Communication? Is that more important than fighting?
For Yamato, communication is the most important thing, but for Kaido, combat is fundamental.
Fortunately, this isn't the space in the true sense; sound can still travel. Otherwise, Rayquaza wouldn't have even noticed Kaido's roar.
In Kaido's eyes, battle is above all else. But Rayquaza doesn't see it that way. To it, that azure creature isn't even as important as a meteor passing through the sky.
This isn't space, yet it resembles space. Meteorites frequently fall from above, and to Rayquaza, every meteor is like a mystery box.
These meteorites are fragments of various celestial bodies in the universe. Because the celestial bodies they came from are different, their compositions also vary greatly.
Coupled with the different environments they've passed through, they may have been subjected to scorching heat or freezing cold. One could say no two meteorites ever taste exactly the same.
Rayquaza's unique sense of taste allows it to taste them: one meteorite might be too salty because of high silicate content, while another could be too crunchy due to excess metal content.
Among them, the rare "glass meteorite" is its favorite. Its special texture and flavor is wonderful, but such meteorites are far too scarce.
Kaido's interference happened to cause a "glass meteorite" to streak past it, disintegrating into ash due to the friction.
A dangerous gleam flashed in its yellow pupils as Rayquaza swiftly twisted its body, staring at the dragon-shaped creature approaching from below.
[So you're the one the Creator spoke of? My first impression of you is very poor.]
Rayquaza did not speak aloud, but a clear and ethereal voice rang directly in Kaido's mind. For Legendary Pokémon, telepathy is a very basic ability. They all have the power to speak mind-to-mind, though whether they use it depends entirely on their mood.
For Pokémon of this level, communication isn't limited to one method. Telepathy, human speech, or even manipulating a puppet to speak—any of these are possible.
This kind of communication is one-sided. If the Pokémon doesn't want to, humans can't communicate with them unless they use some special items, such as mysterious orbs. [TN: Don't know what mysterious orbs author is talking about here.]
"Worororo, whether you like me or hate me, it doesn't matter. Come, fight me! Let's have a fight without holding back!"
As he flew, Kaido suddenly slammed his own chest and belly with his dragon claw. With each strike, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but at the same time, power surged into every one of his cells.
Many Pokémon moves come with a price, but the scale of that price is always balanced: the more you give, the more you gain. Under the effect of Belly Drum, Kaido's attack power had been boosted to the max.
Kaido already had a rough understanding of Rayquaza's strength. Against an opponent like this, if he didn't go all-out from the start, he might not have another chance later.
[A battle maniac? You're just like those two noisy guys.]
Rayquaza did not back down. One of its duties was to guard the planet below. Any creature coming from space was a target for its attacks. Small meteorites could be ignored as they wouldn't cause much damage upon crashing.
It could also allow weak beings to pass, since it had its own judgment in such matters.
But if something too powerful appeared, no matter if it could defeat it or not, Rayquaza would always engage in battle; sometimes even being overly protective.
Anything massive entering the area where it lives would be attacked, including human-launched probes.
In the Pokémon world, Rayquaza is an ancient Pokémon, existing even before the birth of humankind. In that era, humans hadn't invented rockets yet.
This behavior caused rockets to fail to launch successfully for a long time. No matter how perfectly designed a rocket was, if it encountered Rayquaza, it would be destroyed.
Until Pokémon, who came from space, appeared. During its pursuit of them, Rayquaza once again drew close to the surface, and after witnessing humanity's rapidly advancing technology, this situation finally improved.
Kaido could be considered one of the bigger troubles in Rayquaza's perception, though still far inferior compared to the nuisances called Groudon and Kyogre. But those two would never make it to this place, especially Groudon.
Seeing that Kaido had no intention of stopping, Rayquaza began taking action.
In an instant, the air currents in this dimension fell into chaos. Within this special dimension created by Arceus, the surging air currents stirred up fierce gales. Riding the wind, Rayquaza soared upward, its already considerable speed further boosted.
For Rayquaza, this was a tailwind, but for Kaido, it was a pure headwind.
"Flame Dragon Torch!"
Flames engulfed Kaido's body. In the blink of an eye, the azure dragon transformed into a blazing demonic dragon. Wind fueled the flames, and under the influence of Rayquaza's wind, the fire on Kaido's body scattered in all directions, lighting up the dim space.
Without using weapons or entering his Human-Beast form, Kaido charged straight at Rayquaza in his most primal Beast Form, as if he wanted to fight in a shape more similar to Rayquaza's own.
