Standing in the Dragon's Sanctuary, Clair carefully scanned the surroundings. Seeing that everything was calm and there was no sign of the Iron-Masked Marauder, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. Looks like we made the right call he hasn't reached the Sanctuary yet."
Lance nodded. "Still, we can't let our guard down. Let's head to the shrine and inform the Elder of the situation."
'The Elder? Who's that?' Kai wondered to himself, puzzled, as he followed Lance and Clair toward the centre of the valley.
Along the way, the Pokémon living in the Sanctuary glanced at them with curious eyes. Perhaps it was due to their frequent contact with Dragon Tamers, but these Pokémon didn't show the same wariness or hostility toward humans that most wild Pokémon did. A few of the bolder ones even greeted them in a friendly manner.
Eventually, they arrived at a pond nestled deep within the valley, beneath a few solitary trees. There, Kai saw a small shrine.
Lance pointed ahead. "We're here. That's the Dragon Shrine."
Kai looked at the structure. It resembled a small temple covered in vines and wildflowers. On either side stood two tall stone pillars engraved with ancient markings, exuding an aura of mystery.
Like the shrine itself, the stone pillars had clearly withstood the test of time, weathered by wind and rain. Who knew how long they had stood there?
What drew Kai's attention the most, however, was the flame burning in a stone basin within the shrine.
Despite the absence of fuel, the flame continued to burn brightly, as if untouched by time.
Noticing Kai's gaze, Lance smiled. "After the battle with the rampaging Dragon-type Pokémon long ago, our clan built this shrine to symbolize harmony with Pokémon. That flame you see is called the 'Prayer Flame, a sacred relic that has burned for over five centuries without ever going out."
"A flame burning for five hundred years?
That was an incredible power."
Kai could only imagine how fearsome that ancient Dragon-type must have been.
Inside the shrine, an elderly man clad in armour sat cross-legged on a mat, dozing off while holding a dragon-headed staff. He wore a helmet, and his stout figure appeared to be no taller than 1.2 meters.
His thick white eyebrows drooped so low they covered his eyes, and his long, goat-like beard obscured his mouth entirely. His face bore only a protruding nose and deep wrinkles a living embodiment of age itself.
He snored softly, completely unaware that a group of people had approached.
Kai guessed that this old man must be even older than Cab probably well into his nineties. Kai instinctively slowed his movements, afraid that even a slight misstep might startle him into some kind of incident.
The group exchanged glances before Lance cautiously stepped forward, cleared his throat, and spoke softly.
Lance tried to rouse him gently, but the old man didn't react at all.
Lance sighed, clearly unsure of what to do. It was a strange sight an Elite Four member fidgeting like a scolded child, unable to handle the situation.
Thankfully, footsteps echoed from behind the shrine, and a Dragonite emerged.
Unlike ordinary Dragonite, this one exuded immense strength at a glance.
Clair leaned in and whispered, "That Dragonite once belonged to the Gym Leader from two generations ago. After its Trainer passed away, it stayed behind to guard this land. It's well-respected among the Pokémon here."
"Drooo~" (Hey, Lance!)
Clearly familiar with Lance and the others, Dragonite waved to them before walking over to the Elder and gently nudging his shoulder.
The old man slowly stirred awake, yawning as he opened his eyes and finally noticed the group in front of him.
At the sound of his voice, Lance, Clair, and even Cab immediately bowed respectfully. Their deference spoke volumes of the high regard in which this Dragon Elder was held.
Kai quickly followed suit, bowing in kind. As he looked up, he noticed something peculiar: on the Elder's helmet was a carving of Rayquaza.
The carving was exquisitely detailed so lifelike that it stood out starkly.
A Legendary Pokémon that lives in the ozone layer and rarely descends to the earth… most people didn't even know it existed. And yet, this Elder not only knew of Rayquaza but revered it enough to wear it as a totem on his helm.
'Could it be… the Pokémon that once fought the Dragon Tamers' founder was Rayquaza?'
Lance respectfully began to explain the situation in full.
"A Pokémon hunter?" the Elder repeated. Despite his age, his mind was razor-sharp. He struck his staff hard against the floor and declared in a hoarse but powerful voice, "He must not be allowed to disturb this place's peace. We must stop him."
After speaking, he turned and fixed his gaze on Kai.
At that moment, the Elder's bright, wise eyes locked onto Kai's, as if peering deep into his soul.
"Young man, your destiny is entwined with Dragon-type Pokémon. In both your present and future, you share a bond with the Dragon path. Would you be interested in joining our clan and becoming a true Dragon Master?"
Kai was taken aback, but before he could say anything, Lance and the others were visibly shocked.
In all their years, the Dragon Tamer clan had never invited outsiders to join. They had always trained members from within their own bloodline. If Kai accepted, he would become the first exception in clan history.
"Me?" Kai blinked, then gave a small smile and shook his head. "I appreciate the offer. Becoming a Dragon Tamer sounds amazing but I love all kinds of Pokémon, not just Dragon-types."
The Elder didn't seem surprised by the refusal. He let out a gentle sigh, seemingly a little regretful, then turned to Sabrina.
"As for you, young lady… your fate is beyond prediction. Psychic power is your source of strength it both protects and binds you. It seems your destiny does not lie along the Dragon path."
To be fair, being able to discern Sabrina's psychic powers just by looking at her showed that this Elder was no ordinary man.
Indeed, in a world of fantastical Pokémon, even humans could become extraordinary.
As for the idea of becoming a Dragon Master or Dragon Tamer, Sabrina clearly wasn't interested.
She was about to speak when suddenly, a thunderous explosion rang out from the nearby mountain.
Everyone turned their heads. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky as the mountain wall cracked, and a dark cave entrance appeared amidst the falling debris.
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