Chapter 673: Running for Chief of the Dragonite Clan?

A shiny Dragonite, its entire body except its belly and wing membranes glowing a sickly green, exhaled a stream of air from its nostrils, looking down at Luo Mu with clear disdain.

Its expression wasn’t unfriendly—it was outright contempt for Luo Mu as a human.

It showed none of the gentle, kind traits typical of most Dragonite; instead, its fierce glare reminded Luo Mu of the Dragonite later captured by Alice.

—Regular Dragonite are cuddly dragons; this one? It’s a rage dragon.

But compared to hugging Dragon or explosive Dragon, Luo Mu is now more concerned about something else.

“You lookin’ at me?”

He stared at the shiny Dragonite, his voice laced with disbelief.

“Awooo!” (So what if I am?)

The shiny Dragonite crossed its arms, turning sideways to glare at Luo Mu with even greater scorn.

Miraculously, without needing the Flareon’s translation, Luo Mu understood exactly what the shiny Dragonite meant.

That vivid, unfeigned disdain and disgust in its eyes couldn’t be faked.

And that made Luo Mu feel even worse.

I haven’t even complained about how ugly you are—how dare you look down on me?

As everyone knows, most Pokémon Trainers obsess over Pokémon marked as “shiny” or “alternate color.”

They’ll spend hours scouring the wild, endlessly refreshing spawns without any shiny sound effect, even if it ruins their eyesight.

Logically, the shiny form of the popular Dragonite should be highly sought after.

At the Dratini and Dragonair stages, it’s fine—the pink Dratini and the ethereal pink Dragonair are both stunningly beautiful.

But for most Trainers, the shiny Dragonite’s color scheme happens to be one of the most hated shades: shit-green.

Judging by its size, build, and antennae, this shiny Dragonite is clearly male.

Fine, it’s ugly—but at least the pink Dragonair back at the farm already wears the “Everstone” Luo Mu bought at great cost, guaranteeing it will never evolve.

Of course, before putting the Everstone on, Luo Mu specifically asked the pink Dragonair’s opinion.

After seeing the form it would take upon evolution, the pink Dragonair agreed without hesitation.

—From both human and Pokémon aesthetics, this form is simply beyond words.

Luo Mu frowned, about to say something.

“Boo-moo! Boo-moo!” But the Dragonite suddenly stepped in front of him, using its soft voice to demand why the shiny Dragonite was being so hostile.

The shiny Dragonite finally turned its attention to the Dragonite—and froze for a moment.

It had been so focused on Luo Mu, the unexpected human intruder.

But now, looking closely, this fellow Dragonite it had ignored was actually quite lovely!

Compared to the slender Dragonair, it clearly preferred a female Dragonite with a body shape like its own!

The shiny Dragonite’s eyes lit up instantly. It ignored Luo Mu completely and moved close to the Dragonite.

Courtship Dragon Dance was premature; the shiny Dragonite struck what it thought was a dashing pose, trying to hook its tail around the Dragonite’s.

—If the Dragonite didn’t pull away, that meant it liked the shiny Dragonite too—and they could build something deeper!

From the start, the shiny Dragonite was certain: with its “king of the clan” level of good looks, winning over this cute little female Dragonite would be effortless.

—But reality completely shattered its expectations.

Though the Dragonite didn’t understand what the shiny Dragonite was doing, it remembered how that thing had just growled at Luo Mu—how could it possibly let it come near its tail now?

It simply stepped back several paces, avoiding the shiny Dragonite’s advances entirely.

Surprised that the Dragonite rejected its affection, the shiny Dragonite frowned and tried to move closer again.

Before the Dragonite could retreat further, the Flareon, having just finished preening its feathers, suddenly stepped between them.

The shiny Dragonite’s eyes flickered with wariness.

The Dragonite aside, it sensed a powerful threat radiating from the Flareon.

The shiny Dragonite tried to intimidate the Flareon with a low, threatening growl.

But the Flareon didn’t budge—only gave the shiny Dragonite a pitying glance.

You really think I’m here as your flower guardian?

