Chapter 470: The Lonely Giant Dragonite and the Strange Silver Feather

Paldea League Headquarters.

Geeta was awakened by a phone call, her sleepiness vanishing instantly as a cold sweat broke out all over her body.

A creature estimated to be nearly a hundred meters tall—was this a dream?

If a creature truly existed at this scale, even her ace Pokémon would likely struggle to defeat it.

Had the call not been a direct report from Miss Miss Junsha, she would have thought someone was playing a prank on her.

But after this call, the continuous stream of incoming information forced Geeta to admit that a monster of such size was indeed approaching Artazon! Her first thought was of Ryme; since Ryme's phone was off, she immediately sent someone to contact Ryme's assistant.

They needed to at least delay the monster for a while, holding out until the support arranged by the League arrived! But extremely unfortunately, Ryme was currently on an international flight heading to a fashion show in the Unova region and could not return in time.

Even if Brother Brother Qingmu were still working overtime, he likely wouldn't make it in time; even if Geeta herself departed immediately, she probably couldn't reach Artazon before that monster landed.

Was emergency evacuation the only path left? Geeta, who had just arrived at the hastily established command center, came to a halt, a rare expression of conflict appearing on her face.

Once evacuated, Artazon's nascent economy would likely suffer a severe blow.

But.

Was the economy truly more important than the safety of Paldea's residents?

Geeta recalled the goals and ideals she had set for herself when she became the Chairwoman of the Paldea League.

She wanted to build Paldea into a prosperous and healthy region where people lived in peace and contentment, Pokémon lived happily, humanity and nature advanced hand in hand, and Trainers grew strong.

It seemed there was no need to hesitate any longer.

Geeta took a deep breath, about to issue the order to activate the emergency plan and evacuate the residents of Artazon.

At that moment, a call was transferred to her headset.

On the other end of the line, Ryme wasted no words and spoke directly:

"That person is near Artazon, Chairwoman!"

That person? Geeta froze; when she heard those two words from Ryme's mouth, a spark of hope instantly ignited in her eyes.

A plan rapidly formed in her mind.

If it was Luo Mu, he could indeed stop that giant monster whose true identity remained unknown; even driving it away was not impossible.

Geeta unleashed her full aura and issued orders in an organized manner.

"Contact Luo Mu immediately; he should have left an emergency contact number with the League."

"Notify Artazon to be ready for evacuation at any moment; we will notify them immediately based on how the situation develops."

"... Also, prepare a helicopter; I am going to Artazon!"

On higher ground near the beach, several dozen kilometers from Artazon.

To put it plainly, the commotion on the other side had not affected the quality sleep of the few people in the two tents here.

Luo Mu had just switched shifts with the Swampert responsible for night watch and was staring at the moonlit sea, lost in thought.

If only I had brought my fishing rod; I could have done some fishing.

Just then.

The mobile phone beside him suddenly vibrated.

It wasn't an alarm reminding him that time was up, but a phone call.

Although curious about who would be calling him in the middle of the night, Luo Mu quickly answered.

After the person on the other end spoke rapidly without taking a single breath, even Luo Mu was stunned for a second.

A hundred-meter-tall monster, about to land in Artazon?

Good heavens, have I been dropped into the neighboring Ultraman set?

Still, this "little surprise in life" was indeed a bit frightening.

He hadn't expected that the giant creature resembling a huge Dragonite, which Hearing Nimo and the others had witnessed, had actually moved to the other side of Artazon.

Come to think of it, the opponent was likely employing a broad-net tactic; if it didn't find its kind here, it would move to another place to continue searching, repeating this process who knew how many times, for who knew how many years.

In a certain sense, it was quite stubborn.

On the other end of the call, the panic in Geeta's little assistant's voice was very obvious; if the hundred-meter-tall giant Dragonite accidentally bumped into that massive rock, Artazon would indeed face the danger of destruction... Thinking of this.

Luo Mu stood up directly, intending to wake the four guys sleeping soundly inside the tent.

Seemingly because they had made a fuss all day, these four were sleeping more deeply than one another, completely impossible to wake up, including Pikachu, which was plastered onto Ash's face like a face-hugger.

With the situation urgent over there and no other choice, Luo Mu could only summon Swampert again, instructing it to protect the safety of the four while he was away, then mounted his Dragonite and flew toward Artazon.

At Dragonite's flight speed, Luo Mu soon saw the silhouette of Artazon, situated atop the giant rock.

At this moment, Artazon was brightly lit, very conspicuous.

A sorrowful cry echoed through the air; Luo Mu couldn't be sure which creature's call it was.

