The situation instantly became tense.
On the mountain peaks, one powerful presence after another locked onto Dragonite.
Dragonite lowered its head, dragon eyes glinting with caution.
Every single presence here was no weaker than it.
The figures appearing on those peaks…
Almost all of them were at the Elite Four class.
There was no doubt about it.
They were the apex, overlord-class Pokémon of this "Dragon Valley"!
In front of Dragonite, two Drampa had already taken up combat stances.
It felt like war could break out at any moment.
"Still think you can leave, Chief Captain?"
The encirclement in front began to tighten.
More and more Pokémon surged over.
Although most of them were only entry-level Pokémon…
With such numbers, it was still a massive headache.
What's more…
The First Squad members had fought to this point, and each of them only had one Pokémon left barely holding on.
If this stalemate broke…
And they started fighting again…
It wouldn't take long before they were torn apart by these Pokémon.
"Hurry up and get us out of here! What are you standing around for?!"
"Isn't the Military supposed to protect civilians? Let us leave first! You cover the rear!"
When they saw Aisa appear, the two civilians' terror finally eased a little.
They looked at Aisa, faces flushed with agitation as they shouted.
"Shut up!"
Teruo barked, frowning as he strode over and grabbed one man by the collar.
"Spit it out—what did you two do?!"
"We didn't do anything!"
"We just came here to see if there were any ores and herbs!"
"We don't know why these Pokémon started attacking us!"
The two men clenched their teeth, refusing to reveal anything else, insisting on the same story from start to finish.
Teruo stared at them coldly, fury blazing in his eyes like sparks about to fly.
The two men felt guilty, turning their heads away, not daring to meet his gaze.
But even so…
They still wouldn't disclose the truth.
Outside the valley…
Himeko finally drove the car to the destination.
Before she even reached the mouth of the valley, she heard a clear, resounding dragon roar.
The sound was familiar.
She recognized it at once—it was Aisa's Dragonite.
So that meant…
The Dragonite silhouette she'd seen earlier really was Aisa's.
Himeko frowned.
For Aisa to rush here personally in such a hurry…
Something new must have happened inside the valley—something that forced her to make the trip.
Sure enough…
What happened next proved her guess was right.
One distinct dragon cry after another rang out.
They came from different Dragon-type Pokémon throughout the entire valley region.
From deep inside the valley, wave after wave of presence spread outward—each one frighteningly powerful.
None of them were weaker than Aisa's Dragonite.
What is going on?
Himeko was genuinely startled.
So many powerful auras…
What had happened to provoke this many terrifying Dragon-type Pokémon?
Inside the Poké Ball…
Shiko also sensed those overwhelming presences.
And the closer they got to the valley…
The more clearly he could feel the dense, drifting Dragon-type energy in the air—the pulses and ripples of it.
That intense sense of affinity…
Made him feel exceptionally comfortable, almost relaxed.
Shiko was puzzled.
Was it because such a huge number of Dragon-type Pokémon gathered here that this powerful energy fluctuation formed?
Or was it because this place already had such massive Dragon-type energy…
That Dragon-type Pokémon had chosen it as their habitat?
While he was thinking…
Himeko had already entered the valley.
Seeing a blurry human figure walking in from afar, the First Squad members lit up with joy.
They thought the situation here had been reported…
And that reinforcements had arrived.
But…
When they saw clearly that the person coming in was Himeko…
Their expressions froze.
"Why are you here?"
Teruo looked at Himeko with a complicated expression, both surprised and uneasy.
She was a rookie Trainer who had only just graduated.
What was she doing coming to such a dangerous place?
This wasn't some drill!
This was real, deadly combat!
"I'm here to support."
Himeko answered as she lifted her head, looking up into the air.
Dragonite and the two Drampa were still locked in a standoff.
Farther away, on peak after peak, enormous silhouettes could be vaguely seen.
"Support? This isn't a place a rookie Trainer like you can come to!"
Tsuki frowned, her expression stern.
A freshly graduated Trainer—what help could she possibly be?
Couldn't she see how tense things were?
So many Elite Four–class Dragon-type Pokémon were watching from the shadows.
