[ as for that other part of her questioning, however... he looks a bit bashful, but does his best to brush it off with something more confident. ]

Well... Those two ladies are colleagues - Gym Leaders, like me. The Pokémon they use tend to have an advantage over my dragons, so they can be a real pain when I face off against them! I guess my brain got them all mixed up with their Pokémon or something.

[ they are also very unsettling to be around, which he neglects to mention - Opal is a trickster in her own right, and Melony, warm-hearted as she is outside of battle, was cold as ice when it came time for a match. she's yet to lose against Raihan in an official tournament, and doesn't hesitate to flex her upper hand before their battles to try and psyche him out. clearly, it works. ]