Chapter 655: That's Right, This Guy is a Dragon
Regarding the emotional friction with the Dragonite clan...
The Tyrantrum genuinely harbored the desire to personally intervene and resolve it.
However, he still bore the absolute logistical responsibility of managing the Rocky Mountain range.
Therefore, he could only formally request Kazuya to "take exceptional care" of the Dragonites in his absence.
Furthermore.
He had finalized a strategic decision.
He was going to permanently assign the flock of Tyrunt to reside within the grassland heartland.
Kazuya couldn't precisely synthesize the Tyrantrum's underlying calculations for this maneuver.
In all likelihood, he intended to utilize the hyper-energetic Tyrunt to violently force the Dratini and Dragonair to elevate their daily physical exertion and combat readiness.
Regardless, Kazuya mathematically harbored zero objections.
With the operational decisions finalized, the Tyrantrum independently led his clan back toward the rocky peaks.
He wasn't an infant.
He didn't require Kazuya to personally escort him all the way to the front door.
Simultaneously, Kazuya charted a direct flight vector toward the southern tropical rainforest.
He intended to personally acquire visual data on the current operational status of the jungle.
Flying southward.
Cruising through the skyward sectors...
The vast majority of terrestrial Pokémon were initially startled by the massive shadow sweeping across the ground, instinctively tilting their heads up toward the sky.
Upon visually verifying Kazuya's silhouette...
They immediately exhaled a collective sigh of relief and seamlessly resumed their respective biological activities.
The Dragon Clan's reputation was universally acknowledged across the entire grassland sector.
It required no further verbal reinforcement.
Even within the volcanic mountain range—which had only been formally integrated into the empire the previous year—the resident Pokémon possessed a substantial degree of trust toward the Dragon Clan. At the absolute minimum, they no longer panicked or executed frantic evasive maneuvers upon spotting a Dragon Clan operative.
In fact...
A statistically significant demographic of exceptionally courageous Pokémon would even actively approach patrolling Dragon Clan members to formally request sparring sessions.
In summary.
To categorize the territories operating under the Dragon Clan's jurisdiction as an absolute, flawless utopia would be a severe mathematical exaggeration.
After all, the Dragon Clan fundamentally refused to micromanage the daily operations and internal friction of the wild clans.
But at a macro level, the geopolitical stability was undeniably secure.
At the very least, populations no longer had to constantly calculate the risk of being randomly ambushed and annihilated by migrating, foreign predators.
Day in and day out, the combat was restricted to a predictable, localized rotation of familiar rival clans.
Logistically, it was a relatively stable, secure existence.
Breaching the volcanic perimeter.
Entering the tropical rainforest.
Kazuya instantly felt his entire biological frame become suffocated by an invisible, oppressive density of atmospheric moisture.
It was a textbook example of southern climate parameters.
Stiflingly hot.
Extremely humid.
For biological entities possessing thick fur or standard Fire-type physiological profiles, this environmental setup was mathematically guaranteed to provide an incredibly uncomfortable survival experience.
But for a highly specific demographic of Pokémon...
This environment was absolutely optimized for their survival.
Analyzing this through the lens of the Dragon Clan's internal roster...
The Dratini and Dragonair, whose biological blueprints necessitated a constantly lubricated, damp epidermis, would find this ecosystem flawlessly compatible with their physiological requirements.
For the Dragonite clan as well, the ambient environmental parameters should register as exceptionally comfortable.
Following them, the Scrafty clan mirrored this requirement.
Their elastic skin demanded a consistently high level of ambient moisture to maintain its tensile strength; an excessively arid environment severely impaired their ability to rapidly execute skin-shedding maneuvers during combat.
Furthermore.
The Scrafty clan's inherently agile frames and highly acrobatic combat style were perfectly tailored for executing high-velocity maneuvers through the dense, complex canopy of the tropical rainforest.
This specific environmental synergy was precisely one of the core calculations driving Kazuya's decision to deploy the Haxorus and Scrafty clans into this sector.
Beyond them.
The Kommo-o clan had also been deployed.
The reasoning was simple.
These three specific lineages possessed the absolute martial capability to project their maximum combat output within heavily forested terrain.
Unlike the Rampardos, Cyclizar, or Altaria...
If those specific clans operated within a tropical rainforest, their mobility and combat mechanics would be severely, systematically restricted at every turn, completely nullifying their innate species advantages.
Midway through his aerial reconnaissance...
Kazuya initiated a steep dive, piercing the upper canopy of the rainforest and landing heavily atop the crown of a relatively short palm tree to execute a 360-degree visual sweep:
"Where exactly did that vanguard vanish to?"
The skyward sector above the tropical rainforest was practically entirely sealed off by the overlapping canopy.
For aerial entities attempting to execute downward visual reconnaissance, it was essentially a blind spot; the line of sight was mathematically atrocious.
Simultaneously, attempting to leverage Aura for wide-area scanning proved to be exceptionally grueling.
The biological density within this rainforest was astronomical.
