Dragonair felt the shake, felt the vibrations before she heard the shell crack. Gently, she loosened her coils around the egg, her egg. Excitement began to bubble, her heart rate spiking. While she had not yet taken a mate, Arceus had blessed her with this child, her own child to raise. She watched as it wiggled, until a spike- no, the tip of a tail, poked out from the egg, creating a small hole. A series of holes were created around the top, progressively weakening the shell until the top burst upwards. Wearing the shell as a makeshift hat, a young Dratini, her child, smiled her way. “Hello there little one,” she cooed, as the child’s ear flaps perked up at the sound. They spun around, taking in the full sights of her small cave behind the waterfall. Several other couples were sleeping nearby, undisturbed by the tender moment.
After a quick glance down at themself, the child’s eyes widened, and quickly found a tail against their lips. Dragonair knew youngsters could be loud, and she attempted to convey the need for quiet. The young dragon nodded, waiting for her to remove her tail before whispering. “Hi, am I a pokemon?” they asked, the voice high pitched and wavering. The question itself was odd, and it took a moment for the new mother to gather her wits.
“Yes you are, and I am your mother. Welcome to the world-” she began, whisper-rupted by the child.
“The world of pokemon! Oh, this is so exciting, and me! I’m a Dratini! This is so fantastic!” The young dragon slithered out of the egg, the scent of a newly-born pokemon beginning to wake the others nearby, especially the younglings who were eager to meet their new broodmate.
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As part of their introduction to the colony, Dratini was grouped with other recently hatched dragons, left to interact with one another and learn social dynamics. Unfortunately for the poor child, the available conversations were at best hard to follow, and at worst would sound like the deep-fried output of a poorly-trained LLM. Thankfully, a young Axew approached them with a simple question, “Wanna battle?”
The young noodle glanced around, searching for any adults supposedly supervising the group. “Are we allowed to?” they asked, absolutely lost on what to do. She looked confused at their response, like she had expected them to know already.
Axew beamed with confidence, “No, but wanna do it anyway?” The gall of the small dragon was remarkable, the brazen question leading Dratini to lightly scratch their head with the tip of a grey tail.
“I’d rather not,” they answered, “on the chance they punish us by not letting us battle later when they say it’s ok.” This response disappointed her, until the tiny gears in her head finished spinning.
“You think we will get to battle?” she asked, already buzzing in excitement at the idea.
Dratini shrugged, “Maybe? It’s a good way to burn energy, and us dragon types love competing for dominance,” they responded, the tone so neutral it bordered on deadpan, as the young Axew began to oscillate left and right like an unbalanced washing machine.
Almost on cue, an adult Noivern crawled to the front of the group, clearing her throat. “Young ones, today we welcome some of you to the clan; new faces who may grow big and strong in the future,” she began, her words causing a handful of the group to draw attention to themselves with braggart boasts. “First, we need to cover the rules. Number one, no fighting without an adult present to watch. Number two, each pokemon needs to agree to be a part of the battle. Number three, stick with the group.” The larger dragon recounted the three simple rules; rules so simple even a young pokemon would understand them easily.
The Noivern waited in silence, before wandering off and leaving the group to their own activities. Steadily, the younglings began to separate into groups, to chat or go do activities together. Nearby, Dratini noticed a Noibat struggling to shrink itself into non-existence. With a soft smile and a slow saunter, the noodle slithered an approach, “Heya, would you want to play with Axew and I?”
The little bat squeaked in surprise, glancing around before looking back at the noodle and pointing at himself. “You mean me?”
“Yea,” Dratini responded softly, “You looked like you could use a friend group, and we need a tie-breaker for our vote on what to do today.” The explanation was soft, light, and encouraging. “So, would you want to spend time with us? Axew wants to battle, but I just want to explore. What do you want to do?”
The purple dragon glanced at the approaching Axew, who grinned like a mad-woman when mentioned, before his eyes focused on the soft-spoken Dratini before him. “Uhm,” he began, fidgeting with his tiny claws, eyes cast down to the ground, “Couldn’t we do both? Adventure a bit then battle later?”
“Why later?” Axew inquired, now having joined the tiny circle, hands on her thighs as she tried to intimidate the bat into her choice.
“Be-Because later the others will be tired, so we can win more?” Noibat supplied, looking up at Dratini for support. A flash of malevolence slipped through Dratini’s serene smile, and Axew shifted from confrontational to supportive of the idea.
“Exactly, great idea. So, for the adventure, where should we go first?” Dratini nodded, posing the question to the group. “I think a swim could be fun, but so could climbing around the rocks.”
Axew shrugged, “I like both,” she responded simply, leaving the decision to the others.
“Swimming then,” Noibat confirmed, “Climbing may be too tiring for us to win later.”
