Pokemon Paldea [301-302] (Patreon)

Chapter 301: From the Future—The Dancing Iron Valiant!

Just before the battle between Luxray and the mysterious Pokémon was about to erupt, Lucas finally arrived on the scene—with Victini perched on his head, Mimikyu on his shoulder, and a Vulpix in his arms.

The instant he saw the Pokémon facing off against Luxray, his first reaction was: impossible.

Isn't that a Paradox Pokémon you only see in the Paldea Crater—the future form, Iron Valiant?!
It was one thing to have Iron Bundle sleeping beneath the forest, but how was a Paradox Pokémon as dangerously off-the-charts as Iron Valiant also running wild across Paldea's lands?

Serperior, Swampert, Dragonite, Moltres, and Raging Bolt arrived one after another, watching Iron Valiant warily.

They knew Iron Valiant was no slouch, but none of them stepped forward. They left the standoff to Luxray and Iron Valiant, then quietly spread out to cancel out the aftershocks of their clash.

They trusted in Luxray's power—so their job was to handle support.

The moment the Pokémon finished their preparations, the battle began.

With a crackling burst of electricity, Luxray's current-stimulated muscles swelled, its speed blurring into an afterimage as it flashed before Iron Valiant, electric fangs gleaming as they lunged in!

In response, Iron Valiant instantly raised an arm; mauve-pink light flared along its blade as it met Luxray's Thunder Fang head-on.

Just before their clashing energies could spiral out of control, a data stream flickered across Iron Valiant's eyes.

In the next instant, Iron Valiant's body seemed to become the source of a blinding radiance. Countless brilliant beams erupted outward from it, indiscriminately obliterating everything nearby—their searing heat was no different from being roasted over open flames.

With seasoned combat experience, Luxray unleashed a massive surge of electricity to ward it off, and the shockwaves from their clash were blocked by the other Pokémon with practiced ease just before they could reach the farm's fences.

Swampert raised a solid wall of earth. Dragonite whipped up a domain of howling winds. Shadows welled from beneath Mimikyu's hem. Serperior went the brute-force route, coaxing a forest of hardened, frenzied plant growth from the ground, weaving a bastion of root and wood.

Luxray, trading fierce blows with Iron Valiant, glanced back out of the corner of its eye, and its heart eased. A faint smile tugged at its face.

The smile vanished into solemn focus as an explosive roar tore across the field. Luxray sprang from the heart of the smoke and looked at Iron Valiant—unemotional from start to finish—simply intent on advancing into the farm.

Electricity built; Luxray's black fur stood on end, each hair like a sword aimed at the sky. Just before its amassed charge could erupt, Lucas shouted, "Don't set Electric Terrain—that'll empower the opponent too."

Luxray hesitated. It didn't understand why a clearly non-Electric Iron Valiant would be boosted by Electric Terrain, but trust and tacit understanding with Lucas made it forcibly hold back, compressing the near-unruly current and blasting it straight at Iron Valiant!

Blinding light burst forth; golden lightning, like dancing mad serpents, crashed toward Iron Valiant.

Iron Valiant's analysis concluded it couldn't meet that head-on.

A pale green barrier unfolded before it—Protect, a one-time absolute defense. If the power gap wasn't huge, Protect could block most attacks.

It did block it—but as Protect shattered, Luxray was already upon it—this time with Wild Charge.

Thunder became a sacred armor over Luxray's body. Iron Valiant didn't even have time to raise its blade. Luxray slammed into the lithe, more slender body of Iron Valiant. A colossal voltage exploded, ravaging its exterior without mercy.

"Bzzt—!?"

Super-effective. Charred scorch marks spread across Iron Valiant's chassis. For the first time, its vocal unit emitted a cry of pain.

Stung and smoking, Iron Valiant swept its blades to force Luxray back. Psychic energy gathered at the tip, solidifying into a tangible wave that repelled everything as it blasted at Luxray!

"Roooar—!"

Luxray didn't get cocky. It drew a deep breath; a domineering bellow thundered forward in black ripples. The Snarl collided with Iron Valiant's Psychic assault, deadlocking in a fierce clash.