But when they clashed, the collision turned into a struggle between Protect barriers. Both Rayquaza and Kaido had raised their barriers during the exchange.
Rayquaza's claws were surrounded by different colored energies, with Dragon Claw and Steel Claw slashing alternately at Kaido. Although it only had two arms, it created a dense flurry of claw strikes.
Under Rayquaza's relentless assault, Kaido's Protect quickly reached its limit. At the moment his barrier shattered, an icy breath spewed from Rayquaza's mouth.
Ice-type attacks were not kind to a Flying + Dragon Pokémon like Rayquaza. But that didn't stop it from using them. Rayquaza's movepool was exceedingly broad; apart from a handful of types, it was an all-around master of versatility.
[You don't seem to have remembered the Creator's words. And as a human, isn't this form not your specialty?]
"Worororo, of course I remember what he said! But if a problem can be solved with fighting, what's the point of wasting words? You and I, we're the same kind!"
[What nonsense are you spouting? Lies and tricks will never earn my approval.]
"I saw it before, you stopped them from fighting by fighting them yourself, using superior strength to decide everything. That is the position and right of the strong."
"Everything is decided by strength, and achieving goals via fighting. In that, we are no different."
"So, let's just fight!"
Kaido's probing had come to an end. His beast form's brute force could not gain an advantage over Rayquaza. After one clash, his figure began to shrink, shifting back into Human-Beast form.
The three-stage transformations of Zoan-types exist precisely to adapt to different combat environments. Since the beast form failed, it was only natural to try another.
After a period of time, Kaido's physical condition began to decline, but his spirit only grew more vigorous. He had found the long-lost enjoyment.
[Human, your battles are fought only for the sake of battle.
I am different. If those two had been willing to heed my words, I would never have wanted to fight them.
In order to resolve disputes, I have no choice but to fight.
It seems like you're the same as them, just another troublesome guy.
I am dissatisfied with you, and I do not acknowledge you. You should leave. By now, you must have realized the disparity between us.]
"Worororo, battles don't end with words like that. If you don't want to fight, then you'll have to use strength to put an end to everything. Battle and strength are the only ways to resolve things!"
Arceus hadn't expected that Kaido actually had another idea. He didn't just want Rayquaza to acknowledge him, he wanted to twist Rayquaza's logic.
Rayquaza fought for the sake of balance and protection, while Kaido was obsessed with battle, believing that strength meant everything. These were two diverging paths, yet Kaido was trying to force them to intersect.
Though he claimed he didn't care about communication, in reality he was trying three different things at once: verbal communication, a show of force, and satisfying his desire for a fight.
It carried the implication: If you don't fight, you can't drive me away. If you do fight, then you must acknowledge the importance of strength.
If this had been a regulated tournament arena, then Kaido's open scheme might have worked. But here, there were no rules.
[Just sophistry. You're much more cunning than you appear.]
"Thanks for the compliment. I only want to fight. Come then, let me experience your strength! Destroyer of Death Thunder Bagua!"
[As you wish. You'd better stay quiet for a while afterward.]
Rayquaza felt it had gained yet another nuisance. In addition to those two who fought at the drop of a hat, now there was even someone in the sky who could disturb it.
[Though… without those two causing trouble, it doesn't seem too bad.]
Thinking of those two troublemakers, Groudon and Kyogre, Rayquaza's mood improved somewhat. Then, it immediately shifted into its Mega Rayquaza form, planning to drive Kaido out of here.
Just moments ago it had spotted a fine comet. If it shattered it, the fragments would make for a good meal.
[Dragon Ascent!]
Outside, Yamato sat helplessly by the sacred spring, skipping stones made of condensed ice.
Participating in the trial while full of fighting spirit and failing weren't contradictory. Because of her overexcitement, her control faltered, and she actually failed even more quickly.
"Dad, why hasn't Father come out yet? Could it be he already succeeded?"
More terrifying than succeeding alongside her father was the thought of failing herself while her father succeeded.
[Yamato, you've grown far too lazy. What have you been doing all these years? Seems you need a little help, Thunder Bagua!]
She could already imagine what that would lead to, and could practically predict Kaido's every move word for word—a peculiar kind of foresight.
But reality brought Yamato some warmth this time. Not long after, a flash of green light streaked across the sky, followed by Kaido falling out of it. Seeing Kaido's injured state, Yamato's heart was filled with joy.
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