Chapter 652: The Impermanence of Life
The Tyrunt were exactly like fearless, hyper-energetic calves; upon their very first meeting, they launched several headbutts straight at Kazuya.
It was neither painful nor itchy. He practically felt absolutely nothing.
Kazuya casually swept his tail, brushing them aside. The little guys tumbled across the dirt, rolled a few times, and then aggressively charged forward again.
Watching this display, Kazuya couldn't help but crack an amused smile.
If he brought them back to the heartland... the equally energetic Cranidos and Scraggy would absolutely be thrilled to have brand-new playmates.
However, he still needed to formally query the young ones for their consent, as well as secure the approval of their parents.
He needed to verify if they felt secure allowing their offspring to relocate to the grassland. If they harbored any anxiety, he would drop the matter. It wasn't appropriate to forcefully dictate such an arrangement.
On the other side.
When the adult Tyrantrum learned that their Alpha patriarch had suffered a defeat at the hands of this Fire Dragon, their shock was beyond description.
Their initial reaction was absolute disbelief.
This was entirely logical. In the eyes of the Tyrantrum clan, their patriarch was undoubtedly an invincible entity. After all, that image of "invincibility" had been flawlessly maintained in their hearts for decades.
If the situation were reversed, and Kazuya returned to the Dragon Clan announcing he had been defeated...
The veterans who had followed him the longest—such as the Bastiodon, Rampardos, and Goodra—would absolutely be the first to reject the data.
In their hearts, their Big Brother was the absolute defining symbol of this era; he was the most terrifyingly powerful Dragon King in the entire world.
However...
When the Tyrantrum visually verified the shattered rock protrusion on their patriarch's skull, coupled with the severe, tragic lacerations covering his body...
And factoring in their patriarch's absolute, uncompromising character where his word was law...
They ultimately fell silent.
Although it was exceptionally difficult to process, the disposition of the Tyrantrum clan was functionally uniform.
A loss was a loss. There was absolutely nothing to deny. If their patriarch didn't refuse to accept the outcome, what right did they have to remain dissatisfied?
Consequently, the Tyrantrum collectively bowed their massive heads toward Kazuya, formally pledging their absolute fealty.
Kazuya was genuinely surprised by this exceptionally smooth transition.
He hadn't anticipated that the Tyrantrum clan wouldn't harbor a single arrogant troublemaker. He had fully calculated that the chaotic scenario he had endured at the volcano was going to replay itself here.
Nevertheless. To definitively verify his absolute strength before his new subordinates...
The following day, Kazuya led the Tyrantrum clan to formally subjugate the Garchomp clan.
When Kazuya materialized into his black dragon form and brutally, absolutely suppressed the Mega Garchomp to the point where it mathematically couldn't launch a single counterattack... every single Tyrantrum was utterly paralyzed with shock.
Mega Garchomp was historically the second most powerful entity across the entire Rocky Mountain range. Prior to this, its combat output was second only to the Tyrantrum patriarch.
Even their own patriarch couldn't exert such absolute, suffocating dominance over the Mega Garchomp that it couldn't fight back. Yet Kazuya executed it flawlessly.
This terrifying display of absolute martial superiority commanded profound respect and adoration from every Tyrantrum.
They were a clan that biologically worshipped the strong.
Even the Tyrantrum patriarch himself shared this trait. Having personally witnessed Kazuya unleash his full combat output, he finally synthesized the reality that their previous duel hadn't been an entirely equal clash; there was undeniably a concrete mathematical gap between their baselines.
But this realization didn't induce a shred of frustration or despair within the Tyrantrum. It merely ignited a raging inferno of motivation to continuously pursue that gap.
After successfully subjugating the Garchomp clan, Kazuya officially led the Tyrantrum clan out of the peaks, embarking on the logistical transit across the swamp to return to the grassland.
"My immediate operational objectives within the Rocky Mountains are essentially concluded. Moving forward, I am officially delegating the absolute jurisdiction of this sector to you," Kazuya stated to the Tyrantrum walking beside him.
Having operated within the Rocky Mountains for seven or eight years, he had finally subjugated every single draconian species garrisoned within the territory.
The absolute strongest was naturally the Tyrantrum clan, followed immediately by the newly acquired Garchomp clan.
The Garchomp demographic exceeded seventy members. Its scale was relatively massive.
The Alpha patriarch, Mega Garchomp, sat at a baseline of Lv. 84, merely one level beneath Kazuya. It represented an exceptionally formidable martial asset.
It had to be acknowledged... the Rocky Mountain range had functionally transformed into an absolute, massive wellspring of Dragon-type natural energy.
If, previously, Kazuya couldn't calculate with absolute certainty whether he could achieve Primal Reversion within a decade...
Now, he could definitively verify the data.
He absolutely could. In fact, it was mathematically guaranteed that the required chronological window would be significantly shorter than ten years.
Furthermore, his younger brother had already initiated the campaign against the tropical rainforest exactly one year prior.
Although he hadn't yet successfully integrated a single draconian clan into the empire, he had already annexed a substantial volume of territory.