If you dare push further, next second not only will the Dragonite’s tail smack you in the face, but my trainer—now glowing red-hot—will have that Gyarados land a Frost Punch right on your ass.

The shiny Dragonite’s behavior may be obnoxious, but it’s still a normal way for wild Pokémon to express interest.

—But seeing its lazy, cocky antics layered over its earlier sneering gaze, Luo Mu felt for the first time the urge to just punch it without warning.

You’re interested in the cuddly Dragonite I raised from birth?

You’re not even worthy!

If the Flareon hadn’t intervened, Luo Mu would’ve already been fighting it.

Before any further action could unfold,

The communication between the giant Dragonite and the group of Dragonite and Dragonair on the sea seemed to be ending.

The returning Dragonite gathered back on the beach, surrounding Luo Mu and his party, dancing a joyful welcome dance.

The obnoxious, aggressive shiny Dragonite was dragged into the circle too, reluctantly joining the dance.

—It wasn’t excluded by the clan despite its different color.

This unique group Dragon Dance ceremony would leave even a Garchomp stunned.

The Dragon Dance lasted only a short while. When the Dragonite and Dragonair finished, a wild Dragonite emerged—calmer, with an air of quiet benevolence, resembling the clan leader.

This Dragonite was clearly much older than the others, surrounded by a distinct aura.

The other wild Dragonite and Dragonair looked at it with obvious respect.

Even the shiny Dragonite, who had acted like a rebel before Luo Mu, now bowed its head submissively.

The suspected leader, the clan chief, first scanned Luo Mu, the Flareon, the Victini, and the Tepig, then fixed its gaze on the Dragonite.

A flicker of approval passed through its eyes, then it let out a call.

“Ooooh—”

Compared to the Dragonite’s soft “boo-moo” and the shiny Dragonite’s harsh “awoo,” this wild Dragonite’s voice was aged yet commanding.

“Boo-moo?”

The Dragonite lifted its chubby little paw, pointing at itself in surprise.

Huh? Me?

On the other side, Victini and Tepig also lifted their tiny heads in shock.

Among the wild Dragonite and Dragonair, many others looked equally stunned.

The shiny Dragonite, who had just been flirting with the Dragonite, lifted its head in utter disbelief.

Luo Mu didn’t understand what the wild Dragonite had said—he turned to the Flareon, his Jinpaifanyiguan .

The Flareon could only reluctantly transmit what it heard via telepathy.

The wild Dragonite had asked the Dragonite a question.

—Would it like to compete for leadership of this secluded paradise, the hidden island realm of the Dragonite?

In other words: would it try to become the new clan chief of these wild Dragonite?

“.Ah?”

Luo Mu let out a short, choked sound, his voice laced with one part hesitation, four parts confusion, five parts shock.

What the hell is this twist?

The wild Dragonite that proposed this nodded, glancing toward the sea at the giant Dragonite, then called out a few more times to explain.

Through the Flareon’s synchronized translation, Luo Mu finally understood the sudden invitation.

First, clarify the relationship between the wild Dragonite, the giant Dragonite, and this Dragonite island.

This imposing wild Dragonite is the current Dragonite chief, ruling over the entire Dragonite population on this island.

The giant Dragonite, meanwhile, is the island’s guardian deity, protecting it whenever it’s not out searching for companions.

The thick fog that follows its movements shrouds the entire island, hiding it from view—almost no humans ever set foot here.

The wild Dragonite didn’t explain how the giant Dragonite became the guardian.

It only clarified why the giant Dragonite brought Luo Mu’s group here—and why it proposed the chief election.

It was complicated, but simply put: the wild Dragonite felt too old, and wanted to choose a more promising Dragonite to succeed it and lead the clan.

The reason it had circled above the giant Dragonite earlier was because the guardian had recommended Luo Mu—or rather, Luo Mu’s Dragonite—to join the election.

That’s why the wild Dragonite had just invited the Dragonite.

“.”

Luo Mu fell silent.

His first thought was to take the Dragonite and leave immediately.

Even by rough distance estimates, the Dragonite could reach the Paldea waters and then Pingdie Town in under two hours.

