Pokémon: The Reemployment of the Retired Champion of Paldea

"The patient has multiple soft tissue contusions and several fractures... his internal organs are basically unharmed. He's very lucky."

The female doctor in a white coat adjusted her glasses and calmly explained the boy's condition to Lucas.

"Ordinary bear Pokémon are very strong. When I heard someone was attacked by a wild bear Pokémon, I was already preparing to treat a patient with comminuted fractures. To think he only has a few broken bones."

She smiled in relief, taking a sip of water to soothe her throat after a busy morning.

Lucas, however, didn't relax. After a moment's silence, he said quietly, "I found a shrunken Poké Ball tightly clutched in his right hand. Inside was Wattrel with a broken wing—badly injured. Fortunately, the Poké Ball stabilized its condition, and it's now in the Pokémon Center's intensive care unit."

"I see..."

The doctor lowered her head, not sure what to say.

She could already piece together the general story in her mind.

A boy exploring the wild was attacked by a bear Pokémon. His Pokémon broke free from its Poké Ball to protect him, ending up seriously injured, but saving its trainer from further harm.

"Sigh."

After Lucas left with the report, the doctor slumped over her desk and sighed heavily.

Porto Marinada Orthopedics Hospital specialized in bone injuries and was well regarded in the region.

The boy Lucas rescued was named Kaito, a student of Naranja Academy. After Lucas contacted the academy, Director Harrington immediately reached out to Kaito's parents, who were now rushing to Porto Marinada.

As Lucas had guessed, Kaito had reported to the academy a few days ago that he was going to explore the wilds near Porto Marinada to catch rare Pokémon.

Kaito had passed out due to pain-induced protective shock. Not long after Lucas delivered him to the hospital, initial treatment brought him back to consciousness.

Leaving the doctor's office, Lucas headed straight to the private ward on the second floor. Kaito, his arms and legs wrapped in bandages, face pale, was staring out the window at a crabapple tree.

Lucas followed his gaze and understood immediately.

A few green-feathered Squawkabilly were playing in the tree's branches. Seeing these winged bird Pokémon, Kaito was probably thinking of his own Wattrel.

Lucas gently knocked on the door. When Kaito looked over, Lucas entered.

Since he couldn't move much, Kaito just nodded weakly. "Sir."

Lucas smiled, pulled up a chair and sat down. "Does it feel better after the painkillers?"

"A lot better, it doesn't hurt as much now..." Kaito looked downcast. After a moment's determination, a little color returned to his pale face as he looked at Lucas with hope. "Sir, how is my Wattrel?"

Worried that the news would upset Kaito and worsen his condition, Lucas hadn't told him about the bird's status until now. But now that Kaito was stable, there was no point hiding it.

Lucas gently told him the Pokémon was in intensive care at the Pokémon Center, adding, "Nurse Joy is an expert in Pokémon medicine. She'll definitely save your Wattrel."

"Mm..." Kaito lowered his head, voice choked. Trying to cover his face, he realized his hands were immobilized. "It saved me... It got so badly hurt to protect me."

Kaito started sobbing softly.

Lucas sighed, letting him vent. Crying to release the pressure was healthy.

When Kaito finally calmed down, Lucas asked, "Can you tell me about the Pokémon that attacked you, and what exactly happened? The rangers will need to relocate the Pokémon far from populated areas."

Kaito nodded. "It was a bear Pokémon, looked like a stuffed toy—very cute. It had a cub with it."

With Kaito's description, Lucas instantly guessed the species.

Bewear.

Like Mimikyu, it first appeared in Alola. The cub must have been a Stufful.

Paldea didn't have native Bewear populations, but Pokémon were living creatures—sometimes individuals wandered by various means, so finding a rare Pokémon here wasn't impossible.

Remembering Bewear's habits, Lucas frowned. Why would Kaito approach it? In Alola, Bewear—especially with cubs—was considered dangerous.

Bewear's strength was terrifying; its hugs could crush bones. If the Wattrel hadn't intervened...

Lucas asked in confusion, "That Pokémon is called Bewear. Why did you try to approach it?"

Kaito hesitated, his eyes distant. "...It's very rare in Paldea, so I wanted to catch it. I heard that when it waves both arms, it's greeting people. I thought it was an opportunity, so I got close."

Lucas frowned. "Heard? Who told you that?"

"In Alola, Bewear is classified as a dangerous Pokémon that easily attacks humans. Waving both arms might look friendly, but it's actually a warning to stay away."

"No way!" Kaito's eyes widened in disbelief and he trembled. "That's not a greeting? That's what they told me!"

Lucas seized on the key point. "Who are 'they'? Where did you hear such unreliable information?"

"From classmates..." Kaito dropped his head, pupils trembling. As if to convince himself, he muttered, "They probably didn't know either... Bewear is really rare here!"

"It was just my bad luck."

Lucas said nothing, deep in thought.

Was it really as Kaito believed? Since they even knew about Bewear's arm-waving, did those classmates really not know anything?

Thinking of those students at Naranja Academy who enjoyed bullying, Lucas doubted it was just an accident.

It looked like, after handing Kaito over to his parents, he'd need to talk to Director Harrington. If possible, he wanted to find out who Kaito's usual companions were.

Among them, there might be the one who told Kaito that Bewear was harmless.