understood—and felt a little envious.
Especially Serperior, who pouted, cheeks puffed out in frustration.
No longer was it proud and composed.
Before Serperior could vent its jealousy, the news on Lucas's phone caught everyone off guard.
"Today, something interesting happened at Trainer's Beach near West Paldea—a Dragonite in a lifeguard uniform, surrounded by Naranja Academy students, swept through a hundred trainers in a row."
"Neither rookie trainers nor veterans with eight badges from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh could stop it. Even a Staraptor owned by a trainer with all eight badges from those regions was defeated by Dragonite's overwhelming aerial prowess."
"Reportedly, many Dragon-type enthusiasts and trainers seeking strong opponents are now heading to Trainer's Beach to challenge this powerful Dragonite."
Lucas & Serperior & Mimikyu: "…"
If Serperior and Mimikyu had only suspected, Lucas was now certain—he gasped in shock.
No wonder Dragonite and the students acted strange today, as if hiding something.
Turns out, while he was gone, these bold kids made a huge scene!
Especially Dragonite, who played along and ignored Lucas' instructions!