The sunlight was brilliant.
The sand had been baked to a golden hue, with heat waves rising from the surface. In the rolling sea waves, many people and Pokémon stood atop shaped wooden boards, surging through the azure waves in an attempt to conquer the raw power of nature.
This was Dewford Beach.
It was one of Brawly's favorite spots. Known as the master of the "Fighting Tide", he often trained here alongside his Pokémon. On such a hot summer afternoon, Dewford Beach was also a popular destination for young men and women.
Kashiwagi was young himself, so he had brought his Pokémon along.
"Aren't you going to give it a try?"
Under the shade of a parasol, he turned to ask Aggron. "Hey big guy, you're a Pokémon that knows Surf! Go out there and show them what a professional looks like!"
"Gronn~"
Aggron flicked its tail lazily, looking completely unmotivated. In weather this nice, it felt far better to take a nap than to move around. Is surfing the waves really that fun?
"Mawile~"
Mawile, wearing sunglasses and reclining on a beach chair, chirped in agreement. Back in Pyrite Town, she had always preferred lounging in the shade.
Nearby, Chansey was playing with Deino. Or more accurately, Deino was playing while Chansey acted like a nanny, keeping the overly active little dragon from crashing into the sandcastles other people had worked so hard to build.
"Deino~ Deino~"
Deino kept calling out, trying to lure its trainer over to play. However, Kashiwagi didn't really want to move either. He felt like he was being infected by Galarian Corsola's "slacker aura". Lately, he found himself wanting to just sit somewhere, do nothing, and scroll through his phone.
This won't do, he thought. I'm not old enough to retire yet.
He propped himself up and walked over to Deino. Just as he was about to greet the little guy, three excited children rushed over and blocked his path.
"It really is a Deino!"
"And a rare Chansey! Alright, I'm gonna catch 'em!"
"Idiot, they clearly have a trainer! Don't do something so stupid!"
"I was just joking..."
The trio's bickering annoyed Deino. Sensing its trainer's scent nearby, it let out a sharp bark and lunged, bumping into the kid who talked about catching it. The boy tumbled over as Deino ran to Kashiwagi's feet.
"Deino~"
"Ouch!"
The kid hit the sand with a thud. Just as he was about to complain, he noticed his two friends staring behind him, trembling.
He looked up to see a tall, sturdy silhouette casting a massive shadow over him.
With a neutral, unreadable expression, Kashiwagi looked quite intimidating at first glance.
"Ulp..." The kid stiffened.
"Hahaha."
Kashiwagi couldn't help but chuckle. Teasing kids was occasionally good for the soul. He knelt down to pat the naughty Deino. "Alright, alright, settle down. Tell them you're sorry".
"Deino?"
Deino didn't quite understand "sorry??", but it obediently barked at the fallen boy. "Deino!"
Chansey used her psychic power to lift the boy up and quickly checked him for injuries. Finding none, she let out a relieved "Lucky~"
Realizing Kashiwagi wasn't actually angry or particularly fierce, the three kids relaxed.
"Big brother, are these all your Pokémon? Even that Aggron and Mawile over there?"
"Of course."
"Where did you catch them?"
"If the destiny is right, you'll find them. It's not just about catching."
"I want a Deino too..."
"Then hurry up and set out on a journey to Unova once you turn ten. You're ten already, right?"
Kashiwagi chatted with them, his mind drifting back to Irridium Street in Pyrite Town. The neighborhood kids there used to ask him all sorts of questions about Pokémon, their eyes full of longing. He felt a twinge of nostalgia.
If he had simply run away back then without doing anything, he wouldn't have known how much Pyrite and Orre had changed. He would have been left with nothing but a hollow sadness about the differences in people's fates.
But because he had witnessed the transformation firsthand, he could firmly believe that the destiny of those children had indeed changed.
The Pokémon they longed for were no longer just a dream. They were reality.
After a while, the three kids seemed to have things to do. They looked at Deino longingly, but in the end, they only managed to interact with Chansey.
Deino wasn't interested in playing with them.
"Goodbye, big brother!"
"Bye-bye~"
"Wait, take this!" One of them handed him a flyer.
"You have to come! It's going to be huge!"
The flyer advertised a beach bonfire party featuring an open bar, an all-you-can-eat BBQ, and various recreational mini-games.
It looked like fun, but what truly caught Kashiwagi's eye was the mention of a Pokémon Exchange Convention.
"Are you guys working part-time handing out flyers?"
He noticed they each held a stack of papers. He had assumed it was homework or test papers, but it turned out to be marketing material.
"Yeah!" the boy said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"Tons of people will be there, I'm not kidding."
"He's right!"
"People from all over the world! You won't be disappointed!"
The three of them dashed off. Kashiwagi looked at the flyer again.
The event was scheduled for tomorrow evening. That worked out perfectly.
He wasn't in a hurry to leave after his Gym battle, as he still wanted to find Tommy near the abandoned ship to ask about Lugia's whereabouts.
Ever since he'd guessed Tommy's identity, Kashiwagi had sent a private message, but the man had likely deleted his blog to escape the recent media storm.
So far, there had been no reply. If Tommy didn't answer, Kashiwagi would have to find the spot himself.
For that, he needed to secure transportation. There were no ferries from Dewford to the abandoned ship.
"A Pokémon Exchange Convention... too bad I don't have any Pokémon to trade."
Kashiwagi sighed. He was interested in the idea, but he was far too attached to every member of his team to trade them away. Even the Gyarados he'd originally sent to Pyrite Town for "re-education" had somehow won Ayana's heart, so he'd left it in her care.
I guess I'll just go to watch the show, he thought. He nudged Aggron. "Let's go! Time to surf!"
"Gronnn~"
"Come on! Don't be as lazy as a Grumpig, alright?"
"Grawr?" (What's a Grumpig?)
"Exactly why you should study and read like Mawile. It's a Pokémon, you know," Kashiwagi said with a look of disappointment.
Mawile lowered her sunglasses. "Mawile?" (Why bring me into this? What is wrong with you?)
Regardless, under Kashiwagi's prodding, Aggron stood up and began lumbering toward the water. Its massive, silver-plated body immediately drew curious glances from everyone on the beach.