Chapter 125: Twin Dragon Mountain Range, Exchanging Dragon-Type Pokémon

"Cheng Cheng, are you ready?"

"Ready, Uncle Saito."

It was not yet dawn, but Cheng Cheng and Saito Zhi had already packed their bags and were preparing to set off for the Dual Dragon Mountains.

"Alright, let's go quickly. Let's get moving before Muko wakes up. If she wakes up, she’ll just cry and make a fuss about wanting to come with us."

"Understood, Uncle Saito."

"Then let's go. Come out, Salamence."

Cheng Cheng had not expected Uncle Saito to own a Salamence as well. This Salamence was at a very high level; while not as powerful as his Hydreigon, it was still far beyond anything Cheng Cheng’s Pokémon could compare to.

"Get on."

Cheng Cheng climbed onto the Salamence, and the two soared toward the Dual Dragon Mountains.

"Dragonite, let's go!"

On the roof, Muko brought out her Dragonite and followed behind the Salamence. After following for a while, she suddenly found that the Salamence had vanished.

Just then, Saito Zhi and Cheng Cheng appeared beside Muko.

"Muko."

"Daddy, what a coincidence."

"Go back."

"Daddy, I want to go with you!"

"No. This investigation is extremely dangerous, and I don't have the energy to protect you. Go back, now."

"Fine, I won't go then. Dragonite, let's go."

Muko rode her Dragonite back in the direction of home.

"Sigh, that child Muko..."

"Uncle Saito, why didn't you let Muko come along? Although she isn't incredibly strong, she certainly has the ability to protect herself."

"Muko is naturally mischievous and can't sit still; she’s simply not suited for an investigation. If you wanted to pick a fight, she’d be fine, but if she participates in a delicate investigation, she’ll definitely ruin things. Anyway, enough of that, let's go."

Cheng Cheng and Saito Zhi continued toward the Dual Dragon Mountains on the back of the Salamence. After flying for a distance, Saito Zhi asked the Salamence if it could sense Muko's presence. When the Salamence signaled that she was no longer following, Saito Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.

He had expected Muko to keep trailing them; it was quite unlike her to give up so easily. Still, it was for the best; it saved them time.

After flying for an hour, the pair arrived above a mountain range. The range was massive, winding like two giant dragons coiled together. The entire expanse was covered in dense forest, hiding what lay within.

"Cheng Cheng, let's go down now."

"Understood."

The Dual Dragon Mountains were home to many powerful Pokémon; flying at high altitudes was essentially a death wish.

Soon, the two landed.

"Return, Salamence, thank you for your hard work."

"Come out, Flygon."

A Salamence was not well-suited for moving through such a dense forest; the smaller Flygon was far better for reconnaissance and protection.

"Come out, Gardevoir, I’ll need your help."

Cheng Cheng naturally sent out his strongest, Gardevoir. Most of the powerful Pokémon in the mountains were Dragon-types, and Gardevoir held a natural advantage.

Just as they were about to move forward, a Pokémon suddenly appeared in the sky above. Saito Zhi went on guard. However, when he realized it was a Dragonite and that the person on its back was Muko, he became quite angry.

"Muko, how are you here?"

The Dragonite landed, and Muko hopped off.

"Return, Dragonite."

"Hehe, Daddy."

"Didn't I tell you to go back?"

"Daddy, just let me come with you!"

"Nonsense, this isn't a game."

"I know that, but I'm already here. Even if you chase me away, I’m not going back. Hmph."

"Uncle Saito, just let Muko stay. I'll keep an eye on her."

At this, Saito Zhi suddenly looked at Cheng Cheng.

"Don't think I don't know that Muko was able to evade the Salamence's detection because of you."

"Hehe, I promised to let her come along, and I couldn't help it. Don't worry, I'll make sure to take care of her."

"Hmph. Let's go."

With that, Saito Zhi headed deep into the mountains. Muko ran up to Cheng Cheng's side.

"Cheng Cheng, thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. I promised you, so of course I'd help. Let's move."

Cheng Cheng and Muko followed behind Saito Zhi, the three of them venturing deeper into the range.

The Dual Dragon Mountains lived up to their name; along the way, Cheng Cheng saw many Dragon-type Pokémon. Because these Pokémon were so territorial, it was rare to see different species in the same area. In territories where the occupants were particularly independent, one couldn't even find other members of the same species. It was the first time Cheng Cheng had encountered such a phenomenon, and it was well worth studying.

"Cheng Cheng, have you discovered anything along the way?"

