Su Feng glanced at the livestream chat and nearly facepalmed. Of course Dratini's charm worked on everyone. While Dratini was undeniably adorable, its evolved form, Dragonair, was the true pinnacle of beauty—sleek curves, wing-like ears, and those luminous blue orbs adorning its neck.
"Grr. (Dratini, where's Uncle Dragonite?)" Gabite asked softly.
Dratini tilted its head, still eyeing Su Feng and Xiao Da curiously. "Drah~! (Papa's at the arena with guests~!)"
Gabite blinked. "Grr? (The arena?)" Since when did they host guests in a battleground? The Dragon clan had proper reception halls!
"Grr. (Your friends are being 'entertained' there.)" Gabite said dryly to Su Feng.
Relief flooded Su Feng. Finally—a lead on Blaziken and Xiao Di. "Let's hurry," he urged.
Before leaving, Gabite placed his prized canister of Dragon Energy Cubes before Dratini. "Grr. (These are delicious. Three a day, okay? Don't overeat.)"
Su Feng raised an eyebrow. He'd assumed Gabite was hoarding the cubes for himself, not gifting them all to Dratini.
"Drah~? (But Big Brother Gabite, won't you have none left?)" Dratini asked, its large eyes wide.
Gabite smiled faintly. "Grr. (I've had my fill.)"
"Drah~! (But… I don't have hands to open this!)" Dratini flopped its tail helplessly, splashing water.
Gabite scratched his head—he hadn't considered that. Before he could ponder solutions, Dratini dove underwater and resurfaced with two translucent shed skins in its mouth. "Drah~! (Put the cubes in these! We'll share~!)"
Gabite sighed fondly. "Grr… (Keep them all. You need the nutrients…)"
Su Feng knelt, examining the shed skin. It was cool, smooth, and remarkably durable—prime material for crafting.
"Drah~? (Human wants some too?)" Dratini tilted its head before fetching three more skins and dropping them into Su Feng's hands.
"Thanks," Su Feng said, touched. Dratini shed daily due to rapid growth—these skins were rare treasures.
To repay the gesture, Su Feng used system points to craft Growth-Boost Energy Cubes tailored for juvenile Dragons. He sealed them in a spill-proof bottle with a silicone "teat" for easy access.
"Just suck on this," he demonstrated. Dratini's eyes sparkled.
Gabite reluctantly pocketed his own cubes. "Grr. (I'll give these to my forest crew later.)"
As they resumed their journey, Su Feng asked, "Aren't you worried someone will steal Dratini's treats?"
"Grr. (No.)" Gabite snorted. "Grr. (She's Dragonite's only daughter—the clan's princess. Everyone adores her.)"
Dragonite and his mate had struggled for decades to have a child. Now, the entire Dragon territory doted on Dratini. Even the sternest elders melted at her sight.
Su Feng smirked. A literal dragon princess. Fitting.
[Livestream Chat]
[DADTINI IS CANON!!!]
[Gabite's a secret softie! My heart!]
[Wind Bro, adopt me so I can pet the smol dragon!]
As they approached the arena, roars echoed—Blaziken's fiery cries mixed with a deeper, thunderous bellow. Su Feng broke into a run.