Chapter 34: Conquer Them
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to you," Will said, comforting Liz as he saw her worried expression.
His words were not without basis. A thousand years from now, the Dragonite Clan would still be living peacefully in the Johto region. What major disaster could possibly befall them? No matter how long the Dragonite Kingdom survived in this Era of Primal Beasts, even in the worst-case scenario, the seeds of their lineage would continue.
As for Liz herself, once he evolved into a Dragonite, or even just a Dragonair, he would have the power to fly her away from any battlefield. She would definitely be safe.
"I'm not worried about my own safety. It's just that... sigh..." Liz's face was full of bitterness, but she ultimately didn't share the depths of her sorrow with Will. In her eyes, Lan was just a baby, a little over a month old, and a beast at that. How could he possibly understand her feelings?
But as a transmigrator, how could Will not know what she was thinking? He had never been the ruler of a nation and couldn't truly empathize with Liz's current position, but he had seen plenty of similar cases.
The outcome of war was always one of two things. Either one side was conquered, or the politicians from both sides eventually shook hands, the merchants returned home rich, and the mothers wept at gravesites. With the Dragonite Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Land being of roughly equal strength, the outcome was plain to see. They would likely fight for a few years, or a dozen, and in the end, the two monarchs would sign a truce, rebuild their strength, and a few decades later, a new war would break out.
Right now, Liz didn't want to go to war, but she was helpless. If the King of the Land was determined to invade, the Dragonite Kingdom could not just sit and wait for death.
"The Kingdom of the Land practices slavery. The common people have no human rights to speak of. I cannot allow the citizens of the Dragonite Kingdom to fall into such a state."
"So what do you want to do?" Will shifted his gaze to stare at Liz. This question was very important. Liz's answer would determine his own plans for the foreseeable future.
"It seems their intention to start a war is very firm. What do you think, Lan?" Liz tilted her head slightly, meeting Will's eyes.
"Since they're so eager to die, then we'll just conquer them," Will said, a subtle, fierce light glinting in his large black eyes, making him look almost demonic.
He had never been a king, had no desire to be one, and didn't particularly care if the people of the Dragonite Kingdom lived well or not. So, he wouldn't consider things from as many angles as Liz. His logic was simple: when someone comes to pick a fight... if you don't have the strength, fine. But if you do, he had no intention of just swallowing the insult.
"It seems that's the only way," Liz's crimson eyes grew firm.
If she had to make the decision on her own, she might have hesitated for a few more days. But since even Lan thought the same way she did, there was nothing left to hesitate about.
"To achieve a longer-lasting peace, we must conquer the Kingdom of the Land." Liz nodded, then reached out and patted Will's head. "You should go to sleep. I have a lot to think about tonight."
"No need. I'll stay with you," Will said, slithering down from Liz's body. He rested most of his body on the floor, leaving only his head resting on her lap. Times had changed. He now weighed 7kg. While not excessively heavy, it would still be a strain for Liz if he was wrapped around her all the time.
I need to speed up my leveling. Also, I need to increase the security around Liz, Will thought to himself.
He didn't want to think too much about matters concerning the entire kingdom; that was Liz's job. He only needed to consider how to protect her.
As for his suggestion to conquer the Kingdom of the Land, it wasn't just empty talk. It was difficult for a single Pokémon to stand against an army of a million, unless it was a Legendary Pokémon with the power to manipulate the laws of reality. But in this early stage of the Kingdom Period, the battles between the two nations would involve at most a hundred thousand people, and the number of beasts would be even smaller. Will didn't need to reach the level of a Legendary Pokémon.
If I have the strength of a Champion... no, even just an Elite Four-level Pokémon, that would be enough to ensure the Dragonite Kingdom's victory. Will opened his status screen and considered it. Elite Four-level strength meant his level needed to be 70 or higher.
I wonder if I can reach that within five years... Will was not very optimistic. In the anime, it seemed like a character could go from Lv. 5 to Lv. 80 in a few months and challenge the Champion, but that was for the sake of the plot. The anime was also full of characters who had spent fifty, sixty, or even eighty years trying and still couldn't reach that level.
So, Will felt it would be a real challenge for him to reach the level of an Elite Four's Pokémon within five years. He also didn't know how long the war would last. In the history of his past life on Earth, wars had lasted from a few minutes to over a thousand years. He could only do it as fast as possible.
Liz can't just have me as her only Pokémon. When I'm on the battlefield or out training, she can't be left without protection. Will remembered that when he first met Liz as a queen, she had a few large Beedrill with her. But he later learned that their relationship was not that of a Trainer and her Pokémon. It was more like a partnership. Liz provided the Beedrill with enough food and a safe environment to grow their swarm, and in return, the Beedrill would act as guards or warriors when necessary. In a truly critical situation, the Beedrill would abandon Liz and flee on their own.
I have to put Liz on the path of a Trainer. I need to find her a few more suitable Pokémon to raise.
Will finalized his plan. Most people thought raising beasts was risky; after all, who knew if a beast would suddenly go berserk and kill its master? So, unless someone was exceptionally brave, no one would keep multiple beasts by their side. But Will thought their worries were excessive. Pokémon weren't demons practicing dark arts, nor were they simple animals. Why would they suddenly go berserk for no reason? Even if something was wrong with them, their first instinct would be to get away from their Trainer to avoid hurting them. You could see that from how Ash's Pikachu acted when its static electricity went out of control.
Besides, he was here, wasn't he?
So, raising multiple Pokémon would only be beneficial for Liz. With the resources she possessed, it would be a piece of cake. And with him, a transmigrator, to guide her, the speed at which those Pokémon leveled up would certainly not be slow.
Once I evolve into a Dragonair, I'll go to Mt. Silver and catch a few Pokémon for Liz, Will nodded, feeling pleased with his own cleverness.
When the time came for the final, decisive battle, the king of the opposing kingdom would pull out one Pokémon, while Liz would pull out ten high-level Pokémon—a comprehensive battle team with various combat roles and types. Just imagine their opponent's fear.
At this thought, Will happily nudged Liz's thigh with his soft, large nose.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Mew~ (I'll protect you.)"
"Hehe, yes, I know. And I'll protect you too, Lan."
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