Excluding the belly and wing-membrane areas, the shiny green Dragonite was almost entirely green. It snorted a puff of air from its nostrils and looked down at Lucas with obvious disdain.
The expression couldn't exactly be called unfriendly — it was more like it looked down on this human from the bottom of its heart.
The gentle, honest nature most Dragonite possessed was nowhere to be found on this one. Instead, that fierce glare reminded Lucas of the Dragonite Iris would catch in the future.
— Normal Dragonite were "hug dragons." This one was different. It was an "explode dragon."
But compared to hug dragons or explode dragons, Lucas was far more concerned about something else right now.
"You staring at me?"
He looked at the shiny Dragonite, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Aowu!" (Staring at you — so what!)
The shiny Dragonite crossed its arms, turned sideways, and glared at Lucas from an even more contemptuous angle.
Amazingly, without needing the Moltres beside him to translate, Lucas could perfectly understand what the shiny Dragonite was trying to say. That vivid look of disdain and disgust was impossible to fake.
Because of that, Lucas felt even more uncomfortable.
I haven't even started complaining about how ugly you are to my eyes, and now you're the one complaining about me?
Everyone knew that most Pokémon players went crazy over anything labeled "shiny". They would spend hours resetting in the wild without shiny sparkles, even if it meant going blind.
Logically, a shiny version of the popular Dragonite should have been highly sought after.
The Dratini and Dragonair stages were fine — pink Dratini and ethereal pink Dragonair were both very good-looking.
But for most players, the shiny Dragonite's color scheme was one of the most hated shiny palettes: that disgusting shit-green.
Judging by its size, build, and the shape of its whiskers, this shiny Dragonite was clearly male.
Ugly was ugly, but thankfully the pink Dragonair back on the farm — the "big mom" who had raised his own Dragonite — was already wearing an Everstone Lucas had spent a fortune on. No risk of evolution whatsoever.
Of course, before putting the Everstone on, Lucas had specifically asked the pink Dragonair for its opinion.
After seeing the evolved form Lucas showed it, the pink Dragonair agreed without a second thought.
— Whether from a human or Pokémon perspective, that appearance was simply too hard to describe.
Lucas frowned and was about to speak when —
"Bo wu! Bo wu!"
His own Dragonite suddenly stepped in front of him, using its soft, chubby voice to question the shiny Dragonite's rude attitude.
The shiny Dragonite finally turned its attention to Lucas's Dragonite and froze for a moment.
It had been too focused on the human intruder earlier.
But now that it looked closely… this fellow clan member it hadn't noticed before was actually quite handsome!
Compared to the slender Dragonair type, it much preferred females whose build and appearance were similar to its own!
The shiny Dragonite's eyes lit up. It completely ignored Lucas and moved closer to his Dragonite.
A courtship Dragon Dance was still too early. The shiny Dragonite struck what it considered a cool pose and tried to hook its tail around Lucas's Dragonite's tail.
— If Lucas's Dragonite didn't refuse, it meant it had a good impression, and things could progress further!
From the very beginning, the shiny Dragonite had been confident. With its "clan-grass" level good looks among Dragonite, snatching this cute little female dragon would be effortless.
— Reality, however, completely defied its expectations.
Lucas's Dragonite didn't understand what the shiny Dragonite was doing, but this guy had just been mean to Lucas. How could it allow the other to come over and hook its tail tip?
It simply backed up a few steps, completely avoiding the shiny Dragonite's "intimate" gesture.
The shiny Dragonite frowned and tried to approach again.
Before Lucas's Dragonite could dodge, the Moltres — which had finally finished preening its feathers — suddenly flew in between them.
A flash of wariness appeared in the shiny Dragonite's eyes.
It could sense a strong threat coming from the Moltres.
The shiny Dragonite tried to intimidate it with a low growl, but the Moltres didn't budge. It only gave the shiny Dragonite a pitying look.
Did it really think this bird was here to play flower-protector?
If you push your luck, not only will the Dragonite's tail slap you across the face next second, but the trainer beside this bird who's already heating up will have that strong Swampert land an Ice Punch on you.
