Chapter 120: The Land of Dragons, Twin Dragon Town

“Keep going, Cheng Cheng, we’re almost at Dragon’s Haven.”

“How much farther is it?”

Cheng Cheng was nearly crawling by now. Dragon’s Haven was a secluded village, and much of the journey required traveling on foot.

Led by Muzi, Cheng Cheng climbed up a mountain, then descended, and trudged along a lengthy path. He was utterly exhausted.

“Look, there it is — that’s Dragon’s Haven.”

Cheng Cheng glanced toward the direction Muzi pointed to and saw a cluster of houses forming a village.

“All right, Cheng Cheng, let’s hurry up.”

Muzi, filled with the joy of returning home, dashed ahead while Cheng Cheng struggled to keep up. After another half an hour, Cheng Cheng officially entered Dragon’s Haven.

True to its name, Dragon’s Haven was teeming with Dragon-type Pokémon. Anyone from outside would surely envy this place. Every Pokémon raised here had the potential to become semi-divine beasts.

Dragonair, Gible, and Altaria—the common Dragon-type Pokémon—made Cheng Cheng’s heart ache with longing, though he couldn’t use them.

“Grandma Tianya.”

“Oh, it’s Muzi! Back from traveling.”

Muzi exchanged greetings with an elderly lady nearby.

“Yes, Grandma Tianya. This time I’m back to challenge the Twin Dragons Gym.”

“I see. I believe you’ll succeed.”

“Thank you, Grandma Tianya. By the way, this is my companion, Cheng Cheng.”

“Hello, Grandma Tianya.”

Grandma Tianya scrutinized Cheng Cheng intently, causing the hairs on his body to stand on end.

“Hmm, not a bad young man, good eye you have. Well, I must tend to the Pokémon now. You two should head back soon.”

“All right, Grandma Tianya, goodbye.”

Cheng Cheng and Muzi bid farewell to Grandma Tianya. Along the way, they met several more villagers of Dragon’s Haven. Muzi greeted them warmly and introduced Cheng Cheng. Though they welcomed him, the way they looked at him made Cheng Cheng uneasy.

“Well, Cheng Cheng, this is my home.”

Cheng Cheng gazed at the modest wooden cabin behind Muzi, suddenly at a loss for words. The cabin was small and somewhat dilapidated. Was this really someone’s home?

Muzi noticed Cheng Cheng’s expression.

“Ah, sorry, Cheng Cheng. I usually live here alone, and since I’ve been away, no one’s been cleaning up, so it’s a bit run-down. How about you explore a bit while I tidy up, and then you can come back?”

“No need. I don’t know anyone here, and if I wander into the wrong place, it could be troublesome. I’ll help you.”

Upon peeking inside, Cheng Cheng felt even more disheartened. The interior was sparse and covered in dust. Even with both of them cleaning, it would be quite a chore, possibly taking until after dark.

Seeing the state of the cabin, Cheng Cheng summoned his Pokémon to assist.

“Quagsire, use Water Gun. Be careful not to damage anything.”

In truth, the cabin contained very little, which was precisely why he called Quagsire to help.

With the Pokémon’s aid, they spent an hour cleaning, finally making the cabin tidy.

Examining the entire space, Cheng Cheng found it truly small—only one room for sleeping and a living room with a simple table. He wondered how Muzi had managed all these years.

Muzi explained the situation. This was not her true home, just a place she stayed occasionally. Her real home was in Twin Dragons City. Whenever she grew tired of being there, she’d come here. Usually, she’d eat at others’ houses or forage for food outside. Grandma Tianya was the one she visited most often.

“Well, no matter what, we can’t keep eating at other people’s places today. Let’s prepare some food ourselves.”

Cheng Cheng brought out simple cooking tools and ingredients to make dinner. After finishing, Grandma Tianya arrived. Noticing Muzi hadn’t come to her house for a meal, she guessed it might be because of Cheng Cheng, so she brought them some dishes.

“Thank you so much, Grandma Tianya.”

“It’s nothing. Muzi has been coming to my place since she was little, so I’m used to it. I just hope the food suits your taste.”

Cheng Cheng took a bite.

“Grandma Tianya, the food is delicious. Your cooking is truly wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Grandma Tianya smiled warmly at Cheng Cheng.

“Well, I won’t disturb you two any longer. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come find me.”

“Thank you, Grandma Tianya.”

She left with a smile.