Lucas had expected as much, but Iron Valiant's strength still impressed him. In every respect it was terrifyingly balanced—physical and special techniques both at its beck and call—an all-rounder that inspired dread.

Even so, the gap between it and Luxray was still large. If Luxray hadn't been worried about leveling the roads and trees with full-power lightning, it would've ended this already.

So far, Iron Valiant's only answer to wide-area attacks seemed to be Protect. If Luxray unleashed a thunderstorm like it did against Mewtwo, Iron Valiant's slim frame probably couldn't withstand it.

As Lucas pondered how to subdue Iron Valiant with minimal collateral, Ceruledge and Oranguru finally arrived from breakfast prep.

The instant Ceruledge's armor clinked as it ran, Iron Valiant snapped its gaze onto Ceruledge.

Its voice sounded a second time.

"Bzzt—"

The Pokémon all widened their eyes; even Luxray looked surprised.

Because this time, they could understand what Iron Valiant said.

It said—

Powerful… battle… delight… sword.

Oranguru relayed the meaning via telepathy to Lucas, word-perfect.

With those scant clues—and Iron Valiant's gaze fixed solely on Ceruledge, allowing no other existence in its world—

Lucas felt he understood.

At his signal, Luxray withdrew to stand by Corviknight.

Iron Valiant didn't react; it simply kept staring at Ceruledge.

"Vee-nee~"

Victini pointed at the shimmering blade in Iron Valiant's hand, asking Lucas why it was trembling.

Following Victini's gesture, Lucas finally confirmed a suspicion—

Iron Valiant was here to fight Ceruledge.

With that, Iron Valiant's odd behavior and its single-minded push to enter the farm made sense.

Only one thing eluded Lucas—how did Iron Valiant know Ceruledge was here, and why was it so intent on meeting it?
There had to be a reason.

But first, he had to answer Iron Valiant's—no, Ceruledge's—battlelust.

"Go, Ceruledge," Lucas said gravely.

With permission, Ceruledge moved.

A pitch-black pathway to who knew where opened beneath it and swallowed it up. It opened again a short distance before Iron Valiant, and Ceruledge stepped out.

No words were needed. In a blink, Ceruledge and Iron Valiant's blades were already dancing, the ring of clashing steel filling Lucas's ears.

No flashy ranged attacks—at most the faint blue ghostflame threading Ceruledge's twin swords, or the mauve edge shining along Iron Valiant's blade.

This was a pure contest of swordcraft.

Iron Valiant's swordplay was like an elegant dancer—beautiful, yet hiding lethality—its unbroken flow of techniques an art piece.

Ceruledge's swordsmanship was plainer, but as its twin flame blades wove, the airtight twin-blade net forced Iron Valiant to quicken its steps.

Both were worthy of being called masters of the blade.

Watching, Lucas saw that mauve light flare now and then on Iron Valiant's blade, something tugging at his memory until it snapped back into place.

Someone in Johto—Hanzawa, who had given him a Miltank—once said that when he was attacked by a vicious Tyranitar, a certain hero saved him.

That hero's sword skills were dazzlingly gorgeous; a dance of relentless strikes that steadily forced Tyranitar back.

And the longsword glowed with mauve light—something Hanzawa still remembered years later.

The features matched almost perfectly. But… was this truly the sort of Pokémon that would save a person from a Tyranitar?
Future Paradox Pokémon were typically rational, emotionless, guided only by their objectives—like how this Iron Valiant was ready to force its way into the farm just to battle Ceruledge.

While Lucas thought, their sword-to-sword reached its finale.

Ceruledge took a sharp slash head-on as the price, then, ghostflames roaring, brought its greatsword down on Iron Valiant, which could not dodge due to accumulated damage.

As a stardrift of blue fire scattered, Ceruledge's blade halted just before Iron Valiant's eyes.

"Bzzt?"

Iron Valiant looked up at Ceruledge, data streaming in its eyes. It couldn't understand—if it had lost, why didn't Ceruledge deliver the final blow and scrap an "unvaluable" unit?

"Ceru—"

Ceruledge's cool voice sounded.

Iron Valiant had already been suppressed by big brother Luxray and spent much of its strength before their duel. Its exquisite sword-dance had developed openings; that's why the victory came so quickly.