The trio jubilantly headed for the nearby pond, strategizing about how they’d sweep the other kids later. Though upon arrival, they came across one of the adults sunbathing on the nearby rocks. She, as she was definitely a ‘her’, was out of place amongst the dragons. Her short yellow fur with a cream belly, paired with a big poofy tail sporting a white frosted tip was distinct. Being a bipedal fox even more so, as her three-fingered purple gloves held up a tanning mirror, while her right foot (crossed over her left leg) tapped along to some unheard beat.
Lowering a pair of black sunglasses to better see the trio, her striking blue eyes were set into the smile of someone who enjoyed making others uncomfortable. Dratini was the first to break the silence, “You’re not a pokemon…”
She smiled, folding the tanning mirror and placing it beside her. "Quite astute, young..." she trailed off, "My apologies, are you a boy, girl, both, or neither?"
The Dratini tilted their head to the side, then brought a vertically-oriented tail before their face, scrutinizing the underside with a focused inspection. Barely a few seconds later, the tail was lowered, and the noodle did their best impression of a shrug. "Sorry, I can't tell. Never did well in biology."
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Dragonair was fidgeting repeatedly, watching on from a distance as her child would be getting a turn to skirmish today with the other younglings. They seemed excited, chatting animatedly with the other kids, each vying for a turn to show how they’d grown. Among the crowd were a smattering of the local dragon types, including other Dratini, some Noibats, a handful of Druddigons, some Deinos, and a few Axews. Each at various ages, different levels of experience, but all there to prove themselves and become stronger.
The first few matches were cute, as the recently-hatched dragons barely knew any strong moves, and barely had enough stamina for a short bout. Watching her offspring take to the stage in the third round against a familiar Axew, Dragonair’s fidgets began to shift into vibrations. Excitement, nervousness, who could say if it was more of one than the other. Dragonair was so distracted, focused on the battle, that she was taken in shock by a voice beside her. “Which ones are yours?” the soft feminine voice asked, as the large worry-noodle leapt backwards almost a full meter in surprise.
The pokemon was yellow, bipedal, with a triangular face and fluffy tail that reminded her of a Ninetales she had seen years ago. Bright sky blue eyes emanated kindness, her soft fluffy white chest spoke towards meticulous grooming, and a pair of odd purple gloves hinted at some kind of fighting type. “Sorry to startle you, I should have noticed how worried you were,” she explained, offering an open hand to the dragon.
“No, no, not your fault,” Dragonair explained, returning to her seat. “It’s my firstborn, in the arena right now. I know they’ll be fine, I just worry,” she clarified, the anxiety in her voice throwing the pitch off whenever mentioning herself.
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With a smile that sparked joy, two closed eyes and a slightly tilted head, the fox reassured the mother, “Comes with the territory of being a mom, especially the first time.” Turning her gaze towards the arena, she joined the mother’s vigil. The current two were lasting much longer than their peers, with the Dratini seemingly focusing on dodging while the Axew did her best to pursue and land a claw attack; the energy swapping between a bright white and a royal purple almost at random. “Seems like your child is doing just fine; are the two of them friends?”
Dragonair smiled a bit, “Yes, those two have been spending every day with each other since they met. I believe they also have a third friend, one of the Noibats,” she trailed off, her mood having been lifted by the thoughts. It took a few seconds, but her eyes widened in shock, “They aren’t actually battling, just using it as an excuse to train.”
“I think there may be a second layer to it,” the fox responded with a smirk, her gaze drawn towards the waiting crowd of dragons. Some of the older ‘kids’ were getting impatient, their body language changed from excitement to frustration. After a heroic last attack, the Axew fell down and signaled a forfeit, to which the Dratini helped them up and off the stage. Just as a Deino and Noibat were about to enter the stage for their turn, the two were shoved aside by some of the bigger ones, two Druddigons in particular.
From afar, things looked heated, a brawl was brewing in the pit of amped-up energetic dragons. A handful of parents had begun making an attempt to move towards the disturbance, Dragonair herself included. All were stopped, either by a partner, a friend, or the strange fox woman. “Let it play out, I have a feeling this will be quite entertaining,” she clarified, her eyes now shining with a malevolent glee.
“Fairy,” Dragonair whispered, a mix of fear and disgust, as the fox waved a single finger from side to side with a tut-tut.
“Not quite, I just recognize Talent when I see it. Just watch,” she insisted, returning her hungry gaze towards the arena where Dratini was squaring off against the bigger Druddigon. “Someone is about to lay down the proverbial hammer, and someone else is about to get knocked to the bottom of the pecking order.”
