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Lance rode his Gyarados at the front, leading the way as always.
Kai and Sabrina continued sharing one Gyarados, while the elder named Cab sat atop Clair's.
The three Gyarados swam across the lake, passing beneath sharp underwater rocks and cutting through strong swirling currents as they entered the mouth of the Dragon's Den.
However, staring into the pitch-black water cave, Kai felt that it didn't resemble the maw of a dragon at all instead, it looked more like a serpent's mouth.
Cab, observant as ever, noticed Kai's curiosity as he clung tightly to Gyarados's scales. He took the initiative to explain, "The Dragon's Den is a complex cavern said to have been formed long ago when a powerful Dragon-type Pokémon rampaged through this land. In fact, among our Dragon Tamer clan, its formal name is The Dragon's Cavern, but since those four words are a bit long and awkward, most people simply call it the Dragon's Den for convenience."
A Dragon-type Pokémon?
To reshape the land and create such a massive aquatic cave… other than a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, Kai couldn't imagine any ordinary Dragon-type capable of such destruction.
"What kind of Pokémon was it? Latias? Latios? Or something else?"
Cab shook his head. "That I don't know. It happened centuries ago. But according to legend, when our clan's founder tried to subdue the creature, they obtained a Dragon Fang from it. Since then, every three years, our Dragon Tamer clan performs a cleansing ritual washing the Dragon Fang with lake water to pray for the health and prosperity of all Dragon-type Pokémon in Johto."
At that, Cab turned to Clair and added, "By the way, milady, the next Washing Day is just over a month away. Now that you've inherited the Gym, you'll be the one to carry out the ritual."
Clair gave a light nod. "Understood."
Cab was quite talkative, and since Kai was intrigued, he chatted with him for a bit longer.
Perhaps Cab assumed Kai was a friend of Clair and Lance, or maybe he respected his title as Champion, but regardless, he was quite open with him and held nothing back.
Their conversation eventually drifted to Blackthorn Gym and its history. It was then that Kai learned the mountain range they were in was truly massive the Ice Cave they had travelled through earlier was part of the same range as the Dragon's Den.
Water splashed against Gyarados's body with a steady rush, but the mighty Pokémon moved forward undeterred.
As they chatted, they finally passed through the long entrance and entered the heart of the Dragon's Den.
The deeper they went, the darker it became. Visibility dropped sharply, and the group had to turn on flashlights to navigate through the oppressive darkness.
A chilling draft howled through the tunnels. Kai couldn't explain it, but the atmosphere in the Dragon's Den felt eerie like unseen eyes were watching them in silence.
He didn't need to guess this was clearly the presence of wild Pokémon, disturbed by the presence of these uninvited guests and watching them from the shadows.
The cavern's interior was riddled with countless tunnels and offshoots that led to unknown depths. According to Cab, even after hundreds of years, the Dragon Tamer clan had yet to fully explore every path within.
After travelling several hundred more meters, the river current grew noticeably stronger and colder. At a large fork in the path, Lance gently tapped his Gyarados's neck, signalling it to stop.
All around them, there were no markings or tracks. It was impossible to determine which path Marauder had taken.
Turning back to Clair and Kai, Lance frowned. "This is the main junction. The waterways here are extremely complex one path goes left, the other right, each leading somewhere completely different. If we choose the wrong one, we could get hopelessly lost. And since we haven't seen any trace of Marauder so far, we still don't know which route he took."
Clair looked between the two paths and asked, "So, what's the plan? Do we split up?"
Lance didn't answer right away. After studying the area for a moment, he turned to Kai.
"Kai, what do you think?"
Kai rubbed his chin, thinking aloud. "Since Marauder is targeting the Dragon's Sanctuary, we should prepare for the worst. We can't expect him to get lost he's a notorious Pokémon hunter. He must have a way to find the right path. I say we head straight for the Sanctuary."
Clair nodded in agreement. "I think so too."
With consensus reached, Lance led the way once more.
The three Gyarados twisted and turned through the maze of water tunnels for over half an hour. Eventually, they plunged over a massive underground waterfall and landed in a freezing pool, emerging on the other side of the mountain.
Truth be told, if Kai had been travelling alone, he never would have dared to go over that waterfall but that, perhaps, was the final barrier protecting the Dragon's Sanctuary.
Emerging from the cave, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
Before Kai now stood a vast mountain valley, bathed in sunlight. Everywhere he looked, lush grass, colourful flowers, and tall trees filled the landscape.
In the most eye-catching spot, two or three Dragonites lounged lazily among the flowers, basking in the sun. Around them, several Dragonair and Dratini played happily nearby.
"We're here." Lance turned to Kai, his voice tinged with pride. "This is the paradise of Dragon-type Pokémon and our sacred ground the Dragon's Sanctuary."
Kai looked around in surprise. "I thought the Sanctuary would be deep within a cave… but it's actually a valley? Why didn't we just fly in from the sky?"
"Because that was the only way in," Clair explained, shaking her head. "The Dragon's Sanctuary is protected by a mysterious force. From above, all you can see are barren, rocky mountains. It's impossible to find from the sky."
"I see…"
Even so…
Kai scanned the area again. He saw Butterfree fluttering through the air, Rattata playing in the grass, and in the distance, a Bellossom and a Skiploom danced together among the blooms.
"Looks like there are plenty of non-Dragon-type Pokémon living here too."
"Of course," Lance replied with a chuckle. "The unique energy from the Dragon-types here causes the flowers to bloom all year round. That's what draws other Pokémon to live in harmony here. A healthy ecosystem needs diversity, after all."
Kai nodded, understanding.
But even among the Dragon-types, it seemed the only species here were Dragonite, Kingdra, Gyarados, and their unevolved forms. There didn't seem to be any particularly rare or exotic Dragon Pokémon.
So despite its grand name, the Dragon's Sanctuary was still bound by the limitations of its region…
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