Next time, when you're at full strength, we'll test our swordsmanship again.

Using its language module, Iron Valiant parsed Ceruledge's meaning. It froze for a heartbeat, as something unfamiliar stirred where a "heart" would be.

"Bzzt."

It rose, gave Ceruledge a deep look, as if to brand the image into its memory module, and turned away.

It walked slowly toward the wilds.

Next time, Ceruledge would not win so easily. It would leverage its species' capabilities, analyze the weaknesses in Ceruledge's technique, then return with updated forms to defeat it.

Without Lucas's orders, none of the Pokémon moved to stop Iron Valiant's departure.

Oranguru looked at Lucas, puzzled. "Young master, didn't you say Paradox Pokémon are dangerous—that their mere presence can collapse ecosystems due to their power and aberrance?"

"And we're just letting Iron Valiant leave?"

Lucas met Ceruledge's ever-burning purple eyes for a second, understood its intention, and smiled. "That only applies to the kind that cause ecosystem collapse, right?"

"That Iron Valiant's motives aren't like Iron Bundle's. It only seeks duels with masters of the sword. It's probably wandered this land for quite some time."

"The League hasn't reacted to it at all, which means it's done little to no damage—or it's eliminated everyone and every Pokémon who witnessed it causing trouble."

"I think that last possibility is a bit low."

Ceruledge stepped forward. Handsome amethyst armor lay scored with clean cuts from Iron Valiant's blade, making Lucas's heart ache. He started thinking about buying something to help repair the armor faster.

"Ceru~."

Ceruledge looked at Oranguru, voice calm and even.

In every clash of blades, it had felt the opponent's love for the sword.

Ceruledge could vouch that Iron Valiant wasn't like Iron Bundle—a destroyer of surrounding ecosystems without end.

Lucas added, "Since it isn't a real threat and just wants matches of swordsmanship, we can't very well yell, 'Iron Valiant, you're far too strong, a threat to Paldea's safety!' then beat it senseless, catch it in a Poké Ball, and toss it back into the Great Crater of Paldea, can we?"

Oranguru: "…"

Yeah—that'd be weird.

And so, the Iron Valiant farm intrusion ended as a false alarm. Lucas paid extra to the startled Corviknight Three Scar and the Corvisquire, which made them a bit embarrassed for being useless, but they took to patrolling the farm skies even more diligently.

Lucas also heard bits of intel from Ceruledge—things it gleaned from Iron Valiant during their duel.

When Ceruledge asked how Iron Valiant knew about it and why it sought it out, Iron Valiant gave several short words:

Mountain, cave, and Tyranitar—the same one both had defeated.

With that, Lucas finally understood how Iron Valiant found Ceruledge.

Iron Valiant must have witnessed Ceruledge defeat a Tyranitar in a cave outside Asado Town without their knowledge, then resolved to challenge its sword. It had tracked them on foot all the way from Asado Town to Los Platos Town.
Having sorted the cause, Lucas felt speechless. Who would've thought a minor incident two months ago would put a target on them for Iron Valiant?

From this intel, Lucas also judged Iron Valiant was likely the hero Hanzawa mentioned—the one who saved him. Still, Lucas didn't contact Hanzawa right away.

He planned to wait until Iron Valiant returned to challenge Ceruledge again, then ask it after their battle. Once confirmed, he'd contact Hanzawa to avoid a misunderstanding.

Of course, Lucas also contacted Geeta. He explained Iron Valiant's existence and that it likely wouldn't attack people or Pokémon unprovoked—

Unless the person or Pokémon was a sword master.

Geeta took a positive view of Lucas's intel, suggesting this might be another Paradox Pokémon like Raging Bolt that could coexist with humans. She told Lucas to follow his judgment and said she'd warn Paldea residents and travelers passing near the area to stay safe.

Lucas figured she misunderstood—maybe thought he intended to catch Iron Valiant. To be fair, he hadn't planned that—though Iron Valiant was undeniably cool, whether to catch it was another matter.
But Ceruledge, thanks to Iron Valiant, now had a real path to further growth. In fact, later that very day, Ceruledge's swordsmanship had a small breakthrough—its edge keener, with a few of Iron Valiant's strengths blended in.