Dragonair was confused, torn between the woman’s confident words, and fear for her only child. This vixen was tempting her astray, but before she could change her mind, she Felt it. The plink of a lone cold raindrop, the gust of a forceful wind whispering dark tidings; the curtain of clouds that began to cover the sun and plunge the arena into an early night. Above, the black clouds began to swirl as lightning crackled between gaps between them, the heavens above unleashing a freezing torrent upon the earth below. “What- what is that?” Dragonair asked, awed by the display of power.
The fox’s eyes glowed a soft neon blue in the dark, her gaze on the challenger frozen in fear down below as the whirlwind began to ascend into a tornado. “Originally, just a Twister, and a good example of why your little one didn’t attack last round. The control is impressive; none of the onlookers are feeling so much as a gentle breeze,” she explained, gesturing to a crowd of enraptured young ones who indeed seemed to be unaffected by the massive storm. Gradually, a chanting rode the wind into the arena, as a foreign choir began to sing their anthem promising regret and despair.
“This is no Twister, this is a Hurricane!” Dragonair interrupted, breaking free from the daze that continued to hold several of the other adults in place.
The fox shrugged, “As I said, Talent with a capital T. They’re destined for an incredible story, and I am here to support them.” Leading the way down to the arena, the fox and noodle kept their eyes on the child in question, as the storm began to fade above. The clouds dispersed, the winds died down, and with it so too did the voices fade. Navigating past the fresh puddles, the two women reached the stage to find the Druddigon unconscious on their back, with a Noibat and Axew celebrating with the Dratini.
The prodigy, spotting mom's approach, sported the grin of a victor, “Mom! Did you see that? I was incredible wasn’t I?!” they shouted, immediately zipping over to her. Dragonair, to her benefit, was too stunned to answer, before the kiddo noticed the other woman. “Hi Renamon! Did you watch my battle? I finally nailed it like you suggested,” they started babbling to the fox, as the two friends joined the club; pestered the yellow pokemon for her thoughts on their previous battles.
The fox crouched down and booped the Noibat’s nose, before reminding him that he hadn’t fought yet, having been interrupted by the older kids. Flustered, the Noibat glanced back at their previous opponent Deino, who had abruptly run to their parents rather than get near ground-zero of the previous ‘fight’. Dratini offered a show match to their friend, and with a squeak the two were running about the arena as Noibat did their best to hit the small noodle with launched blades of compressed air that cut deep into the ground as the two gave chase.
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Barely a day later Ranger Colette landed at the entryway for the Dragon Territories, her own Noivern taking a supportive position at her side. “On alert, Naeva, we’re just here to offer support, but we don’t want to offend any of the locals,” she explained to the dragon, slowly proceeding through the pair of rocks carved in the image of a Haxorous and a Dragonite. Wearing the official Kalosian Ranger uniform, with a full belt of 8 pokeballs, Colette held a calm but composed tempo as she proceeded to investigate the aftermath and cause of the massive Hurricane seen over the area.
Naeva followed close behind, scanning the skies and cliffs above, ears wiggling to try and pick up any sounds that didn’t belong. She was barely a foot taller than her trainer, but carried a strength that would belay her experience. The wind whistled as it blew through the tall canyon, with no other noises save for the crunch of gravel greeting the pair’s ears. As the two neared the exit, a silhouette walked out from the side to stand in the center of their path. An elderly Dragonite stood waiting, hands clasped in front of themself, sporting a purple sash embroidered with the League logo, and an expression best described as ‘I wish I stayed home today’.
Colette, per her training, performed a deep formal bow of respect, while Naeva offered a courtesy bow of her own. “Greetings representative, I am Ranger Colette, and I was sent by the League to investigate the massive Hurricane spotted over your territory yesterday. We are here to offer assistance to any injured, or to aid in reconstruction efforts,” she recited, waiting for a response before lifting her head.
The Dragonite, having experienced a lifetime of these formalities, waved for the duo to follow them. “No injuries, nor damage really. You are welcome to see for yourselves and report back, just stay near me,” they responded, with Naeva gently pushing Colette to get her moving.
As the trio continued, a group of other older dragons looked on from what appeared to be some game with small colored stones, laughing lightly. “You should just keep the sash, it looks good on you!” A Druddigon jested, receiving the equivalent of a wing-bump from the adjacent Hydreigon.
“Just accept the post of valley diplomat already you old coot,” the three-headed dragon called, as the representative responded with a raised middle finger. The older dragons enjoyed a fresh round of laughs as they returned to their games. On the wall nearby was a collection of tally marks, underneath some odd shapes. With a slightly glowing finger, a Haxorous in the group delicately added a slash to the part of the wall with significantly more tally marks than any other.
