Chapter 584: Tiger in Front, Wolf Behind
On the grassland.
"Haka!!"
A Jangmo-o aggressively charged towards Kazuya.
His four short legs pumping rapidly.
Don't look down on this little guy whose head only reached Kazuya's stomach.
He was a genuine Lv. 30, just hadn't evolved yet.
Regarding Jangmo-o's Headbutt.
Kazuya shook his head and sighed.
Their clan liked to face other Pokémon head-on; both Rampardos and Bastiodon were competitors who loved using their heads.
In battles with them, Jangmo-o had also inherited this fighting habit.
It couldn't be called a bad habit, per se.
After all, Jangmo-o is also a Pokémon with a hard head, good at using the scales on its head for offense and defense.
But compared to Rampardos and Bastiodon.
Using their heads to ram these two competitors was simply showing off one's meager skill before an expert.
Their advantage should be physical flexibility.
Their entire body.
Every part could be used as a weapon.
Kazuya shifted to the side, easily dodging it.
The little guy rammed over again.
Kazuya stepped sideways, and as he passed in front of him, grabbed Jangmo-o's tail, lifted him up, and slammed him onto the ground.
He didn't use any moves.
After all.
Kazuya was now already Lv. 28.
One move would definitely cause Jangmo-o not a small amount of injury.
Then he would need to spend time and herbs to heal him, which would be a bit counterproductive.
Having been in this era for a month, leveling up to Lv. 28.
This speed was not fast.
If it were the League Era.
Kazuya could have reached Lv. 30 and above in a month.
But that was because there was a bug-level recovery location like the Pokémon Center.
Completely no need to worry about the risk of facing death after a defeat in battle.
From being heavily injured and near death upon entering the Pokémon Center, to fully recovering and getting back up, this process didn't even take half an hour.
With these conditions, the leveling speed naturally couldn't be slow.
But in this kind of era, it wouldn't work.
He had to hold back in his daily sparring.
"Haka~"
Jangmo-o suddenly felt dizzy and couldn't even stand steadily after getting up.
"Don't always use your head; make good use of your claws and tail."
Bang Bang
Kazuya stepped forward and forcefully knocked on the heart-shaped scale on Jangmo-o's head.
"Haka."
Jangmo-o nodded earnestly, his eyes full of respect.
For the Jangmo-o clan.
The strong.
Are worthy of respect.
And Kazuya was currently stronger than all the Jangmo-o, and could teach them combat techniques.
So in the hearts of the Jangmo-o, he was an existence akin to a master!
"Roar!"
Charmeleon ran over from the side at this time.
Kazuya turned his head and took a look; there was a large bump on his brother-kun's head.
He sighed.
Brother-kun had gone to use his head to wrestle with Bastiodon again.
Having endless brute strength all day long.
"Rua!"
Charmeleon pounced onto his older brother, rubbing his head against him.
"You can't learn Headbutt nor Iron Head; give it up."
Kazuya raised his hand and flicked the bump on Charmeleon's head.
Instantly making his brother-kun roll on the ground in pain.
"Roar!"
Brother-kun was unresigned, getting up and insisting on learning it.
Kazuya looked at him turning around and leaving speechlessly.
Ignoring such good Fire-type talent to go practice his noggin.
Turning his head to look at the other side.
Floette was using a small flower to tease the young Shieldons and Jangmo-o.
She really liked taking care of those little babies.
It seemed she would be another Roserade in the future.
Withdrawing his gaze.
Kazuya looked around.
The injuries of the Bastiodons and Hakamo-o had completely recovered.
These days, the Rampardos seemed to be searching everywhere for the Hakamo-o on the grassland, so they hadn't come this way at all.
But they just hadn't expected the Hakamo-o to run to the Bastiodons' territory.
As for the west of the Bastiodons' territory.
Kazuya had also gone to explore before.
If he hadn't explored, he wouldn't have known.
Once he explored, he was startled.
That place in the past should have been the territory of a group of Claunchers.
There was a small lake connected to the large lake in the east, which was also the territory of the Claunchers.
However, because that small lake was relatively barren with few resources in it.
So no Water-type Pokémon competed with the Claunchers for it at all.
Water-type Pokémon basically all hovered around the large lake in the east of the grassland.
But that was before.
Now that place was the territory of a group of Seviper.
The day Kazuya went to explore, he happened to encounter over forty Seviper launching a massive attack on the Claunchers.
Their corpses were everywhere on the ground, and he could even see some Seviper swallowing Claunchers whole.
They were presumably Seviper that ran over from the swamp side; their murderous nature was quite heavy.
Although Kazuya had the intention to replicate what he did with the Hakamo-o clan.
But the conditions were insufficient.
The Hakamo-o clan at that time could at least fight against those dozen or so Rampardos.
But the Claunchers were completely unable to deal with over forty Seviper.
The leading Alpha Seviper was a full seventeen meters long!
One Poison Tail strike.
Could instantly kill four or five Claunchers at once.
To put it bluntly.
They, a group of small clans mixing at the edge of the grassland.
Whether it was strength or the number of clan members, they couldn't compare to this group of Seviper.
Kazuya rushing up would also mean death.
He could only watch helplessly as the Claunchers were wiped out.
Not only that.
He also had to consider whether the Seviper clan would move east next and target the Bastiodon and Hakamo-o clans.
The alliance of the two clans wasn't really afraid of the Seviper.
Fortunately, the Steel-type Bastiodon could be immune to Poison-type damage, so fighting them wouldn't be particularly strenuous.
What he feared was the Seviper and Rampardos attacking at the same time.
That would truly be a tiger in front and a wolf behind.
Moreover.
The crucial point was that they didn't have an Alpha here!