As for Iron Valiant: as a Paradox Pokémon from the future, it was shrouded in mystery—and full of possibilities.

Like the analytical power of machines: future Paradox Pokémon were often bound up with such capabilities.

Just like Iron Bundle, a mechanical builder of frozen fields, bound by programming yet benefiting from it.

Iron Valiant might analyze and parse Ceruledge's swordcraft, identify weak points, then return for a rematch.

In that sense, Iron Valiant was the perfect training partner. Ceruledge was in luck.

…

That afternoon, after settling most of the farm's Pokémon, Lucas slung on a new, expensive spatial backpack.

It was June 26. There were four days until the invite to the Dragon Clan of the Blackthorn City in Johto. With half a day's travel to Johto, Lucas would have two to three days to explore.

To be safe, he left a group of mainstays led by Ceruledge at the farm—to avoid Iron Valiant showing up and finding no opponents, potentially causing trouble.

Given that a major organization's headquarters was in Johto, Lucas naturally brought some main force too, to avoid being caught without fighting strength.

The rest were mostly for cuteness—like Vulpix and Victini.

His plan was sightseeing, catching a few Pokémon, and letting Dragonite learn Extreme Speed, then heading home.

If he had the chance, he'd visit Mt. Silver's peak to see if a taciturn legendary trainer was there—and maybe sneak a bit of Mt. Silver soil to feed Nacli.

Chapter 302: Johto—The Pink-On-The-Outside, Black-On-The-Inside Girl and Miltank

Thanks to Dragonite's improved flying speed, they landed in an uninhabited forest outside Goldenrod City at dawn on the 27th.

After recalling Dragonite for a well-earned rest, Lucas kept Vulpix and Victini with him and followed a road toward the city gates.

Johto, like neighboring Kanto, had a mild climate. It felt like a childhood countryside—nature everywhere, life thriving toward the sun, the scent of grass and earth in the air.

A pure pastoral climate.

But Johto was more humid than Kanto.

Morning dew clung to leaves. The usually late-rising Vulpix and Victini found the sparkling droplets fascinating, scampering along the damp road.

"Kyuu!?"

Suddenly, Vulpix squeaked sharply.

Lucas startled, looked down—only to find Vulpix had gotten its nose too close to the dew. Sensitive to temperature, the little nose touched the chill droplet and it yelped.

Sighing, Lucas scooped it up, dabbed its nose with a wet wipe, then, not wasting the chance, wiped its faintly darkened, pale-blue little paws clean—and kept it from getting back down.

"Vivivi~~!!"

Victini burst into unrestrained laughter at its friend's misfortune.

An Ice-type Vulpix, iced by morning dew—how could that not be funny?

The white fox wouldn't have it. It wriggled in Lucas's arms, baring tiny teeth and tiny paws, ready to duel Victini.

Lucas, used to it, let them be—and glanced around, thoughtful.

Many Johto and Kanto cities were like small towns and villages. Maybe that's why, in the B&W anime, rookie trainer Trip mocked Kanto-born Ash as a country bumpkin.

But that didn't include Goldenrod City.

Goldenrod sat in western Johto—the largest and most prosperous metropolis. Johto's tech and economy clustered there.

It held the Magnet Train station—550+ km/h, running 24/7 between Goldenrod and Saffron, making the pair strategic sister cities.

If his schedule weren't so tight, Lucas would've tried the train and visited Saffron.

Given Ash's current journey had reached the Orange Islands, Sabrina likely no longer turned people into dolls on a whim.

He'd even researched it—ride the train to Saffron, then test for psychic talent at the Gym. Sabrina and her father took on psychic apprentices.

Watching Oranguru's effortless telekinesis made Lucas jealous.

Sadly, Mewtwo had nailed the coffin shut, bluntly stating Lucas had zero psychic potential.

Being a legendary Psychic-type, Mewtwo's word was good enough.

"Yeah, blame Mewtwo."

Face straight, Lucas dumped all the blame on Mewtwo. If not for it, he might've held onto that faint hope and gone to Saffron to try.

