"Big Brother~! That's where Zinnia lives! What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?!"
A proud expression covered Zinnia's little face as she pointed excitedly ahead and shouted to Liam.
Liam followed the direction of her finger… and his eyes slowly widened in shock.
Looking up, the first thing he saw was an enormous cavern within the mountain, vast and boundless like the outer chamber they had crossed earlier. The Draconid people occupied this immense space, living here since ancient times and continuing their existence all the way to the present day.
Right beyond the tunnel exit, atop a strange rocky platform, stood countless ancient-style buildings made of wood and stone, scattered like stars embedded across the land!
These buildings, rich with an ancient atmosphere, were constructed upon uneven layers of stone terraces. The entire settlement seemed perfectly fused with its surroundings. At first glance the structures appeared randomly scattered, but upon closer inspection, every house's placement had clearly been carefully planned. Viewed as a whole, the village gave off a harmonious feeling—plain on the surface, yet filled with hidden depth.
However, this underground world was enormous, and the Draconid people's settlement occupied only a tiny fraction of the available space. Behind the village stretched an immense unused expanse.
Honestly, Liam was already impressed that such a large tribe had developed in a place like this.
But what shocked him even more… was the massive structure towering behind the settlement!
It appeared to be some kind of altar, completely constructed from stacked stones of all sizes. Its height far exceeded that of the surrounding buildings, almost like a giant tower. There were no stairs leading upward along its thick body—but thinking about it, that made sense. For the Draconid People, who specialized in Dragon-type Pokémon, simply flying to the top would be effortless.
"Hm? What's wrong, Big Brother? Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like Zinnia's home?"
While Liam was lost in thought, Zinnia noticed he hadn't responded. Her little face immediately puffed up unhappily as she pouted sadly.
"Ah? Oh! It's beautiful, Zinnia. This really is an amazing place~"
Snapping back to reality, Liam quickly patted her head reassuringly.
"Really?"
Zinnia still pouted suspiciously.
"Haha, of course it's true. This is the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful underground village. I was just stunned for a moment."
Liam smiled as he spoke.
And honestly, it wasn't flattery. This underground space truly was beautiful.
Large amounts of glowing crystals had been arranged throughout the village. Countless crystals of different colors reflected off one another, giving the entire tribe a dreamlike atmosphere.
"Hehe~ I knew our tribe was the prettiest~"
Hearing Liam praise her homeland, Zinnia instantly became cheerful again. Holding up her Clefairy doll proudly, she bounced happily atop Aerodactyl's back.
Liam watched her with a smile before gently pulling her back into a seated position so she wouldn't accidentally fall off.
"Heh… it seems Zinnia gets along very well with Mr. Liam. It's easy to see that Mr. Liam is a person of upright character. No wonder…"
None of Liam and Zinnia's interactions escaped Elder Seva's notice. Watching the two getting along so naturally, the elder nodded in satisfaction.
Then—
"Ahem… hehe, Mr. Liam, we've arrived. Up ahead is the place where Zinnia and I live. Let's head down first."
"Roar~"
As soon as Elder Seva finished speaking, the black Charizard tilted downward and flew toward the tallest structure within the settlement. Liam quickly patted Aerodactyl, signaling it to follow.
"Hehe, here we are. Charizard, go rest for now."
"Roar~"
Charizard landed with Elder Seva on its back. After dismounting, the elder gently stroked Charizard's neck before letting it leave on its own.
Aerodactyl landed as well, and Liam slid down while carrying Zinnia in one arm. He then took out a PokeBall and recalled Aerodactyl.
"Hehe, Zinnia, come down now. Don't tire your big brother out. It'll be dinner time soon, so hurry and wash your hands and prepare the utensils. We need to treat your big brother to a meal, alright? Off you go."
Seeing Liam dismount, Elder Seva lovingly took Zinnia into her arms. After patting the girl's head, she sent her away.
"…Uh, Elder Seva, is there something you wanted to discuss with me?"
Watching Zinnia happily scamper off, Liam immediately realized the elder had intentionally sent her away. Slightly puzzled, he asked politely.
"Hehe, since Mr. Liam already guessed, I'll be direct."
"There are several questions I wish to ask you… and I hope you'll answer honestly."
Elder Seva bowed her head slightly with great courtesy.
"Uh… Elder, please ask. If I know the answer, I won't hide it."
Liam replied equally politely.
"Hehe, then thank you very much, Mr. Liam. First…"
"I'd like to ask whether your visit to our tribe represents yourself—or that so-called League."
"I naturally represent only myself. This has nothing to do with the League."
Liam answered immediately.
"Mm, good. Then the second question…"
"I know Mr. Liam came here searching for meteorites. It is true that most meteorites that have fallen into Meteor Falls have already been collected by our tribe. So I wish to ask—why do you want these meteorites? What are they for?"
Elder Seva calmly asked her second question.
"This…"
Liam hesitated briefly.
But after thinking for a moment, he reached into his bag and took out the now much brighter core stone.
"My reason for searching for meteorites is because of this. This gemstone is actually the core of a Pokémon. I obtained it by chance, but for some reason it suffered severe damage and entered this dormant state. It needs to absorb cosmic energy to recover—and meteorites contain the greatest amount of that energy."
This time, Liam chose not to hide anything and directly explained Deoxys's situation.
After hearing the explanation, surprise first appeared on Elder Seva's face as she curiously examined the glowing core stone. Then she looked back at Liam and smiled while nodding.
"I see. If that is the case, then I can provide some of the meteorites collected by our tribe to help restore this Pokémon. Consider it a welcoming gift for Mr. Liam."
"Really?! Elder, thank you so much!"
Liam instantly perked up and thanked her sincerely.
"Hehe, they are only a few meteorites. There's no need to be so polite, Mr. Liam… Besides, I still have one final question. It won't be too late to thank me after that."
"Hm?? What question?"
Hearing there was still one last question, Liam immediately focused again.
"This final question… is the most important one."
"I wish to ask, Mr. Liam—why did your Aerodactyl carry the aura of our Sky Dragon God?"
"…Have you encountered our Sky Dragon God?!"
Elder Seva's voice trembled with barely concealed excitement, her eyes shining intensely as she stared at Liam.