On Dragonite Island.
Riding on the back of a Dragonite, Silas arrived swiftly. The moment he landed, two Dragonite rushed toward him, and the Shiny Dratini in his arms wriggled free and leapt down.
The two Dragonite eagerly leaned in, rubbing their noses affectionately against the Shiny Dratini and letting out gentle, tender roars.
The mother Dragonite carefully gathered the Shiny Dratini into her claws, checking it over inch by inch to make sure it had not been hurt. The father Dragonite, meanwhile, turned toward Silas and gave a low rumble, his eyes brimming with gratitude.
Before Silas could even say a word, he found himself submerged by Dragonairs and Dratinis.
Their eyes gleamed with a wolfish hunger as they burrowed into his arms, clamoring shamelessly for snacks.
It took quite a while before he finally managed to calm the Dragonair down, letting Cinccino stay behind to play with them.
Silas then walked over to the Giant Dragonite and Cyclizar. Cyclizar was animatedly sharing amusing stories about the ranch from the past few days, which made the Giant Dragonite let out envious, low rumbles.
The ranch had clearly become the place the Giant Dragonite most wanted to visit, without question.
"Big Dragonite, do you really want to go to the ranch?"
"Dra~!"
Giant Dragonite nodded vigorously. The grassy fields, the farmland, and all the companions at the ranch.
Thinking of the Rainbow Gourd Vine growing there, Silas calculated that it should be close to ripening.
"Soon, very soon you can go to the ranch. Big Dragonite, just wait a few more days."
Giant Dragonite's eyes lit up instantly. Its massive tail lightly tapped against the ground, producing heavy thudding sounds, though it was clearly holding back its strength.
Its mountain like head leaned closer, nudging Silas's arm with its nose, letting out a hopeful low murmur as if asking for a more precise time.
"Three or four days, probably."
Without returning to the ranch and seeing the Rainbow Gourd with his own eyes, Silas did not dare make any absolute promises.
The Giant Dragonite counted on its fingers. Only four sunrises. To it, that was no more than the blink of an eye. Very soon indeed.
Silas patted the three Poké Balls at his waist, and the Noivern flew out, surveying their surroundings.
The instant the three Noivern appeared, they were noticed by the Dragonite.
Their gazes met.
Battle was inevitable.
The Noivern absolutely loved this place. So many Dragonite to fight. Their blood surged wildly within them.
The long dormant veteran transformation was reignited. The three Noivern transform once more toward stronger and larger tempered forms.
Meanwhile, the round and ball like Rowlet was nestled in Silas's arms as he circled the slumbering Registeel again and again.
He even tried throwing a Poké Ball to capture it, but the Poké Ball could not recognize the massive iron sphere before him as a Pokémon. It simply bounced off.
Taking shortcuts truly would not work. He had to awaken it first.
He recalled what he knew about Registeel.
One thing was certain. The Pokémon world did not contain only a single trio of the Legendary Titans.
The Tree of Beginning had them. Brandon had them. In the distant Galar region, they had also been sighted.
Very quickly, Silas gave up thinking on his own. Better to consult someone else.
"Dragonite, let's leave this iron ball on the island for now. If anything unusual happens, have the others call me immediately."
The Giant Dragonite agreed at once, pounding its chest heavily to reassure him.
Even if it were lost, the iron sphere would not be.
After giving it a gentle pat, Silas looked up at the sky above the island, where a three versus three aerial battle was unfolding.
Three Dragonite versus three Noivern.
All Dragon type Pokémon, all possessing the Flying type as well. One side represented one of the classic late bloomers. The other side consisted of mutated Noivern strengthened through tempered transformations. It was impossible to predict who would win.
The battle was spectacular beyond words, fully displaying the tyrannical dominance of Dragon type Pokémon. Silas watched with great interest.
Before long, the aerial combat reached a fever pitch.
One Noivern seized an opening in a Dragonite's defense and launched a fierce Dragon Rush.
Though these three Noivern often fooled around, their coordination in team battles was far from poor.
The other two activated Dragon Rush as well, instantly forming a three against one situation and knocking out a Dragonite first.
Seeing this, the remaining two Dragonite adjusted their tactics. One attacked while the other defended, their cooperation growing tighter and more seamless, leaving the Noivern with few opportunities.
After another half hour of fierce combat, the three Noivern finally activated their Outrage forms simultaneously and barely secured victory.
Their massive bodies were covered in scorch marks from lightning and burns from flames. They looked utterly miserable.
Yet for the Noivern, this was exactly what they needed. Only in such a state could they continue breaking through their limits.
They still had tremendous room for growth. The three Dragonite they had just defeated were the weakest and youngest on the island.
There were still many more waiting to challenge them.
And beyond them all stood the Giant Dragonite.
After treating the wounds of both the Dragonite and the Noivern with Hyper Potions, Silas instructed the Dragonite to rest for two days before recalling the Noivern into their Poké Balls.
He called Cinccino back from afar. It was time to leave.
The Dratini and Dragonair tugged at him, refusing to let him go. Only after Silas promised he would return in a few days and bring many, many snacks did they finally release him.
Riding on a Dragonite, whose flight speed was astonishing, Silas landed in front of the ranch cottage in about an hour.
"Thank you." He took out a bag of Poké Puffs from his spatial satchel as fare.
"Draa~!"
The Dragonite let out a cheerful cry, flapped its small wings with force, and shot straight upward as if uprooted from dry land, flying back toward the island.
Upon returning to the ranch, Cinccino dashed off at lightning speed. Soon, Pokémon gathered in front of the house, listening to its storytelling.
This had practically become a standard routine every time Silas returned from a trip. Cyclizar stood nearby, occasionally adding details.
But the moment it saw Silas heading into the house, it hurried after him, sticking close behind.
Taking the black tea prepared by the elder brother Indeedee, Silas had barely taken a sip when he met Cyclizar's gaze. The Cyclizar, in its original form, grinned at him with a lizard like smile.
"What is it?"
"Cyc~!" (The little red flower!)
"Here you go."
He took out a small red flower and stuck it onto Cyclizar's forehead, successfully sending it away.
A trip outside was still exhausting. Silas lay lazily for a while, listening to the elder Indeedee's report.
Everything at the ranch was as usual. The elder Indeedee managed it exceptionally well and was utterly reliable.
The only matter needing attention was the crops in the fields. Beets, pumpkins, and yams were ripening one after another. The first great harvest of autumn was about to arrive.
"Looks like I came back at just the right time." Silas smiled, placing a hand gently atop the elder brother Indeedee's head. "Still, you and your sister have worked hard these past few days. It is wonderful having you here."
Sensing Silas's sincere feelings, the elder Indeedee's eyes glowed faintly. It bowed respectfully with a modest smile.
"Indee~" (This is what we ought to do, master Silas.)
"No matter what, I must thank you. Without you, I could never take care of this big family all by myself."
Silas then asked about the meteor shower at the end of the month. "Are you really not going? We could all go together."
The elder Indeedee shook its head, indicating that it would be better for its younger sister to accompany Silas and help look after the Pokémon.
It would remain at the ranch, managing the rear.
Responsible for caring for all the Pokémon here.
"Alright." The elder Indeedee had always been like this. It took its duties extremely seriously and would never allow even the slightest mistake.
Finishing the last sip of tea in his cup, Silas bade the elder Indeedee goodbye and headed alone toward the berry orchard. He reached out and knocked on the door.
"Meganium, Tropius, I am coming in."
(End of Chapter)