章 160: The Guardian of the Dragonite Island
There was just one problem.
Though the giant Dragonite and Naoki's Dragonite were both Dragonites, it was unlikely they were actual companions. After all, they had never interacted before, living separate lives like parallel lines that would never intersect.
The giant Dragonite had come to the Paldea region on impulse. If it discovered that Naoki's Dragonite wasn't its intended companion, it would probably be disappointed.
Still, Naoki knew he had to go find out.
With that decision made, it was time to act. Naoki informed all the Pokémon on the ranch that he would be taking Dragonite out.
"...We might be back a bit later, Koraidon, so please take good care of the Cyclizar and everyone else on the ranch while we're gone."
Naoki chose not to bring Koraidon along because he didn't want to draw too much attention. With so many reporters, the chief champion, a gym leader, the police, and the possibility of being on TV, he preferred to keep things low-key.
Koraidon looked dejected at the news of being left behind, the bright feathers on its head drooping in disappointment.
Naoki raised a finger and said, "You're allowed to sleep in my bed tonight."
Koraidon's eyes lit up with excitement, and it let out a joyful cry, "Raao!"
Naoki chuckled, patting Koraidon's head. "But before that, you've got to take care of the ranch."
Koraidon puffed out its chest with pride and assured him, "Raao!" 'No problem!'
"Then I'm counting on you," Naoki replied.
He returned to the house, packed his backpack with some emergency recovery food, and prepared for the journey ahead. As he packed, he began to consider what might happen when the two Dragonites met.
The first possibility was that the giant Dragonite wouldn't recognize Naoki's Dragonite as its companion and would leave in disappointment.
The second possibility was that, while it might realize that Naoki's Dragonite wasn't the one it was searching for, it might still want to befriend it.
The third possibility was that the giant Dragonite could realize it had been misled and become angry.
However, Naoki dismissed the third scenario. The way the giant Dragonite had waited patiently by the sea, and its ability to communicate peacefully with humans, suggested it had a gentle nature, not prone to violence.
The first possibility didn't concern him too much, but if the second happened—where the giant Dragonite befriended Naoki's Dragonite—he had a plan. He would take the giant Dragonite to Dragonite Island.
Although the giant Dragonite was rare, Naoki didn't dream of capturing it. His ranch simply wasn't big enough, and there wasn't space to accommodate such a massive Pokémon. The best solution would be to send it to Dragonite Island, surrounded by the sea, where it could live freely. Perhaps it would even become the island's guardian.
With thoughts of a potential trip to Dragonite Island, Naoki packed plenty of food and fruits into his backpack—gifts he had promised the Dragonite, Dragonair, and Dratini the last time he visited.
Seeing that everything was ready, Naoki closed the refrigerator door and headed outside.
Dragonite was already waiting patiently. Naoki climbed onto its back and, after determining the direction of the west coast of Paldea, he instructed Dragonite to take off.
As they ascended, the world below became smaller, and a blue light flickered in Dragonite's eyes. Activating its high-speed movement, Dragonite shot forward like a jet plane, racing across the sky.
————
West coast of Paldea.
Geeta stood on a cliff, gazing at the massive Dragonite hovering above the distant sea.
Tulip stood beside her, sharing the same view.
"Such a gigantic Pokémon, it's hard to believe something like that exists in this world," Tulip remarked.
Geeta nodded but quickly added, "The Galar region has giant Pokémon too."
Tulip quickly reminded her, "Yes, but those Pokémon rely on external forces like Dynamax energy. Once they leave Galar, they return to their normal size."
Geeta shook her head slightly, the chief champion distinguishing between the two. "This Dragonite is different. Its strength isn't borrowed. The power it displays is its own."
The giant Dragonite's raw strength was beyond the champion level, making Geeta wonder if even she could hold her own against it.
At that moment, Miss Jenny's voice called out from behind:
"Chief! The Person that the giant Dragonite has been searching for has arrived!"
Geeta felt a sense of relief and curiosity. She turned to see a young man with black hair, dressed casually, walking toward her with Miss Jenny.
Beside him stood a robust Dragonite, its sharp eyes and sturdy build a testament to the exceptional care and training it had received.
'This person must be an excellent Pokémon breeder,' Geeta thought, impressed by Naoki's Dragonite.
While Geeta studied Naoki, he was doing the same, observing the chief champion.
'She looks younger than I expected, maybe even younger than when I first saw her in the game,' he mused.
'Geeta had become both the chief champion and president of the Pokémon League at such a young age. Truly impressive.'
