A blue arrow-like figure streaked across the sky.
Upon closer inspection, you could see that it was a flying Dragapult.
It was holding an incubator tightly in its arms.
And on its head, surprisingly, stood a man.
His face was full of helplessness and a tinge of shock that hadn't fully dissipated yet.
At the man's feet stood a Togetic, with a similarly shocked expression.
The face of the flying Dragapult also showed confusion.
They were, of course, Natsuhiko, Togetic, and Dragapult.
Not far behind them, a group of Braviary and Mandibuzz looked quite battered, with many of their feathers burnt, looking like a flock of disheveled birds. Especially the leader, whose feathers, once adorned with white, were now all gray, and it looked particularly embarrassed.
The corner of its eye swept over the ground, which was full of large pits and holes, even pockmarking the cliff they lived on.
Its mouth twitched continuously.
This was Dragapult's first time using the Meteor Shower technique, and it had no control over the move at all, using it purely on instinct, not targeting any particular object or area. Otherwise, if they had managed to survive, it probably wouldn't have been many.
Watching as Natsuhiko and Dragapult departed, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Thankfully, they were sent away.
Soon, all eyes focused on that Hisui-like Braviary.
It could only chuckle awkwardly.
Who knew such a terrifyingly powerful Pokémon would suddenly appear?
And Natsuhiko, riding on Dragapult, completely abandoned the idea of invading the territory of the Braviary.
Without relying on other strengths, even with the combined efforts of the four Beedrill, successfully targeting a group with one Gym Leader Level Pokémon might be possible, but with three Gym Leader Levels, there's no need to even think about it.
Since there's no need to invade, there's no need to continue on foot.
Heading directly towards the place that summoned it by riding on Dragapult.
After the recent encounter, Natsuhiko barely had an idea of Dragapult's strength.
You could call it Elite Trainer Level, but it seems to surpass that, because its grasp of techniques... no, it hadn't truly mastered them; its use of moves was too rudimentary, with its energy unused correctly, rendering its capabilities unable to be fully unleashed.
But to claim it surpasses Elite Trainer Level, it doesn't quite reach that level either.
The concept of Pokémon strength at the Elite Trainer Level had already exceeded Natsuhiko's current scope.
His idea of Elite Trainer Level Pokémon remained at the seen Pokémons of Agatha and Uncle Liu.
But these veteran Elites, their Pokémon surely wouldn't just be merely at the Elite Trainer Level, especially their most crucial mainstay Pokémon, which are at least not the average Elite Trainer Level.
Beyond this, perhaps only the Shining Charizard taken by Marshadow stands out.
So, he wasn't clear about the concept of Elite Trainer Level at present.
Comparing Dragapult horizontally to that Shining Charizard, its energy was stronger, but its use of techniques and battle experience tended to zero.
If they were to fight...
The Shining Charizard would still be stronger, having a high probability of winning.
"Baluya..."
As Natsuhiko pondered, at Dragapult's fast flight speed, they soon approached the place that summoned it, giving it a special feeling.
What appeared in front of them.
Was a tall mountain.
More accurately, it was an extinct volcano.
And Dragapult's target was in that volcano crater, now covered with thick snow.
Eyeballing this extinct volcano, it should be the highest point in this alternate space.
Due to its height and the thick accumulation of snow, there weren't many Wild Pokémon active at the volcano crater.
Natsuhiko only saw a few large, brilliantly colored figures, moving slowly in the snow, seemingly unbothered by the extreme cold.
Aurorus!
Also an ancient Pokémon, Rock and Ice Type Pokémon, they had diamond-shaped gem-like protrusions on their bodies, with a light blue icy pattern from their neck down to their abdomen, and they could emit a faint electric current, making them appear quite beautiful.
It was said that their emitted electric currents could even affect the auroras.
Natsuhiko had captured a Tyrantrum, the natural enemy of Aurorus, which would recklessly attack upon sight of them.
Plop—
Jumping off of Dragapult, his feet immediately sank into the thick snow.
He wasn't particularly concerned about the Aurorus.
This Pokémon was very gentle in nature and wouldn't attack unless provoked or feeling threatened.
Standing on the snow, Natsuhiko immediately used his psychic abilities to wrap himself, feeling a bit better, thawing from the cold.
Looking around.
The area of the volcano crater wasn't small.
But at a glance, everything was covered in white; thick ice and snow enveloped everything, leaving no footprints, and apart from the Aurorus, there were no other signs of Pokémon activity.
Especially in this extremely cold place, is it truly a favored habitat for Dragon-type Pokémon?
So.....
The one calling Dragapult wasn't from its own kind, much less Dreepy.
Then what could it be?
"Is it here, Dragapult?" Natsuhiko asked.
"Baluya!"
Dragapult confirmed this, as after arriving here, the voice in its mind became very clear.
It also looked around, finally landing on the ground, sweeping its tail back and forth to gradually clear away the snow.
Slowly, the dark red surface of the volcano crater was finally exposed.
Natsuhiko crouched down, touching the uneven surface.
"No warmth at all, it seems this volcano is truly dead."
"Togetic!"
Meanwhile, Dragapult and Togetic, continuing to clear the snow, discovered an opening leading downward.
It was large.
The entrance was also piled with a considerable layer of snow.
"We need to clear the snow from the tunnel first," Natsuhiko said slowly.
"Baluya."
Dragapult's eyes turned, having an idea.
Stirring the Dragon Energy within.
It remembered that the fireballs when it used Meteor Shower earlier seemed pretty hot.
Noticing Dragapult's movements, Natsuhiko's expression changed sharply, quickly stopping it:
"Stop!"
Dragapult obediently ceased its actions, looking at him in confusion.
Natsuhiko, helpless, drew out a Pokeball.
"Let us handle it."
Saying this, he summoned his Pokémon to clear the snow at the entrance.
He also instructed Dragapult, saying, "Dragapult, don't use that technique so easily next time."
Using Meteor Shower at the volcano crater?
Indeed there's no one like it.
What if this volcano hadn't completely died, and a Meteor Shower detonated it?
Dragapult tilted its head, not quite understanding the reason, but nevertheless nodded.
Okay.
Soon.
With the effort of the Pokémon, a large entrance was cleared.
This entrance was at least four meters high, allowing Dragapult to pass through without any issue.
The entrance led deep into the interior of the volcano.
Standing at the entrance, Natsuhiko looked at this giant cave entrance, a thought coming to mind.
For a normal person or a regular Pokémon, even for digging, a large entrance like this isn't needed.
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