Cheng Cheng and Muzi began their dinner. Afterward, they lay on the grass outside, gazing at the stars. A few Pokémon approached them, and Cheng Cheng called out his own Pokémon to join in the stargazing.

The environment of Dragon’s Haven rivaled that of Yu City, and the night sky was even more breathtaking. It was truly a hidden paradise.

The next morning, Muzi took Cheng Cheng to meet a person—the most authoritative figure in Dragon’s Haven, Grandma Dragon.

“Grandma, I’m back.”

“Muzi, welcome back. How was your time training away?”

“Very good! I’ve earned seven badges and will soon challenge the Twin Dragons Gym.”

“That’s wonderful. By the way, who’s this?”

“Grandma Dragon, this is my companion, Cheng Cheng.”

“Hello, Grandma.”

Cheng Cheng studied the former Dragon-type Pokémon Master. She radiated a gentle aura that made one want to approach her.

At the same time, Grandma Dragon examined Cheng Cheng.

“Muzi, release your Pokémon so Grandma can see how much they’ve grown.”

“All right, Grandma.”

Muzi released all her Pokémon. Grandma Dragon was surprised to see a Snover among them.

“I didn’t expect you to catch a Snover. That’s unexpected.”

“Yes, originally, I didn’t want to catch one. But Cheng Cheng said that to become a Dragon-type Master, I had to overcome the cold’s effect on me. Since Ice-type Pokémon counter Dragon-types, I needed to address this weakness.”

“Cheng Cheng is right. That’s a wise approach. Ice-types are indeed a challenge we must overcome.”

“Cheng Cheng, do you have any Dragon-type Pokémon? Grandma can take a look.”

“Grandma, I’m sorry, I don’t have any Dragon-types. All my Pokémon are Psychic-types.”

“Oh, I see. So you specialize in one type as well. That’s good. Psychic Pokémon possess mysterious powers, truly worth studying.”

“Yes, the mysterious adventures with my Pokémon excite me greatly.”

“Well, I’ll just look at Muzi’s Pokémon then.”

“Hmm, very good. Muzi, you’ve raised them well.”

“By the way, has Alice been traveling too? Muzi, did you meet her?”

“Yes, I met Alice earlier and traveled with her for a while. Her Pokémon are also quite impressive.”

“Is that so? Alice has always been mischievous since childhood. I hope she doesn’t trouble her companions.”

“She’s matured a lot.”

“Let’s hope so. But speaking of mischievousness, Muzi, you’re a bit stronger in that regard.”

Grandma Dragon suddenly laughed and shifted the conversation toward Muzi.

“Ah, Grandma, don’t say that. Say more, or we’ll be late.”

“All right, no more. It’s getting late. Muzi, since you’re headed to challenge the Twin Dragons Gym, I won’t keep you.”

“Goodbye, Grandma.”

Muzi promptly pulled Cheng Cheng away.

“Muzi, why are you running so fast? I wanted to hear more about you from Grandma Dragon.”

“No questions, no listening, got it?”

“All right, all right.”

They left the room and stepped outside. Cheng Cheng noticed two statues of Reshiram and Zekrom.

The statues looked quite old but bore no inscriptions—just two sculptures. Cheng Cheng sensed no energy fluctuations; they were likely just ordinary statues.

Next, Cheng Cheng and Muzi set out for the Twin Dragons Gym.

The gym was located in Twin Dragons City, only two hours’ walk from Dragon’s Haven. The gym leader was Mr. Shaka, the current Dragon-type Pokémon Master. His strength surpassed that of previous gym leaders and rivaled the Elite Four, perhaps even exceeding them.

Cheng Cheng was eager to see just how formidable this Dragon-type Master was and thrilled at the prospect of battling him. He noticed Muzi was even more excited than himself.

“All right, Muzi, let’s go to the Pokémon Center first.”

“To the Pokémon Center? Why not come to my house directly?”

“To your house? Is that all right?”

“Of course. I believe my father will welcome you warmly.”

“All right then.”

Cheng Cheng accepted Muzi’s invitation. Still, he wondered if Muzi’s father would truly welcome him.

Soon, Muzi led Cheng Cheng to her home. It was small, comparable to a breeding facility.

“I’m home.”

Muzi opened the door and found no one inside.

“Dad must be out. Let’s come in first.”

“Okay.”

Cheng Cheng stepped into Muzi’s house.