Chapter 66: It Couldn't Be... Because of You?
Will still hadn't told Liz that he was planning to leave for a while. He mainly didn't know how to express it in a way she would understand.
After pondering it alone for a while, he decided to send Blaze and the others to the Primal Beast Academy. Although the battle frequency at the academy was low, they at least held battles, making it a safe and comfortable place for them to level up. Liz was usually busy and likely wouldn't have time to take them to the plains outside the capital to train. But if the Pokémon were just left to play in the palace all day, their leveling speed would be too slow. So, it seemed the academy was the only option.
Besides, he was the recognized boss of the Pokémon at the academy. He could use this status to manipulate things and increase the daily battle intensity for Blaze and the others.
Having made up his mind, Will immediately found Blaze, Scorp, and the Gyarados and led them towards the academy. As for Iris's Gyarados and Natu, there was no need for them to train. Iris's status was different from Liz's; she was unlikely to face assassination attempts, and at her young age, she wouldn't encounter much danger. As long as she stayed obediently in the capital, there would be no problems. So, it was enough for her Pokémon to just play with her and grow up peacefully.
He couldn't explain this plan to Liz with words. He could only show her through his actions, and then she would probably understand his meaning.
Everything went just as he had planned. When he brought the three Pokémon to the academy, he quickly alerted the two scholars on duty. The scholars immediately went to the palace to find Liz and ask what was going on. Will seized this opportunity to gather all the Pokémon on the plains.
"These three are my underlings. From now on, I need you to find at least three suitable opponents for each of them to battle every day," Will announced, standing in the center of the field.
This was his plan: to use his status as the boss to forcibly arrange opponents for them. Three was the perfect number. One battle in the morning, one at noon, and one in the afternoon, with time to rest in between. For inexperienced Pokémon like them, this intensity was just right. If it were him, he would start with four or five battles, and on a good day, he could even do more than a dozen.
The numerous Pokémon on the plains looked at each other, then nodded in agreement. To ensure they understood his meaning, Will immediately began a practical demonstration on the spot.
As evening fell, Will led Blaze and the others back to the palace.
"Lan, do you want Blaze and the others to go to the school with you to train?" Liz, as expected, had figured out his intention, though with a slight misunderstanding. It wasn't that they were going with him, but that they were going on their own. But Will couldn't explain the nuance, so he just nodded. It was now a common occurrence for him not to go to the academy, so everyone was used to it.
"I've already spoken with the academy."
"Good."
"By the way, Lan, it looks like you're about to molt today," Liz said, pointing to his tail.
Will turned his head and saw that there was indeed a small, translucent white piece of skin already peeling away.
"Perfect. You can help me molt one last time today. I don't know when the next time will be," Will said, coiling his tail around Liz and bringing her back to the bedroom. He then lay on the bed and let her do the work.
"Lan, I've collected a lot of your shed skin. I'm planning to make some things with it," Liz said, kneeling skillfully on the soft mattress as she helped him peel. Her movements were quick but gentle, not causing him any discomfort.
"Go ahead. What are you planning to make?" Will flicked the tip of his tail nonchalantly, not paying much mind.
The shed skin of a Dratini and Dragonair was an ultra-high-class, super-rare material. In the future Era of Leagues, only the Dragonite Clan and the very wealthy could afford to wear it. Clair's cape was made from the skin shed by her own Dragonair. As for Lance, only one of his capes was made from his Dragonite's old sheds; the others were replicas of the same style that he bought at the Celadon Department Store. That guy really loved his capes.
Not only that, but members of the Dragonite Clan also liked to wear boots of the same color as their hair. It was said that those boots were also made with Dragonair skin. Clair not only had such boots, but she also often wore sky-blue leather gloves.
Come to think of it, the people of the Dragonite Clan really love capes... Why is that? The question popped into Will's head.
"I plan to use your baby skins to make a pair of gloves, your grown-up skins to make a cape, and if there's any left, maybe I can make some boots. What do you think?" Liz asked, smiling as she looked at Will.
"...It couldn't be... because of you, could it?" Will felt like he had just discovered something. But it didn't matter; he wasn't too concerned about such a small thing.
"...Liz, I'm planning to leave for a while," Will hesitated for a moment, then tried to say it. He turned his head to look at her, wondering if she could understand.
"Hm? What?"
"Alright, it's nothing," Will sighed. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just leave suddenly, could he?
"Lan, you just told me something important, didn't you?" Liz stopped what she was doing and looked at the back of his head.
"Mm," Will said, flapping the small feathery wings on his head. It was the lazy version of a nod. Others might not understand, but Liz certainly would.
"I'm sorry. I didn't understand what you meant," Liz lowered her head, a little ashamed.
"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault," Will got up and nuzzled her cheek, then lay back down. He patted her thigh with his tail, signaling her to continue.
"What are you planning to do, Lan?" Liz pressed. She felt it was something very important, something she had to know.
"...You'll know tomorrow," Will said after a moment of silent thought, his eyes brightening slightly. He knew what he had to do.
That night, Will tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He got up from the bed, floated to the window, and looked outside. At ten o'clock at night, the streets of the capital still had many lights on. He could vaguely see the smiles on the faces of some of the residents.
...I'm starting to feel a sense of belonging here. Is it because of Liz?
Will remembered that when he first arrived, he didn't care at all about the lives or deaths of the people of the Dragonite Kingdom. If an army had invaded the next day, he would have immediately taken Liz and fled, abandoning everyone else. But now, thinking about that situation again, he would feel a sense of hesitation.
Will believed he would still make the "correct" choice—to save Liz and Iris first and worry about the future later. But after doing so, he would surely feel a sense of guilt. It seemed he had started to think of this place as his home.
Will stood by the window for a long time, until not a single light remained on in the capital. Only then did he turn his head to look at the bed. Liz was sleeping soundly.
He carefully slipped back under the covers, resting his head on her shoulder and gently sniffing the fragrance of her hair. In her sleep, Liz seemed to sense his presence and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I've seen you at eight, and I've seen you at twenty-eight."
"I've witnessed your past and your present, and you've been with me as I've grown from a tiny thing to what I am now."
"I think we're already family."
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