Chapter 267: A Long Way To Go

After climbing past 500 meters on Dragon Mountain, the path became much easier to traverse. While it was still steep in some areas, it was far better than the earlier sections where Julian had nearly fallen several times.

With his machete in hand, Julian kept hacking away at the trees and undergrowth in his path.

Fortunately, his extraordinary physique kept him going. Without it, just climbing Dragon Mountain might have been enough to claim his life.

Most trainers were in excellent physical shape. Without strong bodies and quick reflexes, it was nearly impossible to survive in the wild. Battles without protective shields could easily kill a careless trainer caught in the crossfire.

Those without the necessary physical fitness and reaction speeds often met their end in the wilderness.

Being a professional trainer might seem enviable, but it wasn't an easy life. Every year, countless trainers lost their lives to various accidents while exploring the wild.

The risks and rewards of being a professional trainer were always proportional.

After climbing another 300 meters, Julian and Dragonite reached the 800-meter mark.

In some regions, an 800-meter mountain would be the tallest peak in the area.

But on Dragon Mountain, 800 meters was still barely above the base.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A series of heavy footsteps echoed, signaling that Julian and Dragonite had entered the territory of another Dragon-Type Pokémon.

A Druddigon appeared before them.

It was another early Elite-tier opponent, but it stood taller and seemed stronger than the Flygon they had faced earlier.

Druddigon: 'Get off my territory!'

Dragonite: 'Can I just fly over it instead?'

Druddigon became furious. 'Who do you think you're mocking?!'

It roared and unleashed Dragon Rage, a blazing red sphere of energy. The heat radiating from the attack made the air around it boil, and the temperature spiked.

Feeling the heat burn his hair, Julian quickly retreated dozens of meters.

He wasn't sure what Dragonite had said to anger Druddigon, but its Dragon Rage was far more powerful due to its anger.

Dragonite, clueless as to why the Druddigon was so upset, looked puzzled. Its goofy expression remained, but its actions were swift.

With a powerful flap of its wings, it summoned a Twister to counter the attack.

Unexpectedly, the two moves didn't collide. Instead, the Dragon Rage was absorbed into the Twister, enhancing its power.

Dragonite: 'Thanks for the upgrade, big guy.'

Druddigon: 'What just happened?!'

In a mix of confusion and fury, Druddigon watched as the fiery Twister, now infused with its own Dragon Rage, hurtled toward it.

Druddigon roared.

Opening its jaws, it formed a spectral image of its head in mid-air. The phantom head, brimming with sharp fangs, lunged to bite into the fiery tornado.

A deafening roar erupted from Druddigon's mouth, sending powerful sound waves that shook the mountainside. The vibrations dislodged rocks, many tumbling straight toward Julian.

Julian: (?…?)

Crack—don't misunderstand, it wasn't Julian's legs breaking under a falling rock—but the Twister, infused with Dragon Rage, was shattered. Druddigon had bitten straight through it, dispersing it with Crunch.

Phew!

Druddigon smacked its lips, feeling a slight tingling sensation but nothing too serious.

'Whoever dares call me the disgrace of the Dragon clan, I'll personally deal with them!'

The scene was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

To bite through a combined attack of Twister and Dragon Rage? That wasn't just strength—it was sheer power and unyielding tenacity. And clearly, those jaws had to be as tough as steel.

The spectral dragon head reappeared in the air, its crushing jaws aiming for Dragonite once more.

Dragonite braced itself, digging in with all four limbs. Despite the pain, Dragonite bent slightly, muscles coiling like springs. Then, with a powerful surge, it unleashed its strength, shattering the Crunch with a thunderous blow.

But there was no time to catch its breath. Druddigon was already following up with Dragon Claw, a massive energy-formed claw, at least ten meters long, slashing down toward Dragonite.

Swish!

The claw swiped through empty air. Dragonite had vanished.

In the blink of an eye, Dragonite reappeared behind Druddigon, moving with breathtaking speed using Extreme Speed.

As if sensing the danger instinctively, Druddigon didn't even turn its head. It swung a Dragon Tail backward, aiming straight at Dragonite.

Julian raised an eyebrow. The gap in strength between this Druddigon and the earlier Flygon was obvious, even though both were supposedly early Elite-tier.

One was stationed at 500 meters, while the other guarded the 800-meter mark. In just a 300-meter difference, the challenge had escalated significantly.

'How did Dylan make it through this with a Peak Pseudo-Elite Salamence?' Julian wondered skeptically.

To complete the Dragon Mountain challenge, one only needed to defeat three Dragon-Type Pokémon. But if the first opponent was already an early Elite-tier, the third could very well be at the mid-Elite level.

'And Dylan cleared this with his Salamence? Back then, it wasn't even Elite-tier yet.'

Dylan: 'I have the Heart of Dragons. Three Elites? No problem. Who are you looking down on?'

As Julian entertained the idea that Dylan might have used some "unofficial" methods to clear the challenge, Dragonite had already grabbed Druddigon's Dragon Tail mid-swing.

Dragonite's razor-sharp claws dug deep into Druddigon's tail, piercing through its thick scales. Even with its sturdy armor, the tail couldn't withstand Dragonite's raw strength.

All of Julian's Pokémon had one thing in common—unmatched physical power.

When in doubt, brute force wins.

With Druddigon's tail firmly in its grasp, the Dragon Pokémon tried to twist and attack. But before it could act, it realized it was suddenly airborne.

The next moment, its surroundings spun rapidly as Dragonite began swinging it like a ragdoll.

After nearly a hundred spins, Dragonite finally loosened its grip. With a resounding boom, Druddigon's body slammed heavily into the mountainside.

The once-solid rock face now featured a massive crater almost a hundred meters wide, with chunks of debris tumbling down in a chaotic landslide.

Julian: 'If you want to change trainers, just say so. I can jump off the cliff myself!'

Thankfully, Dragonite quickly stepped in front of him, shielding him from the falling debris.

"Finish it off!"

Julian shouted as he noticed that, while Druddigon was embedded in the mountain, its eyes were still open.

It was clear the excessive spinning had left the Dragon-type too dizzy to control its body.

If they didn't capitalize on this opportunity now, when would they?

With a powerful stomp, Dragonite launched itself forward. The ground beneath it shattered as it transformed into a streak of yellow lightning. It drove its Mega Punch straight toward Druddigon.

Druddigon sensed the impending danger but could do nothing to stop it. Its body swayed, unresponsive to its commands.

With a thunderous impact, Dragonite's attack connected squarely with Druddigon's stomach.

The blow was devastating. Druddigon's eyes bulged as searing pain surged through its body. The force was so overwhelming that its mind instinctively shut down to protect itself.

Thud.

Druddigon collapsed to the ground, its mouth still agape. Saliva trickled from its jaw as its body twitched sporadically.

"Let's keep moving"

Today's goal was to reach 5,000 meters, and they had barely made it to 800. There was still a long way to go.