It sounded a bit like the whale songs of Wailord he had heard before, and also seemed somewhat similar to the cry of the Dragonite beneath him, but the most similar image that suddenly surfaced in Luo Mu's mind was a figure with pure white feathers, like a giant bird, isolated from the world in the depths of an ocean trench.

It really was very similar.

His eyes flickered slightly, unsure of what he was thinking.

Following the coordinates given in that previous call, Luo Mu had Dragonite land there.

The location was on an open space at the edge of the giant rock, outside Artazon.

At this time, gathered here were all the police forces of the entire Artazon Police Station, aside from the officers maintaining order within Artazon.

They seemed to have been notified in advance and were not surprised by Luo Mu's arrival.

However, when they saw the Dragonite that Luo Mu was riding, their expressions became unnatural for a moment.

Taking this scene into his eyes, Luo Mu looked thoughtful, then turned to the leading Miss Miss Junsha and asked without ceremony, "What is the current situation?"

Miss Miss Junsha first straightened her back and saluted Luo Mu, before speaking: "Thank you for your support, Mr. Luo Mu; I am Miss Junsha from the Artazon Police Station, badge number 09526!"

While speaking, Miss Junsha sized up Luo Mu's appearance.

Indeed, just as headquarters had notified, he was a very young person.

Miss Miss Junsha did not look down on Luo Mu because of his age; after all, he was an extremely rare Champion-level Trainer.

To put it more broadly, he was currently the guardian deity of the entire Beigu Town!

"Please allow me to explain the current situation."

Miss Miss Junsha naturally had not forgotten her official duties; at her signal, a police officer nearby quickly brought over a portable holographic projector.

"Currently, the target is located in the sea area 20 nautical miles away from the Giant Rock. Fortunately, the other party does not seem to be moving in earnest; its speed is slow. Otherwise, merely the waves stirred up by its massive body while moving would pose a significant problem."

"Next is regarding the true form of this giant monster. Please look at the modeling results after observation."

As Miss Miss Junsha finished speaking, she subtly glanced at the Dragonite following beside Luo Mu, which seemed to have sensed something and had been looking up into the distance. She then clapped her hands.

The device activated, and the holographic projection system started.

A model with wings, looking exactly like the Dragonite beside Luo Mu, appeared on the projection device.

"As you can see, although it is hard to believe, our assessment determines that the so-called 'giant monster' is of the same species as the Pokémon by your side: a Dragonite."

Miss Miss Junsha spoke with clear logic. "According to remote measurements, the other party's size is approximately 100.46 meters. Since one-third of its body and its entire tail are beneath the sea surface, there may be errors in the data."

"Based on predictions of its travel route, there is an 85% probability it will pass the Giant Rock. If a collision occurs between the two parties, or if the other party suddenly wishes to sharpen its claws..."

Not to mention even worse possibilities, such as the other party finding the Giant Rock eyesore and firing a Hyper Beam—

Just imagining that scene made Miss Miss Junsha shudder with fear.

Miss Miss Junsha's preliminary investigation was done very well; even Luo Mu could find no omissions.

Luo Mu indicated he understood and asked, "So, what is your plan here? Expulsion, defeat, obstruction, or negotiation?"

"If a conflict arises, unforeseen events may occur," Miss Miss Junsha said without hesitation. "If possible... we hope you can cause the other party to stop moving or change direction. Resolving this incident without resorting to force is naturally the best outcome."

Luo Mu nodded. "In other words, it depends on my judgment, right? Understood."

Miss Miss Junsha knew the implication behind Luo Mu's words and offered an awkward smile.

After all, this was the first time they had encountered such an event; not even twenty minutes had passed since the report was filed, so how could they possibly provide a suitable and prudent solution so quickly?

Luo Mu declined Miss Miss Junsha's offer of helicopter escort; after all, he was unsure whether the giant Dragonite would react strongly to the sound of rotor blades.

Following the positioning device provided by the police, Luo Mu mounted his Dragonite and soon arrived in the airspace above the sea area where the target was located.

This place was enveloped in an unprecedented thick fog. A huge creature, resembling a black shadow, moved slowly, emitting an ancient whale-like cry, sorrowful yet melodious.

Luo Mu thought this was probably the reason why news of the giant Dragonite had hardly ever spread.

Without modern technological scanning, relying solely on the naked eye, it was truly difficult to see clearly; even the outline of that black shadow within the thick fog was hard to distinguish.

"Boo-wu..."

The Dragonite beneath him suddenly cried out. Looking at the massive black shadow in the thick fog, sadness seemed to fill its large eyes.

The other party seemed to be searching, calling out for something.

It had searched for a very, very long time, until its mind went numb and its movements became mechanical, yet it was still unwilling to give up.

"Can you understand its call?"

