Chapter 602: The Missing Sliggoo
"I think so too."
The one who said this.
Was no one else.
It just so happened to be the Arcanine Alpha, who had a past grudge against the volcano Charizard clan.
He didn't prejudge that the two Alphas in the north were definitely villains just because they were Charizards.
Arcanine wasn't a rash dog.
Long before this assembly, he had already learned about the behavioral style of the northern Dragon Clan from the Pokémon on the grassland.
Not only did they not slaughter wantonly.
Instead, they actively guarded the northern border of the grassland and those homeless Pokémon.
Preventing the Poison-type Pokémon from the swamp from entering the grassland.
In Arcanine's view.
This was an action he very much approved of.
As long as this matter was verified to be true, then there was no need for them to push an ally with powerful potential to the opposing side.
Especially...
These two Charizards hadn't sought out the Charizards of the volcanic mountain range.
Arcanine didn't believe it.
That those two Charizards wouldn't know there was a massive Charizard clan in the south.
No matter the reason.
They hadn't returned to the Charizard clan.
This was actually an unspoken attitude.
An attitude.
That allowed them to accept them as allies of the grassland.
"Alright!" xN
Once Arcanine spoke, the other Alphas also changed their opinions.
Even the simple-minded warmonger, Feraligatr, was no exception.
Florges nodded inwardly.
With Arcanine's words.
As long as the northern Dragon Clan wasn't some villainous clan, then basically no major problems would arise.
If they were.
Then Florges would also harden her heart and clean house.
"When do we set off?"
Florges spoke up to ask.
She was quite anxious about this matter.
If this wasn't resolved as soon as possible, it would constantly weigh on her mind.
"Wait until the nights get a bit longer. Those guys at the volcano have been too active recently; I'm afraid they might come over while I'm away."
Arcanine shook his head, not in a hurry to set off now.
He looked up at the sky.
The sunlight in this season was too intense.
He felt that just standing here, the Fire-type energy in his body was jumping with excitement.
Then without a doubt.
Those Fire-type Pokémon at the volcanic mountain range were the same.
If they didn't vent this restless energy at a time like this, they would feel quite uncomfortable inside.
He had a premonition.
The Charizard clan would probably come again.
At a time like this, it was inconvenient for him to go north to investigate.
"Call me when we go."
Feraligatr casually left a sentence and turned to leave.
His style of doing things had always been this simple and brutal.
The other Pokémon were about the same.
Since a decision had already been made, there was no need to stay here any longer.
Anyway, among the dozen or so of them Alphas.
Other than when jointly resisting the Charizards, they basically never communicated at other times, and even occasionally went to war; their relationships couldn't be called good at all.
Watching these Pokémon leave.
Arcanine glanced at Florges lingering there.
He could see Florges had something on her mind.
However.
Their relationship wasn't that close.
Since the other party didn't speak.
He didn't plan to ask either.
So Arcanine soon turned and left.
"Florges..."
Florges stood in place, troubled for a long time.
In the end, she still chose to return to her clan's territory.
Before everyone acted together, she wouldn't do anything.
Regarding the decision of the major Alphas of the grassland.
Kazuya was completely unaware.
He was only puzzled by one thing.
Where did Sliggoo go?
In the heartland of the Dragon Clan.
"Do you know where that kid Sliggoo went?"
Kazuya scanned the area, turning his head to look at Floette on his shoulder.
As the saying goes, standing high allows one to see far.
Just by sitting on the ground, Kazuya was taller than the dragons standing around him.
Right now, it was mealtime.
Normally speaking.
It was the time when the vast majority of the Dragon Clan returned to the heartland for lunch and a nap.
Only a small number of rotating Dragon Clan members were still out patrolling.
So with one glance, Kazuya could almost see all the members of the Dragon Clan.
However, to his puzzlement.
He didn't see Sliggoo's figure.
Because of his fast leveling speed.
Sliggoo's height was now around 2.7 meters.
This size wasn't tall in the Dragon Clan.
Only taller than the first-stage small dragons.
But it was no longer an invisible height either.
If Sliggoo were here, Kazuya would definitely be able to spot him at a glance.
After all, he was the only Sliggoo in the entire Dragon Clan; he stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens, very conspicuous.
"Flo-ette."
Floette flew off Kazuya's shoulder and personally went down to search.
Five minutes later.
She flew back with a puzzled look; clearly, she hadn't found Sliggoo either.
"Flo-ette?"
Floette guessed that Sliggoo might still be at the pasture and hadn't returned.
Given that the members of the Dragon Clan each had different areas of expertise, the tasks each member was responsible for varied.
The fast ones patrolled.
The slow ones guarded the home.
That little snail dragon, Sliggoo, without a doubt, could only guard the home.
And right now, he was the captain guarding the pasture; the other little Shieldons all listened to him.
"You go take a look."
Kazuya nodded and said.
He watched Floette fly away, lowering his head deep in thought.
Ever since the Dragon Clan began purging those restless Poison-type Pokémon from the swamp back then.
