Besides that Salamence, many other Pokémon also began flying toward them.
Dragonite, Flygon, Salamence, Altaria, Hydreigon... and many more.
A great number of Dragon-type Pokémon, and even several that, while not pure Dragon-types, carried dragon blood, such as Charizard or Tropius.
This was, without a doubt, a paradise for Dragon-type Pokémon. As soon as one appeared, it belonged to that species.
"You're the second human to reach this place. I hope you can keep the secret," Drake said to Cain with a solemn expression.
Cain was surprised, but quickly nodded, meeting Drake's eyes without looking away.
If anyone from the outside were to find out, it would be truly troublesome. The entire Dragon Valley could even be destroyed.
Cain knew all too well what that meant: for outsiders, gathering so many Dragon-type Pokémon represented not only rarity but also immeasurable wealth.
Dragon-type Pokémon had always been synonymous with power. The emergence of the Fairy type had dealt them a heavy blow at first, but over time the situation stabilized, and its impact on Dragon-types wasn't as great in the end.
After all, the strength of Dragon-type Pokémon didn't lie only in their moves, but also in their unmatched physique.
Soon, that leading Salamence arrived, accompanied by several others and more Dragon-type Pokémon. All of them landed in front of them.
"Old companion, it's been a long time," greeted Drake.
"Groaarr!"
The Salamence before them relaxed its expression and gradually calmed its aura.
"This is my disciple. I'll explain later," Drake added, noticing how his old friend was staring intently at Cain.
Hearing this, Salamence nodded and let out a low roar toward the other Dragon-type Pokémon. They exchanged glances, gave Cain—who kept a serious face—one last look, and then returned to where they had come from.
The other Salamence also flew off together toward another area.
"How is it? Impressive, right? The first time I came, I was just as shocked," Drake said with a smile.
Cain exhaled slowly; he was indeed tense.
Not just because of the number of Dragon-type Pokémon, but because of the sheer power they radiated.
Especially Drake's Salamence, the one leading the group.
When the system finished scanning its data, Cain was left speechless.
Pokémon: Salamence (Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 89
Types: Dragon + Flying
Ability: Intimidate
Held Item: Dragon Fang
Egg Moves: Hydro Pump, Dragon Rage, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush
Basic Moves: Fly, Protect, Dragon Tail, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Rage, Ember, Leer, Bite, Dragon Breath, Headbutt, Focus Energy, Crunch, Dragon Claw, Scary Face, Flamethrower, Double-Edge
Learned Moves: Draco Meteor, Heat Wave, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail, Aqua Tail, Outrage, Laser Focus, Tailwind, Snore, Hyper Voice, Defog, Zen Headbutt
TM Moves: Hyper Beam, Roost, Earthquake, Double Team, Fire Blast, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Steel Wing, Giga Impact, Stone Edge, Rock Slide
An Lv. 89 Salamence!
It was the second strongest Dragon-type Pokémon Cain had seen so far, only surpassed by Professor Oak's Dragonite.
Among all those that had appeared before, this Salamence was, without a doubt, the most powerful.
But that didn't mean the others were weak. The leaders that had appeared before had nothing to envy from an Elite Four-level Pokémon.
And those pseudo-legendary Dragon-types, though below this Salamence in level, were all at least Champion-tier.
A place like this...
Even if this Dragon Valley were discovered, conquering it would be nearly impossible.
Only a force like the entire Team Rocket or the full mobilization of the Pokémon League could even attempt it.
And in fact, the Pokémon they'd seen so far were likely just a fraction. As they moved deeper in, Cain could see the true scale of the area: countless Dragon-type Pokémon flying in the skies, and many more running across the ground.
The place they were heading toward was a massive canyon.
This canyon was nestled within a mountain range that, when seen from a distance, looked like a sleeping dragon lying on the earth. The dragon's throat—where the entrance was—was the canyon itself.
"All of this is Dragon Valley. And this place here is called Dragon Mountain," Drake explained.
This was the true paradise of Dragon-type Pokémon. Though Cain couldn't spot any Kommo-o anywhere.
He had already seen Dragonite, Hydreigon, Salamence, and even spotted Garchomp and Goodra during the flight, but Kommo-o seemed to be absent.
"My old companion is now the leader of the Salamence clan. That's why he can't leave with me. The Salamence we rode here is his son, and one day he'll inherit his father's place as chief," Drake said.
Cain nodded.
In wild Pokémon packs, the leader's position almost always passed down to its offspring.
And Dragon-types had another trait that everyone envied: longevity.
A pure dragon like Salamence could easily live for five hundred years. And the stronger they were, the longer their lifespan.
If all the Dragon-types here were that long-lived...
It wasn't surprising that so many of them possessed such overwhelming power.
Even those lacking talent or resources could achieve the impossible with enough time.
When they arrived, the leading Salamence descended with the group.
From below, Cain saw many Bagon playing, several Shelgon lazily lying around, and of course, numerous Salamence.
Upon landing, the Salamence they'd ridden let out a roar toward Drake, who nodded in response; it immediately ran off to rejoin its old companions.
Most of those friends it had played with back when it was a Bagon were still in the Shelgon stage, and they looked at its wings with envy.
A Pokémon raised by a trainer grew faster and under better conditions than one in the wild.
The leader Salamence approached Drake, bowed its head, and gently rubbed its face against his, showing affection.
"Old companion, it truly has been a long time. But this time, I came to ask for a favor," Drake said, then gestured toward Cain.
"This is my disciple, Cain. A very trustworthy young man. He will never reveal the secret of Dragon Valley. And his visit is precisely related to this."
Following his master's cue, Cain took out a Poké Ball and released his Shelgon.
(End of Chapter)