Paul's looking for me?
Lucas raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised.
Not surprised that Paul was in Paldea.
Based on the timing of Paul's brother's visit to the farm, the Battle Frontier challenge should've concluded a month or two ago. Plus, Lucas had gotten this term's new-student roster from Geeta recently, so he was prepared.
He just didn't expect Paul to visit on a day off.
Since he'd come, Lucas had no reason to turn away a future student.
Without hesitation, Lucas told Oranguru to bring Paul over.
He was also curious—after his intervention, did Reggie manage to beat Brandon? Did he quit being a Trainer, become a Breeder, and open a daycare?
A moment later, Oranguru arrived with Paul at the open field.
"Thanks."
Lucas waved to Oranguru as he left, then looked at Paul in Naranja's cool-toned summer uniform—and almost burst out laughing.
He swore he was usually good at controlling his emotions, but seeing stone-faced Paul in that uniform… he almost lost it.
Paul, who was about to bow politely: "…???"
Is there something funny about me?
Afraid of a misunderstanding, Lucas quickly explained, "I'm not laughing at you. It's just—the uniform doesn't really match your vibe…"
"Doesn't… match?"
Paul examined his clothes.
Gray short-sleeved shirt, purple shorts that didn't reach the knee, a purple tie, brown student shoes, and black knee socks.
So this style didn't suit him?
Seeing Paul seriously mull over whether the Naranja uniform suited him, Lucas's expression went odd.
Maybe the old office work grind had shifted his mindset—now he preferred handling things with a lighter mood. Among the students he was close to, even the calmest like Eri were mostly gentle.
Honestly, he didn't think he was good at dealing with someone as rigid and earnest as Paul.
He cut the topic and switched gears.
"Right—how did your brother's Battle Frontier challenge go?"
"…He lost," Paul said, lowering his head slightly and clenching his fists. "My brother defeated the first six Frontier Brains, but lost to the Pyramid King, Brandon, and didn't get the Brave Symbol."
Seeing Paul's lowered head, Lucas didn't know how to console him.
He hadn't expected things to realign with the original trajectory.
A hand settled on his shoulder.
He turned—Calyrex, holding a dozing, sunbathing Cosmog.
In Lucas's mind, Calyrex's gentle yet still faintly regal voice sounded. "His emotions aren't what you think."
Like a splash of cold water, Lucas focused on Paul's expression.
There was no resentment or obsession. And with how strict the Academy was now, the hyper-harsh, toxic philosophy from the anime wouldn't pass. What Lucas saw was intense fighting spirit and a steadfast pursuit of a goal.
Lucas blinked. "Can you tell me the details of the battle?"
Paul nodded and described Reggie's match against Brandon, and events before and after.
In short, after Lucas's advice, Reggie relaxed, trained more, and set off with Paul to challenge the Battle Frontier.
With careful tactics and newfound courage to seize opportunities, he swept the first six facilities and earned six Symbols—becoming a Frontier Brain candidate.
But in the battle with the Pyramid King, after defeating Brandon's first two Pokémon, Reggie still couldn't overcome Regirock at the end.
"Mr. Brandon said my brother's tactics were correct, but he lacked true power. Even correct tactics were helpless before Regirock."
"My brother said he's a very ordinary Trainer and might reach his limit soon, so he's considering switching—getting a Breeder's license."
"At his suggestion, I took Naranja's entrance test and was admitted… because of you."
"But after term started, I learned you were on leave. When I heard you'd returned, I couldn't hold back and came to visit. I'm very sorry."
After speaking at length, Paul bowed deeply.
He was very serious, with a dash of grievance so faint only Lucas's sharp eye caught it.
Term started on August 1st. Today was August 9th. Paul had waited eight days—Lucas felt a twinge of guilt.
He had been a laid-back teacher.
But he wasn't changing: focusing on a few talented students with more substantive instruction was his job post-promotion.
No need to overload class hours—proper guidance let talent bloom.
"So, you're here to…?"
To be sure of his guess, Lucas asked.
Paul straightened a bit and requested firmly, "Teacher, please teach me how to get stronger!"
If his admired brother couldn't defeat Brandon, then he would—his victory would be his brother's victory too.
Hearing this, Lucas grew interested and raised an eyebrow. "If you can handle my pace, you'll gain a lot of experience to grow."
