Join my p@treon for more chapters
p@treon.com/Tempest_29
When all the smoke cleared, the helicopter had vanished. Proton had clearly retreated, leaving only chaos in his wake.
The water remained visible, with many Pokémon still floating unconscious on the surface. Dragonair and Dratini seemed confused by the situation.
The bombing of the water moments ago had created a dangerous situation, but now that things had calmed down, Kaiser immediately rushed forward.
"Dratini!!" Kaiser shouted, preparing to jump into the water.
"Wait, Mr. Kaiser! Calm down!"
Ash quickly stopped him. Unlike Dratini, Dragonair was different. While Dratini was still a Dragon-type Pokémon in its early stage, it was weaker and less capable of protecting itself.
After evolving, however, Dragonair had begun to possess the true power of a Dragon Pokémon and could fully defend itself.
If Proton hadn't been concerned about hurting Dratini when it was caught earlier, it would have been difficult to trap Dragonair in that net.
This was probably one of the drawbacks of pseudo-legendary Pokémon! The world had granted them powers far exceeding those of normal Pokémon, but there was balance in this. In their earlier stages, they were usually not very powerful, and some might even be weaker than Normal-type Pokémon.
"Ash, let me go! I need to save Dratini!" Kaiser continued struggling against Ash's grip, but being elderly, he couldn't break free. At that moment, a sound emerged from the water.
A melodious cry echoed across the lake.
Hearing this, Kaiser finally calmed down and looked toward the water. A blue figure rose halfway out of the water, standing upright and gazing in their direction.
"Dragonair!" Ash exclaimed, releasing his hold on Kaiser.
Kaiser quickly approached. As he got closer, he noticed an X-shaped scar on the sharp corner of Dragonair's forehead.
"That scar... are you the same Dratini from before? I see, you've evolved?" Kaiser recognized the mark immediately. The Dratini he had discovered years ago had this distinctive scar on the bulge of its forehead. Now that Dratini had evolved into Dragonair.
Dragonair nodded in confirmation, its large eyes showing gratitude. It understood that Kaiser had been protecting their sanctuary for many years.
"That's wonderful!" Kaiser sighed with relief upon seeing that Dragonair was unharmed.
A softer cry sounded, and another figure emerged from the water—the Dratini that had been captured earlier.
"Is that Dratini? So, is this your child?" Kaiser asked, looking at the smaller Dragon Pokémon before raising his gaze to Dragonair.
Dragonair nodded slightly in response. Kaiser felt a wave of relief. He hadn't expected that the Dratini he had rescued years ago would now be a Dragonair with its own offspring.
Kaiser himself had grown old, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could protect this place. Worse still, the villains now knew that Dragonair and Dratini were here, and there was no telling whether they would return.
This time they had been saved thanks to Ash and his friends, but if Kaiser had been alone, he might not have been able to protect Dragonair and Dratini.
The reason for Dragonair's horn injury in the past was because it had been pursued by hunters. Kaiser had found it after it escaped to this area. He didn't want such a thing to happen again.
"Dragonair, you need to take Dratini away from here," Kaiser said reluctantly. "This place has been exposed. You can't continue living here safely."
Dragonair made a soft, reluctant sound, lowering its head and leaning against Kaiser. Kaiser couldn't help but embrace Dragonair's head.
"I know, and I'm very reluctant to see you go, but I can't let you be in danger again."
"But rare Pokémon like Dragonair and Dratini might face the same danger anywhere!" Misty pointed out, moved by the scene but concerned about their future.
Indeed, where they could go after leaving was a difficult problem.
"Isn't there a good place nearby?" Ash suggested.
"Nearby? You mean..." Kaiser seemed startled by Ash's words, then appeared to realize something.
"Ash, what are you talking about?" Misty looked confused.
"The Nature Reserve!"
The Nature Reserve and the Safari Zone were both established by the Pokémon League, but they were fundamentally different. The Safari Zone could be conquered by Trainers, but the Nature Reserve was strictly protected—no capturing allowed.
Though poaching wasn't completely unheard of, security in the Reserve was much stronger. Under normal circumstances, Trainers wouldn't dare capture Pokémon there, as they would be blacklisted if discovered.
As for predators, they existed throughout the world, so that risk couldn't be completely eliminated, but the protection in Nature Reserves was definitely better than their current location.
"The Nature Reserve is indeed a good place," Kaiser murmured softly.
Moreover, it was close to the Safari Zone, which would make it more convenient if he wanted to visit them.
"I think you just need to report to the Pokémon League, then negotiate with the Nature Reserve administrators. They should be happy to protect a Dragonair and Dratini." Both regions belonged to the League, and once reported, they would vigorously support their protection.
"Okay, let's do this. Dragonair, are you willing?" Kaiser agreed to Ash's proposal, but ultimately the decision belonged to Dragonair.
Dragonair nodded after considering Kaiser's words. It understood that after being discovered, staying would only cause more trouble—not just for the local Pokémon, but for Kaiser as well.
Leaving was the best choice. Now that Kaiser had helped them find a new home, despite its reluctance to leave, Dragonair accepted the proposal.
"That's great. You'll have a new place where you can live freely, Dragonair!" Kaiser embraced Dragonair, unable to hold back his tears. From behind, Misty and Brock were also moved by the heartfelt scene.