Chapter 636: The Dragon Clan Will Always Be Your Home
Following the complete liquidation of the Archeops flock, the Dragon Clan's premier objective shifted straight to the reconstruction of their agricultural pastures.
This infrastructure was the primary source of meat for the entire collective, and the reconstruction had to be masterminded at maximum speed; otherwise, the Rampardos line would be mathematically forced to endure starvation.
Fortunately, the Kommo-o, Cyclizar, and Aerodactyl lines belonged to an omnivorous classification. The former two could comfortably sustain themselves on wild berries and insects. As for the Aerodactyl, they were a bizarrely structured omnivorous variation—while they fiercely preferred to consume fresh meat, they could cleanly survive by crunching and digesting rocks, though it brought virtually zero flavor to their palates.
This biological flexibility greatly alleviated the immediate resource strain plaguing the Dragon Clan.
However, even with these variables working in their favor, the Dragon Clan would highly likely be forced to transition into a "fisherman's" lifestyle for a considerable window of time ahead. The ocean held an inexhaustible, endless reservoir of marine fish; if they were backed into a corner by starvation, they could simply harvest fish to sate their hunger.
Granted, given the physiological traits of the Dragon Clan members, harvesting fish from the waves was bound to be an immensely grueling, clumsy chore. But for Kazuya, catching fish was an exceptionally effortless task. In fact, he didn't even need to launch active fishing operations; schools of marine fish would spontaneously present themselves directly to his claw.
"Flor?" Florges stood beside Kazuya, lifting her head to softly question him.
Having shattered her biological capacity for skyward flight while simultaneously securing a massively scaled-up physical build, Florges could no longer casually drift onto Kazuya's head to catch a rest.
However, a loss can occasionally translate into a hidden blessing. Though she was permanently grounded, the Florges standing here today was incomparably more formidable than her historical baseline.
While Kazuya couldn't directly read Florges' numerical base stats on his system panel, he deduced the mathematical parameters based on her progression: the latent potential of an Eternal Flower Floette was historically locked at the Orange tier, meaning her current manifestation as a Florges had to have breached the Gold tier.
Which meant... a potential matching the baseline of a Legendary Pokémon.
Yet, compared to the shifts in raw martial prowess that Kazuya meticulously focused on, the facet that brought the deepest layer of joy to Florges wasn't her elevated combat stats. Rather, it was that her biological capacity for photosynthesis had undergone a monumental amplification.
Whether exposed to the blistering glare of the sun or the soft radiance of the moon, both sources could flawlessly saturate her engine with natural energy, and she held the unique capacity to seamlessly share this extracted energy with the surrounding flora. This allowed her to cultivate and nurture the flower fields with far greater efficiency.
In her estimation, this magnificent trait was more than enough to perfectly offset the loss of her wings, far outweighing any simple elevation in combat stats. Regarding her worldview, Kazuya could only rumble a silent thought: As long as it makes you happy.
"The northern sector of the grassland doesn't hold enough wild animals for us to harvest anymore; we're mathematically forced to extend our claws into external territories," Kazuya rumbled, letting out a soft sigh as a wave of hesitation gripped his focus.
If they targeted alternative geographic environments to source livestock...
The swamp was out of the question; the toxic organisms native to that mire weren't something a normal Pokémon could safely digest.
The snowfields were similarly non-viable; trying to harvest herds across those frozen wastes was no different from hunting for a needle at the bottom of the sea.
As for the Rocky Mountain range, the native wildlife down there mostly survived by preying on one another, meaning the volume of ordinary animals they could safely bring back to breed was sparse. Furthermore, he had to calculate whether launching harvesting operations would inadvertently trigger full-scale territorial wars against the local resident clans.
Since those paths were blocked, his calculations were forced toward the southern vector—the southern grassland sector, or the volcanic mountain range.
Further south of those peaks lay a gargantuan primeval jungle, the exact coordinates from which the Archeops flock had launched their migration. Those birds exclusively thrived within heavily forested parameters. However, the geographic distance was entirely too immense, forcing Kazuya to scratch that territory off his immediate options.
"Flor..." Florges lowered her elegant eyes, entirely devoid of any immediate, viable suggestions. Her current posture closely mirrored that of a melancholic, brooding queen.
"Do not fret, I will devise a resolution," Kazuya rumbled, offering her a reassuring smile.
