Watg as the female Garp also flew away, Julian couldn't help but notice that her dire was different from where the male Garp had gone.

  Dragohe dragon unity is a mess"

  Gible: "I just watched my mom and dad leave me behind, leaving me as the only drago here..."

  Seeing the sadness aan Gible's expression, Julian stepped forward and patted the little dragon on its big round head.

  "They didn't abandon you—they entrusted you to me. From now on, you'll stay with me, and one day, your strength will surpass that of your parents."

  Still, Julian couldn't help but wonder if the Garp couple had given him Gible just because of the Pokeblocks.

  After patting Gible's head, Julian looked down at his hand, now red and slightly sore. He was close to tears.

  'Darn it! I fot this guy's ability is Rough Skin'

  "Alright then"

  Julian said as he took out ay Poké Ball and lightly tapped it on Gible's head.

  A few seds ter, the ball settled quietly, signaling that Gible was officially his now.

  Releasing Gible back out of the Poké Ball, Julian decided there was o keep the little Pokémon inside sihe Dragon's Den was an ideal enviro for it.

  With Gible on his team, Julian finally felt somewhat assured about his safety. At the very least, the little dragon could probably protect him from falling rocks or stray tree branches during battles.

  'Probably...'

  Looking at the small Gible, Julia a flicker of doubt creep in.

  At level 20, Gible had already surpassed the stage of being sidered weak. Most Pokémon that left their parents were around this level.

  That night, Julian stayed there but the Garp couple didn't return.

  Happily mung on its special energy blocks, Gible had already fotten all about its parents. The sadness aance from earlier were o be seen.

  The m, after pleting his daily task, Julian tinued his climb, apanied by Dragonite and Gible.

  After a full night's rest, Dragonite's injured wrist had pletely healed, leaving no scars behind.

  The effects of a Full Restore were astonishing—Dragonite's wrist had nearly been broken, a had healed perfectly in just one night. Who would believe that?

  Meanwhile, Gible ran ahead excitedly. The rugged mountain path was like ft ground to it, and its spirits were high. In fact, it had woken Julian and Dragonite up with its enthusiasm early in the m.

  Having never left its territory since birth, Gible was expl other Dragon Pokémon's territory for the first time.

  Instead of being scared, it seemed more curious and fasated.

  Julian had climbed to an altitude of 7,000 meters on Mountain by now. The temperature had dropped below freezing, and the surroundings were bed in snow.

  This kind of enviro wasn't particurly appealing ton-type Pokémon. At the very least, Gible wasn't as cheerful as it had been earlier.

  Afraid of the cold, Gible was now led in Julian's arms.

  Its face, however, bore a mixed expression of disfort and delight.

  As they asded higher, the density on-type energy in the air increased.

  While the temperature had dropped, it only affected lower-level Pokémon like Gible.

  Fohe cold didn't bother it at all. On the trary, the chilly air seemed to invigorate it further.

  The rich Dragon-type energy in the surroundings made Dragonite feel as though it was soaking in a hot spring, every pore of its body radiating fort.

  Perhaps due to the dense energy, Gible's level quietly rose from 20 to 21. Without doing anything, it had leveled up.

  If they stayed here for ten days or so, it wouldn't be surprising if Gible evolved into Gabite.

  It was no wohat Dragon Mountain had bee a ndmark of the Dragon's De realm, with its treasure at the summit.

  With Dragon-type energy this abundant, even a moderately gifted Pokémon could grow strong simply by sleeping here.

  "Let's stop for lunch"

  Julian said, pointing to a ft boulder nearby that could serve as a makeshift table.

  Hearing the word lunbsp;the dozing Gible in Julian's arms instantly perked up.

  Fible, nothing was more exg thaime.

  "Here"

  Julian ha a specialized energy block, which Gible devoured in one gulp. It then looked at Julian with expet eyes, clearly hoping for more.

  "No way. From now on, you're only getting one per meal," Julian said firmly, shaking his head.

  'Too much of a good thing be harmful'

  Gible's energy blocks were already packed with nutrients. Normally, eating two wouldn't be an issue.

  But with the enviro saturated in Dragon-type energy, Gible assively abs it without even trying.

  Its body was still too small and fragile. If too muergy accumuted without being released, it could harm Gible instead.

  Thus, Julian decided to limit the energy blocks.

  Dragonite, oher hand, had no such s. Its deep reserves of power only beed from the battles along the way, which tinuously pushed its potential further.

  Dragonite's body craved more energy, not less.

  Though Gible seemed a little disappointed, it didn't throw a tantrum, which Julian found reassuring.

  By 5 PM, Julian and Dragonite had climbed to an altitude of 8,000 meters.

  As they reached this height, a Dragon-type Pokémon began cirg overhead.

  Its blood-red wings glowed ominously against the setting sun, resembling the fiery hues of twilight.

  "Samence," Julian murmured softly.

  Dragonite immediately took to the skies, rising to meet Same a distance of five to six hundred meters.

  The two Pokémon hovered in the air, gazing at each other from afar.

  'A Same the peak of the Elite-tier,' Julian's heart sank.

  sidering the strength on-type Pokémon on Mountain, their bat capabilities often exceeded their level by a small tier.

  If a te-stage Elite Pokémon could fight at peak Elite strength, then this Same peak Elite tier, likely had bat power rivaling a pseudo-Champion.

  Although Dragonite had grown signifitly in Dragon's Den, its current limit eak Elite tier.

  If Sameruly possessed pseudo-Champion level strength, Dragonite's ces of winning were slim—even with Julian's guidance.

  If Metagross was here, a viight be possible with Mega Evolution.

  Dragonite's greatest disadvantage was its ck of a Mega Evolution form. If it had ohere might still be hope.

  Julian g the Peak Elite Experience Card lying in his system iory.

  'If it es down to it, I'll have no choice but to use this'

  "Roar!"

  Same out a furious roar, its blood-red wings slig through the air and leaving a crimson afterimage.

  There was a deafening boom, and before Julian could react, Dragonite was already hurtling toward the ground like a et.

  With a crash, Dragonite smashed into the earth, scattering debris in all dires. Seeing this, Julian quickly pulled Gible away from the area to avoid the flying rocks.

  His fiden this battle wavered even further. Dragonite had been overwhelmed in a single exge.

  Julian g the trembling Gible in his arms and sighed.

  'I was ting on you to protect me, but it seems I overestimated you'