Sliggoo, who was still a Goomy at the time, had changed.
It wasn't that his personality changed.
But his daily habits changed.
From wandering around aimlessly every day to training and fighting day and night, working hard to improve himself.
Kazuya knew something must have influenced Sliggoo.
But what exactly it was, he still had no clue.
Probably ran off to train somewhere again.
Kazuya muttered in his heart, shaking his head helplessly.
Sliggoo didn't intend to say.
Perhaps he had unspoken difficulties.
He wouldn't force him to say.
Just like Cynthia had never asked Kazuya where those messy abilities and items came from back then.
When Floette returned from the pasture and informed Kazuya that Sliggoo wasn't there either.
Kazuya didn't care much.
Until the third night.
"Where exactly did this kid run off to?"
Kazuya finally couldn't sit still anymore.
Because daily life was too mundane, counting the Dragon Clan members before sleeping every day had become Kazuya's current pre-sleep 'counting sheep' activity.
However, he hadn't seen Sliggoo for three consecutive nights.
This was clearly not right.
"Flo-ette!"
Floette suddenly walked over at this time.
Behind her.
Followed two Poison-type Pokémon.
A Nidoran♂ and a Nidoran♀.
"Got a lead on Sliggoo?"
Kazuya turned his head.
Shifting his gaze from Floette to the two little mice behind her.
Since Floette brought two non-clan Pokémon over, it must mean these two Pokémon knew Sliggoo's whereabouts.
"Nido..."
The male Nidoran♂ was unexpectedly somewhat timid.
The moment he saw Kazuya, he couldn't help but shrink back, awe revealing on his face.
[Dragon King].
Everyone living in the safe zone called Kazuya this.
In the eyes of this newcomer, Nidoran♂, his understanding of the 'Dragon King' was entirely based on hearsay.
Among the things heard the most was—the Dragon King would use waves of flame sweeping the world to annihilate any scoundrels who dared to challenge his majesty.
He used to think it might be somewhat exaggerated.
Seeing him today.
It seemed it wasn't much of an exaggeration.
The flame on the tail of His Majesty the Dragon King was bigger than his entire rat self.
"Nido!"
Nidoran♀ was unexpectedly bold.
The moment she saw Kazuya, she wasn't afraid, but very respectfully performed a strange kneeling bow.
Probably a unique etiquette of the Nidoran clan.
"You know where Sliggoo went? Tell me about it."
Kazuya looked at the tiny thing below.
And simply lay down on the ground.
He was too big.
Constantly looking down would tire his neck, and he wouldn't be able to hear Nidoran♀ clearly either.
"Nido..."
Nidoran♀ nodded and quickly began to tell her story.
She and Nidoran♂ had arrived at the safe zone half a month ago.
Usually, they often lingered near the pasture.
Not because they wanted to eat the livestock inside.
Just because they felt it was safer there.
And because of this, they got to know Sliggoo.
Sliggoo took the initiative to come over and ask them many things about the recent situation in the swamp.
Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ told him everything they knew.
Afterwards.
Sliggoo left with a solemn expression.
At the time, Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ didn't think much of it.
It wasn't until they hadn't seen Sliggoo for the past two days, and saw Floette looking everywhere for him, that they realized something was wrong.
"The recent situation in the swamp, tell me about it."
Kazuya frowned and quickly pressed for details.
"Nido..."
From Nidoran♀'s account.
Kazuya gradually came to understand the situation over in the swamp.
Currently, the swamp was almost entirely permeated by a faint poisonous mist.
Only Pokémon capable of resisting mild toxins could survive in it.
How this poisonous mist was generated was unknown.
But the Arbok clan was making very good use of these toxins.
They could both guard against Pokémon from other environments and use it to weaken a portion of the non-Poison, non-Steel-type Pokémon in the swamp.
During Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀'s journey here.
They had already seen many Pokémon clans growing increasingly weak due to this poisonous mist.
Like Parasect, Tangrowth, Breloom, Goodra...
These were all groups currently plagued by the poisonous mist.
"I see."
Kazuya nodded in understanding.
Upon hearing the name 'Goodra'.
Kazuya already knew in his heart where Sliggoo had gone.
He remembered Sliggoo once saying he was the child of the previous Overlord of the swamp.
Without a doubt.
The previous Overlord clan of the swamp was the Goodra clan.
And Sliggoo.
Came from this clan.
Now that his clan was in trouble, Sliggoo couldn't possibly ignore it.
It wasn't strange at all that the Goodra clan could become the Overlord of the swamp.
Not only were they a fully evolved pseudo-legendary clan.
They were also a [Steel Dragon] clan.
Steel.
Is immune to Poison-type damage.
In a place like the swamp, full of Poison-type Pokémon and very sticky and humid, no one was more suited to dominate there than Goodra.
And that the Goodra clan would be threatened by the poisonous mist.
This also wasn't contradictory.
Because.
Goomy does not have the Steel typing.
Only Sliggoo and Goodra have Steel.
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