Vulpix & Victini: "…"

They didn't know what he was griping about, but they smelled a whiff of "scoundrel energy" off him.

By the time Lucas entered Goldenrod proper, it was morning rush hour.

Bikes zipped along main roads. Office workers in suits hurried with briefcases. Parents and grandparents led kids to school, faces kind and warm.

A child pointed at the Vulpix and Victini and asked excitedly what Pokémon they were. The young mother gently closed the child's pointing hand, shot Lucas an apologetic smile, and softly taught the child not to point at people or Pokémon.

Lucas raised an eyebrow—Johto folks really were wholesome. That was textbook parenting.

If the child had asked to meet them, Lucas—and the two fluffballs—would've gladly obliged.

Thanks to the adorable duo, heads turned constantly. Curious glances, appreciative looks—and, of course, a few malicious ones.

In the shadows, men in black uniforms with a red "R" on their chests lurked in alleys—Team Rocket—fixating on the rare, unidentifiable Vulpix and Victini.

Only when Lucas wound his way to a red-roofed building did those gazes subside a bit—though they left a few lookouts outside before withdrawing.

Noting fewer tails, Lucas arched a brow, hid his reaction, and walked straight into the building marked "Goldenrod Gym."

The bright lobby spread before him—one of Johto's eight Gyms; it had all the expected trappings.

A sweet voice called from the counter.

"Hello, are you here to challenge the Gym? Do you have an appointment?"

Seeing it was the receptionist, Lucas shook his head. "I'm not here to challenge. Can I book a tour of Leader Whitney's Miltank Ranch?"

"Ah, a ranch visitor? Leader Whitney is currently in a Gym battle. Would you like to wait in the lounge or watch the challenge?"

Maybe it was his imagination, but the receptionist seemed noticeably more enthusiastic upon hearing "ranch," her eyes practically sparkling.

To be fair, few Champions/Elites/Gym Leaders were full-time. Most had a "main job," with Gym Leader being the side gig.

Truly full-time Champions/Elites/Leaders were rare—Leon in Galar came to mind.

He'd planned to nap in the lounge—after all, he'd pushed Dragonite to cross half the planet to reach Johto on time.

But Vulpix and Victini clamored to watch, so Lucas followed the receptionist into the battle hall.

From a high platform, he looked down. The fight was at its peak—dust clouds and flashy effects everywhere.

On one side, the pink-haired, pink-eyed beauty was surely Whitney, Goldenrod's Gym Leader, commanding a Miltank.

At her word, Miltank used Defense Curl, then tucked in and started rolling at high speed, kicking up those clouds.

The challenger was a boy of about eleven or twelve—plain-looking, tank top and shorts.

His Pokémon was a long-bodied, dark-blue-furred Fire-type with flames on its head and back: Quilava.

Quilava is Cyndaquil's evolution, one of Johto's starters—alongside Grass-type Chikorita and Water-type Totodile.

Like Paldea's academy letting students pick Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly upon request, Johto also provided starters through labs and licensed breeders.

Starters weren't rare so much as well-rounded and suitable for newbies.

Not every place offered free starter choice—many towns instead matched local specialties (like Azalea's Bug-types—Caterpie, Wurmple, Venonat, etc.).

Since this boy had Quilava, he was probably from near New Bark Town, where Professor Elm could provide Johto starters.

Goldenrod was Johto's recommended third Gym—like Kabu in Galar anchoring the third slot. Beat Goldenrod, and the road eased up.

While Lucas's mind spun through details, the boy and Quilava took their final shot against the ever-faster, near-unstoppable Rollout—one hit would spell doom.

Eyes blazing, fist clenched, the boy recalled every step of their journey and shouted hoarsely, "Quilava, give it everything—Flamethrower!"

He believed in their bond!

"Quila~!"

Quilava snarled, heat surging into a pillar of fire that blasted the speeding Miltank.

Sparks flew. It looked like their "bond" had actually slowed Miltank a little.

"Kyuuu~" "Vini!"

Even Vulpix and Victini were swept up, cheering for the boy.

The field looked like a scene from "They Shouted About Friendship and Bonds and Charged"—but was it?

