Granny

Chatot rushed straight into the nest of the Mandibuzz clan on the central No. 3 island lake. Upon landing, it began yelling at the top of its lungs, appearing to insult the ancestors of the Mandibuzz clan for generations to come.

Although the Mandibuzz clan had somewhat mellowed after arriving at the Ecopark, their nature remained domineering. Upon hearing a Pokémon yelling at their doorstep, they weren't going to let it slide. The Mandibuzz clan's leader immediately led a few members out.

As the manager of the Mandibuzz clan, the Archeops had already grasped the situation when Chatot and its party arrived on the island. However, due to its old age, it simply wanted a quiet life and chose not to meddle in the conflicts of the younger generations.

Thus, the Archeops glanced at the sky and then closed its eyes, opting to continue resting in its nest.

Observing the aggressive Chatot, the leader of the Mandibuzz clan let out a loud, resonant cry, and Mandibuzz started flying out from the trees, surrounding Chatot and its party.

Though the Mandibuzz leader recognized that Chatot was stronger than themselves, recalling their past experiences in the underground world, they knew the one who's toughest usually wins, and the one who's unwilling to lose would do anything to avoid it.

If the Mandibuzz clan hadn't been brave enough to fight viciously in the underground world, they would have been devoured by those beasts and left with nothing but bones and scraps.

At this moment, Chatot, filled with confidence, instructed Gallade to use Teleport with Little Noctowl to hide aside, intending to flex its power in front of its daughter, establishing the image of a formidable and towering father in her mind.

Note: In reality, Chatot is petite, and its daughter is now taller than it.

Chatot flapped its wings and swiftly ascended, overlooking the Mandibuzz below. With a swift movement of its wings, a surge of Heat Wave rolled out, swirling towards the Mandibuzz.

Since being revived by Ho-Oh, generating Heat Wave became one of Chatot's specialties. Now, coupled with its Elite level power, this Heat Wave displayed an impressive and grand momentum.

The Mandibuzz leader had initially called for many members, aiming to intimidate Chatot, expecting it to back down. Yet, Chatot was resolute, deciding to take action immediately.

Observing the roaring Heat Wave, the Mandibuzz leader hastily signaled their clan members to defend. Dozens of Mandibuzz simultaneously employed Gust move to counter the Heat Wave.

Though the Mandibuzz' strength was inferior to Chatot's, their advantage in numbers, coupled with Chatot's reluctance to cause real harm, surprisingly gave them the upper hand in this contest of multiple Gust move.

Strands of red-hot waves, propelled by the forceful wind, scattered into the woods. The lush green leaves were curled and toasted by the high temperatures. Luckily, the area was close to the sea, with ample moisture, or else the Mandibuzz' habitat might have ignited.

On the central No. 3 Island Lake, not only did the Mandibuzz clan reside but also the Togekiss clan and the Braviary clan. The sounds of battle startled them, and they discreetly popped their heads out to watch the show without any intention to intervene.

Isn't great to watching a drama?

As the Fire-type move didn't yield results, Chatot, who was brimming with self-assurance, was unhappy: "My dear, you don't think I'm weak, do you?"

With this thought, Chatot flapped its wings once more, sending a powerful sound column straight at the Mandibuzz clan leader.

This was another move of Chatot — Boombust!

Unlike the wide-range but dispersed attack of the Heat Wave, Boombust's characteristic was a targeted strike. Its sound wave was extremely potent, not something to be taken lightly if hit.

During the heat wave attack, the Mandibuzz couldn't easily evade, but the singular target of the Boombust on the Mandibuzz leader erased their previous concerns, causing them to disperse and flee in an instant.

However, the Mandibuzz leader remained calm. It folded its wings tightly around its body and simultaneously used the Steel Wing move.

Bang!

The sound wave collided with the Mandibuzz leader, causing the leader to plummet until it was near the ground, disappearing only after the sound wave faded. The Mandibuzz leader swiftly opened its wings in midair to steady itself.

It seemed the Mandibuzz leader hadn't sustained severe injuries, much to Chatot's surprise: this wasn't supposed to happen!

In truth, Chatot wasn't aware that the Mandibuzz clan was one of the rare Flying-type Pokémon skilled in defense. Their racial natural defensive capability was far superior to other Flying-types. Additionally, when the Mandibuzz leader gathered its wings for defense, it utilized the defensive properties of the Steel Wing move.

The Steel Wing move employed Steel-type energy to infuse the wings, making them as hard and sharp as metal, hence naturally possessing a certain level of defense.

