Draconis stared blankly upwards at the creature before him, as hot and dazzling as the sun.
Just looking at it, one could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from its body.
"...The power of this Volcarona is probably no less than that of the giant Dragonite in the anime or the two sealed ancient Pokémon near Pallet Town!"
Besides its immense power, this Volcarona also subtly exuded a sense of divinity, making one involuntarily bow in submission.
At this moment, Draconis fully understood why the primitive tribesmen of ancient times would worship Volcarona as the embodiment of the sun, even as a sun god.
He unconsciously swallowed.
Volcarona gazed at the human before it with its blue eyes. Compared to its earlier aggression, its expression now seemed very gentle.
"Volcarona," Draconis softly called its name.
Volcarona let out a strange cry, then flapped its wings and flew back into the ruins. Then, it raised its head, seemingly calling to Draconis, urging him to follow.
Gazing at the Darmanitan and Darumaka gathered there, Draconis hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.
Walking through a moss-covered stone staircase, flanked by collapsed ruins on both sides, Draconis arrived at the top of an ancient "pyramid" resembling an altar. In a recessed altar, he clearly saw a Pokémon Egg with fiery red patterns.
Volcarona radiated maternal glow, gazing at the Egg with a face full of love and tenderness.
The surrounding Darmanitan also formed a protective circle around the Egg.
"This is...?" Draconis was stunned.
The moment his gaze met the Egg, its information appeared in his mind.
[Ancient Volcarona Egg: Its mother is a Volcarona that has lived for thousands of years, its power having long since broken through to the legendary Pokémon level. It should have hatched earlier, but due to some unknown reason, its condition is unstable, and it has not hatched for a long time. For this, its mother has nurtured it with the power of flame for thousands of years.]
Volcarona let out another strange cry. Its time was almost up, its life nearing its end.
But out of concern for its child, it had stubbornly held on, refusing to dissipate.
As a mother, it couldn't bear to leave its child alone in this world.
And now, it saw a new hope.
Humans... Volcarona had seen these creatures a very long time ago. Those humans worshipped it as a god, and over time, it had made protecting humans a habit.
The humans' faith had even brought it greater power.
But even it could not live forever.
However, having lived for so many years, Volcarona could see through reality to the essence of many things.
With that one glance just now, it had seen this human's "heart" within the flames.
And... Volcarona suddenly remembered a voice it had heard a long time ago.
That voice seemed to come from beyond the heavens, yet was full of divinity.
The other party told it that soon, a human would come here, and then it could safely entrust its child to him.
At that time, Volcarona didn't believe it, but what happened today was all validating what that voice had said.
This human before him might be a good choice.
Thinking of this, Volcarona cried out twice more. Then, Draconis saw a Darmanitan pick up the Egg with both hands, walk up to him, and then, standing on its tiptoes, place the Egg into his arms.
Draconis was slightly startled, then looked at the Volcarona before him with some disbelief: "This is...?"
Volcarona released a brilliant fiery glow, golden flames dyeing the sky. It gazed deeply at its child, then began a fierce dance.
That was Fiery Dance, an exclusive move of the Volcarona Pokémon. In the game, it is the ultimate move that they can only master when they reach level 100.
However, at this moment, this Fiery Dance was not for attack, but for... inheritance!
Golden-red specks of light continuously poured from Volcarona's body, illuminating the entire cave. The glow from Volcarona's body was as dazzling as the sun.
The golden specks of light in the sky seemed to gain sentience, all surging into the Pokémon Egg Draconis held in his arms. This scene was so brilliant, so magnificent, like a grand fireworks display blooming in the dark night sky.
Unexpectedly, these fiery energies did not feel hot, but rather... warm.
At this moment, the Darmanitan, protected by this Volcarona, looked at this scene, their faces involuntarily showing expressions of sadness and sorrow, but they could not stop it.
Volcarona's lifespan had reached its limit, its life had come to an end. This was the last thing it could do for its child.
It was inheriting, passing on its fiery essence to its child, making up for its deficiencies, allowing it to hatch and grow like a normal Larvesta.
In the dazzling light, Volcarona's body slowly turned into starlight and dissipated.
It voluntarily chose to depart.
As the light source disappeared, the cave slowly darkened, and the glow on the Pokémon Egg also slowly faded, returning to its usual appearance.
But its information had changed.
[Ancient Volcarona Egg: An Egg that inherited its mother's fiery essence. The vigorously beating heart within the Egg indicates that it could hatch at any time.]
Draconis's expression was incredibly complex for a moment.
What was this supposed to be?
That Volcarona so easily entrusted its child to him, without even understanding his character.
The Darmanitan before him were wiping away tears, some even uncontrollably crying.
Draconis: "..."
Just then, Gerolt's voice came from behind him.
He relit his torch, ran forward, and asked nervously:
"Your Highness Draconis, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Draconis shook his head, then briefly recounted what had just happened to Gerolt.
After listening, Gerolt's face showed a surprised expression.
And Dratini and Servine turned their gaze to the warm Egg in Draconis's arms.
"No matter what, let's go back and rest first!" Draconis held the Egg, his mood somewhat complex.
Coincidentally, the few people and Pokémon present had all sustained injuries of varying degrees. Volcarona had passed away, so no matter what, it was better for them to return to the territory for treatment first.
"Yes!" Gerolt had no objections.
However, before leaving, Draconis again turned his gaze to the group of Darmanitan and Darumaka before him.
He looked at them and asked, "Volcarona has left. What do you plan to do next?"
Darmanitan and Darumaka are both Fire-type Pokémon. Originally, because of Volcarona's presence, they were able to create an ecosystem here similar to a volcano, suitable for their habitation.
Now, with Volcarona's passing, this special ecosystem also dissipated, and the dark and cold cave was no longer suitable for these two Pokémon to live in.
"Daruma..."
The Darmanitan didn't know what to do.
Seeing this, Draconis pondered for a moment, then asked, "How about you all come back with me for now?"
The droppings of Darumaka and Darmanitan are warm. It is said that in some cold regions, people specifically collect their droppings and hold them in their arms as hand warmers.