If Kazuya even marginally expanded the radius of his Aura perception, his cognitive processors were instantly flooded with a massive, chaotic torrent of raw emotional data from countless minor organisms.
"Exeg~"
A low, resonant sound vibrated from directly beneath Kazuya's feet.
"?"
Kazuya frowned, tilting his heavy skull downward to investigate.
Only to discover that the specific "tree" currently supporting his weight... actually possessed a face embedded into its trunk, and it was staring directly up at him.
...!
Both entities suffered an identical, violent shock simultaneously.
Kazuya reflexively flared his wings, executing a rapid, backward aerial evasion.
The palm tree, meanwhile, extended a pair of legs and began frantically, clumsily sprinting toward the distance, its massive frame violently swaying back and forth.
"An Alolan Exeggutor?"
Recovering his composure, Kazuya stared blankly at the rapidly retreating silhouette.
He finally synthesized exactly what specific biological entity he had just casually parked himself on top of.
He had to admit...
That sudden visual contact had genuinely inflicted a microsecond of sheer panic.
He had been entirely hyper-focused on scanning the perimeter for his companions, only to lower his head and instantly lock eyes with a human-like face staring back at him from point-blank range.
Even though Kazuya possessed the absolute data that virtually every single bizarre anomaly in this world was functionally guaranteed to be a Pokémon...
In that exact microsecond of unexpected eye contact...
The Uncanny Valley effect triggered precisely as human psychology dictated it should.
However, once his cognitive processors caught up...
A sharp wave of pure joy washed over Kazuya's face, and he immediately accelerated to give chase.
Alolan Exeggutor.
Physiologically, they closely resembled giraffes.
Except they possessed three distinct heads clustered directly beneath their leafy crown, and a fourth, independently operational head anchoring their tail.
They were Grass/Dragon-type palm tree Pokémon.
Divergent environmental pressures systematically forged distinct regional variants of Exeggutor.
The Alolan Exeggutor historically inhabited tropical regions.
The specific ecological parameters of their environment didn't impose a stringent biological necessity for them to rely on psychic powers for self-defense.
Consequently, their internal psychic capabilities severely degraded.
Inversely, their dormant, latent Draconic power violently awakened.
Transforming them into Grass Dragons.
However...
Despite possessing the Grass/Dragon typing—which inherently carried a catastrophic 4x vulnerability to Ice-type assaults...
The Alolan Exeggutor genuinely couldn't be mathematically categorized as a top-tier powerhouse.
The primary bottleneck was that the Grass typing's defensive profile was simply too tragically weak, severely dragging down the inherent defensive advantages of the Dragon typing.
But one had to factor in the chronological context.
This was the Ancient Era.
Without the rigid, competitive structures of League tournaments, the absolute impact of type matchups wasn't nearly as universally defining.
Their specific typing configuration...
Was mathematically guaranteed to be the absolute most optimal evolutionary path for surviving within their current ecological niche.
It was the result of a prolonged, ruthless process of natural genetic selection.
For example, within the sweltering confines of this tropical rainforest... where exactly were you going to locate an Ice-type predator capable of exploiting that 4x weakness?
Conversely, against the exponentially more common Grass and Water-type predators, the Alolan Exeggutor boasted a virtually impenetrable 4x resistance.
This specific type configuration, at least for their current chronological timeline, drastically reduced their survival friction and exponentially elevated their baseline security.
If Kazuya intended to systematically annex this sprawling tropical rainforest and integrate it into the Dragon Clan's territory...
He was mathematically required to recruit several native Pokémon capable of asserting dominance and enforcing order within the jungle environment.
The Alolan Exeggutor...
Wasn't necessarily a flawless, S-tier candidate.
But it undeniably possessed the baseline potential. Furthermore, it explicitly held the Dragon typing.
Therefore, the absolute second Kazuya visually confirmed the Exeggutor's presence, he instantly locked it in as a primary acquisition target for the Dragon Clan.
Following that.
He opted to maintain a slow, leisurely pursuit, trailing quietly behind the Exeggutor.
He intended to gather data on the demographic scale of the local Exeggutor clan.
However, after shadowing it for over ten minutes...
He watched the Exeggutor abruptly "sit down" in place, perfectly camouflaging itself as an ordinary tree.
Kazuya was instantly rendered speechless.
He had failed to synthesize a critical variable.
Alolan Exeggutors were behaviorally distinct from standard Exeggutors.
They exhibited a pronounced biological preference for solitary existence.
Even if they did aggregate into localized social clusters, the total demographic of a specific group mathematically wouldn't exceed five individuals.
Kazuya couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation.
His highly optimistic calculation of instantly subjugating an entire, massive Exeggutor clan was completely shattered.
Nevertheless, he still flew forward and landed heavily directly atop the Exeggutor's leafy crown.
Do not underestimate the Exeggutor.
In the Ancient Era, a standard adult specimen easily stood over thirty meters tall; it possessed more than enough structural integrity to comfortably support Kazuya's weight.
"Hey."
Kazuya reached down and firmly patted one of the coconut heads below.
"..." It continued playing dead.
Swish~
The sound of rushing wind howled past its ears.
