Chapter 80: Cultivating in Dragonite Valley
"Oh wu?"
Just as Ryū was sneakily peeking, a soft cry sounded beside his ear, and a burst of hot air blew onto his wing.
"Oh my~"
Ryū shivered, his body almost going limp. A Dragonair's wings are incredibly sensitive. When he came to his senses, all his scales stood on end as he stared at the creature beside him.
It was a Dragonite. A Shiny Dragonite. And it was... ugly. So ugly that it transcended personal taste. Shiny Dratini and Dragonair were a beautiful pink, but the Shiny Dragonite that they evolved into was an unsightly green, like a moving booger.
"Oh wu?" Seeing Ryū staring, the Shiny Dragonite scratched his head shyly. He knew he was handsome—the colony's heartthrob, after all—but being stared at so intensely was a little embarrassing.
"Hello," Ryū managed, nodding at him.
"Oh wu? (Are you from around here?)"
"No, I came from outside. I grew up by myself."
"Oh wu?!" The Shiny Dragonite was shocked to hear this and immediately extended his arms to give Ryū a big hug. As an experienced Dragon, he couldn't imagine how miserable Ryū's life must have been. He had to bring this poor fellow back to the colony and show him warmth and love.
"Hmm~ Soft and warm," Ryū thought, surprised by the feeling. A Dragonite's creamy white belly was quite soft, and its body temperature was much warmer than a Dragonair's. He felt himself getting sleepy in the gentle embrace.
Before he knew it, he was carried back to the plain. The other Dragonite, Dragonair, and Dratini all gathered around, their eyes wide with curiosity. They were all shocked by Ryū's size. At 10 meters, he was far larger than a normal Dragonair.
"Oh wu?"
The leader of the colony, a massive Dragonite standing 8 meters tall, stepped forward. His size was a result of not just his title as [Head], but also his outstanding strength.
"Oh wu, oh wu," the Shiny Dragonite explained Ryū's situation. The other colony members immediately felt great pity for him. They brought him treasures to share and invited him to stay with them permanently. One beautiful female Dragonair even leaned close and wrapped the tip of her tail around his. Ryū, guessing her intent, quickly but gently swept her tail away.
"I will accept this, but as for staying, I must decline," Ryū said, snatching the [Dragon Fang] a female Dragonite offered him. The item, which boosted Dragon-type moves by 20%, was too good to refuse.
"Oh wu? (Why?)" the leader asked, confused. Mt. Silver was dangerous. Where else could a young Dragonair go?
"...I was with a human," Ryū hesitated, then briefly explained his situation with Liz. "We can be partners with humans. At least, Liz is trustworthy. I will return to her side. If you ever encounter difficulties and cannot survive on Mt. Silver, go find her. Her people have red and blue hair." He pointed in the direction of the Royal Dragon Kingdom.
"Oh wu, oh wu?" The Dragonite leader nodded, indicating he had remembered. He then placed a hand on Ryū. "Oh wu. (If you're not in a hurry to leave, you can stay for a few days and learn from us.)"
"Is that okay?" Ryū asked, surprised and grateful. He knew he could learn a great deal from a Pokémon of this leader's caliber.
"Oh wu!" The leader patted his chest, assuring him it was no problem.
"Can I come back in a couple of days? I want to go and inform my partners first."
"Oh wu!" The leader nodded and beckoned to two other Dragonite—one of them being the Shiny—to escort Ryū back and pick him up again.
"Thank you very much," Ryū said. The two escorts were 4.5 meters tall, and while they looked young, they were likely hundreds of years old. A Dragonair doesn't evolve until around Lv. 55, so any Dragonite was guaranteed to be immensely powerful. His trip would be safe and profitable.
On the way back to the cave, Ryū saw that many powerful Pokémon actively avoided his two escorts. When he led the two giant Dragonite back to the cave, he scared the wits out of Scyther and the others.
"Scyther?!" The old warrior was extremely shocked to hear that Ryū's kind were one of the strongest overlords on the mountain, but he wished his friend well.
"Zubat, Zubat~" The little Zubat immediately clung to Ryū, making it clear he wanted to go to the "Dragonite Valley" with him. Ryū agreed; it would be the safest place for the baby to grow up.
"I will be back in a while," Ryū told Scyther. "I hope your strength will improve by then. Only with similar strength can you team up with me."
"Scyther." The old warrior patted his chest with confidence. He knew the path to strength was constant fighting, and he was motivated to work hard. He didn't want to be left behind.
Goodbyes between Pokémon are simple. They came back, picked up Zubat, and turned to leave. It wasn't a final farewell. When Pokémon say "goodbye," they have unwavering faith that they will meet again.
On the way back to the valley, Ryū and Zubat were carried by the two Dragonite, flying through the air. The speed was impressive. The Pokédex claims a Dragonite can circle the globe in 16 hours, which seems impossible given its base Speed stat of 80.
Ryū knew this incredible speed was due to one move: Extreme Speed. Among non-legendary Pokémon, only a select few like Arcanine, Lucario, Togekiss, and of course, Dragonite, could master it.