Chapter 653: We Both Must Become Strong
Leaving the swamp.
Returning to the grassland.
Seeing the expression of comfort and nostalgia on the Tyrantrum's face, Kazuya couldn't help but ask curiously, "You've been here before?"
The vast majority of Pokémon might spend their entire lives barely leaving their place of birth. Like the Bastiodon, their temperament and species characteristics dictated they wouldn't travel far; they would struggle to survive away from the grassland and the forest.
Yet, looking at the Tyrantrum... the Rocky Mountains, the swamp, the grassland... he seemed to have visited them all. Who knew how many other places he had been.
"Rua-ooh." The Tyrantrum smiled and nodded.
He explained that he originally hailed from the grassland. Back then, he was the only Tyrantrum in the area, which was why he left, traveling north in search of his own kind.
"I see. Surviving entirely alone... is genuinely difficult, isn't it?" Kazuya nodded, deeply empathizing.
Recalling the latter half of his fourth life, wandering the globe entirely by himself... he couldn't help but sigh again.
For him personally, loneliness was something he could endure... but he certainly didn't like it.
No matter how many years passed, Kazuya never wanted to live isolated and alone in this world.
Therefore... he would find them again. Even if the path to doing so wasn't entirely clear right now.
At that moment.
"Rua-ooh?" The Tyrantrum let out a confused grunt, pulling Kazuya back from his thoughts.
"Ah, the Dragon Clan heartland is just ahead. Those flying in the sky are Dragonites, they joined the clan two years ago," Kazuya said, snapping back to reality. Seeing the chubby dragons flying around in the sky ahead, he couldn't help but smile.
"Rua-ooh?!" The Tyrantrum let out a sound of astonishment, unable to hide the pleasant surprise in his eyes.
This left Kazuya slightly bewildered. "No, they didn't live in the grassland before. They lived on an isolated island out in the ocean."
"Rua-ooh." The Tyrantrum paused for a moment, then nodded.
That made sense. When he had returned to the grassland before becoming an Overlord, he hadn't found the Dragonite clan at all. The place where they originally lived had long since disappeared.
So they've been brought back now?
Thinking of this, the Tyrantrum couldn't help but take wide strides, accelerating towards the Dragon Clan heartland like a child rushing home after school.
Kazuya raised his claw and scratched his head.
He frowned, watching the Tyrantrum's retreating back. His gaze inadvertently shifted downwards.
When he saw the footprints the Tyrantrum left on the grass, a flash of realization crossed his eyes.
"...Ah."
These footprints were distinctly identical to the ones on the giant boulder the Dragonite clan had guarded.
And seeing the Tyrantrum's attitude and level of concern for the Dragonites...
In that moment, Kazuya's expression grew solemn.
After all, the Dragonite who left that footprint on the boulder had passed away decades ago.
This meant... today, the Tyrantrum was going to receive the news of the passing of two dear friends simultaneously.
In all fairness... if Kazuya received the news of Scyther and Corphish's deaths at the exact same time... he would likely forget how to breathe normally for a short while.
As the Tyrantrum approached the heartland, seeing more and more dragon species but completely failing to spot the familiar face he was looking for, his pace gradually slowed. The light in his eyes began to dim.
A few minutes later.
Ignoring the curious and wary gazes around him, the Tyrantrum stood alone before the giant boulder in the heartland, staring blankly at the two footprints etched into it.
Seeing this, the Dragonites ran over and hugged the big rock, terrified that this giant dragon was going to eat their precious stone.
Kazuya left the rest of the Tyrantrum clan with Florges, then quietly walked up to his side.
Looking at the goofy dragons clinging to the rock, he couldn't help but smile, then said:
"When I first found the Dragonite clan, they had already been on that isolated island for decades."
"Their deceased ancestor had commanded them to guard this stone with their lives, saying it was something incredibly important."
"And they genuinely guarded it foolishly. Even when they were nearly swallowed by a tsunami two years ago, they refused to leave."
"I had to forcefully carry this stone away before these goofy dragons would agree to follow me."
The latter half of Kazuya's words didn't register with the Tyrantrum.
Scalding tears filled his eyes, and inexplicably, they seemed to block his ears as well.
Through the blurry, tear-filled vision, scenes from a century ago flashed before his eyes like a spinning lantern.
It was a sunny day.
On the incredibly vast grassland.
A Dratini, who was being relentlessly pecked by Pidgeys...
And a Tyrunt, who was being chased and bitten by Spearows...
Somehow, they crashed right into each other.
But it had to be said, that collision actually saved them both.
The deep-seated grudge between Pidgeys and Spearows was known to all. Upon seeing each other, they completely ignored their prey and immediately engaged in a fierce, life-and-death struggle.
The Dratini and Tyrunt were saved.
And through this bizarre encounter, they formed a bond.
They were both orphans wandering this grassland.
Perhaps to alleviate their loneliness. Or perhaps to increase their chances of survival.
Regardless, they became each other's only friend, partner, and family.
Unlike the vast majority of Dratini and Tyrunt, it was as if their souls had been swapped during that collision:
The Dratini was feral and intensely competitive. He constantly picked fights, and even if he was beaten half to death, he showed no remorse and would do it all over again the next time.
The Tyrunt was timid and content with the status quo. He didn't dare fight others, so he couldn't understand the Dratini's actions, finding him very strange.