Feeling the oppressive weight suddenly vanish from its crown, the Alolan Exeggutor cautiously, silently opened its eyes.
And immediately locked gazes with a pair of golden, draconic pupils radiating a ghostly blue light.
"...Exeg!!"
The Exeggutor was absolutely terrified.
Its entire biological frame—all four heads sharing a synchronized sensory network—simultaneously broke out in a frantic cold sweat.
Seemingly paralyzed by the sheer magnitude of its terror, the Exeggutor completely failed to initiate an evasion protocol, remaining frozen rigidly in place.
It possessed ample logical justification to be terrified...
Over the past chronological year...
Who within the rainforest hadn't processed the terrifying data that a violent coalition of draconian predators was actively rampaging through the sector, initiating catastrophic combat with every resident clan they encountered, leaving a massive trail of battered Pokémon in their wake?
The Exeggutor genuinely, desperately wished to avoid absorbing a brutal physical beating.
"Do you desire to operate as my subordinate?"
Kazuya bypassed all redundant pleasantries and issued a direct acquisition offer.
He absolutely refused to believe this vast tropical rainforest only housed a single, solitary Exeggutor.
A low initial demographic wasn't a fatal bottleneck.
He could simply implement a long-term, systematic breeding protocol.
Perhaps in the first year, they would only command five individuals. But in a decade, that demographic could mathematically breach fifty. By that juncture, the Dragon Clan would have successfully, artificially engineered an entire Exeggutor clan.
"Exeg!"
"Exeg..."
The three heads clustered at the top generated entirely conflicting responses.
The fourth head anchoring the tail appeared to be attempting vocalization as well, but the physical distance was too vast; its audio output failed to reach Kazuya's receivers.
Kazuya shifted his gaze, analyzing them individually.
One head projected absolute confusion, one head executed an instantaneous, groveling surrender, and one head projected intense hesitation...
Synthesizing the aggregate data.
The Exeggutor was heavily leaning toward accepting the acquisition.
After all, preserving its biological existence was mathematically the absolute highest priority.
"Given your immense vertical height, you must possess the visual data confirming that a massive vanguard of dragons recently breached this sector of the rainforest, correct? Every single one of those operatives is my direct subordinate."
Kazuya gently flapped his wings, hovering smoothly in mid-air. He extended a massive arm, casually wrapping it around the Exeggutor's long, trunk-like neck, leaning in closely to deliver a demonic, whispered proposition:
"If you accept the position as my subordinate, moving forward, you will officially be their companion. Not only will they permanently cease all hostilities against you, they will actively deploy to protect you."
At this exact moment.
The Exeggutor's collective gaze solidified into a state of absolute, unyielding conviction, as if it were swearing a sacred oath of eternal fealty.
"Exeg!" x3
The three upper heads successfully achieved a synchronized consensus, causing the Exeggutor's entire upper half to nod vigorously.
Although Kazuya couldn't visually verify the status of the tail head...
He calculated there was a zero percent probability it would veto the decision.
Analyzing the structural data...
Considering the Exeggutor commanded such a massive volume of processing centers (heads)...
Did it inherently possess a vastly superior baseline intelligence?
Moving forward, he could genuinely run the calculations on cultivating this species for middle-management roles within the collective.
"Rua~"
A highly familiar, thunderous roar echoed from the skyward sector.
The absolute second Kazuya processed the audio signature, he verified the data: his younger brother had visually acquired his coordinates and was currently executing a direct approach vector.
The Exeggutor, however, exhibited a catastrophic overreaction.
Upon processing the audio signature of the roar, its entire frame violently shuddered. It immediately squeezed its eyes shut, dropped heavily onto its backside, and resumed its "play dead" protocol.
Kazuya cast a flat glance at it, offering no verbal reprimand.
He'll synthesize the data in a minute.
Turning his head to observe the approach...
His brother came barreling through the canopy like an over-excited Husky, immediately dropping his massive frame to sit heavily directly upon the Exeggutor's crown.
The Exeggutor: "..."
"Roar?"
Bro, why exactly are you hovering here hugging a tree?
His brother looked down at Kazuya with an expression of profound confusion.
Based on his visual data feed, Kazuya was currently casually resting his arm around a random palm tree.
"...Do not subject your companions to physical bullying."
Kazuya reached up, firmly swatting his brother aside. He then lightly patted the Exeggutor.
"You can terminate the 'play dead' protocol. Exactly as I explicitly briefed you: those dragons are my subordinates, and this specific individual is my direct biological sibling. He absolutely will not initiate hostile action against you."
Kazuya's vocalization was saturated with absolute, undeniable authority.
Consequently, after a microsecond of intense hesitation...
The Exeggutor finally opened its eyes.
It cautiously, timidly shifted its gaze upward toward the Charizard hovering directly above it, locking into an awkward, prolonged staring contest.
"Roar?!"
This thing is actually a living biological entity?!
His brother was completely, utterly shocked and profoundly confused.
Furthermore...
Based on the specific data his brother had just articulated...
"That is mathematically correct. This guy is a Dragon."
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