"I’ve noticed that Dragon-type Pokémon have extremely high standards for their territory. Furthermore, the more powerful the Pokémon, the larger its territory, yet the fewer the number of Pokémon within it. In other places, I’ve seen powerful Pokémon protect many weaker ones, forming a community. But here, the situation is the complete opposite."

"That's right. Dragon-type Pokémon possess immense power and an arrogant nature. They don't like to share their territory or resources with other Pokémon. You have to understand that for a Dragon-type to grow, it consumes several times the resources of other Pokémon. Even though this mountain range is quite large, the number of Pokémon inside is very small."

"Uncle Saito, what exactly are we here to investigate?"

"We'll talk about that later. We still have a distance to go. Let me tell you both a bit about Dragon-type Pokémon first—Muko, you should listen carefully."

"Understood, Daddy."

"Actually, there aren't many pure Dragon-type Pokémon. Most contain other types as well. Because of this, when we train them, we often focus on developing their other attributes."

"Sometimes, we don't necessarily have to train them toward their Dragon-type. We can develop them based on their other types instead. Dragon-types are born with powerful defense and attack stats, so focusing on their other attributes can actually give them an inherent advantage."

"Take my Hydreigon, for example. Although I train it primarily as a Dragon-type, it could also be developed as a Dark-type. You should know that the Dark-type can counter Psychic and Ghost-types, which is a very unique trait."

"Psychic and Ghost-types are very special; they often possess mysterious powers and are quite troublesome to battle. If developed as a Dark-type, it becomes much easier to deal with those two categories."

"As for other types, they are mainly trained to counter Ice-types. Ice-types are a major weakness for Dragon-types, so developing other attributes can help cover those shortcomings. Especially with the emergence of the Fairy-type."

At this, Saito Zhi glanced at Cheng Cheng.

"The fact that the Fairy-type can negate Dragon-type moves is truly preposterous. If a pure Dragon-type faces a Fairy-type, it’s essentially being slaughtered with no chance to counter. Therefore, learning skills of other types is a way to hold one's own against them."

"Although this ability of the Fairy-type to negate Dragon-moves hasn't been widely publicized yet, as time passes, most people will come to know it. When that happens, many will start raising Fairy-type Pokémon. At that point, the status of our Dragon-type families will be threatened, which is not a good thing for us."

"So, Muko, if you want to become a true Dragon-type master, you must consider this. Otherwise, if your opponent possesses a Fairy-type, you will be at a massive disadvantage."

Saito Zhi looked at Cheng Cheng again.

Cheng Cheng felt a bit awkward. Why did he keep looking at him whenever the Fairy-type was mentioned? Even though he was the one who discovered the Fairy-type, there was no need for that!

"Alright, let's continue. Next, I'll tell you about the characteristics of each Dragon-type Pokémon."

"Look over here."

Cheng Cheng and Muko looked in the direction Saito Zhi pointed, spotting a flock of Altaria and Swablu.

"The Dragon-type characteristics of Altaria and Swablu aren't actually very prominent; in a sense, they aren't even considered true Dragon-types. Also, Altaria is a relatively gregarious Pokémon; they often live together, which is why we can see such a large group of them."

"A Dragon-type traitor."

"Dragon-type traitor? What does that mean?"

Muko was curious after hearing Cheng Cheng's comment. Saito Zhi also looked at Cheng Cheng, wondering why he would call an Altaria a traitor. While its Dragon-type traits weren't obvious, it certainly didn't deserve to be called a traitor.

Cheng Cheng hadn't expected the two of them to overhear his mutterings.

"Cheng Cheng, why is the Altaria a 'Dragon-type traitor'?"

"What do you think the Fairy-type is to the Dragon-type?"

"They are natural enemies, of course."

"Exactly. Fairy-types can almost be called 'Dragon-slayers.' They can completely decimate Dragon-types. And while Altaria is a Dragon/Flying type, after it undergoes Mega Evolution, its Flying attribute changes to Fairy. Thus, it is called the 'Dragon-type traitor'."

"It changes from Flying to Fairy? Can Mega Evolution change a Pokémon's attributes?"

"Yes. During Mega Evolution, a Pokémon's attributes can change due to genetic alteration. Some Pokémon even have two different forms of Mega Evolution."

"I never imagined there was so much to Mega Evolution. It seems I have a lot to learn. But the way you put it, calling Altaria a 'Dragon-type traitor' is quite fitting."

"An Altaria that can evolve into a Fairy-type? That's amazing! If I can find an Altaria Mega Stone in the future, I'll be able to beat you, Daddy!"

"Ahem! Alright, let's not talk about that. Let's move on; we still have a long way to go."

Saito Zhi led Cheng Cheng and Muko deeper into the mountains. They were getting closer and closer to the center of the range.