Chapter 654: Aggrieved Dragonites and Irate Tyrantrum
Seeing the Tyrantrum break down in tears, the Dragonites were initially bewildered and hesitated for a moment.
They climbed down from the massive boulder, waddled over to the Tyrantrum's side, and gently patted his massive skull with their soft, chubby hands.
Hearing the chorus of soft "Awoo~" echoing in his ears...
The Tyrantrum's tears became even more uncontrollable.
He genuinely believed he would never shed another tear for the remainder of his biological existence. Even upon receiving the news of the Goodra patriarch's expiration, he hadn't experienced overwhelming, crippling sorrow.
But upon realizing the Dragonite was truly gone forever...
The Tyrantrum genuinely couldn't maintain his psychological defenses anymore.
Because to him, the Dragonite was fundamentally different.
That was his family.
His absolute only family from his youth.
The vast majority of the Dragon Clan members didn't actually feel at a loss regarding how to react.
After all, surviving in this ruthless era, who hadn't wept bitterly over the loss of friends and family?
Everyone quietly resumed their respective activities, deliberately leaving this localized space exclusively to the Tyrantrum and the Dragonite clan.
Even Kazuya chose to tactfully withdraw.
He led the rest of the Tyrantrum clan on a sprawling patrol across the grassland and the volcanic sectors, allowing the resident Pokémon to familiarize themselves with the new faces integrating into the Dragon Clan.
Naturally.
This operation also functioned as a blatant display of martial force.
A systemic broadcast to ensure everyone understood that the Dragon Clan had grown even more terrifyingly powerful.
Two hours later.
When Kazuya escorted the Tyrantrum clan back to the heartland...
He was greeted by a bizarre anomaly.
The tears had structurally relocated from the Tyrantrum's face directly onto the Dragonites' faces.
The Tyrantrum was glaring furiously at the Dragonites, his expression broadcasting profound disappointment, resembling a parent furious that their child was failing to meet expectations.
Conversely, the Dragonites...
Were standing rooted to the spot, their chubby bellies thrust out, their hands tightly clutched together, projecting an aura of intense, pathetic grievance.
"What exactly occurred here?"
Kazuya approached Florges—who was projecting an expression of profound helplessness—and voiced the inquiry.
He absolutely didn't calculate that the Tyrantrum was maliciously bullying the Dragonites.
Analyzing the current wavelength of the Tyrantrum's Aura, it absolutely wasn't radiating hostility reserved for an enemy; rather, it was projecting a deep, almost frantic wave of intense concern and anxiety.
Kazuya actually possessed a relatively accurate hypothesis regarding what had transpired.
"Flor~"
Florges initially shook her head, then let out a soft sigh.
They lacked the historical data regarding the profound narrative shared between the Tyrantrum and the Dragonite clan, so they were thoroughly bewildered by why the Tyrantrum was treating the Dragonites with such severe strictness.
But everyone possessed the cognitive capacity to deduce that the Tyrantrum harbored zero malicious intent to harm them.
Consequently, nobody had actively intervened.
However, it was undeniable that it generated a degree of psychological discomfort among the collective.
After all, the Dragonites were immensely popular within the Dragon Clan. The Tyrantrum forcefully making them cry was mathematically guaranteed to infuriate specific members of the collective.
Some draconian species attempted to play the role of mediator, stepping forward to offer gentle persuasion and de-escalate the tension.
Specifically, the Bastiodon, Ampharos, and Goodra... dragons possessing inherently warm, gentle dispositions.
Conversely, some species were genuinely intimidated by the Tyrantrum's terrifyingly powerful aura and didn't dare intervene.
For instance, the Altaria and Cyclizar... dragons possessing inherently softer, less aggressive temperaments.
Naturally.
There were also those possessing inherently explosive, hyper-aggressive dispositions.
They found the Tyrantrum's behavior highly offensive, concluded his actions were unjustifiable, and directly stepped forward to confront him.
The Alpha Rampardos, the Kommo-o, the Haxorus, and the Scrafty...
Were all prominently featured in this aggressive lineup.
It was only because the Charizard and Aerodactyl vanguards were currently operating outside the grassland sector...
Otherwise, they absolutely would have inserted themselves into the confrontation as well.
"Rua-ooh."
The Tyrantrum swept his gaze over the assembly of dragons standing defiantly before him, unable to suppress a sharp grin.
It wasn't a sneer of mockery.
It was an expression of genuine admiration.
He inherently favored dragons possessing the sheer audacity to challenge a superior powerhouse—especially dragons willing to step into the line of fire explicitly to protect their companions.
He was entirely unaware...
That the defiant stance taken by the Rampardos and the others...
Had successfully catalyzed the Tyrantrum's third wave of profound identification with the Dragon Clan.
The first variable: Kazuya was the absolute sovereign.
The second variable: The Dragonite clan was sheltered within the collective.
And the third variable: Right now, this assembly of dragons—despite being mathematically vastly inferior to him in raw combat output—possessed the sheer courage to step forward one by one and physically block his path.
