His younger brother's reaction to being confessed to brought a deep sense of relief to Kazuya as an older brother.
He could see faint wisps of steam rising from the gaps between his brother's scales. Those crimson eyes, usually so bright and full of spirit, were shifting erratically now to dodge her gaze, and even his wings had instinctively tucked tight against his torso, making him look a full size smaller than usual.
He was blushing. The emotions churning inside him were soaring high, causing the fla on his tail to burn a few degrees more intensely.
This was the hallmark sign of maturity blooming. It signified a monuntal milestone—brother-kun had officially reached the age where he could sire a new generation of dragon cubs.
Experiencing love for the very first ti, brother-kun was utterly clueless about what to do. Consequently, he hadn't given the female Charizard any response on the spot. When that female Charizard finally turned around to leave in disappointnt, a heavy wave of guilt and regret washed over his heart. Even Kazuya had been secretly beating his chest in frustration from afar; he had honestly thought he was about to cradle a brand-new Charmander hatchling soon.
Fortunately, that female Charizard possessed a stubborn and resilient nature. She returned the very next day.
And so it went, up until today. The female Charizard had already accompanied the squad four tis. She had even begun learning how to apply dicine from Floette, hoping to use the treatnt sessions as an opportunity to secure close-range contact with brother-kun.
Witnessing this, Kazuya gave a silent thumbs-up to the female Charizard's tactical wit. It had to be said that when it ca to emotional intelligence, brother-kun was undeniably lagging quite a bit behind. This could technically be counted as a dereliction of duty on Kazuya's part. But there was nothing to be done about it; even he himself lacked any practical experience in this arena, let alone trying to tutor his younger brother.
To this day, Kazuya didn't fully comprehend how he and Shirona had truly fallen in love. It was a completely imperceptible progression, moving quietly like a morning breeze rustling through the leaves at the treetop without leaving a single trace—to the point where even the leaves themselves had no idea what had just transpired. That affection had simply naturally and logically arrived at that destination.
If there was anything truly noteworthy about it... it was that when Shirona was right on the verge of adulthood, she suddenly awakened to those feelings and beca exceptionally proactive.
Right, it was roughly after her second interaction with Yoko Juniper.
"Yoko Juniper... you little..." Kazuya narrowed his eyes, his fists tightening. He suddenly rembered a phase where Shirona had been completely, frantically obsessed with the idea of birthing a little Riolu.
Ah, whatever. Things had already reached this point; he couldn't really bla Yoko Juniper anymore. The ultimate outco turned out wonderfully, didn't it?
Kazuya let out a soft sigh, turning his head once more to look over at his brother. The female Charizard had already begun applying the dicine for him. Brother-kun stood there as rigid as a stone zombie; if soone were to push him, he would probably just tilt and stand straight up on the ground elsewhere. Kazuya shook his head. He had already decided to step back and let nature take its course.
The people destined to be together would inevitably find each other. The trials and tribulations they experienced along the way would only serve to forge a far more resilient bond between them.
"Floette, I'm heading out to sea. Are you coming?"
"Flo-ette!" Floette clutched her Eternal Flower and hurried over in a flash. She reached out with her free hand, expertly gripping the horn atop Kazuya's head. She was utterly enchanted by the underwater excursions. The ocean held so many magnificent sights and Pokémon she had never witnessed before, and she wanted to explore them all with Kazuya.
"Let's move." Kazuya soared straight into the heavens, carrying Floette toward the southeast.
Back on the ground, brother-kun stared completely blankly at the female Charizard who was carefully applying his dicine.
She is so beautiful...
Even though it was her first ti administering dicine and her movents were slightly unpolished—frequently causing brother-kun sharp twinges of pain—he still felt she was radiating a brilliant, captivating charm.
"...Roar?" Brother-kun finally voiced the words that had been brewing in his heart for an entire week.
"...Roar." The female Charizard's hands trembled slightly as she nodded her head in pure joy. Her dark eyes sparkled with a hint of bashful sweetness.
Half an hour later, brother-kun and the female Charizard began strolling together around the heartland of the Dragon Clan. He took her to watch the young Cranidos lock horns in the pasture, then sneaked over to the farm to pluck the Berries his big sister had carefully cultivated to feed his sweetheart. Finally, he offered a stern critique of the Snorlax who did nothing but sleep heavily by the lakeside all day.
Brother-kun led her past the pastures and farmlands one by one, introducing every facet of the Dragon Clan while heavily singing the praises of his older brother.
"Roar?" The female Charizard was also deeply curious about Kazuya. Everyone at the volcano knew that their leader held an exceptional degree of care for the two young Charizards on the grassland. Many dragons openly guessed that the Kazuya brothers were the leader's own offspring, but the leader never offered any confirmation.
In any case, the female Charizard had heard countless rumors about Kazuya from her clansn. So dragons claid he was remarkably powerful, others insisted he was incredibly cunning, and so even swore he was a Charizard that could never be brought down. There were even whispers that this dragon could transform into a stark black-and-blue form.
In short, the tales grew more exaggerated with every retelling until no one knew what to believe anymore.
But now, she was learning about the true Kazuya straight from brother-kun's mouth—from surviving the magma using nothing but an eggshell right after hatching, to storming into the swamp and risking his life to rescue his companions, all the way to becoming the highly revered Dragon King of the Northern Grassland. In brother-kun's narrative, Kazuya transford into a magnificent, living legend.
Whenever he spoke of his older brother, the female Charizard could see an absolute sense of pride and adoration shining in his eyes.
"Roar?" What about you? she asked curiously.
