BOOOOM!!
With a thunderous explosion, black smoke mixed with flames and shattered rock rapidly spread across the platform!
Scorching hot air surged everywhere, forcing everyone present to shield their eyes.
"That sound—?! Elder?!"
With flames raging before him, Jinga raised an arm to block his face as he hurriedly retreated, shouting in shock.
"Jinga! We have honored guests here, yet you behave so rudely! Stand down at once!"
"ROAR!!"
At that moment, a black Charizard burst out from the tunnel! And on Charizard's back sat two figures!
"Elder! I—"
"Stand down!!"
"…Yes…"
Jinga, who still wanted to argue, was instantly silenced by the middle-aged woman called Elder.
With a wronged expression, he obediently retreated to the side together with his Salamence.
After scolding Jinga, the middle-aged woman flipped gracefully off the black Charizard. Once she landed firmly, she immediately turned toward the other passenger on Charizard's back—a tiny little girl who looked only four or five years old—and opened her arms lovingly.
"Come, Zinnia. Grandma will help you down."
The difference in attitude was astonishing. Her demeanor before and after was practically from two different worlds.
"It's okay, Grandma! I can do it myself! Look! Hyah!"
But the little girl called Zinnia rejected the offer with a bright, sunny smile before jumping off the other side of Charizard's back herself!
"Ah! Zinnia! Careful! Watch out!"
Seeing the child leap down, the middle-aged woman immediately panicked and hurried around Charizard to catch her.
"Hehehe! Grandma! I'm fine! I'm super amazing! Brother Jinga! Is this the bad guy who bullied you? Then he must be evil! Don't cry, Brother Jinga! Zinnia will avenge you! Little Black! Hurry and use Flamethrower!"
Although the little girl stumbled upon landing, she fortunately didn't fall.
After regaining her balance, she puffed out her chest proudly and pointed at Liam while shouting in her childish voice.
Jinga: "…(Waaah! Who cried?!)"
Charizard: "…"
"Hm? Little Black! You actually ignored my command?! Hmph! Then I'm not secretly bringing you snacks tonight!!"
When she realized Charizard hadn't attacked after her order, the little girl puffed up her cheeks angrily and stomped her feet.
Charizard: "!!!"
Sweat instantly appeared on Charizard's forehead as it glanced nervously toward the middle-aged woman approaching from behind.
Only after realizing she wasn't paying attention to him and was instead hurrying toward the little girl did Charizard finally sigh in relief and quietly shuffle a bit farther away.
"Zinnia! How many times has Grandma told you?! You must be polite! How can you speak to guests like that? Apologize at once!"
The middle-aged woman quickly grabbed the little girl's hand and pretended to scold her sternly.
After being lectured, the little girl immediately lowered her head. Her cheeks puffed up stubbornly as she stood silently in place—showing absolutely no intention of apologizing.
"Ah… this child…"
The middle-aged woman could only shake her head helplessly. Then she straightened up and formally addressed Liam.
"I apologize for the scene just now, sir. Zinnia is still young, so please don't hold it against her."
"Hmph! Bleeh~!"
The moment she finished speaking, the little girl hiding behind her immediately peeked her head out again and stuck out her tongue at Liam.
Liam: "…"
Too cute.
At this moment, Liam was already completely melted by her adorableness.
"Ahem… uh, it's fine, it's fine. She's just a child. Honestly, that just makes her even cuter. Here, little sister—since this is our first meeting, let big brother give you a present."
Liam coughed lightly, showing he didn't mind at all. Then he opened his backpack, took out a Clefairy plush doll, crouched down, and smiled warmly at her.
"Waaah! So cute! Th-this is really for me?"
The instant the Clefairy doll appeared, the little girl's eyes locked onto it completely.
But perhaps because she realized she had been a little rude earlier, she didn't immediately take it and instead asked timidly.
"Of course. Go ahead and take it."
Liam nodded with a smile.
"Yay! Thank you! Thank you, big brother! You're a good person! Brother Jinga must've been the one bullying you earlier! Don't worry! I'll definitely help you teach him a lesson later!"
Jinga: "…"
Only after receiving Liam's confirmation did the little girl happily run over, tightly hugging the Clefairy plush while rubbing her face against it lovingly.
"Hehe, what an adorable little girl."
Seeing her cute behavior, Liam couldn't resist gently patting her smooth dark-blue hair with a fond smile.
....
A few minutes later, Liam bid farewell to Wilma and Steven.
At the invitation of the middle-aged woman—the elder of the Draconid people, Seva—Liam was going to visit their tribe.
Wilma and Steven, however, were not invited and could only wait outside.
Liam told them to leave first, and thus the three temporarily parted ways.
After some introductions, Liam finally learned that the middle-aged woman riding the black Charizard was named Seva, the current elder of the Draconid tribe.
The Draconids had no titles such as chief or leader. Their elders served as the rulers of the tribe.
As for the little girl—although Elder Seva had only told Liam her name, Zinnia, and nothing else—Liam had already remembered who she was.
Zinnia.
The inheritor among the Draconid people.
The one acknowledged by the Sky Dragon Rayquaza and capable of Mega Evolving alongside it.
That fact alone was enough to demonstrate her extraordinary talent.
But… watching Zinnia sitting beside him atop Aerodactyl's back, happily playing with the Clefairy plush, Liam silently made a vow in his heart.
He absolutely would not allow that event from his memories to happen.
According to his memories, several years later Zinnia would die tragically in an accident. To let such a brilliant flower wither away prematurely—
that was something Liam absolutely could not accept.
"Ah! We're here, Brother Liam! Quick, look over there! That's our tribe! That's Zinnia's home!!"
Before they realized it, Aerodactyl had already flown out of the tunnel under Charizard's guidance.
As dazzling light burst before them, Zinnia excitedly patted Liam's hand and pointed ahead toward the enormous tribal settlement now entering his sight.