"Flor," Florges nodded gently, turning her frame to amble back toward the agricultural farmlands. She would focus entirely on executing her designated duties to perfection. For everything else, her trust was anchored seamlessly to Kazuya.
Watching her silhouette depart, the smile quickly dissolved from Kazuya's face, replaced once more by a heavy veil of worry.
The most streamlined and structurally secure strategy was to lock their sights directly onto the volcanic mountain range and the southern grassland sector.
But... the Dragon Clan currently commanded an exceptionally elite rapport with the volcano Charizard clan, and the same held true for many of the Alpha leaders governing the southern grassland. Launching aggressive harvesting operations to plunder livestock from their sovereign territories left Kazuya feeling deeply uncomfortable.
This was particularly true when factoring in Charizard, Arcanine, and Feraligatr. They were all pure carnivores. The Feraligatr clan was largely fine; living immediately flanking the water's edge, they extracted the bulk of their sustenance from the sea. But the Charizard and Arcanine clans held massive families to nourish, and they possessed zero capacity to enter the ocean.
The volcano Charizards might hunt alternative wild Pokémon lineages to sate their hunger, but given the noble, protective disposition commanded by the Arcanine clan, they absolutely wouldn't snap their jaws at innocent Pokémon species. They relied entirely on the meager animal populations native to the southern grassland to survive.
Kazuya was intensely averse to plundering their fixed resources. Doing so would be no different from enforcing a slow, systematic slaughter upon his friends. After all, those very clans had deployed their martial elites to help garrison and hold his home during the recent crisis.
"A strategy that could cleanly satisfy both parameters..."
There was one. Kazuya could actually synthesize a method that achieved a flawless equilibrium.
He could systematically conquer the entire southern grassland sector, officially establishing the Dragon Clan as the undisputed Overlords of the entire grassland, and then cleanly share the livestock bred within their pastures with the Arcanine clan and his other allies.
But this "flawless equilibrium" would exclusively benefit the Dragon Clan and the Arcanine line. For many of the other resident clans across the territory, their survival parameters would inevitably undergo a severe degradation.
For instance, if the Dragon Clan conquered the wider grassland, according to their historical operational guidelines, the boundaries of the safe zone would have to be extended across the entire continent. But within a safe zone of that magnitude, where predatory carnivores were strictly forbidden from launching hunts, how were those meat-eating species supposed to survive? Don't tell me the Dragon Clan's agricultural pastures were expected to nourish every single carnivore across the continent? That was mathematically impossible to execute.
Furthermore, with the weaker herbivorous Pokémon multiplying exponentially under the absolute shield of the safe zone, a day would inevitably manifest where their sheer demographic saturation would completely strip the grassland of its vegetation, culminating in a cataclysmic collapse. When that day arrived, what script would they write?
"The safe zone infrastructure has encountered a structural flaw." Kazuya raised a claw to heavily rub his skull.
At the very beginning, his primal intent had merely been to offer shelter to those Pokémon clans who willingly chose to submit to the Dragon Clan, while simultaneously restricting foreign predators from rampaging across their sovereign territory.
But right now, facing a baseline trajectory where the boundaries of the safe zone were poised to aggressively multiply, Kazuya finally realized that the unchecked existence of a safe zone could catastrophically disrupt the natural ecological balance.
A safe zone wasn't inherently flawed; it was merely the operational regulations that demanded a swift, systematic overhaul.
"Phew... we must proceed with caution. The priority remains resolving the immediate food bottleneck plaguing the Dragon Clan first." Kazuya exhaled a profound breath, turning his golden irises toward the southern horizon. "Regarding the unification of the grassland, I must first gather the thoughts and parameters of Arcanine and my other allies."
For the Dragon Clan to unify the grassland, the actual difficulty curve was remarkably minor. Kazuya firmly believed that outside of the Champion-level Alpha Arcanine, not a single Pokémon across this grassland could stand as his mathematical match. He could simply march through them one by one; every single geographic Overlord across history was forged through raw combat. But Kazuya had to calculate the emotional impact this would have on his friends, formulating an operational pivot based on those variables.