Geeta stepped forward and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Geeta, president of the Paldea League."
Naoki nodded politely, replying, "Nice to meet you. I'm Naoki, a rancher."
'Rancher?' Geeta was slightly taken aback. She had considered many possibilities for Naoki's occupation but hadn't expected this simple and straightforward answer.
It seemed so modest, yet the powerful Dragonite at his side suggested that Naoki was anything but ordinary.
Though she had her thoughts, she kept them to herself and shifted the conversation to business.
"You're familiar with the giant Dragonite, right? Can you help it leave the Paldea region?"
Naoki hesitated but nodded. "I can give it a try."
That was all Geeta needed to hear. She gave a slight nod and signaled for Tulip to release Gardevoir. Turning back to Naoki, she added, "This Gardevoir can communicate telepathically. It can help you connect with the giant Dragonite."
She paused for a moment before asking, "Do you need anything else from us?"
Naoki shook his head. "No, this should be enough."
As Naoki eyed Gardevoir, he could tell that its ability was indeed telepathy—a rare skill that allows a Pokémon to sense human thoughts and convey its own without speaking.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Geeta said, watching Naoki confidently mount Dragonite and head toward the sea. She couldn't help but admire his bravery.
Even she had felt intimidated when she first encountered the colossal Dragonite.
But Naoki's heart wasn't nearly as steady as he appeared. Staring at the enormous Dragonite, he whispered, "It's too big." It looked like something straight out of a Godzilla Movie!
Dragonite, too, was stunned. "Ouch!"
It never imagined that a Dragonite could be so massive.
Sensing the tension, Naoki looked down and asked softly, "Are you scared?"
Dragonite glanced back at him, still in shock. "Ouch."
Gardevoir calmly followed behind them, maintaining its telepathic link.
As they approached the giant Dragonite, the massive creature finally noticed them. At first, it seemed surprised, but soon its expression turned puzzled.
It gazed at Naoki's Dragonite, seemingly confused. 'Why had its kin become so small?'
The giant Dragonite couldn't wrap its head around this. It had slept beneath the sea for what felt like an eternity, only to awaken in a world that had drastically changed.
All its companions and kin were gone.
The giant Dragonite had searched for so long but had always come up empty-handed.
"Roar?" it let out a puzzled sound, its massive eyes blinking in confusion.
Gardevoir, standing beside Naoki and Dragonite, calmly translated the query: "It asked, 'Why did you become so small?'"
Dragonite, feeling confused and unsure, could only respond with a soft, "Ouch." It didn't recognize this enormous Dragonite at all.
The giant Dragonite, noticing the lack of response, blinked its huge eyes even more rapidly, perplexed by the situation.
Sensing the moment, Naoki cleared his throat and decided to address the matter: "Hey, did Mew and Baby Bear ask you to come here?"
The giant Dragonite's pupils shifted slightly as it focused on Naoki, seeming to recognize the names. Memories of those small figures, Mew and Teddiursa, flashed in its mind. It nodded slowly and let out a deep, resonating "Roar."
Gardevoir translated, "Yes."
Naoki carefully observed the massive Dragonite. It seemed to have mistaken his Dragonite for a long-lost companion but was clearly wondering why it had shrunk in size.
"Could it be that the ancient Dragonites were all this large?" Naoki pondered. The thought made him wonder about the evolution and history of the Dragonite species. His mind raced, and he was faced with two choices:
One option was to reveal the truth to the giant Dragonite and say, "Sir, times have changed! This is no longer the world you remember. The Dragonites here are much smaller now."
The second option was to deceive the giant Dragonite gently, trying to make it accept modern Dragonite as its companion.
After a moment of thought, Naoki cautiously asked, "Have you noticed any difference between this Dragonite and yourself?"
The giant Dragonite leaned in, observing Naoki's Dragonite closely. After a few seconds, it let out another "Roar."
Gardevoir translated, "It's exactly the same. It's a Dragonite."
Naoki sighed internally. It seemed the giant Dragonite was convinced enough. Rather than leaving this ancient creature to wander the seas aimlessly, it was better to offer it a place of belonging.
He finally spoke up, "There are other Dragonites in this world. I can take you to them, and you can live with them. How does that sound?"
The giant Dragonite's eyes brightened at this proposal.
"Roar?" it asked eagerly.
Gardevoir translated, "Are there really other Dragonites?"
Naoki nodded, smiling at the giant Dragonite. "Yes, there are many others."
The giant Dragonite, overjoyed like a child, let out an excited "Roar!" Its eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and this time, Naoki didn't need Gardevoir to translate. He understood perfectly.
