Chapter 62: The Condition for a Razor Fang
Just as Will guessed the opponent's identity, a giant Gliscor, leading a swarm of dozens of Gligar, appeared in the sky above the distant forest.
"This is... a little bit bad," Will said, frowning as he looked at the swarm. Scorp was about two years old, with a level of around 25, similar to the two Gyarados. But comparing their physiques, the three or four Gligar flanking the Gliscor had to be at least Lv. 40 or higher. That meant the Gliscor itself was likely Lv. 45 or even Lv. 50. In Mt. Silver, that would make it a hegemon of the middle ring. No wonder it could lead its entire clan to occupy this isolated island; it had the strength to back it up.
But Will wasn't too panicked. The sea was right behind them. Because of their wings, Gligar and Gliscor are very slow in the water. They can hardly even submerge; their bodies just float uncontrollably. So, if the Gliscor showed any hostility, he would take Liz and the others into the water and dive deep at once.
That probably won't be necessary, Will thought, relaxing slightly as he glanced at Scorp. Scorp's expression was completely at ease, without a hint of nervousness. It seemed he got along very well with his clan. With that connection, they shouldn't be in any danger.
"Lan," Liz said. She hadn't noticed Scorp's expression. Her own face was stern, but she showed little fear. Her sense of security came from the little ones around her. Although they were greatly outnumbered, she still felt safe.
"Gli-gli~" Watching the eight-meter-long Gliscor fly closer, Scorp raised a pincer and waved, giving a casual greeting.
"...So you're the prince, kid," Will's eyes widened when he heard what Scorp called the Gliscor. But it also put his heart completely at ease. Scorp had just called the Gliscor "Pops."
"Gli-gli~ (Nah~ everyone calls him Pops~)" Scorp shook his head with a casual smile.
"Oh, so he's the Edward Newgate of Gliscors," Will said, looking up as the Alpha began its gliding descent. It was incredibly fast. Despite being seventy or eighty meters away, it landed in less than ten seconds. After landing and raising its tail, the Gliscor still stood four meters tall. The Pokédex only listed Gliscor's length at two meters. This one was four times that size. This was, without a doubt, the largest size multiplier Will had seen since coming to this world.
"This guy is an Alpha," Will realized. Wild Pokémon that had a sizable clan and a large enough territory could obtain the "Alpha" designation, which would cause their physique to grow.
The Dratini line was simply too rare. Will had never seen a second Dratini or Dragonair, let alone enough to establish a clan. So, he was destined never to receive the Alpha designation in this life. Besides, he didn't know if he counted as having a Trainer now. If he did, then he could no longer become an Alpha. The Alpha status could only be obtained before having a Trainer. That way, even if you lost the designation later, your body wouldn't shrink back down.
"Gli?" The Gliscor stood ten meters away from them. It glanced at them, could tell they were just a bunch of kids, and focused its gaze on Scorp.
"Gligar," Scorp nodded, then pointed a pincer at Liz. The meaning was clear: he was going to live with this human from now on and wasn't coming home.
"...Gli," the Gliscor hesitated. It looked at Liz, then at the other Pokémon by her side, and finally nodded. This was the first time it had ever encountered such a situation. But seeing that the other Pokémon with Liz were free and growing up strong and healthy, it felt it could try to trust this human. As a father, he had never wanted to keep his children by his side forever. He only stopped the weaker Gligar from leaving because he was afraid they would die out there for no reason.
"Hello," at this moment, Will stepped forward and spoke.
"Gli?" The Gliscor shifted its gaze to this large creature.
"Excuse me, do you have the item that allows a Gligar to evolve?"
Will was confident that an old-timer like this Gliscor would know what "evolution" was, though it certainly wouldn't have heard of the item "Razor Fang." That was a name given by future humans.
Generally, a Razor Fang could be obtained from three types of Pokémon. The first was from a Gligar itself, but the probability was very low; their bodies didn't have enough energy to produce such a special fang. The second was from its evolution, Gliscor. A Gliscor would shed two fangs every year, and these were essentially "Razor Fangs." The last was from a Bruxish, a Water/Psychic-type Pokémon first discovered in the Alola region, whose teeth were so hard they could chew through a Shellder's shell.
Originally, Will had no idea where he would find a Razor Fang for Scorp. He had never expected to meet another Gligar, let alone a Gliscor. But who would have thought that a huge Gligar swarm lived on this isolated island off the coast of Jubilance Town? He wasn't about to pass up such a rare opportunity.
"Gli?"
"Yes, for him," Will said, indicating Scorp.
"...Gli-gli." The Gliscor lifted its head, grinned, and said a few words.
"..."
Will was silent for a moment. The Gliscor's meaning was that if he wanted a Razor Fang, he would have to defeat it in battle. It didn't have to be Scorp; Will could be the challenger. But right now, no one on their side was a match for the Gliscor. Even if they all attacked together, they couldn't win.
"Gli-gli. (Go back. When you are stronger, come and challenge me again.)"
The Gliscor waved a pincer, signaling for them to leave. He had no intention of inviting them into his home. Having traveled all over the Johto region in his youth, the Gliscor was not fond of humans. If not for the fact that these Pokémon were gathered around Liz and that his own son considered her a friend, he might have attacked and killed her directly. He didn't want this island to be exposed to human eyes; it would only bring misfortune to his clan.
"Thank you."
Will didn't waste any more words. He turned and led Liz and the others away. Although he hadn't gotten the Razor Fang, he had at least gotten the Gliscor's promise. In the future, once he evolved into a Dragonite, he was confident he could defeat it. At that time, he could get the Razor Fang for Scorp and let him evolve into the next Gliscor.
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