The shiny Dragonite's behavior was greasy and flirty, but it was technically the normal way wild Pokémon got to know each other and built bonds.
— Still, just watching its slovenly actions on top of that earlier disdainful glare made Lucas want to punch it without another word.
You're eyeing the Dragonite I raised with my own hands?
Are you even worthy?
If the Moltres hadn't stepped in to smooth things over, he would have already started a fight.
Before anything else could happen, the giant Dragonite and the groups of Dragonite and Dragonair on the sea seemed to have finished their discussion.
The Dragonites that had left and returned landed back on the beach. They surrounded Lucas and his companions and began performing a lively welcome dance.
Even the oily, fierce shiny Dragonite was dragged into the circle and forced to dance unwillingly.
— It didn't seem to be ostracized by the group because of its different color.
This unique group Dragon Dance welcoming ceremony would have left even a Garchomp stunned.
The dance lasted for a while. After the Dragonite and Dragonair finished, a much steadier-looking wild Dragonite with a strangely kind aura — clearly the clan leader type — stepped forward.
This Dragonite was visibly older than the others. A special "presence" surrounded it.
The other wild Dragonites and Dragonair looked at it with obvious respect.
Even the shiny Dragonite that had acted like a troublemaker in front of Lucas obediently lowered its head.
The suspected clan leader first examined Lucas, the Moltres, Victini, and Terapagos beside him, then finally rested its gaze on Lucas's Dragonite.
A flash of satisfaction appeared in its eyes. It then let out a call toward Lucas's Dragonite.
"Oh wu——"
Compared to the soft "bo wu" of Lucas's Dragonite and the fierce "aowu" of the shiny one, this wild Dragonite's cry was clearly older yet far more majestic.
"Bo wu?"
Lucas's Dragonite raised its little chubby paw in surprise and pointed at itself.
Eh? Me?
On the other side, Victini and Terapagos were even more shocked, lifting their little heads.
Many dragons in the wild group also showed surprised expressions.
The shiny Dragonite that had just been courting Lucas's Dragonite was especially stunned and raised its head.
Lucas couldn't understand what the wild Dragonite had said, so he turned to his gold-medal translator — the Moltres.
The Moltres helplessly relayed what it heard through telepathy.
The wild Dragonite had asked Lucas's Dragonite a question:
— Would you like to participate in the competition for leadership of this paradise belonging to the Dragonites, this secret sea island?
In other words, it was asking if Lucas's Dragonite wanted to try becoming the leader of these wild Dragonites — to run for the position of clan leader!
".Ah?"
Lucas let out a short sound mixed with one part hesitation, four parts confusion, and five parts shock.
No… what kind of divine plot development is this now?
The wild Dragonite that made the proposal nodded, glanced toward the sea behind it at the giant Dragonite, then turned back and explained with a few more calls.
Through the Moltres's simultaneous translation, Lucas finally understood the reason for this sudden invitation.
First, let's clarify the relationship between the wild Dragonites, the giant Dragonite, and Dragonite Island.
This imposing wild Dragonite was the current Dragonite Clan Leader, ruling over the entire Dragonite population living on this island.
The giant Dragonite, meanwhile, was the guardian deity protecting the island whenever it wasn't out searching for "companions."
The dense fog that appeared whenever it moved could completely envelop Dragonite Island, hiding it from the outside world. Very few humans ever set foot on this paradise.
The clan leader didn't explain in detail how the giant Dragonite became the island's guardian deity.
It only explained why the giant Dragonite had brought Lucas and the others here, and why it suggested letting Lucas's Dragonite compete for the clan leader position.
The story was complicated, but in short: the current clan leader felt it was getting old and wanted to choose a more promising successor to lead the entire group.
The reason it and the other Dragonites had been circling above the giant Dragonite's head earlier was because the giant Dragonite — as the guardian deity — had recommended Lucas (or rather, Lucas's Dragonite) to participate in this election.
That was why the clan leader had just invited Lucas's Dragonite.
"."
Lucas fell silent.
His first instinct was to take his Dragonite and leave immediately.