Unlike Ash, Luo Mu didn’t want his Pokémon staying in the wild to become some tribe’s leader.

The Dragonite also turned its pleading gaze toward Luo Mu.

It had lived with Luo Mu since birth—it had barely met its own kind.

To suddenly be asked to run for chief of a Dragonite clan? How could it decide on the spot?

Naturally, it turned to the one it trusted most.

Luo Mu patted the Dragonite’s shoulder, stepped forward, and politely declined to the chief: “I’m sorry, but our Dragonite won’t be entering the chief election.”

“Besides, your clan has plenty of young, strong Dragonite—surely you’re not short of candidates?”

Luo Mu’s gaze swept over the Dragonite gathered on the beach—including the conspicuously bright shiny Dragonite.

Ignoring its just-now oily behavior, in both physique and aura, the Shiny Dragonite was actually not lacking at all.

There was absolutely no need to cling to this tree, let alone force Dragonite to “compete” rather than be directly appointed.

“Oooh—”

The Dragonite elder was not surprised by Luo Mu’s polite refusal, but let out another call.

It invited Luo Mu and his party to wander the Dragonite Island today; the “ceremony” for electing the elder would begin tomorrow.

If Luo Mu and Dragonite truly had no wish to participate, it would not force them.

But during this time, should they change their minds, it would warmly welcome Dragonite’s participation.

—After all, it was the Guardian God’s recommended Dragonite; even if it now seemed harmless, it must surely possess extraordinary qualities.

In the end.

Luo Mu still chose to stay on Dragonite Island.

He was primarily curious about the island’s ecosystem; since the Dragonite elder had said as much, touring the island before leaving was perfectly fine.

But before touring Dragonite Island, Luo Mu specifically sought out the massive Dragonite, whose entire body was submerged in seawater, and asked if this was truly why it had invited him here.

Luo Mu was slightly annoyed—though not much.

Yet the massive Dragonite’s response was deeply intriguing.

“Auuu~ Auuu~”

It said the island possessed a magical power; becoming elder brought only benefits to Dragonite, no drawbacks.

—As for the duties of the elder.

Most Dragonite lived quiet, untroubled lives here, with no busy affairs, yet still held the authority to command the entire island’s Dragonite population.

Luo Mu silently filed this away, his intention to refuse unchanged—he still planned to explore the island first.

After parting temporarily with the massive Dragonite, he and several Pokémon left the beach.

They began exploring the forested regions of the island.

“This is the Dragonfire Berry tree; this is the Dragoneye Berry tree.”

Walking through the forest, Luo Mu identified the plants along the way, astonished to find the flora here extraordinarily lush.

He even scooped up a handful of soil and carefully rubbed it between his fingers to examine it.

“The soil is also quite excellent—”

Though not as good as the black earth created by Kapu-Moo, it was still top-tier fertile soil.

Along the path.

Virtually every Berry tree and fruit-bearing shrub Luo Mu saw was laden with plump, round fruits—clearly indicating the island’s natural resources were abundant.

But upon closer thought, this was only natural.

—After all, this island housed an extremely large population of Dragonite.

Perhaps even more numerous than the Dragonite raised by the Dragon Clan!

How could such a massive group exist without abundant natural resources?

Luo Mu’s next discovery further confirmed this.

Along the path, beneath tree trunks, he constantly spotted white shed skins casually piled up.

Luo Mu recognized these shed skins well—he had often helped Dragonite, when it was still a Dratini, with its daily shedding.

These things could actually be sold, and for a decent price; they had once eased the financial strain of his travels.

In a certain sense, this island was literally covered in gold!

Yet Luo Mu held to his principles, keeping his eyes straight ahead as he continued exploring the forest.

Aside from the shed skins, he soon made another discovery.

In a thicket, a snake-like creature, just over a meter long and covered in pale blue scales, was wriggling vigorously.

It was a Dratini—the earliest stage of the Dragonite lineage!

On its body, a faintly transparent “snake shed” was slowly peeling off.

—Judging by the Dratini’s appearance, it was clearly undergoing shedding!

(End of Chapter)