Seviper and Rampardos both had Alphas; that size was quite exaggerated, and their combat power naturally went without saying.
But they didn't have one here!
In the past.
Kazuya still couldn't figure out why the Bastiodon clan hadn't produced an Alpha.
Small number of members, insufficient territory, no one suited to be patriarch; he had considered various reasons.
Now.
The two clans allied.
The number of members exceeded thirty, and the land beneath their feet had also expanded, but an Alpha still hadn't been born.
But this time.
The reason was very clear and plain.
There was no unified recognized boss!
Don't be fooled by the fact that the Bastiodon clan was friendly and peaceful on the surface, and the Hakamo-o clan was humble, warlike, and righteous.
But in reality, both clans had their own pride in their hearts, being a situation where neither submitted to the other.
Naturally, an Alpha couldn't be born like this.
There was a solution.
After Kazuya became stronger, he would be the Alpha.
Relying on the affinity bonus of the Dragon Stone, and the prestige and goodwill Kazuya had gradually accumulated between the two clans these days.
For him to become an Alpha.
He was only short of the stepping stone of 'strength'.
As long as his strength went up.
His becoming an Alpha was a certainty.
He had to at least evolve into Charizard.
Kazuya pursed his lips and glanced at his panel.
Only by evolving into Charizard.
Would he have the confidence to overcome a ten-level difference to defeat the Bastiodon patriarch and the Hakamo-o patriarch, gaining the unified recognition of all members.
Currently, he was Lv. 28.
He would probably evolve at Lv. 36.
Still 8 levels away.
This would take at least a month.
But it was certain.
Within this month's time.
The Rampardos would definitely discover that the Hakamo-o had run over here.
The Seviper would also definitely learn that they had these neighbors next door.
They had to be prepared to fight a defensive war at any time.
"Sufficient medical resources, difficult to level up. The best response method right now is... tactics."
Kazuya raised his head.
His gaze wandered between the Bastiodons and Hakamo-o.
Simple.
A week passed.
Kazuya's level increased to Lv. 30.
Last night.
He saw a Seviper hovering nearby, acting sneakily, seemingly waiting for Shieldons and Jangmo-o to wander off alone to hunt.
Although Kazuya took it out on the spot.
He estimated that the Seviper clan would probably notice this place.
This Seviper clan.
Was sinister and cunning.
Although their IQ couldn't be said to be very high, it was definitely better than the Bastiodon and Hakamo-o clans.
With a clansman coming here to patrol disappearing.
The Seviper would definitely realize there was another Pokémon clan here.
As for whether they would choose to observe secretly or launch a massive attack.
Kazuya couldn't say for sure either.
Until late at night.
Rustle rustle— The night wind from the east blew over.
When Kazuya heard the sound of grass rustling in the distance from the wind.
He knew the Seviper's choice.
"Roar!!"
A Flamethrower shot up into the sky.
All the Bastiodons and Hakamo-o were instantly awakened at this moment.
The Bastiodons immediately rushed to the outermost perimeter, forming a circle, staring vigilantly at their surroundings.
The Hakamo-o lay on their backs, using the Bastiodons' massive faces to conceal their bodies, trying their best to hide.
And the Shieldons and Jangmo-o weren't idle either.
They blocked the gaps between the large dragons.
To prevent enemies from launching attacks through these gaps.
"Roar?"
Charmeleon rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up.
Scanned the surrounding situation.
Two or three seconds passed and he still hadn't realized what happened.
"Flo-ette!"
Smack!
Floette forcefully patted Charmeleon, only then waking the latter up.
He pounded his chest twice with his fists like a baboon, then wagged his tail and ran in front of Kazuya.
Whoever his older brother told him to hit.
He would hit!
"South."
Kazuya's gaze swept south.
This group of Seviper was quite clever.
Knowing to use the cover of night to shift their position, waiting for an opportunity to attack from another direction.
What a pity.
In the face of Aura Power.
All this was useless effort.
These days, Kazuya hadn't cultivated the energy of other attributes, but put all his effort into leveling up and recultivating Aura.
Just so he wouldn't lose his 'vision' in the dark night.
His current Aura range.
Was still over thirty meters.
As long as the Seviper entered his radius of over thirty meters, it was no different from acting in broad daylight.
Hearing Kazuya's words, the Bastiodons hurriedly turned their heads to face south.
At this time.
"Hiss hiss!" xN
Harsh and irritating sounds came from the southern grassland.
Moreover, the directions these sounds came from were constantly changing.
The Seviper were using Screech and Swagger to harass them.
In Kazuya's Aura perception.
He could clearly feel his companions around him gradually becoming irritable and angry.
"Use Dragon Breath towards the direction the sound is coming from!"
Kazuya wouldn't say things like telling them to 'calm down'.
It was meaningless.
It would be better to just directly release Dragon Breath.
Not only could it vent the negative emotions in their hearts, but with good luck, they might even hit a few Seviper.
"Roar!" xN
Except for a few individual Shieldons and Jangmo-o who hadn't learned this move yet.
Over twenty Dragon Breaths shot out simultaneously.
Light purple light illuminated this grassland.
The Seviper were startled and fled in panic, quickly disappearing without a trace.
"Don't chase!"
Kazuya stopped the Hakamo-o who planned to pursue.
Their night vision capability was inherently not as good as the Seviper's. Moreover, this group of snakes slithered on the ground, and the wild grass over a meter high could almost cover their entire bodies, making them even harder to find.
With the Seviper's sinister cunning, if the Hakamo-o pursued rashly, it was highly likely they would be counter-killed.
The Bastiodons' speed couldn't keep up.
They couldn't protect the Hakamo-o at critical moments.
So tonight had to stop here.
It could be considered a close call without real danger.
~~~
Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter
