Route 110.
In the games, this route featured a winding Seaside Cycling Road, allowing players to bypass the tall grass and head straight for Mauville City.
In this world, the cycling road existed but merged seamlessly into a massive highway system, spanning a much broader landscape than the pixelated maps could ever suggest.
Kashiwagi strolled through the lush forest, accompanied by a Zweilous that was currently treating the entire world like a giant toy store.
"Zwei-lous?"
"That's just a weed."
"Zwei-lous~"
"That's a dandelion. Hahaha, hey! Spit it out! You've got a mouth full of fluff."
"Zwei-lous!"
"That's a poisonous mushroom—don't you dare bite it!"
Smack!
A light palm strike landed on the restless left head, causing the right head (which was still busy spitting out dandelion seeds) to flinch instinctively.
Kashiwagi grabbed the outer "cheeks" of both the leftmost and rightmost heads, pulling them wide as he lectured the dragon.
"Listen carefully. Anything bright and colorful like that—red caps with white spots—is absolutely off-limits. No biting!"
"Zwei-lous!" "Zwei-lous!"
Zweilous nodded solemnly.
As soon as Kashiwagi walked ahead, the dragon turned back to glare at the "bad mushroom."
So you're the reason I got scolded?
With a huff, Zweilous whipped its tail around, smashing the colorful fungus into a pulp.
Take that, bad mushroom!
Feeling satisfied, it scurried after its beloved Trainer, continuing the "What is this?" "That is a..." Q&A session.
...
Soon, they reached a small stream.
Zweilous, suddenly possessed by the spirit of a hyperactive husky, stopped in its tracks. Its four eyes shimmered as it stared at the crystal-clear flowing water.
"That's a stream. Want to go for a swim?" Kashiwagi caught both heads and gave them a vigorous rubbing, prompting the dragon to cry out joyfully, wagging its tail and trying to lick and playfuly "nibble" him in return.
"Zwei-lous~" "Zwei-lous~"
Compared to the crowded cities, the wilderness was clearly where Zweilous felt most at home. It was as if its suppressed nature had finally been unleashed; it bolted back and forth, charging through the grass.
Having two heads increased its ability to observe the world, though it still struggled with depth perception, occasionally causing the two heads to bump into each other with a dull thud.
Kashiwagi's verdict: "You'll get used to it."
So far, the two heads hadn't shown any signs of separate personalities. It felt more like a single brain had been split into left and right hemispheres, each occupying a head.
As for its intelligence... well, even as a Deino, it hadn't exactly been a Rhodes Scholar outside of battle.
As Kashiwagi prepared to test the water's depth, he spotted a fisherman sitting on a folding stool, wearing a bright orange vest. Their eyes met, and a silent, universal agreement was reached.
"Let's battle!"
"Sure—will it mess up your fishing?"
"I can just move down the bank! Come see my big treasure!"
The fisherman eagerly tossed his Poké Ball onto the riverbank.
Pop!
A massive, red lobster-like Pokémon appeared, sporting a large gold star on its head. It stood nearly half the height of a man.
Snap! Snap!
Its ferocious claws slammed together with the sharp ring of clashing metal.
"Zwei-lous!"
Zweilous's attention snapped from the stream to the Crawdaunt. However, it didn't attack. Instead, one head turned back to Kashiwagi with a confused look.
"Zwei-lous~!"
"...That part isn't a head, those are claws. The head is the part underneath the yellow star!"
Kashiwagi explained the basic anatomy. Arthropod Pokémon were tricky; Zweilous was currently mistaking the giant pincers for extra heads and the smaller legs for paws.
The fisherman didn't quite follow the conversation, but in a wild battle, the match starts the moment the Pokémon are out. "Charge in! Dragon Dance!"
"CRAW!"
Crawdaunt's legs moved in a blur as its giant claws spun like a top, a deep blue aura cloaking its body.
Wow, a Crawdaunt that knows Dragon Dance? Kashiwagi was genuinely impressed. Fishermen always seemed to have the most interesting catches. "Dragon Pulse!"
"Zwei-lous!" "Zwei-lous!"
Both of Zweilous's heads took a simultaneous deep breath. One mouth began to leak blue flames, while the other leaked crimson embers. Then, they exhaled!
ROAARRRR—!!
The twin beams fused in front of the dragon, morphing into a terrifying, draconic energy phantom that roared like thunder as it tore through the air!
The fisherman was visibly shaken by the sheer scale of the move. "Dodge it, quick!"
"CRAW!"
Crawdaunt sensed the danger too, leaping frantically into the air. The beam grazed past it by a hair's breadth.
BOOM!
The dragon-shaped energy slammed into the center of the stream behind the fisherman, erupting in a massive pillar of water that rained down over the bank. A rainbow flickered briefly in the mist.
The fisherman swallowed hard as he turned back to look at the Zweilous, which was now letting out a shrill hiss.
"Such... such power!"
Crawdaunt landed, equally intimidated. It hesitated to close the distance.
"That's called Parental Love," Kashiwagi joked.
"Two heads are better than one."
"Huh? Parental Love?" The fisherman looked blankly at him.
Kashiwagi was just messing with him, of course. No matter how many heads a Pokémon has, the total output of elemental energy usually remains the same unless they have a specific Ability like Parental Bond.
"Scary Face!" Kashiwagi commanded, not giving the fisherman time to recover from his confusion.
"ZWE-II!"
Zweilous let out a blood-curdling roar. A ghostly, terrifying visage manifested behind it, instantly paralyzing the already shaken Crawdaunt!
"Now! Dragon Rush!"
"Ah! Use Crabhammer!"
The fisherman finally snapped out of it, but Zweilous had already lunged.
"ZWEI-LOUS!" "ZWEI-LOUS!"
A murderous aura surged as Zweilous charged, the pressure becoming almost physical.
Even as a Dark-type, Crawdaunt was suppressed by the sheer malice of the move. By the time it managed to raise its claws and coat them in a shimmering film of water, it was too late.
The energy-clad dragon slammed into Crawdaunt's pincers!
THUD!
A heavy impact was followed by a burst of blue light and thick smoke. The fisherman gripped his fists tight, only to see his Crawdaunt fly out of the smoke, tumbling across the ground with swirls in its eyes.
Zweilous flapped its tiny wings to clear the dust, looking perfectly refreshed.
First battle since evolution—Victory!
"Zwei-lous!" "Zwei-lous!"
Zweilous turned around excitedly and tackled Kashiwagi.
"Good job, good job."
Kashiwagi rubbed the two massive heads, but as he recalled that double-headed Dragon Rush, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in thought.