Chapter 644: Welcome Home
Whoosh!
Above the volcanic crater.
Two flame-wreathed figures crossed paths in mid-air. Bursting sparks fell like rain, and every clash made the air hum and vibrate. With every collision, the muffled sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed out.
"Roar!"
Sent flying backward over a dozen meters by a Thunder Punch, Dragon Dad bared his teeth. Sparks spilled from his throat, instantly burning away the fresh blood at the corner of his mouth. He steadied his posture. His magma-colored, slit-like pupils contracted slightly as he looked across the battlefield.
The young Mega Charizard Y hovering in mid-air looked in even worse shape than him, but his eyes were astonishingly bright. His wings were torn, his shoulders and neck were cracked and bleeding, yet his spine was as straight as a pine tree, his eyes full of vigor. That youthful, vibrant gaze made Dragon Dad feel as if he was looking at his own younger self.
His second son.
He was far too similar to his younger self. In fact, he was far more outstanding than he had been back then. He had more talent, worked harder, and even at the exact same age, his willpower far exceeded his own.
More importantly... he had already lost the reason that once made him absolutely refuse to fall. But his son still had it.
Dragon Dad's pupils trembled slightly. He didn't know exactly what his son was fighting for. But whatever it was, Dragon Dad felt a deep sense of comfort and joy that his son possessed such a thing. To still have something worth fighting for and protecting in a dragon's life... that in itself was an immense kind of happiness.
"Rua!"
His younger brother flapped his wings, his body shooting straight into the sky like an arrow released from a bow. He was going to defeat his father and become the strongest in the volcanic mountain range!
...And then, he would proudly go home.
At the edge of the eastern sea, the sun had yet to poke its head out. But its radiance had already dyed the clouds, casting a faint layer of gold over the entire sea of clouds.
Over a dozen massive boulders condensed out of thin air, crashing down from the sky with the sound of tearing wind. Dragon Dad beat his wings rapidly, launching a flurry of Air Slashes that swiftly chopped the boulders to pieces. The crushed stones fell like rain, but the spreading dust obscured Dragon Dad's vision.
A blazing streak of fire suddenly tore through the dust screen.
It was his younger brother, lunging forward with a massive fireball in his hand. He was mimicking Kazuya's Sacred Fire.
Ten years ago.
There was a time when he was deeply obsessed with learning new moves—he loved imitating his older brother, wanting to become exactly like him. That fireball of his brother's, blooming with rainbow-colored light, was his biggest goal back then.
However, his brother had told him he couldn't learn it. This made the younger brother extremely depressed, so sad at one point that he couldn't even eat. But he didn't give up. From then on, he practiced alone before every sunrise, hammering and reshaping his existing moves over and over again.
And now... he had refined the move Blast Burn until it looked incredibly similar to his brother's Sacred Fire. Even to the extent that...
Boom!
The massive fireball exploded. A fierce gale swept out in all directions, unexpectedly tracing out faint, barely visible rainbow lines.
Blast Burn could never truly bloom with rainbow light. But a younger brother's admiration for his older brother was far more brilliant and colorful than any rainbow.
Dragon Dad took a heavy blow straight to the face. His entire massive body was blasted backward, tumbling endlessly through the air. After struggling to regain control of his body, Dragon Dad didn't even waste time looking for his son's position. Instead, he immediately pulled his head up and flew toward the sky at full speed.
In his eyes, if he distracted himself trying to locate his son, he would only give his opponent a chance to press the attack. So, decisively creating distance was the choice he made.
Having already anticipated this, the younger brother didn't waste time chasing him. In fact, from the very beginning, he hadn't planned on launching a follow-up attack. He knew his speed couldn't match Dragon Dad's. He couldn't catch up even if he tried, and chasing blindly was futile. There was a much better choice at a time like this.
"Roar~"
Thick clouds of Smokescreen billowed from the younger brother's mouth. Black and gray smoke completely blanketed his surroundings, hiding his movements in the blink of an eye.
Dragon Dad poked his head out from the clouds. Looking down at the flickering firelight whipping around within the smokescreen, he couldn't help but frown in confusion, unsure of what his youngest son was doing. Not pressing the advantage at a time like this... what was he waiting for?
It must be some trick he learned from his older brother. Focusing on the wrong things! Dragon Dad felt he needed to teach his son a lesson to make him understand what choices to make and when.
A scorching gale blasted from Dragon Dad's mouth, semi-transparent winds howling past and blowing the smokescreen completely away.
It was only then that Dragon Dad realized what his son had been doing. Although the posture was quite bizarre, he was certain—his son had been stacking Dragon Dance inside the smokescreen!
Whoosh!
A figure incredibly similar to his own swept through the air, plunging into the clouds like lightning. That sudden surge in speed confirmed Dragon Dad's judgment. With no time to think, he quickly pulled himself higher. The battle between the two Mega Charizard Ys had shifted above the sea of clouds.
After exchanging a single glance, both sides charged at each other at full speed.