"Yes!"
Ignoring Paul's rare, different expression, Lucas put his hands on his hips and looked at the field. "Perfect timing. Watch what I'm about to do—you might learn something."
Paul stared blankly as Lucas pushed him a bit farther away to avoid collateral damage.
He then watched Lucas speak to a big-headed Pokémon. A chilling whinny drew near, and a snow-white steed stamped in on ice to stand beside that big-headed Pokémon.
Then, Paul's worldview cracked.
The big-headed Pokémon floated onto the white steed; a dazzling light flared—and the two fused, exuding a seamless unity.
Paul: "???"
Fusion!?
With Calyrex and Glastrier in their unified form, Lucas cradled Cosmog and pulled out an Ultra Ball. He pointed it at the open ground and clicked.
A mist dispersed, and Regice—its body still bearing a hole—appeared.
The moment it left the ball, Regice tried to alter the environment, striving to create solid ice to use as material to repair itself.
Pokémon like Moltres, who withheld their heat to avoid harming crops, were rare. Most legendaries, if they could, would reshape the surroundings to suit themselves.
The prime offenders being Groudon, Kyogre, and Eternatus.
Lucas glanced at Paul. Despite Paul's blank face, he clearly looked bewildered—somehow Lucas could still read him.
Judging by Paul's look, he didn't recognize Regice—just thought it resembled Regirock a bit.
He'd understand soon enough why he was here to watch.
Lucas met Calyrex's gaze.
Calyrex understood and tugged the reins slightly. "My steed, let us lend it a hand and speed things along."
Glastrier exhaled a swath of icy air, dropping the temperature rapidly. Even at a distance, Paul shivered in his summer uniform.
Calyrex's eyes flashed blue. Its powerful psychic force bound the cold air and condensed several massive ice pillars midair.
Under its control, the pillars settled around Regice like a stone circle.
Regice wasn't angered; its cross-shaped yellow dots flickered happily. It made a stiff, mechanized sound, grabbed a pillar, and brought it to the hole in its body like it was eating.
A steady, unflashy glow appeared where ice met body, and Regice visibly recovered.
Paul, ignoring the cold, realized something was off.
That seemingly ice-formed Pokémon had a large portion of its body missing—and was using ice pillars to repair itself.
This was just like that cheating Regirock his brother had faced. Given the similar appearance, could it be…?
Paul's eyes widened.
Regice devoured the pillars like it had starved for ages, integrating everything Calyrex and Glastrier produced.
The Regis' recovery was truly impressive. By the time the pillars were gone, Regice was completely restored—smooth and whole, no sign of that gaping hole.
Seeing this, Paul was certain the ice giant was closely related to Brandon's Regirock.
Both could repair themselves: one devoured stones from the field, erasing the desperate damage his brother's Pokémon had dealt; the other devoured ice to restore a huge cavity.
Paul's fists tightened. He understood why Lucas had him stay and watch.
"Doo-doo-doo—"
Once repaired, Regice stared blankly around, unsure why it was here or where what it was supposed to guard had gone.
Seeing Calyrex riding Glastrier approach, Regice's yellow dots flickered rapidly.
Sensing its growing turmoil, Calyrex raised a hand and infused soothing power into Regice, calming it.
When the flicker slowed, Calyrex nodded in satisfaction and looked back at Lucas. "Your turn."
Lucas nodded, rubbed his hands nervously, and walked toward Regice.
Regice noticed him and flickered its eyes. It remembered this human.
Upon awakening, it intended to drive out the intruder as usual—but the intruder was exceptionally troublesome.
Under Lucas's command, it was defeated and sealed in a ball.
Inside the ball, a faint pulse told Regice: this human is your Trainer.
Regice didn't know what a Trainer was. From birth, it had stayed there, almost never moving. It understood very little.
While in the Ultra Ball these past days, it pondered the meaning of Trainer.
As it finished repairing itself and saw Lucas approaching, it thought it understood.
Regice knew it could easily break free and attack this human.
But perhaps the newness of everything around it—this feeling—was too intriguing. Staring intently at Lucas, it let out a string of cryptic sounds.
"Doo-doo-doo—gidigulu."
The yellow dots flickered, then went still. It didn't attack.
Lucas's eyes lit up. Looks promising!