Drayden is the Dragon-type Gym Leader of Opelucid City, and he's basically the gold standard for dragon trainers. Fans know him best as a master of his type who takes the craft seriously.
He first showed up in a flashback during BW036, where he was visiting the Dragon Village and happened to catch Iris battling. After she won, she immediately challenged him—classic Iris move. Drayden accepted, but he was way out of her league at that point. Iris and Excadrill lost the match, which was probably a wake-up call about just how much skill separates a gym leader from an ambitious kid. He seems to know the village elder pretty well, suggesting he's been involved with the Dragon Village community for a while.
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