And analyzing Arcanine's fundamental disposition coupled with the grand dream he had casually voiced in the past... Kazuya calculated a high probability that the noble canine wouldn't harbor a single shred of objection, and might even actively mobilize his forces to assist the campaign. With Arcanine's tactical integration, unifying the entire grassland would merely be a matter of time.
Right as Kazuya was processing these long-term logistics.
"Roar..."
His younger brother (brother-kun) approached from the flank. His expression was intensely solemn and serene, appearing as though he had officially resolved his heart to execute a monumental choice.
"Hmm? What is it?" Kazuya froze for a second, turning his head to look at his brother. He hadn't cleanly caught the low rumbles brother-kun had just vocalized.
"Roar, roar."
Brother-kun lowered his head slightly, then raised a claw to point directly at Kazuya.
He deemed himself entirely too weak. He wanted to unlock that magnificent, blue-flamed form commanded by his older brother.
"Mmh..." Kazuya's brow instantly snapped down into a tight, severe furrow.
He himself hadn't cleanly unlocked the underlying mechanics required to achieve a permanent Mega Evolution form; how on earth was he supposed to tutor his younger brother? Furthermore, brother-kun didn't mirror his unique parameters—he lacked the specialized held items and the existence of a specific person in another era to help him manifest even a transient Mega state.
"Roar?" Seeing Kazuya sink into a heavy hesitation, brother-kun tilted his head in slight confusion. He didn't believe for a single second that his older brother was unwilling to tutor him; there had to be an absolute, structural barrier blocking the path.
"Mm, it's like this..." Kazuya extended his claws.
He offered a rudimentary breakdown of the core concepts and demands governing Mega Evolution, explicitly detailing the exact bottleneck currently paralyzing his personal progression. He directly told his younger brother that, for the time being, there was mathematically zero avenue to transform him into a Mega Charizard X.
"Roar..."
Learning this reality, brother-kun nodded his head in understanding, then shifted his claw to point straight toward the volcanic mountain range.
"You intend to journey back to the volcano to petition our father for guidance, hoping to unlock that qualitative transformation he commands?" Kazuya flawlessly deciphered his intent.
"Roar!" Brother-kun nodded his head with absolute force.
What specific form he unlocked didn't matter to him. His singular, consuming desire was to multiply his personal strength, growing powerful enough to cleanly shoulder the burden for his older brother.
"...Taking that course means you might be gone for an immense ocean of time, and you won't command the leisure to frequently return home." Kazuya stared intently into his brother's eyes, a wave of protective worry flaring within his focus as he added, "If you are pushing yourself into this choice entirely out of guilt over that past tragedy, frantically desperate to multiply your strength, there is absolutely zero necessity to force yourself away. Remaining here by my side is perfectly fine too."
Through his Aura, he could perceive that brother-kun harbored zero inherent desire to leave this sanctuary. It looked as though that recent tragedy had inflicted a profound psychological fracture onto his younger brother's heart. Kazuya was deeply concerned about his mental well-being.
However...
"...Roar." Brother-kun shook his head, the resolve burning within his eyes remaining flawlessly constant from start to finish.
He had thoroughly calculated every variable his older brother had just articulated. But his heart was permanently resolved, and he understood with absolute, razor clarity what his soul truly craved.
Was he forcing himself away out of a wave of frantic, guilt-ridden desperation? No. He simply desired to ensure that in the future, his claws would be strong enough to stand as a reliable asset for his older brother.
But as long as he remained sheltered under his older brother's majestic shadow, his biological engine could never transition into an independent powerhouse capable of single-handedly holding an empire.
"I see. Then go forth. I similarly calculate that his specific evolutionary path is far more suited to your biological traits." Kazuya let out a soft sigh, withdrawing his gaze.
Mega Charizard Y represented the absolute, peerless pinnacle of Fire-type destruction. Brother-kun's innate Fire-type talent was exceptionally elite; charting a course toward the Y-blueprint was the mathematically correct path for his engine.
"Roar."
"Gather your mate and the children to journey alongside you. The high-thermal parameters of the volcano are far more beneficial for their physical growth anyway. I won't be accompanying your flight; the infrastructure of the Dragon Clan still demands my personal presence here."
"Roar."
"Commanding your current parameters, I calculate that very few dragons down there will possess the capacity to bully you anyway. Focus entirely on your rigorous cultivation."
"Roar."