Until one time.
When the Tyrunt was out chasing a rabbit, he accidentally stumbled into the hunting grounds of two Weepinbell. Compared to the tiny rabbit, the Weepinbell were clearly much more interested in the Tyrunt.
Unsurprisingly, the Weepinbell chased the Tyrunt relentlessly.
He could have escaped. Those hopping, big-mouthed flowers couldn't catch him.
But the Dratini, who was waiting nearby for the rabbit, saw this and immediately lunged forward, brawling with the Weepinbell.
That time, the Dratini was severely injured and almost died.
The Tyrunt sat beside him, unable to do anything but cry.
He regretted that he only knew how to run away, that he hadn't helped the Dratini fight.
He also didn't understand why the Dratini had to fight.
So he asked directly.
He asked the Dratini why he had to fight other Pokémon; wasn't it better to just run away?
The Dratini's answer was simple:
"You can run for a moment, but you can't run forever... One day we'll be caught. Are we supposed to just wait to die then?"
"I want to become strong. Become a dragon that no one can bully anymore. Then I can protect you."
"If you want to become strong, you have to challenge those stronger than you. Only the weak constantly pick on the weak."
Looking at the Dratini, who was coughing up blood but still talking about protecting him, the Tyrunt was deeply moved and etched those words into his heart.
He resolved to change his cowardly self.
He wanted to become strong, so he could protect the Dratini in the future.
"I will become strong!" the Tyrunt howled, swearing an oath through his tears.
"We both must become strong," the Dratini murmured quietly, enduring the pain and gazing at the sky.
In the days that followed, the Tyrunt forced himself to fight alongside the Dratini, working hard to become stronger.
However, he was often chased away by the Dratini, who refused to let him interfere in his battles.
This left the Tyrunt thoroughly confused.
The Dratini said, "If you help me every time, how am I supposed to get stronger? Besides, ganging up on someone... isn't that admitting you're weak and can't beat them alone?"
But the Tyrunt asked, "But if I don't help you, and you lose, won't they beat you to death?"
The Dratini didn't care at all. "The law of the jungle. The loser dies. Isn't that normal? Dying in a fair duel is better than being ganged up on and killed by a bunch of weaklings later because you're weak."
The Tyrunt didn't know if the Dratini was right.
He didn't have many opinions of his own. He just blindly learned, changing bit by bit.
Gradually.
The Dratini evolved into a Dragonair, and the Tyrunt later evolved into a Tyrantrum.
They frequently sparred and often fought alongside each other across the grassland.
Despite having no physical similarities whatsoever, they were practically like the same species. Even their fighting styles became remarkably similar.
The Dragonair learned from the Tyrantrum to attack with his head.
The Tyrantrum learned from the Dragonair to attack with his tail.
They influenced each other, completing one another.
Later.
When the Dragonair evolved again into a Dragonite...
The Tyrantrum laughed endlessly at his goofy appearance.
But the Dragonite thought it was great. He felt this form made him look a little more like the Tyrantrum.
Changes in appearance had no impact on their bond whatsoever.
They remained by each other's side, just like when they were young.
Until one day.
By the coast, the Dragonite found a flock of creatures that looked exactly like him.
He naturally integrated into the Dragonite clan.
But this didn't mean he betrayed the Tyrantrum.
The Dragonite still kept the solitary Tyrantrum by his side. In his heart, the Tyrantrum was family.
And that was exactly how he introduced him to the rest of the Dragonite clan:
"This is my most important family member. I hope everyone can accept him."
Although the Dragonite clan found it strange, their innately warm nature made them willing to accept their fellow member's friend. They genuinely treated him as a companion.
The Dragonites treated the Tyrantrum very well.
He was deeply moved.
But as time passed, the Tyrantrum increasingly felt like an outsider.
Before, it had just been him and the Dragonite. He hadn't felt it then.
But after joining the Dragonite clan, he realized they were fundamentally different.
This sense of alienation increasingly suffocated him.
So he decided to leave, to search for his own kind.
The Dragonite tried his best to make him stay.
He even planned to leave with the Tyrantrum, to accompany him on the search for his family.
But the Tyrantrum firmly shook his head and refused.
He considered the Dragonite family too.
And because of that, he wanted the Dragonite to be happy more than anything.
Living with your own kind is a happy existence.
At the very least, it's safer and warmer here. You don't have to worry about being bullied while you sleep.
Furthermore, staying here... the Dragonite would never feel lonely.
This was his best home.
There was no need for him to wander the world with him anymore.
Seeing the Tyrantrum's unwavering stance, the Dragonite nodded in silence.
But right before he left...
He had the Tyrantrum leave a footprint on a boulder alongside his own.
It was a promise.
A promise forged with the entire clan as witnesses:
"As long as this stone remains, no matter how many generations the Dragonite clan goes through, you will always be our partner."
"You are always welcome back."
What they were guarding was never just a stone.
It was the promise left on the stone. It was the friendship carved into the footprints.
This promise and friendship...
At least in the eyes of the Dragonite clan...
Were worth guarding with their lives for a hundred, a thousand years.
Tears streamed down the rough face, washing over the scars earned in countless battles.
Snot ran from his nostrils, smearing his face and making the majestic Tyrantrum look like an absolute mess.
"I have already become strong."
"I can already protect myself."
"And I can protect you now too..."
It's just...
You're no longer here.
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