Even by rough distance, flying from this island to the Paldea Sea and then to Los Platos wouldn't take his Dragonite more than two hours.
Unlike Ash, Lucas had no intention of leaving his Pokémon in the wild to become the leader of some wild group.
Lucas's Dragonite also cast a pleading look at him.
It had lived with Lucas since the day it hatched and had barely seen any of its own kind.
Being suddenly asked to run for clan leader of a wild Dragonite group — how could it decide on the spot?
Naturally, it turned to the person it trusted most for help.
Lucas patted his Dragonite's shoulder, stepped in front of it, and politely declined to the clan leader:
"Sorry, our Dragonite probably won't be participating in the clan leader election."
"Besides, there are plenty of young and strong Dragonites in your group. It doesn't look like you're short on candidates."
Lucas's gaze swept over the Dragonites gathered on the beach, including that particularly eye-catching shiny one.
Ignoring its greasy behavior earlier, the shiny Dragonite wasn't bad in terms of physique or presence.
There was really no need to keep pushing on their "tree," let alone force his Dragonite to "compete" when it could just be directly appointed.
"Oh wu——"
The clan leader didn't seem surprised by the refusal. It called out again.
It told Lucas and the others they could explore Dragonite Island today. The official "ceremony" for the clan leader election would be held tomorrow.
If Lucas and his Dragonite truly didn't want to participate, no one would force them.
But if they changed their minds during this time, the clan leader would still welcome his Dragonite's participation.
— After all, it was the Dragonite recommended by the guardian deity. Even if it currently looked harmless, it must have something extraordinary about it.
In the end, Lucas decided to stay on Dragonite Island for now.
He was mainly curious about the island's ecology. Since the clan leader had said so, touring around before leaving wouldn't hurt.
Before starting the tour, however, Lucas went to speak with the giant Dragonite, whose entire body was submerged in the sea.
He asked if this was the real reason it had specially invited him to Dragonite Island.
Lucas was a little angry — not much, but still.
The giant Dragonite's reply was quite intriguing.
"Aowu Aowu"
It said there was a magical power on this island. Becoming clan leader would only bring benefits to a Dragonite — no downsides at all.
— As for the actual duties of the clan leader…
Most Dragonites here lived quiet, peaceful lives with very few busy affairs. Instead, they gained the right to command the entire Dragonite population on the island.
Lucas could only silently note this down. His intention to refuse hadn't changed yet. He still planned to look around the island first.
After temporarily saying goodbye to the giant Dragonite, Lucas took his Pokémon and left the beach.
They began exploring the forest area of the island.
"This is a Dragon Fire Fruit tree… this is a Dragon Clear Fruit tree…"
Walking through the forest, Lucas identified the plants along the path and was surprised to discover that the vegetation here was unusually lush.
He even grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it between his fingers, and examined it closely.
"The soil is also excellent—"
Even if it couldn't compare to the black soil Tapu Bulu created, it was still top-grade fertile soil.
Along the way, almost every fruit tree and berry bush Lucas saw was heavy with round, plump fruit. It was clear the natural resources here were extremely abundant.
Thinking about it, this made perfect sense.
— After all, this island was home to an enormous population of Dragonite.
There might even be more Dragonite here than the ones raised by the Dragon Tamer clan!
If the resources weren't rich, such a large group couldn't possibly exist.
Lucas's next discovery confirmed this even more.
Under many tree trunks along the path were piles of white shed skins.
Lucas was very familiar with these. He used to help his Dragonite shed its skin every single day back when it was still a Dratini.
These shed skins could actually be sold for quite a bit of money. In the past, they had helped ease a lot of financial pressure during his travels.
In a sense, this island was literally paved with gold!
But Lucas still held himself back and continued exploring without stopping to collect them.
Besides the shed skins, he soon made another discovery.
In a bush, a snake-like little creature just over a meter long, covered in light-blue scales, was struggling and wriggling.
It was the very first stage of the Dragonite evolutionary line — a Dratini!
A thin, almost invisible transparent "snake skin" was slowly peeling off its body.
— Judging by its appearance, the Dratini was clearly in the middle of shedding right now.
…