The primary bottleneck preventing the integration of dragon clans was that his brother mathematically couldn't verify whether those bizarre, bizarrely shaped biological entities were actually dragons.
It functioned on the exact same logic that, if Kazuya hadn't explicitly clarified the data... his brother would have lived his entire existence completely ignorant of the fact that Altaria, Scrafty, Flygon, and Turtonator... were actually Dragon-type Pokémon.
Entering the swamp.
The Tyrantrum appeared slightly nostalgic, his heavy gaze scanning the surrounding environment as if meticulously searching for something.
"Are you attempting to locate the Goodra clan?" Kazuya smiled gently, looking at the Tyrantrum.
The Goodra patriarch had disclosed this data to him a profoundly long time ago.
His father had historically been both a fierce rival and a close friend to the Tyrantrum Overlord. That timeline dated back... roughly over twenty years ago.
Kazuya hadn't anticipated that the Tyrantrum genuinely still retained that specific memory file in his active processing.
"Rua-ooh?" The Tyrantrum tilted his massive skull, thoroughly confused.
He lacked the data to comprehend what exactly the "Goodra" Kazuya was referring to was. In this era, excluding Kazuya, not a single Pokémon possessed the biological classification data to accurately name another species.
"I am referring to the dragon covered in thick slime, carrying a large, snail-like shell on its back," Kazuya gestured with his claws, visually describing Goodra's physiological profile.
"Rua-ooh!" The Tyrantrum froze for a microsecond, his eyes widening in absolute surprise and delight as he stared at Kazuya.
He finally synthesized the connection.
If Kazuya had systematically carved his way northward from the southern territories, he must have inevitably clashed within the swamp. Factoring in Kazuya's operational doctrine, he would have undeniably integrated that specific, fellow draconian lineage into his empire!
"If you are referring to that specific lineage, they officially merged into the Dragon Clan nearly twenty years ago. They continue to operate as the undisputed Overlord clan of the swamp..." Kazuya provided a brief logistical update on the Goodra clan's current status.
"Rua-ooh?!"
The Tyrantrum immediately pressed his massive skull closer, urgently demanding more data.
He genuinely didn't care about the broader status of the lineage. The absolute singular variable he cared about was his old rival. The specific status of that Champion-level Alpha Goodra.
If his old rival was also an active member of the Dragon Clan, they would possess endless opportunities to resume their sparring matches.
"Hmm? Are you genuinely unaware of the chronological events that unfolded immediately following that specific battle?"
Kazuya's pupils contracted slightly, looking at the Tyrantrum with a trace of profound disbelief.
He explicitly remembered the data the current Goodra patriarch had provided:
Following the treacherous intervention by the other swamp clans during their duel, the Tyrantrum had immediately entered a state of absolute berserk fury. Despite enduring catastrophic physical trauma, he fought back-to-back alongside the Goodra patriarch, violently exterminating a massive volume of the offending clans.
During that purge, only a minuscule handful of exceptionally lucky individuals managed to successfully evacuate. The Overlord Arbok that Kazuya had personally liquidated was a surviving remnant of the Arbok clan from that exact era.
It was precisely due to that apocalyptic, violent purge orchestrated by the Tyrantrum and the Goodra that the overall combat baseline of the swamp suffered a catastrophic, systemic collapse.
This collapse was exactly what created the logistical vacuum allowing a mere Gym Leader-tier Arbok to eventually seize the title of Overlord. It also provided the Goodra clan—who had been driven to the absolute brink of extinction—with the crucial breathing room required to survive until Kazuya's arrival.
The Tyrantrum's massive silhouette cast a heavy shadow over every single one of those historical events. In fact, he had personally executed the absolute bulk of that violent purge.
How could he mathematically lack the data regarding the Goodra patriarch's ultimate fate?
"Rua-ooh..."
The Tyrantrum shook his head heavily, providing Kazuya with the historical data regarding his subsequent actions.
Following the successful execution of the purge against the intervening clans, the Tyrantrum biologically registered that his physical frame had degraded to a critical state of extreme vulnerability. He mathematically couldn't afford to linger.
He hastily bid farewell to the Goodra, establishing a verbal contract to resume their duel in the future. Following that... he initiated an immediate return transit to the Rocky Mountains.
During his return journey, he was violently ambushed by a massive coalition of hostile Pokémon, nearly biologically expiring halfway through the transit.
At the time, he harbored a profound wave of regret. He calculated he absolutely shouldn't have attempted to execute a long-distance transit while sustaining catastrophic injuries; he should have established a temporary camp within the swamp to undergo biological recovery before departing.
However, he had been separated from his clan for an extended chronological window, and he was consumed by intense, gnawing anxiety regarding their operational security. He was terrified that opportunistic predators would exploit his absence to launch a sneak attack and annihilate his clan.
And in stark reality, that exact scenario had materialized.
Had the Tyrantrum not arrived exactly when he did, the current Rocky Mountain range would merely house a solitary Tyrantrum Overlord, not an Overlord clan.