Luo Mu looked at the Dragonite beneath him and asked.

"Boo-wu."

The Dragonite nodded.

Although the general meaning was slightly vague, the emotion contained within that cry, which seemed to originate from the same source as itself, could not be faked.

"Then try calling out to it."

Luo Mu gently patted the Dragonite's body, signaling it to increase its flight altitude.

The strength of this giant Dragonite was unfathomable. Even though the strength of his own Dragonite had undergone a world of difference compared to when it took the Champion Exam...

If possible, Luo Mu still hoped to avoid any conflict.

After all, he had not brought his full main force this time.

But if necessary, a phone call home could bring Lei Guan Wang over.

The Dragonite quickly flew to the side of the giant Dragonite and, facing the shadow, called out several times with all its might.

The giant Dragonite seemed as if it hadn't heard, continuing to move forward slowly.

This made Luo Mu wonder if this giant Dragonite was a bit hard of hearing.

Only after the Dragonite persisted in calling out a few more times did the other party finally react.

In its bright eyes, which were countless times larger than light bulbs, the numb glow disappeared, replaced by a slight fluctuation of emotion.

It gazed at the Dragonite and at Luo Mu on its back.

"Roar-wu?"

Perhaps due to its size, the cute and silly cry of Luo Mu's Dragonite became incredibly deep and resonant when uttered by the giant Dragonite.

Within the thick fog, it tilted its head, seeming very surprised that someone would actually initiate a conversation with it.

After all, normally when other creatures saw it, they would avoid it at all costs.

The giant Dragonite immediately became somewhat at a loss.

Just imagine: if you had lived alone for who knows how many years and suddenly someone struck up a conversation with you, what would your reaction be? The giant Dragonite's reaction was quite interesting.

It thought for a moment; seemingly worried that its size would frighten Luo Mu and the Dragonite, it stopped maintaining its surfacing motion and instead carefully sank its body underwater, exposing only its head and a small portion of its neck.

Judging by its appearance, it seemed terrified that it might stir up waves and sweep Luo Mu and the Dragonite away.

Then.

Its eyes flickered with easily detectable anticipation as it opened its mouth and let out a cry.

"Roar-wu~?" (Have you seen my companions?) But because the giant Dragonite was slightly unskilled in its movements and hadn't switched back to its diving state, it nearly choked on water.

"..."

Luo Mu fell silent.

So silly... it really seems to be a Dragonite! It's just a pity that he couldn't understand the giant Dragonite's cries at all.

Luo Mu could only entrust the heavy burden of communication to Dragonite.

Dragonite lowered its altitude, flew before the gigantic Dragonite, pointed at itself, and asked with confusion, "Boo?" (Aren't we of the same kind?)

Although this gigantic Dragonite, radiating a dense aura of loneliness, was dozens of times larger than itself, in Dragonite's eyes, the other was indeed of its own kind.

Just like the larger Dragonite in the Dragon Sanctuary, this gigantic Dragonite was a super-gigantic Dragonite! Yet the gigantic Dragonite shook its head, stirring up a wave, and roared, "Hoo." (You are of my kind, but not my companion.) A trace of loneliness flashed in the gigantic Dragonite's eyes.

During its journey to find companions, it had not failed to see Pokémon identical to the Dragonite before it.

After all, those fellows were always more than willing to help others.

But for it, a thick, sorrowful barrier had long separated itself from these Dragonite.

It could not feel a sense of belonging toward them; in every aspect, it had to be careful not to hurt them.

In the end, it could only wander alone and numbly through the ocean, searching for companions whose whereabouts were unknown.

The gigantic Dragonite had long since realized this.

Dragonite were of the same kind, but not companions.

Companions like itself must surely exist somewhere in the world, waiting to meet it.

Disappointment flashed in the gigantic Dragonite's eyes, but fortunately, it had long grown accustomed to disappointment; its body gradually rose from the seawater, and amidst a sky-full of splashing water, it looked at Luo Mu and Dragonite, letting out a soft cry.

"Hoooo—" (It seems you do not know where my companions are either, but thank you for chatting with me; I must go, as my companions are surely still waiting for me.) Luo Mu did not understand what the gigantic Dragonite and Dragonite had communicated.

But from the obvious shift in emotion within the gigantic Dragonite's eyes, he could roughly deduce the outcome.

So then.

Should he request that the gigantic Dragonite not proceed to Beigu Town, thereby bringing this meeting to a hasty conclusion?

Or perhaps... A slight itch seemed to transmit from his chest; Luo Mu lowered his head and took out the Silver Wing hanging around his neck.

Suddenly, an idea surfaced in his mind.

If it were Lugia, would it know something? (End of Chapter)