"Alright then, come with me," Naoki said. "I'll take you to meet them!"
The giant Dragonite, eager to follow, started to prepare for the journey. Naoki turned to Gardevoir and thanked it for the assistance. Gardevoir gave a soft nod and returned to Tulip on the shore.
"Let's head to Dragonite Island and introduce it to the others," Naoki said to his Dragonite.
"Oooo!" Dragonite responded enthusiastically, leading the way. The giant Dragonite turned, following closely behind them, slowly leaving the Padia region.
From the shore, Geeta and the others watched the scene unfold, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. The immediate crisis was over, and they could relax for now.
———
As they flew further from the Paldea region, the land behind them gradually faded into the distance and disappeared from view. Naoki rode his Dragonite high in the sky, while the massive Dragonite swam below, its shadow forming a huge silhouette under the surface of the water.
Naoki thought that if anyone saw a scene like this scene in his previous world, they would probably start spreading rumors about seeing a sea monster by morning.
"Could it be that ancient Dragonites lived in the sea?" Naoki wondered aloud, picturing a grand image of a group of enormous Dragonites, resembling giant sea creatures, building an underwater palace.
The idea fascinated him. He looked at the tiny wings of the giant Dragonite and couldn't help but think how difficult it must be for such a large creature to fly.
Even bolder thoughts popped into his mind. 'Maybe ancient Dragonites weren't Flying and Dragon-type at all. What if they were Water and Dragon-type instead?'
"Now Groudon has company," Naoki thought, watching the two Dragonites move swiftly. Whether they were swimming or flying, both were incredibly agile, showcasing the versatility of the species.
After what felt like a long time, a familiar island appeared on the horizon. As they approached, the Dragonites on the island sensed something unusual. They flew into the air, scanning the skies.
Seeing Naoki riding his usual Dragonite, they relaxed. But their relief was short-lived as a massive figure burst from the ocean with a spray of water, drenching everything like a sudden downpour.
The Dragonites on the island froze in awe and fear. Their wide-eyed expressions showed their disbelief.
'What a huge Dragonite!'
For the giant Dragonite, seeing so many of its kind in one place filled it with immense joy. It stood proudly at the island's edge, watching over the entire landscape, content with the presence of its newfound kin.
Naoki and Dragonite landed next to the central lake, where the grass remained lush and vibrant. Tiny yellow wildflowers dotted the area, their blooms signaling the arrival of summer.
From the lake, a few young Dratini and Dragonair peeked out shyly, trembling as they gazed up at the massive Dragonite towering above them.
Naoki noticed their nervousness and spoke to his Dragonite. "Go tell everyone that the giant Dragonite won't harm them. It just wants to live here with them."
On their journey, Naoki shared the story of the giant Dragonite's loneliness and its search for companions. Understanding this, Dragonite nodded and soared into the sky, gathering the other adult Dragonites. It explained the situation as Naoki had instructed, assuring them the giant Dragonite was harmless.
Meanwhile, Naoki walked to the lake, trying to calm the frightened young Pokémon. "It's okay, don't be scared. It's friendly!"
As he spoke, he opened his backpack and turned it upside down, letting a mountain of snacks—bread, Poke Puffs, pudding, and berries—spill onto the ground.
The Dratini and Dragonair couldn't resist the tempting pile and cautiously approached. Seeing this, Naoki grinned and picked up a familiar Dragonair.
"Do you remember me?" he asked with a smile.
The Dragonair twisted happily, letting out a cheerful "Woo~."
Naoki chuckled, scratching its chin. "Last time, I promised to bring food, didn't I? Well, here it is. Enjoy it with everyone!"
He fed sweet Poke Puffs to the delighted Dragonair, who devoured it quickly and nuzzled Naoki's face affectionately. The other Dratini and Dragonair joined in, surrounding Naoki in a joyful crowd.
Naoki felt like the happiest person in the world, surrounded by the excited little dragons. He continued feeding them, his heart full of warmth.
Soon, the adult Dragonites also landed nearby. After hearing about the giant Dragonite's journey, they wore sympathetic expressions.
'Alone on the vast sea, searching for companions, calling out at night. How sad.'
One of the more outgoing Dragonites took to the air and yelled up at the giant Dragonite, "Roar" 'Stay here! You're one of us now. We're your companions!'
The giant Dragonite was deeply moved, its eyes welling up with tears of joy. Half of its enormous body floated out of the sea, and it extended its arms in a hugging gesture, embracing the island as though it were the most precious treasure it had ever found.
...
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