If they moved…
Everyone here would be finished.
"Hey, miss—when we break out later, stay behind me. I'll keep you safe!"
Kantaro flashed a mouthful of white teeth.
It was honestly impressive he could still smile in a situation like this.
Himeko ignored what everyone was saying.
She kept her gaze raised, focused entirely on the Dragonite and Drampa above, poised on the brink of battle.
"Roar!!"
One Drampa finally lost patience.
With a furious bellow, it launched an attack without warning.
The two Drampa struck together from left and right, pincering Dragonite.
Powerful Dragon-type energy boiled and surged.
Dragonite fought two against one…
Yet it didn't fall into a disadvantage at all.
Under normal circumstances…
Even at the same level…
A Trainer-raised Pokémon really was stronger than a wild Pokémon.
On the distant peaks…
Those silhouettes seemed to be drawn by the violent fluctuations spilling out from the clash in the sky.
One after another, they stirred restlessly—whether they were just coming to watch the commotion, or intending to join the fight, no one could tell.
But…
Down in the valley, everything had already descended into chaos.
The instant the two Drampa made their move…
The Pokémon below…
Acted as if they'd received a signal.
Without hesitation, they attacked Teruo and the others again.
Himeko threw two Poké Balls.
Lopunny and Kirlia appeared to meet the assault.
The pink, Shiny Lopunny…
And the noble, elegant Kirlia…
The moment they appeared, they drew the First Squad's attention.
And when Lopunny and Kirlia moved and joined the fight—
Their overwhelming strength shocked the four of them yet again.
These Lopunny and Kirlia were absurdly strong.
They looked like they were only around the professional level…
But against the massive swarm of entry-level Pokémon…
Their displayed combat power and destructive force…
Were not inferior in the slightest to the Gym-level Pokémon the squad members had left.
"They really are two specialist 'trash-mob' cleaners."
After a brief, stunned remark…
At this moment, the four of them had already acknowledged Himeko's strength.
Their gazes returned to their own Pokémon's battles.
Boom!!!
In the sky—
Dragonite and the two Drampa traded Dragon Pulse head-on.
Two pillars of Dragon-type energy detonated in midair.
Torrents of Dragon-type power spilled through the air.
The thunderous explosion made ears ring.
From that clash—
Dragonite and the Drampa both staggered back a distance.
Neither side had it easy.
Dragonite had taken significant damage, panting hard.
And on the Drampa…
There were vicious wounds, jagged and bleeding.
"ROAR!"
A furious howl burst from the Drampa.
In their eyes…
Flames of rage flared up in an instant.
In that moment…
The two Drampa's auras visibly surged, rising sharply.
Aisa, directing Dragonite in battle, saw this and her breathing hitched.
The fight had come too suddenly—so suddenly she'd forgotten the Drampa's Ability.
Berserk!!
When its HP dropped to half due to an opponent's attack, its Special Attack surged!
This was bad!
Aisa's nerves tightened instantly.
Both dragons on the other side…
Had entered that state.
Now it was going to be brutal.
Two-on-one was already hard enough!
Now she was facing two Drampa in Berserk…
Aisa didn't even know if she could win.
However—
Something even worse followed.
On the distant peaks, those Dragon-type Pokémon silhouettes…
Could no longer hold back their agitation.
One after another, they rushed this way.
Overwhelming dragon pressure spread from afar, flooding toward them.
Aisa's face filled with anxiety.
Her other Pokémon…
Had all been heavily injured in a previous major operation, fighting to the brink of death.
To avoid lasting damage…
They were still recovering at the Pokémon Center at Military headquarters.
Right now, the only battle power she could use…
Was Dragonite alone.
Just dealing with these two Drampa was already exhausting.
If other valley overlords—Elite Four–class Dragon-type Pokémon—joined in…
Then there would be only one road left.
Death.
Down in the valley, the battle below was also reaching a fever pitch.
Against the endless flood of wild Pokémon…
Whether human or Pokémon…
Everyone had reached their limit.
"Come back, Kirlia. Come back, Lopunny!"
Himeko recalled the two Pokémon, both breathing heavily from exhaustion.
