"Koomom!"
Seeing that Bagon was looking to Cain for his opinion, even before Cain could say anything, the Kommo-o—who had seemed apathetic until then—suddenly let out a furious roar.
That listless appearance vanished completely.
He roared, both at Cain and at Bagon.
Kommo-o's roar left Bagon completely bewildered, unsure of what to do.
Slowking and Mismagius immediately appeared in front of Cain, with serious expressions, closely watching Kommo-o, ready to react to any sudden attack.
Slowking's psychic power had already spread out completely, encompassing Cain and all his Pokémon within the range of the move Teleport.
Although he was no match for Kommo-o in terms of strength, Slowking showed no fear. He trusted he could use Teleport before the opponent could lay a hand on the group.
That was all an Elite-level Pokémon could do when faced with a Champion-level opponent.
Kommo-o's roar made Cain furrow his brow.
What did it mean?
Did he disapprove of Bagon obeying a human?
Even though telepathy couldn't be used at that moment, Cain clearly understood Kommo-o's intention just by the blatant look in his eyes.
Despite his age, he was still a proud and stubborn one.
Had he perhaps taken an interest in Bagon, a pure-blooded dragon Pokémon?
Did he feel empty after the loss of Jangmo-o, without a clear purpose?
Had he sensed the dragon-type energy in Bagon, or had he been drawn by the Dragon Scale item?
Could it be that, upon seeing Bagon, he confused him with Jangmo-o?
Did he see him as a form of emotional solace?
And at the same time, did it anger him that Bagon followed a weak human?
A series of ideas and assumptions immediately formed in Cain's mind.
Judging by Kommo-o's actions, it seemed to be just that.
Cain wasn't far from the truth. Kommo-o, in fact, wanted to express exactly that.
The only one who truly understood what Kommo-o meant with his roar was Bagon, which is why he seemed so uncomfortable.
Bagon didn't feel ashamed by what Kommo-o had said; what he perceived was his strength, and he knew that Cain, being injured, didn't want to provoke such powerful opponents.
"Slowking, use telepathy. I want to know exactly what he means," said Cain calmly, facing Kommo-o's pressure without fear.
Upon hearing this, Slowking's eyes shone with a blue light as he established the mental connection.
"Koomom!"
Kommo-o, sensing the intention of the psychic power in his mind, hesitated for a moment, but allowed Slowking to connect with him.
"That little one is about to evolve! You, weak being, are not worthy of having him!" transmitted Kommo-o through the mental link established by Slowking.
The first phrase Cain heard wasn't exactly friendly.
With a smile on his face, he responded: "Bagon is my Pokémon! My companion! His evolution is under my control!"
Kommo-o perfectly understood what Cain meant.
"Koomom!"
However, upon hearing those words, Kommo-o reacted as if someone had stepped on his tail. He roared again fiercely, almost as if he was about to leap at Cain.
His energy kept rising, and even the surroundings began to stir.
Leaves around them rose despite the lack of wind, and sand and small stones on the ground started to fly.
Cain looked at Slowking.
He hesitated for a moment but cooperated immediately.
He used his psychic power to help Cain stand up little by little.
Before, not knowing what kind of Pokémon he was facing, Cain had some reservations. But upon confirming it was a Kommo-o, he felt reassured.
Kommo-o himself had called Cain a "weak being."
A proud Kommo-o wouldn't attack a weakling; that would dishonor his lineage.
Although Cain's face showed no change, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Even with the help of Slowking's psychic power, it was extremely hard for him to stay on his feet.
But even so, he managed to rise from the seat of sand. He didn't move toward Bagon, fearing he might not even make it before collapsing from the pain.
His sharp eyes locked onto Kommo-o's without showing the slightest hint of retreat.
He spoke again: "Bagon is my Pokémon! My companion! It is my responsibility to help him grow stronger! That's why his evolution is part of my plans!"
Standing, with greater force in his voice, his presence became even more imposing.
What did it matter to be weak?
If he was capable of earning the trust of so many Pokémon, that was also a kind of strength.
Kommo-o, seeing him, showed a look of surprise in his eyes.
What a sharp gaze!
"Koomom..."
"Then I want to see how you intend to handle him. Are you capable of fully developing his talent? Don't go wasting it out of arrogance!" said Kommo-o.
His tone, however, was no longer as hostile.
The pressure he was emitting and the energy flowing around him began to subside.
He sensed Cain's physical condition, and even so, saw him rise, enduring the pain, without backing down in the slightest before his presence.
The sweat dripping down his forehead, the involuntary trembling at the corners of his eyes...
Kommo-o acknowledged Cain.
Although to him Cain was still extremely weak, his spirit deserved respect.
The corner of Cain's lips curled slightly.
For Pokémon with different personalities, different approaches were needed. If instead of Kommo-o, it had been a Champion-level Tyranitar, the wisest move would have been to escape immediately using Slowking's Teleport, without a second thought.
But when facing Kommo-o, the stronger and more determined one appeared, the more recognition one could earn.
Taking advantage of that trait, Cain asked Slowking to help him stand using his powers.
By showing enough resolve, he earned the other's recognition.
Even though deep down, Cain was crying blood.
It hurt so much! Damn it, it hurt like hell!
And he had no idea how long those dimensional wounds would take to heal...
Inside, Cain was furious and helpless, but outwardly he kept a calm expression—enough to impress Kommo-o.
Bagon, aware of Cain's condition, quickly ran to his side and tugged on his pants to signal him to sit down.
Seeing Bagon so attentive and considerate, Cain let out a long sigh, signaling to Slowking to help him sit down gently.
Then, he cast a look full of affection at Bagon.
That affection was genuine, with not the slightest trace of falsehood.
Since his past life, he owed Bagon far too much.
Even if Bagon didn't know it, he remembered it with absolute clarity, and those emotional ties had extended into this life.
This time, he would take him all the way to the top!
(End of chapter)