Startled by the unexpected turn of events, Chatot lost focus for a moment, allowing the other Mandibuzz to seize the opportunity. They launched a barrage of Dark Pulses, Air Slashes, Shadow Balls... raining attacks on it.

Squawk, squawk...

Hit by the onslaught, the screaming Chatot crashed to the ground. It kept flapping its wings, attempting to take flight again, but its wings were injured, rendering it useless!

Thud!

Chatot landed on the ground, burying its head into a patch of low grass. Feeling embarrassed, Chatot wiggled its rear, nudging its head into the thicket, too embarrassed to raise its head.

"Darling, daddy embarrassed himself for you!"

The Mandibuzz exercised restraint. Seeing Chatot hiding in the grass, they refrained from further attacking.

The Little Noctowl, who was hiding alongside Gallade, witnessed their father's embarrassing situation and thought: "I knew dad wasn't reliable!"

Although the Little Noctowl had long known that their dad was unreliable, it didn't expect him to pretend to be invisible in public after losing a fight. It had discerned that its dad was completely shameless and had no limits!

Gallade: This is a complete disaster of unexpected pretentiousness!

Observing her husband's embarrassing situation, the Noctowl's mother, who had been following in secret, couldn't bear watching anymore. She flew out from her hiding place, intending to clean up the mess left by her husband and child.

It also noticed that its husband had advanced to the Elite level and even guessed the reason for his previous haughtiness, and of course, noted that he hadn't used his full strength in the recent battle.

But losing face is genuinely losing face!

The appearance of the Noctowl's mother made the Mandibuzz clan alert: "Here we go again?" Compared to the newly advanced Chatot, the Noctowl's mother's aura was evidently stronger. However, its aura was tranquil, so the Mandibuzz refrained from rashly attacking.

Moreover, the Mandibuzz leader was familiar with the Noctowl's mother. In the Ecopark, there were only a few Elite level Pokémon, and the Noctowl's mother had a bit of reputation. This made the Mandibuzz leader somewhat cautious.

It didn't want any conflict with the Noctowl's mother, a longstanding resident of the Ecopark.

Flap, flap, flap...

The Noctowl's mother flew to Chatot's side, grabbed its tail with a claw, pulled it out of the grass, and then called out twice to the Mandibuzz clan. The Mandibuzz looked at each other, uncertain how to respond.

Once Chatot was yanked out of the grass, it initially wanted to start a fuss, but upon turning and seeing its wife, it immediately tried to please the Noctowl's mother, smiling incessantly, as if the embarrassing incident hadn't happened at all.

The Noctowl's mother ignored Chatot, quietly waiting for the Mandibuzz' response.

Finally, the Mandibuzz leader grumbled a few words to another Mandibuzz nearby, and that Mandibuzz left for a while, returning with another little Mandibuzz and a Xatu flying out from the woods.

The Mandibuzz, accustomed to their dominance, felt humiliated to return the Xatu, causing a commotion in the bird community. Eventually, the Mandibuzz leader did its utmost to calm everyone down, and they managed to restrain themselves from causing trouble.

As soon as the Xatu was led out and saw its companions, it immediately burst into tears: "It was so close, so close, so close... sniff..."

The level of distress was palpable.

The Psychic-type Xatu genuinely disliked the Dark-type Mandibuzz, couldn't win in a fight and couldn't escape...

The little Mandibuzz, apologizing to the Xatu, looked at the sobbing Pokémon and felt a bit ticklish inside: "This little appearance is truly charming... Oh no! I'm drooling..."

The Xatu's intuition was strong, immediately sensing the little Mandibuzz's fixed gaze, causing extreme fear.

The little Mandibuzz looked at the fragile and gentle appearance of the Xatu, growing more and more fond: "Hmm... in the future... um... hehehe..."

And so, the matter was settled. After the Noctowl's mother took Chatot and the rest away, the Mandibuzz leader advised their kin to consider the Braviary as their preferred mating partners in the future. It led to better compatibility and a bit less trouble.

The Mandibuzz clan mostly selects the Braviary as their partners, not only due to the proximity of the two groups' breeding forms but also because the Braviary better fits their aesthetics, and they do not like having a fixed mate.

Only the little Mandibuzz pouted and didn't take the leader's words to heart.

However, the events in the Ecopark didn't reach Yuga's ear. He secluded himself for about six or seven days until Zinnia came back to visit.

