Chapter 607: Matchmaking Assembly
Grassland.
The Dragon Clan's Pasture.
"The first ever Dragon Clan Matchmaking Assembly has officially begun! Everyone, stand straight and listen to the rules!"
Kazuya bellowed at the top of his lungs from atop a massive boulder. Though he hadn't hosted a formal gathering in six lifetimes, he had witnessed them hundreds of times. Acting as the master of ceremonies in front of a bunch of ancient Pokémon was a walk in the park.
The members of the Dragon Clan were incredibly cooperative. They stood obediently in their spots, craning their necks to look up at their Big Brother's grand speech, entirely drawn in by his domineering presence.
"Today, our Dragon Clan has become the undisputed sovereign of the northern grassland, commanding a massive territory. This is all thanks to our valiant, battle-hardened warriors!"
With a broad sweep of his arm, Kazuya deliberately gestured toward the Rampardos and Hakamo-o, making sure not to exclude the newly joined Cyclizar clan.
Hearing this, the Rampardos and Hakamo-o immediately puffed out their chests and raised their heads high. They tried to act nonchalant, but their darting eyes gave away how eager they were to be noticed by their peers.
The Cyclizar clan, on the other hand, maintained a genuinely low profile. They knew they were late arrivals and hadn't achieved anything monumental yet. They silently resolved in their hearts to make significant contributions to the Dragon Clan soon. Next time, they wanted to accept such praise with absolute confidence.
"Of course, we must never forget the companions who have steadily guarded our homeland, our young ones, and our food supply in the rear!"
Kazuya turned and gestured toward the Bastiodon clan. Compared to the previous three groups, the Bastiodons merely offered gentle, warm smiles. They were simply happy to be of help; concepts like glory didn't carry much weight in their hearts.
"And finally, let us extend a warm welcome to our newest members. I hope we can all strive together from this day forward to grow bigger and stronger!"
Kazuya gestured toward the final group, the Goodra clan. He made a conscious effort to point to every single faction, reinforcing their sense of participation and responsibility. This laid the perfect groundwork for the upcoming topic, igniting everyone's enthusiasm.
"Meaa!"
Being cued, Sliggoo (brother-slug-kun) hurriedly shouted in response. He was determined to lead the Goodra clan to become an indispensable core of the collective, transforming into the sharpest weapon in Big Brother's arsenal.
"However, our Dragon Clan is currently facing a massive hurdle."
The tone shifted instantly. The collective expressions of the dragons changed, turning dead serious as they leaned in to listen closely.
"Our Dragon Clan's population is simply too small."
Kazuya let out a heavy sigh, slapping his knee in dramatic sorrow. Hearing this, the crowd fell silent. They looked at each other, their eyes swimming with confusion.
"Pelu?"
What does 'population' mean?
The Alpha Rampardos turned his head to look at his intelligent younger brother.
"Pelu...?"
Mouths?
The intellectual Rampardos opened his mouth in bewilderment.
"Pelu!"
Ah, I see!
The Alpha Rampardos had a sudden epiphany. Big Brother means our Dragon Clan has too few mouths—meaning the actual number of clan members is far too low! He quickly relayed his interpretation to the dragons around him. Thus, the equation of Population = Number of Clan Members spread through the ranks.
"Haka?"
The Kommo-o's brow furrowed slightly before his lips curled into a knowing smile. He seemed to grasp Big Brother's intentions. As a steady and analytical individual, while he didn't know what "matchmaking" meant, he understood that Big Brother wanted to expand the scale of the Dragon Clan.
Excluding Kazuya's method of absorbing other species, a wild clan normally only had two ways to scale up.
The first was absorbing separate packs of the exact same species. But encountering a different clan of the same species within the same territory was an exceedingly rare occurrence—unless the territory was astronomical in size. Given Big Brother's previous emphasis on resting and multiplying, Kommo-o deduced this wasn't the route.
That left only the second method: internal breeding.
Having seen through it all, the Kommo-o smiled and actively began scanning the female members of the clan. Since Big Brother desired this, as his lieutenant and disciple, he needed to respond enthusiastically. Although Kommo-o currently had no personal desire to sire offspring—wishing only to focus on elevating his strength—Big Brother and Big Sister would be taking care of the hatchlings anyway. What did he have to worry about?
Time to breed.
Pokémon didn't harbor convoluted thoughts, nor did they need to factor in household finances; reproducing carried zero societal pressure.
There weren't many dragons who had deduced Kazuya's true objective like the Kommo-o, but a few had caught on: the intellectual Rampardos, who had been inadvertently enlightened, and the elder Goodra and Cyclizar patriarch, who had survived massive upheavals. They all more or less understood the assignment. However, they didn't rush to scout out partners, choosing instead to see how Big Brother intended to orchestrate the event.
This Matchmaking Assembly was clearly not going to be as simple as letting them blindly search for mates on their own.
"That's right, some of you have guessed correctly! The purpose of this Matchmaking Assembly is to help you find partners, fall in love, and lay eggs."
Kazuya gestured vaguely in mid-air. In truth, no specific dragon had voiced a guess; he was merely guiding the narrative—a fundamental skill for any host.
