"Bonds... It's been a long time since I heard that word."
"Arceus gets along with you well because creatures of its species are naturally combative. But Rayquaza may not be the same."
The prototype of the Eight-headed Dragon is ultimately Hydreigon, which has a highly compatible personality with Kaidou's combative nature. Under Kaidou's command, the stronger you are, the more attention you receive, and the Eight-headed Dragon appreciates Kaidou's personality.
One is basically impossible to kill, and the other has lives to spare and can resurrect; under this positive cycle, the bond between Kaidou and the Eight-headed Dragon deepens.
"Not necessarily, I think it's a combative entity too."
"Reason."
"Haha, just intuition. So what's the other method?"
"The other one? It's simple, you need to defeat it in battle. If you can honestly defeat it, maybe it will accept your ideas."
This matter traces back to ancient times, to how humans first captured Pokemon, and who the first captured Pokemon was. Archaeologists can write hundreds of papers on this subject, enough to sustain a research institute.
"The process should be similar to that of Yamato's, right? Let's start then."
"Similar, but with some differences. Back then, my power was lacking, and Yamato is different from you, so her trial was a special one within the Dragon Space, but you need a larger space."
Zekrom and Reshiram are brothers, so staying within the same Dragon Space isn't an issue.
In the worst case, Arceus, the patriarch, is there to mediate the twin dragons' conflicts, and they've seen something special in Yamato.
Rayquaza, however, is different; it's not suited to being in the same space as the twin dragons. Whether in terms of personality or preferred environment, they are different.
Arceus's Plate began to emerge from its body, and the two plates of Dragon and Sky were naturally positioned at the top.
Sixteen colors of brilliance spiraled upward, and at that moment, the skies of Wano Kuni seemed to warp, as Altaria and Corviknight instinctively avoided the distance.
Pokemon are not machines; they dodge obstacles by themselves, hence no need to plan flight routes. After a brief distortion, the sky returned to normal, and under the influence of Arceus's power, a special space appeared above Wano Kuni.
"Haha, then I shall depart. This should be an exhilarating battle."
Kaidou instinctively ignored Arceus's mention of acceptance; to him, battle seemed more important than gaining power. This process brings him unique joy.
Whether personalities match is another matter; fighting first is more important.
...
"Protest! Godfather, I protest, you're treating differently! When I had my trial, why didn't you tell me specifically what to do!"
Flying from Ghost Island to Holy Mountain doesn't take much time, and the no-fly zones near the Holy Mountain are targeted at first-time visitors. Pokemon and Yamato, who have climbed several times, have already outgrown this restriction.
With Yamato's speed, she arrived before Kaidou's trial space was prepared.
But she didn't show up; she kept watching secretly—a special type of spying that Kaidou and Arceus both knew about, but neither exposed.
She didn't appear while Kaidou was present, aiming to minimize unexpected incidents. Protesting in front of Kaidou might lead to a direct fight.
Kaidou has been quiet for a long time, yet Yamato doesn't believe he lacks schemes.
"You two are different. Your father's personality has long been set; external influences can't change his thoughts. You were still shaping then, so this method was necessary for your growth.
But you didn't flee to the open waters this time to take refuge; your courage has grown."
"Godfather, honestly tell me: just how fast can Rayquaza fly?"
Speaking of this, Yamato's expression turned gloomy. In the past scene, Rayquaza's strength gave her headaches, but its speed confused her the most.
Moving freely through enemy attacks, with an underlying hint of provocation—if Kaidou achieved that speed...
After brief analysis, Yamato discovered a new harsh reality: if Kaidou succeeds, then escape could very well become a fantasy.
Unable to fight back and unable to run away—that's true torment.
"This... I haven't studied it, probably the speed of catching up with a meteor. Rest assured, with Zekrom's speed ability, it can still compete with Rayquaza; as long as you master it skillfully."
Whether Rayquaza is the fastest, Arceus hadn't made comparisons, but with Kaidou and Yamato as vessels, Yamato probably wouldn't escape. His decades of experience were not wasted.
With the same bloodline, Kaidou trained for decades longer than Yamato; catching up with this gap won't be easy.
"So I'm putting in effort, Godfather. Let's secretly agree to slow down my father's successful speed, okay?"
Before training began, Yamato was still attempting to weaken Kaidou.
Weaken doesn't accurately reflect; she aims to slow Kaidou's speed.
"Father often wants to fight you; that must be a bother, right? Let him fight a little longer, preferably a year or two—that'll make him happy and ease us, isn't that good?"
"Stop these crooked thoughts and focus on growth."
Arceus's controlled energy wave gave Yamato a push, directly delivering her into the trial space. However, he didn't reject Yamato's suggestion; on some level, Arceus already intended Rayquaza to substitute for him in battling Kaidou.
Repetitively performing a mechanical action is boring; Rayquaza is strong enough to enhance Kaidou and let Arceus relax a bit.
...
Meanwhile, in Kaidou's trial space, the scene is entirely different from Yamato's.
Back then, Yamato immediately chose communication, and even now, facing Zekrom and Reshiram, she still thinks about how to improve her persuasive skills, striving to master rhetoric.
Kaidou is different. Even though Arceus told him that communication and acceptance are crucial, he still chose the path of battle.
The surrounding environment is slightly dim, with patches of starlight shining from different angles, resembling cosmic space, but it's only a backdrop. It's still a breathable space with gravity.
Meteors occasionally pierce the outer layer, gliding down with long tail flames, but eventually, those meteors get caught and swallowed by that green silhouette.
Watching the familiar form of Rayquaza, Kaidou once again transformed into Beast Form, continually stacking Dragon Dance during flight and then pursued along Rayquaza's trajectory.
"Hey! Rayquaza, stop eating those boring meteors, come fight!"