"Roar?" Brother-kun tilted his head in slight confusion.
"What do you plan to do in the future? Do you have a dream or sothing like that?" she clarified gently.
"..." Speaking of this topic, the gaze in brother-kun's eyes turned profoundly serious.
Suddenly, he grinned broadly but didn't say a word. Instead, he guided her toward Floette's flower fields. That area had been painstakingly cultivated through the hard work of Floette and Venusaur, and it had beco the chosen sanctuary for the Dragon Clan's couples to court.
The multicolored blossoms converged into a spectacular rainbow across this stretch of the grassland. As a gentle breeze swept through, the flower beds resembled vibrant, rolling waves upon a colorful sea. Bug-type Pokémon darted back and forth among the petals, scattering starlike specks of pollen as they bustled about their tasks.
"It's so beautiful here," the female Charizard murmured, her eyes lighting up uncontrollably.
"Right? Big sister planted them. Does your volcano have flower fields?" brother-kun asked, raising his chin with a hint of pride as if every single petal carried a piece of his own personal contribution.
"No," she shook her head.
"What does the volcano look like? Co to think of it, I've never actually been there," brother-kun looked at her with curiosity.
"Hmm, it's very warm, completely red, and there's a lot of magma... why don't I just take you there to see it soti?"
"Mmh, I have to let Big Brother know first. I can only go if he approves," brother-kun swished his tail with a hint of hesitation. He truly wanted to visit the volcano; more accurately, he wanted to visit the volcano together with her.
"You're just like a little kid," she couldn't help but chuckle softly upon hearing his response.
"I'm not a kid, I just don't want to make Big Brother worry," brother-kun curled his lip, feeling like he had lost a bit of face.
"Hahaha, I understand now," she laughed out loud. She could understand his hesitation—understanding brother-kun's lingering unease, and understanding his older brother's protective concerns. After all, the Charizard standing before her was still exceptionally young.
Seeing her laugh so brilliantly, brother-kun's mouth cracked open into a wide grin as well. Following that, he plucked a bouquet of red flowers from the ground and handed them over to her. The bouquet appeared incredibly delicate within his massive claw, and the petals still bore glistening droplets of water scattered by the Ludicolo, shimring like crystal under the afternoon sun.
"For you."
"Why are you giving this to ?" The female Charizard accepted them, casting a deliberate, teasing smile at him.
Brother-kun's face flushed red as he lowered his head, not daring to et her gaze. "Just... don't ask."
"Tell ," she took a step closer, pressing right up to him.
"...Stop asking." Brother-kun caught a glimpse of her long eyelashes and instantly took flight into the heavens, as if fleeing the very place that was causing his heart to race so furiously.
The female Charizard's lips curled into a sweet arc, and she beat her wings to give chase. The two Charizards soared toward the mid-day sun under the brilliant canopy of light. The surrounding temperature grew increasingly scorching, but brother-kun's mind gradually settled into a serene clarity.
"You're flying too fast~" she called out from behind. She was holding the small flowers carefully in her arms to prevent the wind from scattering the petals, so she didn't dare to accelerate too quickly. Otherwise, with her pseudo-Elite Four tier strength, how could she possibly fail to catch up to brother-kun, who was only at Lv. 68?
Hearing the call from behind, brother-kun voluntarily slowed his pace. He hovered in mid-air, looking down to survey the sprawling expanse of the earth. The heartland of the Dragon Clan unfolded beneath them. Countless little dragon cubs were growing up happily under the steadfast protection of the clan's adults. The Dragon Clan was multiplying and thriving with unbridled vitality.
Beholding this magnificent tapestry piece by piece, the resolve in brother-kun's eyes grew completely unshakable.
"What's wrong?" The female Charizard followed his gaze to look down. She found the current brother-kun incredibly striking; the absolute certainty in his eyes caused her own heart to thud frantically against her ribs. Yes, it was this exact posture—the aura of a true sovereign of the sky. During their very first eting, it was this precise, fearless, and unwavering resolve that had deeply captivated her soul.
"Didn't you ask what my dream was?" brother-kun's deep voice echoed in her ears.
"Mmh, are you going to tell now?" she asked with anticipation.
"I am going to make the Dragon Clan the undisputed Overlord of this entire era. I am going to make my Big Brother the King of this entire world."
Brother-kun turned his head to look toward the southern grassland. That place didn't belong to the Dragon Clan's territory yet. Yes, it didn't belong to them yet. But in the future, it absolutely would. Whether it was the volcano, the snowfields, the rocky mountains, or any other uncharted lands they had yet to set foot upon—one day, every single corner would be stamped with the mark of the Dragon Clan.
Those powerful Pokémon out there might be creatures they couldn't defeat right now, but in the future, they absolutely would conquer them. He would push himself to the absolute limit to grow stronger for this very purpose.
One day, everything beneath the heavens would beco the King's domain. This world would be forced to rember the existence of the Dragon Clan. Every living thing across creation would bear the permanent imprint of his Big Brother.
The female Charizard opened her mouth slightly. The sun hung directly behind the dragon before her. The piercing solar glare forced her to squint, capturing only his dark, majestic silhouette. The flas burning behind that silhouette roared with imnse power. She didn't know if it was fueled by the blazing sun or if his own volition was simply that burning hot, but she felt it didn't matter. What truly mattered was... she absolutely had to stand by this dragon's side.
"Will you co and help ?" Brother-kun turned his head to face her, extending his massive claw toward her.
"...Alright."
The simple syllable drifted away on the wind into the far distance. A brand-new oath had officially been woven into the fabric of the world.
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