On the First Squad's side…
Their Pokémon, too, had lost the ability to fight under the swarm.
Staring at the wild Pokémon spreading toward them like a tide…
A thread of despair rose in everyone's hearts.
They lifted their heads again—
And suddenly saw those powerful valley overlords, Elite Four–class Dragon-type Pokémon, closing in from the sky at high speed.
The despair in their hearts surged even harder.
This is over.
Today, we're really going to die here.
"I'll do it."
Himeko's face had just fallen—
When Shiko's voice suddenly came through.
"If I can avoid running, I'll try."
"..."
"Let's go together!"
The four squad members all spoke at once, trying to persuade Himeko not to do something reckless.
But before their words even finished…
Himeko had already thrown her last Poké Ball.
The four of them pinched their temples, then turned their heads toward the air and sighed.
They watched as red light poured out of the ball and slowly began to gather.
As that red glow condensed into shape…
A shocked, stunned expression gradually spread across all four faces.
What… is that?!
How could it be so huge?!
Is it Tyranitar?!
Or Tyrantrum?!
The red light finished forming—
No, it's not right.
Neither of those Pokémon had a build like this.
At last…
Shiko's figure appeared inside the valley.
The instant his "small-looking" body showed itself—
It drew every gaze in the entire area.
The First Squad members.
The wild Pokémon below.
Even the restless Drampa in the sky.
In that moment…
All of them stopped what they were doing at the same time.
Staring blankly at Shiko.
That innate, overwhelmingly fierce dragon pressure on his body—
Made Dragonite tremble all over.
Dragonite descended from the sky and landed in front of Shiko.
The dragon pressure on Dragonite's body—powerful in its own right—
Seemed to be contending for dominance with Shiko's even more terrifying dragon might.
Only then did Shiko slowly lift his head.
His gaze was sharp as a blade.
He stared straight at the silhouettes flying over from the peaks.
It was just a stare.
Just a lock-on and a release of presence.
And those powerful Dragon-type Pokémon—whose outlines could only barely be seen—
All panicked at once, shrinking their heads back.
They retreated behind the cliff faces…
Forced back by Shiko alone.
Looking at Shiko, they felt an invisible weight.
A pressure from the deepest part of the soul.
They couldn't bear it.
So they could only choose to keep their distance.
"What… what kind of Pokémon is that?!"
"My god… I'm not dreaming, am I?! Pinch me!"
"Hiss—That hurts! You really pinched me!"
"Just looking at it… it feels so strong…"
The First Squad members cried out in shock.
Staring at Shiko's burly back, they couldn't stop marveling.
"ROAR!!"
From deep in his throat, Shiko released a low, threatening roar.
The sound, carrying his terrifying dragon might, echoed and spread through the valley.
Pressure instantly flooded the air.
That heart-stopping sensation that made even Pokémon tremble—
In the blink of an eye, it made the wild Pokémon beneath Shiko's feet…
Flee madly a huge distance away.
They cleared out a broad, empty zone.
The First Squad members…
Hadn't even noticed that the immediate crisis in front of them was already temporarily resolved.
They simply kept staring at Shiko in a daze—
Feeling that unparalleled, overwhelming dragon pressure radiating from him.
Dragonite landed as well.
Standing beside Shiko.
With Dragonite only half Shiko's height…
It now looked like Shiko's little underling.
The two Drampa that had been fighting also descended.
This was the first time they had ever seen a Pokémon like Shiko.
They could tell that his level was far below theirs…
But—
That terrifying dragon pressure was far stronger than theirs!
Which meant…
In terms of race, they were far behind him—the gap was enormous.
A dangerous existence.
The two Drampa instantly recognized the situation.
The flames of anger in their eyes died down.
They dropped from the air…
And lay low on the ground not far in front of Shiko.
Meanwhile, Shiko's icy dragon eyes swept the surroundings.
He fixed his gaze on those silhouettes flying over from the mountains.
With just a single look—
A single lock-on and release of presence—
Those powerful Dragon-type Pokémon that were rushing over…
All stopped in midair at once.
As if they'd slammed on the brakes, hanging there rigidly.
Unable to advance another inch.
(End of Chapter)
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