Dragonair is the evolved form of Dratini.
It is a serpentine Pokémon with a slender and elongated body, covered all over in fine sapphire like scales, while its underside is a bright white.
It has a pair of bright, gleaming black eyes. A small, short horn grows from its forehead, and on both sides of its head are small wings shaped like white clouds.
When it flies, it spreads these wings to help maintain balance and control direction.
In the distant past, Dragonair were worshiped and revered as beings that governed the weather.
The key to their control over the weather lies in the three blue crystal like orbs on their bodies.
One orb is located at the lower part of the neck, while the other two are at the end of the tail. The surfaces of these orbs emit a mysterious glow.
The ones now appearing before Silas, tangled together in a scuffle over a single Poffin, were Dragonair. They had been completely conquered by the fragrance of the treat.
"Do not fight over it. Do not fight." Silas called out to them. "I still have plenty here. There is no need to quarrel."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Dragonair scattered at once, twisting their bodies and raising their heads to look at him with pitiful little expressions in their eyes.
"So adorable."
As he handed them Poffins, Silas also gently placed his palm on their bodies and stroked them. The sensation was exceptionally pleasant.
Sometimes one truly had to marvel at the peculiarities of the Pokémon world. Judging purely by appearance, who would say that Dragonite and Dragonair belong to the same evolutionary line?
Back in the early days of the League, there had even been researchers who classified Dragonite as an entirely separate species.
It was only later, when Dratini hatched from Dragonite eggs, that their evolutionary relationship was finally confirmed.
"Is it tasty?"
Silas asked the Dragonair with a smiling expression.
They nodded vigorously, clearly indicating that this was the most delicious food they had ever eaten.
"Do you want more? As long as you lead me to a Dragonite, you can get another piece."
Dragonite were scattered all over the island. If he searched aimlessly on his own, he might not find many even in an entire day.
And the rule only stated that he could not take Dragonair away. It did not say he could not have them act as guides.
The Dragonair blinked cutely and extended their necks toward him, clearly asking for payment in advance.
The meaning was obvious. They were willing to help, but they wanted their reward first.
"You really do not want to suffer any loss." Silas shook his head with amusement and handed over a Poffin as prepayment.
A Dragonair caught the treat in its mouth, spread the cloud shaped wings on either side of its head, and lifted into the air. It flicked its tail to signal Silas to follow.
Silas and Cyclizar mounted Tropius and followed behind the Dragonair.
Before long, they saw the first Dragonite.
This Dragonite was currently engaged in battle, and its opponent was a peculiar Pokémon shaped like a seahorse.
It was none other than Kingdra.
In the League Pokédex, there was once a line that stated that whenever Kingdra encountered Dragonite, a fierce battle would inevitably break out between them.
As for the reason, the League had yet to determine it.
Although Pokémon and humans live on the same continent and in the same world, humans do not fully understand them.
The competitive relationship between Kingdra and Dragonite is one example. There are countless unsolved mysteries in the world waiting for future generations to uncover.
The Dragonair nudged Silas from behind with its head, urging him to move on to find the next Dragonite.
"No rush. Let us see who wins in the end." Silas gently patted the Dragonair and stuffed another Poffin into its mouth.
Instantly, the Dragonair settled down and obediently savored the treat.
The battle below continued without interruption. The two Dragon type Pokémon were fighting intensely.
From the current situation, however, Kingdra was clearly at a disadvantage.
Its excellent long range artillery capabilities could not be fully utilized against a Dragonite that had mastered Extreme Speed. At this rate, defeat was only a matter of time.
Yet at moments like these, unexpected events often occurred.
A cold wind suddenly swept across the sea, and dense white mist began spreading from the horizon.
It did not merely cover the battlefield of the two dragons. It enveloped the entire Dragonite Island.
In an instant, Silas's vision turned completely white. All he could hear was the roaring of the waves.
The Dragonair was startled by the sudden fog. Its small wings fluttered anxiously as it edged closer to Silas.
Cyclizar, however, immediately shifted into its battle form. Its body tensed, and it stared vigilantly into the depths of the mist.
From within the fog came a pained roar from Dragonite. Having lost sight of its target, it was now being counterattacked by Kingdra, which had hidden itself within the mist.
Dragonite circled within the fog, dodging attacks. It used Extreme Speed several times in pursuit but failed to catch Kingdra.
In contrast, Kingdra's attacks were growing stronger with each strike.
It had clearly used Dragon Dance within the fog to enhance itself, gradually leveling the playing field and even surpassing Dragonite.
Dragonite was in danger.
After being struck repeatedly, Dragonite grew agitated. Its small wings whipped up fierce gusts of wind in an attempt to disperse the unnatural fog.
Unfortunately, not only did it fail to clear the mist, it was struck again by Kingdra.
"It seems Dragonite is about to lose. Could this fog have been summoned by Kingdra?"
Silas murmured to himself. The timing of the fog was far too suspicious.
At that very moment, Cyclizar let out a low, threatening growl.
Dragon type energy began gathering around its body. Every muscle tensed. It was obvious that something within the mist had drawn its caution.
Hearing this, Silas turned his head toward the depths of the fog.
What he saw made his heart skip a beat.
Within the white mist, a massive dark silhouette was approaching.
At first it was only a vague outline. Gradually, its form became clearer.
The shape of the colossal creature within the fog was nearly identical to that of a Dragonite. Its two eyes shone like towering lighthouses.
Compared to an ordinary Dragonite, its size was more than ten times greater.
Dragonite and lighthouse.
These keywords awakened a distant memory in Silas's mind. In the Pokémon world, a creature of such enormous size that appeared alongside dense fog could only be one being.
The gigantic Dragonite that had once appeared near Bill's Lighthouse in Kanto, often referred to as the Lighthouse Dragonite.
If he remembered correctly, it had been searching for companions all along.
Sure enough, the Lighthouse Dragonite stopped and released a call that resembled a song.
It received no response. The antennae atop its head swayed gently as the residual Dragon type energy in the air completely dissipated.
In that moment, it lost its target.
The sound it made changed dramatically. The earlier excitement and joy faded, replaced by a deep and sorrowful lament, like a lone vessel adrift in the deep sea without direction.
The lighthouse bright eyes dimmed. The Lighthouse Dragonite turned away and departed, continuing its search across the vast world for kin that might exist somewhere.
It was like a fleeting traveler, arriving swiftly and leaving just as quickly.
The impact of its brief appearance, however, was immense. Kingdra froze on the surface of the sea, too frightened to move. Dragonite lay flattened against the beach, letting out a timid whimper.
Silas looked at the Dragonair beside him, then at the terrified Dragonite on the ground, and finally at the departing Lighthouse Dragonite in the distance.
A goal had formed in his heart.
Compared to an ordinary Dragonite, would it not be better to bring the Lighthouse Dragonite home?
That enormous being had lived for who knew how long. Its strength must be extraordinary. If combined with Mega Evolution, could it perhaps become something akin to a unique Legendary Pokémon? It was certainly worth attempting.
Silas's heart pounded with excitement. Surely no one could resist an oversized Dragonite like that.
(End of Chapter)