"The geographic distance separating the volcanic mountains and the Dragon Clan's heartland isn't immense. Once I cleanly conquer the southern grassland sector in the future, that buffer zone will shrink even further, allowing you to return to visit whenever you have the leisure."
"Roar."
The Charizard smiled. Staring at his older brother who was continuously rattling off a succession of nagging reminders, he grinned with pure, radiant joy. Though Kazuya projected a completely unbothered, stoic facade on the surface, his heart was undeniably overflowing with intense care and anxiety.
"Stop grinning like an idiot. Mobilize your family and scram out of my sight already."
"Roar."
Charizard reached out a massive claw, gently gripping Kazuya's tail. He wanted his older brother to personally escort them across the border.
"Tsk, let's move then." Kazuya swished his tail away, a mock expression of absolute disdain on his snout. He felt a distinct sensation akin to a parent walking his child to his very first day of school.
Sailing through the airspaces toward the boundary of the grassland, his two nephews winged their way immediately flanking Kazuya's sides, while his niece lay sprawled across his massive back with a thoroughly sullen, disgruntled expression.
Regarding this sudden displacement from their home, the little niece was profoundly unhappy. She absolutely didn't want to be separated from her aunt, Floette, and that volcanic wasteland didn't hold a single blossom.
Yet, she similarly refused to leave the perimeter of her mother and father. This left the young female caught in an intensely complex emotional gridlock—so thoroughly disgruntled that she refused to flap her own wings, demanding her uncle personally carry her frame across the sky.
The mother Charizard, by contrast, was remarkably cheerful about guiding her children back to her ancestral home. The grassland was magnificent, but the volcano remained her true cradle.
And this specific biological sentiment mirrored brother-kun's reality in reverse. The volcano might be a magnificent training ground, but this grassland was his true home.
Consequently, along this entire flight trajectory, Charizard's emotional expression couldn't be called beautiful. Kazuya refrained from initiating further dialogue, choosing to quietly escort them toward the volcanic perimeter, his heart swimming with a balanced blend of deep reluctance and profound pride.
The geographic boundary separating the grassland and the volcano was indeed remarkably tight. Yet the emotional weight carried by this transit was entirely distinct. The little dragon who had permanently huddled right behind his hindquarters since birth had officially matured into a sovereign entity, and was finally stepping out from beneath his wings.
Not long after.
"Rua!!" Beholding the close proximity of the volcanic peaks, the mother Charizard unleashed an ecstatic, roaring bellow, clearly calling out to signal her former clansmen.
The eyes of his two nephews instantly erupted with intense anticipation. Even his little niece couldn't help but lift her head with a spark of genuine curiosity. A volcano was an environment her eyes had never once laid sight upon.
The only individuals who harbored zero curiosity were Kazuya and brother-kun. After all, they had crawled out of that very crucible.
"I'll be halting my flight here." Kazuya checked his physical momentum midway through the airspace. He had zero intentions of penetrating the sovereign airspace of the volcano Charizard clan.
"Roar..." Brother-kun stopped his frame, turning around to lock his eyes with Kazuya. Further ahead toward the volcanic vents, his family paused their flight to turn their heads, quietly waiting for him to join their ranks.
"Go forth. Do not allow a single word I articulated previously to slip from your memory." Kazuya's mouth cracked open into a broad grin, waving a massive claw at his younger brother.
"Roar." Brother-kun nodded his head heavily, turning his frame to wing his way straight toward the volcano.
Staring at his retreating silhouette, a fleeting spectral image suddenly flashed directly before Kazuya's eyes—the silhouette of a silver-haired elderly woman, her eyes heavily swimming with unshed tears as she stood at the absolute edge of a shoreline, straining her voice to call out a final blessing to a Treecko sailing away from home.
A sharp, stinging sensation gripped Kazuya's snout. A singular phrase violently surged straight up from his soul, grinding out past his jaws into the open air:
"Brother-kun! The second you feel unhappy down there, you turn right around and come back! The Dragon Clan will forever and always be your true home!"
Thud.
Charizard's physical engine momentarily stuttered mid-flight. He didn't turn his torso around; he merely lifted a heavy arm to ruthlessly wipe the moisture from his eyes, continuing his skyward flight toward the peaks in absolute silence.
He swore a silent vow to his soul: he would push his engine until he became unimaginably, terrifyingly strong.
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