"Flor~"
Witnessing the atmosphere deteriorating toward a physical clash, Florges hurriedly prepared to step forward and mediate the conflict.
She remained identical to the entity she was over twenty years ago.
She despised combat.
And she absolutely loathed the concept of companions engaging in internal conflict. That only resulted in mutual injury.
"Don't intervene. Relax, the Tyrantrum possesses a flawless grasp of his own parameters. Actually, this is a highly optimal scenario; those guys are currently suffering from a severe deficit of motivation."
Kazuya reached out, gently pulling Florges back.
He possessed the data that Florges lacked a comprehensive understanding of the Tyrantrum's psychological profile, which was why she was frantically attempting to intervene.
She aimed to stop the fight.
And simultaneously, she desired to protect everyone.
After all, the sheer magnitude of the Tyrantrum's power was blatantly projected outward; it was a level of strength any biological entity possessing functional eyes could easily synthesize.
Florges was undoubtedly terrified that he would permanently cripple the other members of the Dragon Clan.
But Kazuya was completely at ease.
The Tyrantrum had engaged in high-intensity combat for over a century, operating as an absolute Overlord for decades. How could he mathematically lack the cognitive capacity to control his own output?
Furthermore.
Kazuya's assessment was entirely factual.
The Rampardos, Kommo-o, and the others...
Over these past few years, their discipline had degraded exponentially year over year. Their combat baselines had practically stagnated, as if they had regressed back into being standard, uncultivated wild Pokémon.
This was undeniably partially correlated to Kazuya's absence; he hadn't been physically present to enforce rigorous discipline.
But it was equally correlated to the fact that they had internally lost their primal drive to aggressively pursue greater strength.
The solution was remarkably straightforward.
They just needed to absorb a severe, humiliating beating.
Therefore, regarding the impending clash, Kazuya harbored absolutely zero intention of intervening.
Noticing Kazuya's subtle nod of approval from the sidelines...
The Tyrantrum instantly synthesized his sovereign's intent.
It could only be stated:
He was undeniably worthy of being the sovereign the Tyrantrum had sworn fealty to. Their operational logic was flawlessly synchronized.
Having secured Kazuya's explicit authorization, the Tyrantrum abandoned all remaining tactical hesitation.
"Rua-ooh!!"
The Tyrantrum unleashed a deafening roar directed at the assembly.
The explicit translation: All of you, come at me simultaneously.
Crash! Bang!
Smack! Thud!
In a matter of seconds, the Tyrantrum had effortlessly, brutally dismantled the several tribal alphas.
It was a total joke.
Although they were all technically entities who had suffered defeat at Kazuya's hands...
There was a profound, mathematical hierarchy even among defeated opponents.
You lost to Big Brother, and I also lost to Big Brother, therefore you = me?
No.
That was absolutely not how the equation functioned.
The Tyrantrum had lost to Kazuya strictly because Kazuya was overwhelmingly powerful.
Not because the Tyrantrum was weak.
To put it bluntly:
He was a Pokémon sitting firmly at the upper-tier Champion level. What mathematical right did a handful of entities hovering around the Elite Four and Gym Leader baselines possess to contest him?
The dragons collapsed on the ground harbored no resentment.
If they lacked the strength to win, they lacked the strength to win.
But they were undeniably, severely psychologically devastated.
As the absolute founding veterans who had followed Big Brother from the very beginning, they had actually been utterly humiliated by a newly integrated recruit.
Furthermore, this new recruit was currently preparing to physically discipline their younger brothers (the Dragonites).
This reality dealt a catastrophic blow to their pride.
It made them feel utterly incompetent.
But the absolute most agonizing variable was...
Big Brother was observing the entire spectacle from the sidelines.
This plunged the Rampardos and the others into a state of profound, excruciating humiliation.
They gritted their teeth, dragged themselves off the dirt, and silently withdrew with their heads bowed low.
The dying embers of their fighting spirit violently reignited within their cores.
They had officially established the Tyrantrum as their new absolute benchmark to pursue and surpass.
Observing this entire sequence, Kazuya nodded with a satisfied smile, then shifted his gaze back to the Tyrantrum. At this moment, the Tyrantrum had already marched back to stand directly in front of the Dragonites.
He recalled the image of his old friend from the past.
And then turned to look at this flock of his friend's descendants standing before him.
Huff... Huff...
The Tyrantrum's breathing instantly grew heavy and ragged.
Who exactly are you pack of idiots trying to act cute for?!
Do you mathematically believe that acting cute will somehow prevent others from bullying you?!
The Tyrantrum wasn't disgusted by the Dragonites' lack of strength.
Weakness...
Was a temporary variable.
With Kazuya and the Tyrantrum personally shielding them, was there any mathematical probability they wouldn't possess ample chronological bandwidth to mature and grow stronger?
What profoundly infuriated him was the Dragonites' excessively soft, submissive disposition.
Yes.
Soft and submissive.
Not friendly.
Having lived among the Dragonite clan in the past, he possessed the data that friendliness was their inherent biological nature.
But he was absolutely certain of one fact.
The flock of Dragonites standing before him wasn't merely friendly; they were profoundly soft and cowardly.