Rings of flowing fire spread from Dragon Dad's mouth to engulf his entire body, transforming him into a massive flaming drill boring toward the young Mega Charizard Y.
A Mega Charizard Y standing over fifty meters tall... just how massive was the Fire Spin he unleashed? At the very least, in the younger brother's eyes at this moment, this towering tornado of flame was far more blinding and oppressive than the rising sun in the distance.
However, the younger brother's gaze remained as calm as an ancient well. He wasn't looking at the flames incinerating the sky before him, but at the blazing sun slowly rising over the eastern sea.
The first ray of morning light fell gently on his face. Sweat slid down his scars, reflecting a crystal-clear luster. He had already forgotten how many mornings sweat had crawled onto his face before the morning light even appeared. Over the past ten years, only he truly knew how hard he had worked.
All of this was for the ambition that hadn't wavered a single bit in ten years.
I am going to make him the king of this world.
No matter what obstacles lay ahead, he would be the one to shatter them. Even if it was his own father.
"Roar!!"
Swish! A massive boulder over ten meters in diameter condensed between the younger brother's raised claws. His eyes were filled with determination, his will as solid as a rock in this moment. The physical attack power continuously boosted by Dragon Dance could finally play a crucial role right now.
Boom!
The giant boulder and the flaming tornado collided with a deafening crash. The explosive wind tore through the clouds, and sparks scattered like rain.
Amidst the blinding light and deafening roar, the figure symbolizing the Overlord of the volcanic mountain range fell powerlessly from the sky. The Charizard Overlord who had ruled the volcano for decades was finally defeated today by the child he had trained with his own hands.
Had he used his full strength? That was no longer important.
What mattered was that the conviction supporting him on the throne had long ceased to exist. Therefore, let the crown of the Volcano King be perfectly handed over to the next generation, who still possessed that conviction.
Looking at his child in the sky, who seemed ready to outshine the scorching sun, Dragon Dad smiled softly and closed his tired eyes.
"My task... is finally complete, isn't it?"
He was already very tired. He didn't want to do anything anymore. If possible, curling up in a corner of the volcano and watching his two children become the masters of this world would be his only wish for the rest of his life.
Countless volcano Pokémon who witnessed this battle were shocked beyond words. They looked up at the younger figure in the sky, knowing that from today onward, the volcanic mountain range had a new master.
The former Overlord gradually shrank as he fell. The figure that could once blot out the sky slowly became small in this moment, until he fell into the crater, plunging into the magma and disappearing from sight.
Charizards pulled their old patriarch out of the magma one by one. They looked up at the sky, but they could no longer find that young figure.
Ah... right. This wasn't the home he constantly longed for. By now, the new Volcano King was probably rushing home without a moment's pause.
The Grassland Heartland
Sitting quietly in place and gazing south, Kazuya swished his tail.
Feeling something, he looked up toward the southern sky. One second... two seconds... At the third second, at the very edge of his vision, a staggering, ragged figure appeared.
He flew to the left for a moment, then drifted to the right, looking as if he was so dizzy he couldn't find his way. However, he still remembered the direction of home.
The corners of Kazuya's mouth curled up slightly, and the heavy weight hanging in his heart was finally lifted.
"Roar!" A rainbow-colored fireball was tossed high into the sky by Kazuya.
Looking at the 'rainbow' floating before his eyes, his younger brother used the last bit of his strength to fly toward it, finally collapsing gently into his older brother's arms.
"Roar..."
I'm back.
"Welcome home." Kazuya reached out and stroked his brother's head, his heart aching for him.
"Flor~" Florges hurried over from the side.
She leaned in to look at the wounds on his body. The shattered scales and charred, blackened injuries constantly stimulated her tear ducts, and a few small teardrops instantly welled up in her eyes.
"Roar~" His brother grinned and weakly patted his chest, telling his sister not to worry.
He reached out to give his sister a hug, but was instead gently pressed down to the ground by her Vine Whip. Florges went to the side to gather medicinal mud, carefully applying it to the exhausted Charizard, terrified of hurting him. It was as if she was caring for a newly hatched Charmander all over again.
His brother lay there obediently. His head rested on Kazuya's lap. His tail swayed back and forth. The feeling of being home made him incredibly happy.
"Roar..."
I beat Dad.
"Yeah, I know. I never thought you would lose from the very beginning," Kazuya nodded gently.
"Roar?"
Have I gotten stronger?
His brother's eyelids were trembling. He was simply too exhausted and could pass out at any moment. But he had to hear that answer. Even if he knew what his brother would say. He still had to hear it.
"Very, very strong." Kazuya reached out and rubbed his brother's head.
His brother blinked gently, smiling as he closed his eyes, his breathing gradually slowing down.
I was praised by my older brother. I'm happy.
The morning light completely blanketed the grassland, and the wind blew quietly. Everything was gentle and just right. His brother hugged his tail and curled up into a ball, just like he did when he was still a Charmander.
Sleeping like this by the side of his older brother and sister... it felt incredibly safe.
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