As soon as Kazuya finished his sentence, a heated discussion erupted below.
What is a partner?
What is falling in love?
They certainly knew what laying eggs meant.
Fortunately, the intellectual Rampardos performed consistently. Deducting backward from the end goal of "laying eggs," he accurately surmised the definitions of a partner and falling in love, successfully translating for the masses: a partner meant a mate, and falling in love meant courting.
Big Brother wants them to find mates and court?
Realizing this, a good portion of the dragons' minds went completely blank. Pokémon didn't have a fixed mating season. Or rather, they could enter or exit a receptive state at any time, much like humans. Without a prompt or encountering a highly favored individual, they might live their entire lives without consciously pursuing reproduction. This was precisely why over half the clan was currently dumbfounded.
To put it bluntly, many individuals—including Charmeleon (brother-kun)—had simply not reached that stage of maturity yet.
However, Kazuya's primary targets weren't these juvenile dragons; this assembly was merely an enlightenment session for them. His main goal was to stimulate the prime, adult dragons.
"Males, step forward! Engage in martial sparring to showcase your might! Females, observe the arena!" Kazuya commanded with a sweeping motion of his arm, keeping it simple and brutal.
Matchmaking in the Pokémon world could never mirror the human world; sitting down to cross-examine each other like a business transaction was out of the question. It had to be raw and direct. While males factored a female's temperament into their preferences—which was difficult to showcase on the spot—females were instinctively drawn to powerful males. This aspect was incredibly easy to display.
Direct headbutting.
"Pelu!"
The Alpha Rampardos was the very first to answer the call. He turned his head to scan the crowd, but the one who stepped out to face him was the Kommo-o!
Within the Dragon Clan, very few individuals could stand toe-to-toe with the Alpha Rampardos, and most belonged to the peace-loving Bastiodon and Goodra lines. The one who fought the Alpha Rampardos the most was the Kommo-o. The two were old rivals. Originally, the Alpha Rampardos could suppress the Kommo-o, but ever since the latter's evolution, the tables had turned.
Still, the Alpha Rampardos didn't know the meaning of fear. Letting out a roar, he lowered his frame and charged straight toward the Kommo-o. That truck-like momentum made the eyes of numerous female Rampardos and a few female Bastiodons light up instantly.
"Haha."
Sensing the fluttering Aura within the female dragons' hearts, Kazuya couldn't help but sport a satisfied grin. The outcome of the clash was no different from usual; the Kommo-o emerged victorious. His agile, powerful movements made many Hakamo-o look at him with deep admiration.
Surprisingly, the defeated Alpha Rampardos garnered even more popularity than the victor. Perhaps the raw, straightforward fighting style of a Rampardos held a more primal charm in the Pokémon world.
When the Alpha Rampardos tumbled to the ground, Kazuya reached out to stop the intellectual Rampardos from dragging him away, nodding encouragingly at the observing female dragons. In the end, only two female Rampardos gathered the courage to step forward, carefully tending to him, while the others remained held back by shyness or lingering reservations.
Kazuya watched them lead the Alpha Rampardos away to nurse his bruises, nodding in approval. Initially, he had wondered whether he should make the two female dragons duel to see who was worthier of the Alpha, but he ultimately dismissed the thought. There was no need to forcefully impose human societal structures onto Pokémon. Stronger individuals were naturally entitled to multiple mates, and this matter ultimately hinged on the Alpha Rampardos's personal inclination. If he harbored no affection for either, Kazuya's arranged setup would be a pointless meddling.
On the other side, the young and powerful Kommo-o might not have captured the gaze of other species, but he was an absolute sensation within his own lineage, surrounded by a full seven female Hakamo-o. According to Kazuya's aesthetic judgment, the Kommo-o was likely considered a premium hunk within his species.
"Next! Is no one going to volunteer? Fine, Bastiodon, you're up."
Like a strict teacher calling on a hiding student, Kazuya singled out a Bastiodon from the crowd. Those trying to shrink away had to be picked.
"Bastio..."
The Bastiodon walked into the center with a helpless frame, his opponent being a Goodra of a similar level.
The Matchmaking Assembly proceeded in full swing. By the end of the event, nearly a hundred out of the Dragon Clan's roughly two hundred members had found a prospective partner they favored. Even if only twenty pairs ultimately committed to each other, Kazuya would be thoroughly satisfied.
Twenty pairs meant at least twenty eggs! Furthermore, judging by his and brother-kun's own birth, ancient Pokémon didn't necessarily limit themselves to a single egg per clutch. The Dragon Clan's current environment was exceptionally secure and flush with food—the golden era for raising young dragons. No matter how many eggs were laid, Big Brother Kazuya welcomed them all.
The only pity lay with brother-kun. Though he had participated in the fights, it was purely to enjoy the rowdy atmosphere. To the female dragons who actively approached him, brother-kun maintained a completely oblivious, indifferent attitude, causing them to trudge away heartbroken.
Watching this, Kazuya sighed helplessly. It looked like if he wanted to hold a little nephew or niece, he would have to wait a few more years.
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