Maybe it was the character Cain showed when he stood up that made Kommo-o see him in a new light.
Or maybe it was the genuine tenderness Cain displayed at the end, which touched something deep within Kommo-o.
The pressure emanating from his body gradually decreased, until he returned to his earlier lazy demeanor.
With Slowking's help, Cain sat back down in the chair.
Just standing up had nearly exhausted him, and his back was completely soaked in sweat.
Bagon, seeing that Cain was sitting again, let out a sigh of relief.
However, when he looked at Kommo-o, his expression was a bit strange—almost hostile.
The small Riolu next to Cain, on the other hand, stared at Kommo-o with wide eyes, full of curiosity, not a hint of fear.
His adorable expression made him look more like a pet.
"Your tenacity has earned my recognition, unknown being," Kommo-o said again.
Upon hearing this, Cain was slightly stunned.
That easy to convince?
Ahem...
He quickly returned to a calm and serene expression.
"Go, Bagon. Go see what he wants from you," Cain said, without continuing to speak to Kommo-o.
Upon hearing this, Bagon hesitated again.
Kommo-o's earlier behavior hadn't left a good impression.
But Cain had asked him to go...
After a bit of hesitation, Bagon slowly approached Kommo-o, distrustful eyes locked on him.
Seeing Bagon's expression, Kommo-o's fury ignited instantly.
Ever since he evolved, when had anyone ever looked at him like that?
He was a mighty Dragon-type Pokémon!
Almost as if to demonstrate his power, Kommo-o let out a low roar toward Bagon.
"Pay attention, little one," he transmitted through Slowking's telepathy, which allowed Cain to understand his intention.
Zas!
Zas!
Kommo-o's tail lifted high into the air, and at its scale-covered tip, a massive amount of Dragon-type energy gathered.
Fwhoom!
At its highest point, the tail slammed down hard into the ground.
Cain couldn't even follow the movement with his eyes.
BOOOOM!!
CRACK!
Dragon Tail!
Accompanied by a deafening crash, the sound of the earth splitting echoed. Chunks of rock flew in all directions.
From the spot where Kommo-o's tail had landed, the ground had cracked straight open.
Bagon looked behind him in shock.
Where there had once been a dense and seemingly endless jungle, there was now a massive fissure. The forest had completely vanished in that area.
The broken and sunken ground formed a clear path. The rift stretched for dozens of meters.
And all of it had come from a single casual swing of his tail!
Seen from above, the Combee jungle would look like a cake, and that tail swing from Kommo-o like someone had dragged a finger through the frosting—a visible and powerful mark.
Gulp...
Bagon swallowed hard in silence.
What strength!
After showing his power, Kommo-o was clearly satisfied with the expression Bagon wore.
As it should be.
They were in Combee territory. Hearing the destruction, several powerful Vespiquen, leading swarms of Combee, flew in furiously.
But upon seeing who caused the damage, the leader lost all aggression.
In fact, she fled at full speed, even faster than when she had arrived.
Kommo-o didn't pay them the slightest attention.
Even if he lay down and let them attack freely, they wouldn't be able to leave a single scratch on his scales.
Kommo-o raised his eyebrows at Bagon, as if to say: "Well? Now you see what I'm capable of?"
Bagon snapped out of it and turned again to look at Cain.
Are you sure I won't die if that guy sneezes?
Or something like... Couldn't that monster kill me with just a sneeze?
That was more or less the message Cain picked up from Bagon's gaze.
Although he also felt it wasn't entirely certain, Cain nodded and gave him a look.
Don't worry. He already moved earlier, it's unlikely he'll sneeze now. You'll be fine.
Go ahead...
Receiving that confirmation, Bagon slowly approached Kommo-o.
Only up close could one truly feel the vast difference between them.
Could this guy really kill me with a sneeze?
While Bagon was still wondering whether or not the other could control himself, Kommo-o raised one of his large hands and gave him a gentle tap on the head.
Luckily, the bloody scene Bagon had imagined didn't happen; Kommo-o perfectly controlled his strength.
Having come this far in his development, Kommo-o's control over his power was absolutely precise.
Bagon only felt a slight weight on his head—an enormous hand resting on it.
He gently rubbed his head.
Kommo-o wore a slightly nostalgic expression, while Bagon was left stunned.
To Bagon, that feeling was completely new.
Since birth, he had always been alone, struggling every day to survive. It wasn't until he met Cain that his life began to improve.
And that hand, though covered in small scales, carried warmth and an energy they shared as Dragon-types.
Although Bagon deeply respected Cain and had vowed in his heart to repay him in this life...
...what he was feeling now from Kommo-o... was something akin to paternal love.
It was a feeling hard to get from Cain. After all, when Bagon was captured, he already had a formed consciousness—it wasn't like Tyranitar, who saw Cain as a father figure.
For Kommo-o, on the other hand, without a Jangmo-o of his own, he had always felt an emptiness.
Since leaving his homeland, he hadn't met another of his kind. Now, seeing Bagon, he took him as if he were Jangmo-o—a way to fill that emotional void.
Bagon and Kommo-o, in that moment, were like an orphan suddenly finding an adult longing for a child, and because they were so similar, they became mutual comfort.
Also, both were pseudo-legendary Dragon-type Pokémon.
Cain understood this situation perfectly.
They had only just met, but their bond had already grown significantly.
As it should be.
"Koomom!"
Kommo-o withdrew his hand from Bagon's head and let out a soft roar.
"It's time now, little one... evolve!"
Upon hearing this, Bagon looked once more at Cain.
Cain nodded with a smile.
Indeed, the time had come. Bagon had pushed his current body to its limit.
"GRUUUUR!"
Bagon's roar, still with a childlike tone, sounded like that of a small dragon.
But that very hint of innocence made Kommo-o's eyes soften even more.
A white glow enveloped Bagon's body!
He's evolving!
(End of chapter)