Chapter 145: The Isolated Dragon Tamer Clan
"Ah! So it was you who was crushed by Sceptile in Cherrygrove City! What a coincidence," Forrest said, finally putting the pieces together.
"Alright, since we're all acquaintances, let's go," Forrest said to Jet. "Your brother should have told you to just take them around the Dragon Tamer Clan's village."
"I know," Jet said, lifting his chin. "Just follow me. We'll have to walk through the Dragon's Den."
The Dragon's Den was a cave not far from the kindergarten. Inside, a river flowed slowly, with round stone plates just above the surface serving as a path. Soon, a dragon shrine appeared in the central part of the cave.
"The Elder is inside," Jet said, knocking on the door.
A short, white-haired old person with a cane emerged. The Elder pushed Jet aside, then looked at Ryu. "Rarely seen," the Elder said, "but unfortunately, you have too many worries."
'Yulong Power,' Ryu thought, suppressing the restless Dragon-type energy within his body. 'Those who can guard this place are indeed not ordinary people.'
"Elder, I'll take them inside to look around," Jet said.
"Go." The Elder turned and returned to the shrine. Before the door closed, Ryu saw a statue of a very fat Dragonite inside.
They continued forward and soon exited the cave on the other side. Before them was a vast, peaceful plain surrounded by mountains, with a river running through it. It was a near-perfect replica of the Dragonite Valley from a thousand years ago. Small wooden houses were scattered across the grassland, where middle-aged men were farming and women were weaving. It was as if they were separated from the outside world by several centuries.
"It's quite good," Ryu praised from the bottom of his heart. The tranquility here was a rare experience.
"By the way, why did you come to the Dragon Tamer Clan?" Jet asked.
"...Just to walk around," Ryu replied.
"Okay, I'll take you for a stroll," Jet said, then waved to his Charizard. "It's rare to come back. Go say hello to everyone."
As they walked, Ryu saw many Pokémon he was familiar with: more Charizard, Scyther, Beedrill, Gyarados, Golbat, Gliscor... a legacy of his and Liz's past partners. Soon, ten stone statues appeared at the end of his vision. The front five were humans, and the back five were their Pokémon partners. The statue in the very center was the tallest—a queen wearing a cape, and behind her, a giant Dragonite.
"This is the greatest person in our clan's history," Jet said proudly. "The founding Queen who established the Royal Dragon Kingdom, Queen Liz! And behind her is her best partner, the 'Guardian Dragon,' Lord Alan, the strongest Dragonite in our clan's history!"
"How about it, impressive, right?" Jet asked, looking back proudly. He was stunned. "...You, why are you crying?"
[Inorin Note:
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