The Tyrantrum desperately desired them to project a harder edge, to display genuine masculine resolve, and not to instantly whimper and shrink away the moment another dragon projected a stern expression.
However, regarding deep-seated psychological dispositions...
It was impossible to rewrite that code in a short window.
The Dragonites had lived an entirely peaceful, isolated existence completely divorced from conflict for decades. They inherently lacked any aggressive or competitive drive.
Upon integrating into the Dragon Clan...
They calculated that the environment wasn't vastly different.
Everyone treated them with exceptional warmth and friendliness.
Consequently, aside from engaging in standard daily activities, the Dragonites' core psychological disposition hadn't undergone any substantial alteration.
Just like in this exact moment.
The Tyrantrum merely adopted a stern expression and glared at them.
And it absolutely terrified the Dragonites.
Whining "Awoo, awoo," they frantically scrambled toward Kazuya, uniformly hiding behind his massive frame to timidly peek out at the Tyrantrum.
The Tyrantrum stomped forward.
He prepared to aggressively intimidate them again.
To see if he could forcibly shock them into manifesting a rebellious, defensive response.
However, Kazuya extended a claw, firmly halting his advance.
"That's enough. This isn't an algorithm that can be instantly rewritten. You must analytically process the environmental variables they have been subjected to over the past several decades."
Ultimately, Kazuya's heart softened slightly, prompting him to physically intervene and block the Tyrantrum.
At this juncture, blindly applying aggressive pressure was entirely useless.
It was far superior to execute a "good cop, bad cop" routine. Smoothly de-escalate the immediate friction first, and then gradually formulate a long-term resolution protocol.
Furthermore.
The data Kazuya articulated was absolute fact.
The Dragonites required chronological bandwidth to adapt and change, and they were, in reality, already exerting effort to do so.
Moreover.
Kazuya fundamentally rejected the premise that the Dragonites were currently "soft and submissive."
What mathematically "soft" clan would possess the absolute, suicidal resolve to flawlessly execute the final will of their ancestors, fiercely guarding a rock whose significance they couldn't even comprehend, fully prepared to die alongside it?
At the absolute minimum, when their core bottom line was threatened...
The Dragonites were exceptionally resilient and profoundly courageous.
"Rua-ooh?"
The Tyrantrum tilted his massive head in confusion, but successfully forced his bio-engine to cool down.
The only entity present possessing the absolute authority to command his compliance...
Was Kazuya, the sovereign who had brutally dismantled him in a head-on clash.
He genuinely anchored absolute respect and submission toward Kazuya.
Therefore, he concluded Kazuya's logic was mathematically sound.
"You must synthesize this data. The Dragonite clan..."
Kazuya proceeded to brief the Tyrantrum on the historical environmental parameters the Dragonites had endured.
Although he hadn't personally witnessed it...
It wasn't exceptionally difficult to reverse-engineer.
The Dragonites were originally a native species of the grassland.
However, cataclysmic tectonic shifts had violently fractured the specific landmass they inhabited, causing them to gradually drift away from the continental mainland over an extended chronological window.
This simultaneously isolated them from the intense survival pressure and relentless combat characterizing the mainland.
A prolonged, multi-generational absence of survival pressure inevitably cultivated the Dragonites' naturally passive, non-competitive disposition, entirely erasing any biological drive to aggressively pursue greater strength.
And upon arriving at the Dragon Clan...
Everything was already perfectly optimized and provided for them.
They weren't required to physically engage in combat to secure resources for the collective.
Occasionally, under the supervision of senior veterans, they would deploy on minor patrols essentially acting as tourists. The fundamental lack of pressure remained entirely unchanged.
These were critical variables that had to be factored into the equation.
Previously, Kazuya had been completely consumed by the campaign to conquer the Rocky Mountains.
He lacked the logistical bandwidth to personally manage this sector.
Now that he had returned.
The Dragonites' martial cultivation naturally required zero anxiety. He would personally allocate substantial operational focus to ensure the Dragonites' biological potential wasn't squandered.
The Tyrantrum evidently lacked the cognitive capacity to process macro-level variables with Kazuya's depth.
Upon receiving Kazuya's briefing...
He finally synthesized the full context, and a wave of genuine guilt washed over him.
He deeply regretted projecting such severe aggression toward the young dragons just moments ago.
They had, after all, desperately risked their biological existence to safeguard the Stone of Promise, and had even immediately attempted to console him while he was weeping earlier.
"Rua-ooh..."
"It's fine. Just go over and formally apologize. They will absolutely accept it. Those children don't possess the psychological architecture to hold grudges."
Kazuya smiled, gently patting the Tyrantrum's massive shoulder.
The latter nodded heavily.
He absorbed Kazuya's counsel entirely, rose to his feet, and marched over to execute a formal apology.
There was absolutely zero ego preventing him from doing so.
In the Tyrantrum's operational logic: correct was correct, error was error. If he executed an erroneous action, he was obligated to apologize.
Furthermore, he was no longer an Overlord. What redundant ego did he have left to protect?
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