Though it felt oddly familiar, Lucas narrowed his eyes at Miltank and concluded—

"That Miltank's Ability is Thick Fat."

As his words fell, Miltank's speed abruptly climbed—as if that brief weakness had been an illusion.

Despair flashed in the boy's eyes as Miltank plowed through Flamethrower to smash into Quilava. A fully ramped Rollout erased its scant remaining HP—Even Blaze couldn't save it. Quilava fainted.

Miltank rolled to a stop without a scratch; the Flamethrower hadn't even singed a hair.

The boy learned the cruelty of reality.

In the games, Whitney's first Miltank typically had Scrappy, letting Normal/Fighting moves hit Ghosts.

But from appearance alone, Lucas could tell this one had Thick Fat rather than Scrappy or Sap Sipper.

He looked more closely at the pink-haired girl smiling as she patted Miltank's head. So… all pink hair is black inside?

With the challenge lost, the boy left, vowing to train and return.

The receptionist led Lucas to meet Whitney, fresh off her win.

She was brushing out Miltank's back, where rolling had tangled and dirtied the fur.

Seeing Lucas and his adorable companions—a Vulpix that reminded her of a friend's, though clearly different—Whitney's curiosity showed.

"Miss Tori, is he a challenger too?"

The receptionist—Tori—shook her head. "Nope, Whitney. He's here to tour the ranch."

"Oh~?"

Whitney's eyes lit up.

She liked battling, but Leader pay wasn't great. To fund the training of her many Pokémon, she had to diversify income.

Fortunately, her Miltank ranch was among the largest in Goldenrod. Still, more visitors and more sales were always better.

In her eyes, Lucas, a good-looking peer with two cute Pokémon, transformed into a walking golden goose.

Not that she planned to gouge him—she stood by the top-tier quality of her Moomoo Milk and dairy products in Goldenrod.

Whitney beamed. "Would you like to subscribe to Moomoo Milk, or buy 100% Moomoo-milk cheese or ice cream?"

"If you prepay for a year, we'll toss in an extra half-month of milk!"

"Oh, and your Pokémon are adorable! Did your girlfriend ask you to bring them?"

Her rapid-fire pitch startled Lucas.

Victini and Vulpix were thrilled—who doesn't like being called cute or handsome?

She was one tug away from dragging him straight to the ranch.

Lucas edged back a step. "Uh—the Pokémon are mine. And rather than dairy, I wanted to ask if your ranch sells Miltank?"

"I'm Lucas, from Paldea. I run a farm."

Whitney was about to refuse—she wouldn't just sell precious Miltank to anyone. Selling byproducts was one thing; she wasn't money-mad.

But at "Paldea," she paused, gave him a long look—then gasped, "Are you the one who resolved the Orange Islands crisis—who, with the Ice Elite Lorelei's support, single-handedly calmed the rampaging Fire, Thunder, and Ice titans and averted a world-ending disaster—the trainer of the three Legendary Birds!?"

Lucas was silent for a beat, then nodded. "…That's probably me."

He hadn't expected his name to be this clear in Johto. The Orange Islands incident hadn't exactly gone public.

Still, this made negotiations easier. A Normal specialist whose ace was Miltank, running a Miltank ranch—about as reliable as it gets.

He'd also heard Whitney often trained Rollout with her herd, making their milk richer and sweeter. If he could bring in a few of Whitney's Miltank, they could set the pace—and maybe inspire his own layabout Miltank to exercise.

"It really is you!"

Whitney's eyes sparkled. A trainer stronger than Elites, practically Champion-tier!

She stifled the urge to ask for an autograph, but her hands twisted behind her back in conflict.

Her refusal swerved. "But… we usually don't sell Miltank. I worry buyers won't care for them properly. And… you're not a member of the Goldenrod Miltank Association, are you?"

There it was!

Lucas's eyes lit up. Not a flat no—so there was room to talk.

As for the association, Lucas recalled Hanzawa from Azalea mentioning he was a member.

"I'm already raising a Miltank," Lucas replied quickly. "It was entrusted to me by one of your Association members!"

He pulled out a Poké Ball—and released a Miltank that, at first glance, looked like it might also have Thick Fat.