This time, Zinnia didn't resort to any fancy means to meet Yuga. She formally visited the Verdanturf Gym, conveyed her message through Beidou, and expressed her wish to meet Yuga.

Compared to the first meeting, this one was more formal. Certainly, if Zinnia had visited the Verdanturf Gym for the first meeting, she wouldn't have met Yuga.

This time, Zinnia wasn't alone; she was accompanied by an elderly old woman. Although the old lady looked aged, she was very robust, and her voice was resolute.

After ushering Zinnia and her companion into the gym, Yuga inquired, "Who is this...?"

Zinnia coughed lightly and answered, "This is my grandmother. Since I couldn't decide on the matter you mentioned before, I invited my grandmother."

Yuga nodded, "I see. What should I call your grandmother?"

The old lady chuckled, "The Gym Leader Shimizu is indeed talented and youthful. It's better to see it in person than hear about it. I'm managing the Meteor Falls, and cosidering my old ages, you can address me as Granny."

"Alright, Granny, is this visit about the trace of Rayquaza?" Yuga wasn't concerned about titles. He was focused on whether his goal could be achieved.

Granny hesitated for a moment before lowering her gaze, "I wonder if the Gym Leader Shimizu knows about the Dragon Clan?"

Yuga nodded, "I do. The Dragon Clan are an ancient ethnic group, and the Draconid people resides in the Meteor Falls are also the descendant of Dragon clan, right?"

"Didn't expect the Gym Leader Shimizu to know." Granny was a bit surprised but when she thought about it. After all, he was the apprentice of that old fellow, Kuni'o. It's just a pity...

"I won't elaborate further. We, the Draconid People, have been worshiped the Rayquaza for generations. Thus, the whereabouts of the Rayquaza are crucial to us. I kindly ask the Gym Leader Shimizu for a favor."

Granny didn't display the air of a senior or the manager of the Meteor Falls, she speaking to Yuga in a gentle and friendly tone.

However, Yuga was perplexed and asked, "One thing is puzzle me, Times have changed. As far as I know, the other Descendants of the Dragon Clan, the Dragon Tamer Clan, and the Village of Dragons have stopped looking for the Rayquaza. Why then the Draconid people so fixated on the Rayquaza?"

Granny suddenly lifted her head, her momentum rising abruptly. "Dragon Tamer clan? Village of Dragons? What kind descendants of the Dragon Clan, are they?" Speaking from the heart, Granny seemed somewhat severe.

Soon she seemed to realize she had overreacted, hastily calming down, and said in a gentle tone, "What I meant was that they are who they are, and we are who we are. Since our three clans have split, of course, it's not our business how others go about things."

"That's right!"

Yuga composed himself and spoke as calmly as possible. The sudden powerful aura emanating from the old lady was overwhelming, making it difficult for him to catch his breath. This kind of aura... he had only seen it from his master.

This old lady was not simple at all...

"I wonder if the Gym Leader Shimizu would be willing to inform us about the whereabouts of the Rayquaza," the old lady asked in a soft voice.

Yuga's expression tightened slightly, "Actually, I don't know the whereabouts of the Rayquaza."

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Zinnia instantly exploded, "You're lying to me!"

"Zinnia!" The old lady scolded Zinnia, then turned to Yuga, "Does the Gym Leader Shimizu mean to joke with me?"

Here it comes again, that feeling.

This imposing aura couldn't be perceived as coming from an elderly old lady.

Yuga smiled faintly and said mysteriously, "Indeed, I don't know the whereabouts of the Rayquaza, but I have something that you'll surely be interested in."

"Oh? What is it?" The old lady suddenly became interested.

Yuga grinned and pulled out a thumb-sized glass vial. The vial contained a bright red, slightly luminescent liquid, clearly not an ordinary substance.

"Is it this?" Yuga lightly shook the vial.

"What is this...?" The old lady couldn't help but extend her wrinkled hand towards the vial, but Yuga moved it out of her reach.

"I think you've guessed what this is. This is the blood of the Rayquaza. I believe you must be quite eager to get it."

Yuga held the vial in his palm, blocking the longing gazes of the old lady and Zinnia.

"Does the Gym Leader Shimizu intend to give this to us?" the old lady asked, suppressing her excitement.

Give? Are you thinking of handing out peaches? I risked my life to get this! Yuga almost rolled his eyes.

"No, no, no... Of course its not to give. If you want this vial of dragon blood, you need to present something that matches its value for an exchange!"