It was precisely due to this traumatic historical precedent that the Tyrantrum never again mobilized to the swamp to fulfill his contracted duel with the Goodra.
Consequently, he possessed zero data regarding the Goodra patriarch's subsequent status.
As the absolute Overlord of the Rocky Mountains, ascending to that throne required violently subjugating an astronomical volume of Pokémon. Many petty, vengeful entities permanently harbored deep-seated grudges against him. The absolute second he distanced himself from his sovereign territory, his clan would immediately fall under attack.
This logistical vulnerability permanently chained the Tyrantrum to his territory, making him terrified to venture too far from his clan.
This flawlessly explained why, during Kazuya's initial incursion into the central nexus of the Rocky Mountains, when the Tyrantrum failed to secure a duel, he hadn't chosen to aggressively pursue Kazuya.
It wasn't merely because he mathematically couldn't catch him; it was because he structurally couldn't afford to distance himself from his nesting ground.
Even regarding their recent Overlord duel...
The Tyrantrum had secured preliminary intel regarding Kazuya's exact geographic coordinates. Having mathematically calculated that the Salamence territory was situated within an acceptable proximity to his own, he had finally permitted his absolute thirst for combat to override his operational caution, mobilizing to seek the duel.
"I see... I regret to inform you, but the specific Goodra you are referencing biologically expired shortly after the conclusion of that massive conflict. The data suggests he failed to secure the necessary medical intervention in time to stabilize his critical injuries."
"..."
Upon processing this data, the Tyrantrum froze completely in place, his expression drifting into a profound, hollow trance.
A few moments later.
He shook his massive skull helplessly and resumed his heavy, stomping march forward.
Kazuya cast a sidelong glance at him. He initially calculated that the Tyrantrum might require a moment of psychological consolation, but the Tyrantrum offered Kazuya absolutely zero opening to provide it.
It was entirely logical.
For an entity like the Tyrantrum, who had survived the cutthroat, brutal crucible of the Rocky Mountains for several decades, witnessing the biological expiration of family members and comrades was standard operational reality. Let alone a rival-turned-friend he hadn't interacted with in over twenty years.
Emotional fluctuations were a biological inevitability.
As long as a brain actively received oxygenated blood, it mathematically generated emotional data.
Even Arceus possessed the capacity to enter an apocalyptic berserk state upon calculating it had been deceived. The Gods of Space and Time could experience profound panic upon synthesizing they had orchestrated a catastrophic error.
Let alone ordinary biological organisms like themselves.
Kazuya could flawlessly detect the heavy pulse of regret echoing within the Tyrantrum's Aura, intertwined with a distinct, gnawing sorrow.
However... the Tyrantrum had long since evolved past the juvenile stage where he broadcasted his internal emotional algorithms openly across his face.
"Do you wish to execute a slight detour to inspect the current iteration of the Goodra clan? The current Alpha patriarch is the direct biological offspring of your old friend," Kazuya turned his head to ask the Tyrantrum, a slight wave of genuine emotion washing over him.
The current dynamic between the Tyrantrum and the Goodra...
Was it really any different from the historical dynamic between Kazuya and Scyther?
An old friend biologically expires.
Leaving only their offspring behind to serve as a final, living testament to their existence.
The impermanence of life was absolute.
Nobody possessed the mathematical capability to guarantee that any given separation wouldn't be their final, permanent farewell.
And regarding this specific, cruel reality... Kazuya, having executed multiple reincarnations, possessed an exceptionally profound, agonizingly intimate understanding.
His memory banks were saturated with an overwhelming volume of names he could clearly vocalize, yet would mathematically never gaze upon again.
"Rua-ooh."
The Tyrantrum initiated a brief internal calculation—what specific data he was processing, Kazuya couldn't deduce—and then nodded heavily.
Seeing this, Kazuya adjusted their navigational vector, leading the Tyrantrum clan on a minor detour toward the specific sector the Goodra clan garrisoned.
"Nemu~"
Detecting Kazuya's arrival, Goodra immediately launched his squishy frame forward. He tightly hugged Kazuya, frantically rubbing his face against his scales, successfully transferring a massive volume of viscous slime onto Kazuya's body.
The hyper-aggressive Goomy that Kazuya had unintentionally rescued all those years ago... had now paradoxically matured into an exceptionally clingy, well-behaved child.
"This is the specific offspring I referenced," Kazuya reached out to pat Goodra's squishy head, then turned his gaze toward his flank.
In the very next second... Kazuya froze in absolute shock.
The majestic, former Overlord of the Rocky Mountains—the entity currently recognized as the absolute second most powerful martial asset across the entire Dragon Clan—had actually lowered his massive, proud skull toward a relatively small Goodra.
"Rua-ooh."
(I apologize.)
Observing the profound, absolute sincerity etched across the Tyrantrum's face, juxtaposed against Goodra's completely bewildered, panicked expression...
Kazuya's eyelids twitched slightly.
It was only then that he finally synthesized the data.
So this was the specific reason the Tyrantrum desired to visit Goodra.
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