As the trio traveled around the area, Colette scanned her surroundings for any damage, or signs of injury. Whenever she spotted a resident of the Dragon Territories, she quickly averted her eyes back towards her guide. Naeva, however, freely voiced her concerns; “A Hurricane large enough to eliminate a human town strikes your area, your home, and I do not spot so much as a leaf out of place. We arrived worried about the damages you might have faced, but now I worry more about the implications of such a strong move having no impact at all.”
The Dragonite took the moment to pause and face the arena, where a few mid-stage dragons were honing their skills. “You are familiar with it yourself; the desire to prove one’s strength, to establish their place in the power hierarchy,” he began, as the current match ended with a Fraxure narrowly beating a Dragonair. “Simply, we had a member decide to pull all the stops to show us how strong they were. It was quite invigorating, to see such a grand sight up close. The only thought I had resembling fear was when I felt pity for the poor sod who had sparked the entire ruckus.”
As the next fight began, Dragonite turned and continued to escort the ranger through the area. As they passed by a cave with several young pokemon inside, Colette noticed three of them wave at her excitedly. Reflexively she waved back with a warm smile, careful not to anger any nearby parents. “What of the young ones?” Naeva asked, aware of how happy the squad appeared to be.
“Those lucky brats got a front-row seat to power the likes of which none of them may ever reach,” Dragonite grunted. “It was reminiscent of back when my great grandfather showed me the power of a true Hyper Beam, and we can only hope it inspires them to push hard.”
The rest of the guided tour was similarly uneventful, with no signs of the slightest damage from yesterday. Returning to the front, the group of elder dragons were crowded around a single game between the Hydreigon from earlier and a yellow bipedal fox. Colette took her place facing the Dragonite at the edge of the canyon, bowing again. “Thank you for permitting us to investigate. To offer once more, do you require aid in any way?” the human asked, to which the dragon simply waved his hand back and forth. “Then we shall take our leave, but please reach out if you require assistance in the future.”
The ranger and her partner marched out, until they were sufficiently far away and halfway through the canyon. “That was a fairy pokemon at the end, wasn’t it? The yellow one?” she asked her Noivern, who gave a single click in response. “I know I should report it, but my gut says that would just make the situation worse,” she spoke, mostly to herself. Her partner remained silent on the matter, as the duo calmly made their way back to League headquarters.
Dragonite, having served his role, removed the sash and placed it back on a nearby bust of stone; a statue of a long-forgotten ancestor and founder of their home. Joining the other elders crowding the game, he joined the group just as the recent addition to their territory placed the winning piece. Hydreigon groaned in defeat, as several of the onlookers jeered or laughed at their poor luck. “Now,” Dragonite began, glaring at the yellow fox, “I believe it’s past time we addressed the Fairy in the room…”
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The three friends decided to share a dinner together, as the yellow fox crafted an aromatic dinner under Dragonair’s suspicious watch. The war between hunger and doubt was over after the first bite, as the upset mother demolished the pile of food with a fervor she hadn’t felt in years. The children were more sedate, stopping between bites to discuss what they had learned today. Upon finishing her serving, Dragonair let go of all the tension she had been holding together, melting down in a mixture of exhaustion and defeat. “My love,” she began, “can you stay here for a moment? The adults need to have a talk.”
The kids nodded, returning to their lively debate over what moves they could do to match Dratini’s Twister attack. Meanwhile, the mother and the chef leisurely walked a few meters away, just enough that the young ones couldn’t overhear them. “I take it you have questions, or misgivings?” the fox asked, daintily placing a piece of the juicy meat in her mouth.
“Just, I need a promise you won’t harm them. I need to know they’ll come home- that I’ll see them again,” Dragonair requested, still as a board and straining to keep her voice level. “I know the elders said we could trust you, that you wouldn’t harm any of us, but it doesn’t keep me from worrying about them, about…” she trailed off, sneaking a glance back at the three joyous young dragons.
Finishing chewing, the fox swallowed then gave a mellow smile as she raised her left hand. It began to glow a mixture of rainbow and pink, forming an intricately designed circular pattern, which expanded into a second, then third ring with each rotating in a different direction along unique axes, before her whole body was awash with the rainbow energy.
{I solemnly promise I shall not harm so much as a scale on your first born child, nor shall I hinder them from the freedom to return home at their will. I make these pledges on my existence, free of duress and of sound mind.}
The glow rapidly coalesced into a small ribbon tied around the fox’s pinky finger, before the light show faded and she returned to eating. “I thought you said you weren’t a Fairy,” Dragonair accused, the vixen shaking her head with a soft laugh.
“Not a Fairy, I just borrowed some of their magic to make this happen,” she clarified.
Lady, they’re coming your way; Plan B.
Subtly, the fox nodded, focusing on hearing out and assuaging the fears of the poor mother.