October 8.
Thanks to the hard work of the Pokémon and the construction crew, the road repair project was now nearly three-quarters complete.
Dragonite's duties had gradually lightened, allowing him to return to the daycare from time to time. The once-timid Goodra had also started opening up. Under the cheerful influence of Gardevoir and the playful Alolan Vulpix, it had grown noticeably more outgoing.
During mealtimes, it no longer hid behind Mewtwo or Lin Feng. Sometimes it would even scoop up Vulpix or Eevee and place them beside itself, sharing food together. Their bond had grown strong, to the point where Lin Feng suspected that if his Insight Eye could measure affection between Pokémon, Goodra might be closer to them than to him.
Then there was Salamence.
Lin Feng had been keeping an eye on it every day. Over time, he noticed that the once-hostile dragon had calmed down. It no longer bared its fangs at the workers below, and the crimson light that used to flicker in its eyes had faded to a faint ember.
That afternoon, Lin Feng decided it was time for another talk.
He approached the silent dragon as it perched on a rocky ledge, its wings folded neatly. Before speaking, he called up its stats through the Insight Eye.
Pokémon: Salamence
Gender: Male
Ability: Moxie
Potential: Red-tier
Level: 79
Moves: Roost, Dragon Breath, Dragon Dance, Dragon Tail, Dual Wingbeat, Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, Double-Edge, Earthquake
Affection: 30 (It thinks you speak well.)
Mood: 10
Description: A powerful and proud Salamence.
Lin Feng smiled slightly. The numbers told the story.
When Salamence first arrived, it was injured and furious, its energy nearly depleted. Now, not only had its strength fully recovered, but its affection had also climbed to 30. It no longer scowled every time he approached.
He patted its shoulder with a familiar grin. "Looks like your strength's finally back where it should be."
Salamence turned its massive head toward him, gave him a long, almost indifferent glance, then yawned. Its tail swished lazily, scattering dust.
Mewtwo, who was floating nearby, tilted its head slightly. It still wasn't sure what Lin Feng had done the other day to calm Salamence down. Ever since that private talk, the dragon's violent temper had faded. It wasn't exactly friendly but it had stopped being dangerous.
Did Lin Feng somehow talk it down? Just like he did with me? Mewtwo wondered.
"What are you thinking about?" Lin Feng asked as he rose into the air, his psychic energy shimmering faintly. He landed lightly on Salamence's back.
Salamence grunted and flapped its wings harder, clearly displeased but not enough to throw him off.
It was always amusing to Lin Feng that Salamence had to keep its wings moving constantly just to stay airborne unlike Mewtwo, who could float effortlessly with psychic power. This meant that even when resting midair, Salamence was always working.
After a long moment, the dragon spoke, its deep growl rumbling like thunder.
(I was thinking about the human who captured me.)
Lin Feng blinked. "The one who caught you? That's surprising. You were strong even in the wild. Who could possibly have captured you? What kind of Pokémon did they use? Don't tell me it was Mewtwo?"
He glanced at Mewtwo teasingly.
Mewtwo's expression darkened. "Not me," it said flatly. "Back then, I captured a number of Pokémon but I released most of them afterward."
Its gaze grew distant as it recalled that time.
In its early days under Team Rocket, it had obeyed orders without question. A man with a powerful Beedrill had placed a restraint armor on it and sent it to capture entire colonies of Pokémon. Mewtwo did so, one group after another, until the emptiness in its heart grew unbearable. It began to question why it even existed.
"Those captures…" Lin Feng prompted gently.
"Mostly groups," Mewtwo replied. "Whole species at once."
It fell silent, the air around it flickering with psychic tension. Lin Feng could sense the old pain behind the words. He didn't push further. Instead, he turned his attention back to Salamence.
"So, not Mewtwo then. Was it a Beedrill that caught you?" he asked half-jokingly.
Mewtwo froze. Beedrill? That word cut too close. It had never mentioned that man's Beedrill to Lin Feng. How did he
Salamence snorted. (Beedrill?) A flicker of disdain crossed its face. (That puny bug couldn't touch me. It wasn't just one Pokémon it was many. Dozens of them. They came with a whole group of humans and a huge flying ship.)
Lin Feng frowned. "A flying ship?"
Salamence's claws dug into the rock beneath it. The ground trembled slightly. Its wings twitched as though the memory burned.
If it had been a one-on-one battle, it would never have lost. But it hadn't been a fair fight. It had been surrounded, overwhelmed, its strength drained bit by bit until it could no longer resist.
"That's… disgusting," Lin Feng said softly. "A bunch of people ganging up on one Pokémon like that."
Salamence's eyes glimmered with rage. (Exactly! They'll pay for it one day! I'll find them and crush them with my claws!)
Lin Feng nodded seriously. "I agree with you on that."
That simple agreement lit a spark in Salamence's heart. The dragon's claws gleamed as it flexed them, roaring in satisfaction.
But a second later, it blinked and looked down at him in disbelief. (Wait you agree?)
Lin Feng chuckled. "Of course I do. I only told you not to harm innocent humans. That doesn't mean you shouldn't settle a score when you're wronged."
Salamence went still. For a long moment, it simply stared at him. Then, for the first time since they met, it let out a low, genuine rumble that almost sounded like laughter.
The tension between them eased. Lin Feng could feel the shift in its mood, subtle but real.
"You know," he continued, running a hand along the dragon's scaled neck, "you're not the only one who's been wronged by humans. Some of them… are cruel. But there are others who care. Those are the ones worth protecting."
Salamence tilted its head slightly, processing the words.
"Your power isn't meant for revenge," Lin Feng said quietly. "It's meant to protect what matters to you. When that time comes, I hope you'll fight for something better than just anger."
The dragon closed its eyes. The wind rustled through its wings. For the first time, it didn't resist the gentle touch on its back.
Mewtwo watched in silence.
It remembered the day Lin Feng had spoken similar words to it the day it stopped seeing itself as a weapon and started to believe it could be more.
And now, the same thing was happening again.
Salamence wasn't tamed by force. It was understood.
After a long pause, the dragon opened its eyes and rumbled softly. (You're strange, human.)
Lin Feng smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
The dragon snorted again but didn't throw him off. That alone said enough.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting gold across the half-finished road below, Lin Feng sat quietly on Salamence's back. The air was warm and calm. For the first time, the great dragon didn't seem burdened by its past.
They didn't need more words. The silence between them carried something deeper a fragile, growing trust.
High above, Mewtwo watched the two figures against the orange sky, a faint, knowing smile crossing its face.
Another soul healed. Another scar soothed.
And below them, the world kept moving forward, one small act of understanding at a time.
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