They landed near the shoreline.
At once, both Bai Chen and Nergigante withdrew their Dominion Auras, the crushing air around them fading into stillness.
Dense jungle surrounded them — thick, untamed, and wild.
Unlike the regions near the Ancient Forest, this area was completely untouched. Grass grew waist-high, swallowing the old roots and stones beneath. The trees here were thicker too, their trunks stretching toward the sky like pillars of an older world.
"Come on," Bai Chen whispered to the small Nergigante perched on his shoulder. "Let's take a look at the beach first."
They moved silently through the brush.
This was close to the Sea Wyvern's den — and within a five-kilometer radius, not a single large monster stirred. The apex predator's territory was absolute.
Soon, a deep, guttural roar rolled over from the direction of the waves.
Bai Chen halted, climbing a massive tree for a better vantage point.
From about seven hundred meters away, through the sea haze and rock outcroppings, he caught a glimpse of a titanic creature patrolling the coast.
The Sea Wyvern — the undisputed lord of the ocean.
Even from this distance, Bai Chen could sense its awareness. The creature had felt his presence earlier; it was still on guard, prowling its shoreline.
He adjusted his angle and pulled out his telescope.
The creature's form filled his vision, and with it, the status window flickered open in his mind's eye.
[lagiacrus — Level 46 | Danger Rank: 6 | Skills: 4 (Master Rank)]
A typical map ruler's profile. Powerful, composed, and terrifyingly stable.
One entry in particular caught Bai Chen's eye —
[High Voltage Organ] (Rarity: 5)
Stronger even than Zinogre's evolved version of the same ability.
He folded the scope shut, expression thoughtful.
"Level forty-six… and lord of the sea. If it dives, there's no winning. I'll need to draw it out — force it onto land."
Confidence was one thing. Arrogance was another.
And Bai Chen wasn't about to brawl a Leviathan in its own domain.
He relocated to a better lookout — a low hill about a kilometer inland. From here, he could see most of the crescent-shaped beach below.
A two-hundred-meter stretch of pale sand curved gently between cliffs. Nestled into one of those cliffs was a dark cave entrance, four meters tall — the Sea Wyvern's lair.
He watched from dawn to dusk. The dragon never left.
"A loner, huh?" Bai Chen murmured. "Good. A solitary male is much easier to deal with."
He opened his pouch and released Zinogre and the Master Smith.
"Zinogre," he ordered, "patrol the surroundings. Clear out any smaller monsters, drive away anything big. If you meet something you can't handle — retreat to me. And bring back some prey while you're at it."
The thunder beast nodded and bounded off, crackling arcs of light marking its path.
Next, Bai Chen turned to the Master Smith.
"I'll need a few tools built — traps, anchors, maybe a heavy harpoon or two. I'll handle the rest."
As she got to work, Bai Chen returned to his post, raising the telescope once more.
He studied the terrain, tracing possible battle zones, fallback routes, and blind angles.
Minutes passed — then, from two kilometers behind him, came Zinogre's distant howl.
Not one of pain — more like exertion. His opponent wasn't too strong.
But that single sound rolled across the forest, faint yet distinct enough that even the Sea Dragon on the shore paused.
It lifted its head, eyes narrowing toward the hills.
For a few seconds, it simply listened. Then, deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, the beast turned back toward the waves.
Bai Chen sighed softly.
"Cautious one, aren't you? Didn't even bother to check it out."
The lure had failed. But he hadn't expected much from it anyway.
By nightfall, the preparations continued. The Smith hammered quietly beside the campfire while Bai Chen oversaw the materials.
He'd ordered Basarios to dig a small burrow into the hillside — a defensible hollow to serve as their base of operations.
Tonight, they would rest. Tomorrow, the hunt would begin.
Inside the newly dug cave, the scent of roasting meat filled the air. Bai Chen, as usual, played the role of chef, turning skewers for Nergigante and Zinogre alike.
The night passed peacefully.
When dawn broke, Bai Chen stretched, grabbed his gear, and stepped outside to scout the morning tide.
And froze.
Two shadows stood atop a nearby tree.
They were small — both cloaked in straw raincoats — and eerily still.
Even before he could sense them, Bai Chen already knew who they were.
"Wait… that's the Wyverian from yesterday. And another one?"
Somehow, he hadn't noticed their presence all night.
Even his Super Perception hadn't picked them up.
They were as quiet as mist — as if they'd always been there, unseen, blending with the land itself.
He probed their emotions out of caution. No hostility.
Just… something complicated.
"This is going to be trouble…"
He approached slowly, intent on sending them away before the area turned into a battlefield.
But before he could speak, he noticed something behind him —
Rock Wyvern, happily munching on something.
He turned.
Two bamboo baskets full of ore sat half-empty beside the beast.
"…Please don't tell me you stole that."
He crouched, scanning for traces — and sure enough, faint Wyverian scent lingered on the baskets.
"Oh, no."
He shot the Rock wyvern a glare and smacked it lightly across the head.
"You little rock-guzzler! You can't just eat people's things!"
The Rock wyvern blinked, startled, spitting bits of gravel from its mouth, clearly confused.
"You're lucky they don't hunt you for this—"
Before he could finish scolding, the two Wyverians leapt lightly from their perch, landing between him and the dragon.
"Please, stop. Those ores — we gave them to the child."
Bai Chen blinked.
"Child?"
That word threw him completely.
He frowned.
"Why would you do that? Is this about the Basarios Tear I gave you yesterday?"
The two small figures exchanged a glance. Then the elder of the two — the one from yesterday — rasped softly:
"Honored Dragon Rider, our Great Elder wishes to invite you to our village… as a guest."
Bai Chen froze.
An invitation? From the Wyverians?
Impossible.
For forty years, the Research Commission had tried everything to establish contact with them — trade, offerings, joint studies — all to almost no success.
The Wyverians preferred silence. They lived apart, unbothered, watching humanity from the shade of the forests.
Their villages were the stuff of myth — spoken of even less than the mysteries of the New World itself.
And now, they were inviting him?
He thought for two seconds before shaking his head.
"Sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I'm in the middle of a hunt. I don't have the time."
There were only eight days left until his return to the Pokémon world.
He still needed to slay the Sea Wyvern, craft a new set of gear, and prepare a coming-of-age gift for Lillie.
A casual visit wasn't on the schedule.
But the two Wyverians didn't move.
"We can wait," said the elder calmly. "Once your hunt is complete, we will guide you to our village."
Bai Chen exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
First, a Sea Wyvern, now an invitation from a people who'd ignored humans for generations.
He could only mutter under his breath —
"Why does everything start getting complicated right before the end?"
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