Shelgon had just appeared, and the first thing it saw was the leader Salamence.
It showed not the slightest trace of fear—its eyes were filled instead with envy as it stared directly at him.
"Gruuu..." Shelgon let out a low growl and rubbed itself against Cain's body.
Cain patted its back, signaling for it not to be impatient—that very soon, it too would evolve.
The leader Salamence, upon seeing Shelgon, immediately understood what Drake meant and gave a slight nod.
After glancing at it once more, it turned around and began walking deeper into the mountain.
Drake, Cain, and Shelgon followed behind.
"The origins of this space and of this Dragon Valley can no longer be traced," Drake explained, "but what can be confirmed is that the Dragon-type Pokémon living here likely descend from ancient lineages of the Pokémon world. Because they've had almost no contact with the outside world, all of them have preserved the purest inheritance of their blood."
"That notebook I gave you the other day, the one describing a special training method for Shelgon—I actually learned that here."
Drake continued speaking as they walked.
"Not just for Shelgon," he went on. "In fact, any Dragon-type Pokémon can enhance its potential through this method and awaken its draconic lineage. However, the species that benefits the most from it are the Salamence."
"Of course, each Dragon lineage has its own unique inheritance. This space is ruled by five great clans: the Dragonite clan, the Salamence clan, the Garchomp clan, the Hydreigon clan, and the Goodra clan."
"All of them are pseudo-legendary lineages, and their clans possess extraordinary power. Their leaders are at least at Champion level—or even higher."
"The duty of governing this space rotates every hundred years, and this century belongs to the Salamence clan. Right now, we're heading to the only place in this world that seems to have been touched by human hands. I call it the Dragon Sanctuary."
As they talked, Drake continued to pass on the most basic knowledge about this place to Cain.
Cain's curiosity toward this space grew with every step.
After a while, they reached the end of the valley. There stood two enormous doors, their surfaces carved with intricate sculptures. The most recognizable figures were, of course, the five pseudo-legendaries—with the Salamence clan standing out among them.
"The Drako family's Dragon's Den in Johto and the Village of Dragons in Unova are, in fact, offshoots that originated from this place," Drake explained. "The Dragon's Den is connected to the Dragonite clan, and the Village of Dragons to the Hydreigon clan."
"Though this place rarely communicates with the outside world, every so often the clans send one or two Pokémon to travel and learn beyond these mountains. I met my old companion during one of those occasions."
Drake, who normally spoke very little, seemed to have opened his heart at this moment, sharing everything he knew.
"Master," Cain asked, "by bringing me here, won't you incur the resentment of the Pokémon who live in this place?"
Hearing that, Drake burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Don't worry—your master still has a bit of prestige around here."
Cain understood. It wasn't so much that Drake himself held great prestige, but rather that true respect came from the leader Salamence.
But if that was the case... did it mean that, if the time came, Drake could summon an entire army of dragons?
And best of all—they would be true dragons, not Pokémon who merely shared the word "dragon" because of their Flying type.
The thought was incredibly tempting.
The leader Salamence pushed the doors open, revealing a vast hall. On both sides stood massive stone pillars, forming a central corridor.
Lining that passage were numerous carved statues.
One could distinguish figures of Salamence, Dragonite, and many other Pokémon related to the Dragon type.
Of course, none were from Alola—such as Kommo-o; Cain saw no trace of that species here.
At the end of the corridor was an immense rocky wall.
When Cain reached the end and saw what was carved into the stone, he was left speechless.
"Rayquaza?" Cain murmured.
"That's right. That is Rayquaza, the Sky Dragon," Drake explained. "For a time, I believed this space had been created by him. But later, after studying his habits, I dismissed that theory."
Cain nodded.
Indeed, the first impression upon seeing that wall made it easy to assume this was Rayquaza's domain.
However, if it truly were his territory, he would have adapted it to his own nature.
Rayquaza enjoyed living in the ozone layer. If this were his realm, the air would be saturated with ozone, and no other Pokémon would be able to survive here.
Rayquaza remains the legend of Hoenn. He has never disappeared or fallen asleep; he simply continues to reside in the upper atmosphere. Sometimes, people can still catch sight of him gliding through the clouds in high-altitude, pure-air places like the Sky Pillar.
Rayquaza is extremely territorial. He considers the ozone layer his dominion, and any intruder who ventures there will face his wrath.
That fact alone proved that this could not be his realm.
Beneath that wall lay a pool—half-filled with a dense liquid that radiated a strange red and violet glow.
"Groaarr!"
The leader Salamence growled toward Shelgon.
Startled, Shelgon looked to Cain for approval.
Drake explained, "This is the Dragon Pool. The liquid inside is what we call 'Dragon's Blood.' Every Dragon-type Pokémon that dies in this space, before its end, makes its way to the far side of Dragon Mountain. That is the cemetery of all dragons—the Dragon Tomb."
"When their time comes, they await death there. And after their passing, from this wall begins to seep what we call 'Dragon's Blood,' which gathers in the pool. There is no more suitable place for Shelgon than this."
There was deep reverence in Drake's tone as he spoke of the Dragon Pool.
Cain didn't hesitate and nodded to his Pokémon.
Seeing his trainer's signal, Shelgon slowly moved toward the pool.
Though Drake called it "blood," it was not real blood, but a special substance filled with draconic energy. That essence increased the concentration of dragon blood within a Pokémon's body, enhancing its future potential to the utmost.
Thus, despite its name, there was no trace of iron or blood scent.
Cain watched as Shelgon entered the pool little by little, closing its eyes as its body sank into the substance until it disappeared completely.
It looked small, but was actually quite deep.
Cain averted his gaze. According to Drake, this process would take at least a full day to complete. He could either stay to accompany his Pokémon or leave and return later.
The leader Salamence had already departed, seemingly unconcerned with what was happening there.
But when Cain looked back at the rock, he noticed a few strange details on its surface...
(End of Chapter)