"You really did it. You crazy bastards. You really did it," Rachel leaned back in her chair, balancing a fork lazily in her hand.
David smirked. "We did nothing. That dragon Pokémon woke up and did the rest. Well, our Jakey woke it..."
The restaurant they sat in was just off the cobbled square near the Royal Bridge, tucked beneath an ivy-covered archway. Its terrace overlooked the river, where Magikarp leapt in rhythmic arcs and a distant Braviary circled the tower tops. The sun was slipping behind the crimson rooftops of Pragengrad, casting warm gold across the table where the family finally sat together again.
Everyone had changed out of their formal clothes. The tension of the throne room had melted away, replaced by beers, plates of roasted root vegetables, fried Goldeen, and soft bread dipped in hot melted cheese.
Frank raised his glass. "Still. It worked. Somehow."
"Somehow?" Joe snorted. "The king knelt in front of a Pokémon. A statue came to life, roared into our heads, and then—" he gestured vaguely in the air, "—spoke to our Jakey like he was an avatar of Arceus. You don't see such things everyday!"
"He is our brave little boy," Eva said proudly, tugging her son onto her lap. "Even if he's trying very hard to act like he's not."
"Mom…" Jake mumbled, curling closer into her warmth despite himself.
Rachel smirked and pulled out her phone. "Wanna see something crazy?"
She tapped the screen and turned it toward them. On display was a fresh headline from a local news outlet:
"Legendary Regidrago Awakens in Castle Throne Room – Royal Audience Interrupted by Mysterious Pokémon Phenomenon"
"Already?" Frank leaned over to see. "What do they say?"
Rachel scrolled. "They're calling it a 'symbolic manifestation of draconic heritage.' Listen to this:
'Spectators report ambient fog, inexplicable wind, and a feeling of divine presence. One woman fainted. The royal guards drew weapons before being ordered to stand down by the king himself.'"
Joe chuckled into his beer.
David only shook his head. "To be honest… I thought we were finished after they rejected our plea. And then… that thing…"
"Everyone went still," Anna murmured. "Even the guards. I've lived a long time and I've never heard silence like that."
All eyes turned, eventually, to Jake.
Eva smoothed his hair. "Sweetheart, do you… want to tell us what you felt? When that Regidrago talked to you? We all felt the pressure, but I think nobody understood it."
"Maybe the king did," Joe remarked.
"True. But he's not here, so we cannot ask him what did it say," Anna chuckled and also turned to her grandson.
Jake's mouth opened, then closed. He looked down at his plate.
"I'm not sure," he whispered. "It felt like… like the voice wasn't loud, but it filled everything in my head. Like when you fall asleep to music and wake up and it's still there."
"What did it say to you?" Monika asked curiously, her eyes wide.
Jake didn't look up. "He said… 'You are friend of the dragons. Return after a dance, and you will be awarded.'" He blinked. "I don't know what that means."
Frank raised an eyebrow. "Dance?"
"Sounds like prophecy talk to me," Rachel muttered, sipping her wine.
"You were telling me about the Dancing Dragon Tournament before. Maybe that's what the Pokémon meant!" Monika turned to her parents.
"You're up to something, young lady!" Anna Lindenberg replied to Monika's comment, "now it looks like our little Jakey must become a Pokémon trainer!"
David rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "That's probably it, buddy. Sometimes legendary Pokémon speak in puzzles, but this one seems quite clear."
Jake nodded slowly, but his brow remained furrowed. "I wish Charmander was here. He would've liked the place. And I can't be Pokémon trainer without him."
Eva gave him a squeeze. "He's with the others back home at the Ranch. You know they're spoiling him rotten right now."
"Probably sunbathing by the lake and pretending to be a Charizard," Frank added.
That finally pulled a small smile from Jake.
Anna leaned toward her son. "And what about you, David? You haven't said much. Looking forward to this… royal guard duty?"
David leaned back and took a slow drink from his glass.
"Looking forward? I'm not sure. But you lot are telling me that it's the right thing to do. Recently we've fought too many battles with no backup. Maybe this is where the Sleepers stopped being the hunters and started being the huntee... the hunted."
"Serves them right," Frank said.
"But back to you, Dave... I'm just wondering. Will the royal guardians give you hell at first for skipping protocol?"
"I'll manage," David shrugged his shoulders.
"I have to... I had started at the league from zero. I don't think I'm gonna have to do it differently this time."
A pause settled over the table.
Then Joe spoke up, a grin curling his weathered face.
"And now I'm finally allowed to go and ruin some challengers."
Anna groaned, the manager in her spoke up. "Joe, if you destroy every challenger, no one will be coming. And you know how the money works."
"Maybe you should exchange the Ranch for Battle Pyramid," Eva jokingly suggested to her father-in-law.
"Oh, definitely." Rachel laughed. "That flying fortress would suits you just right!"
"Yeah, and it would take much more planning for Sleepers to attack that Pyramid," Frank leaned forward and continued with the joke.
"Come on, guys," Joe rolled his eyes at the younger generation, "you know that I have fly-sickness! Choose some other place!"
The laughter faded into the gentle clatter of silverware and background hum of the city. The lights across the river had come on, casting a soft glow across the terrace.
Jake watched it quietly.
Eva leaned closer.
"You're thinking about something, aren't you?"
He nodded, not turning his gaze. "Dad's leaving again. Just like before. When he worked for the League. Before I found Charmander's egg."
There was a long silence. David opened his mouth, but Eva beat him to it.
"Yes," she said gently.
"But this time is different. This time, you understand why. You know what that Cofagrigus told you."
Jake nodded again.
"Yeah, and I remember when we went to get Monika," Jake looked over at his cousin, remembering the time in the mirror world. Monika turned pale at the memory, but then quickly smiled at him.
David reached across the table and held his son's hand.
"Don't worry guys," he said, "hopefully, we would be able to bring the battle into the Distortion world soon and get rid of that plague."
Jake smiled, just a little.
And from across the table, Rachel raised her glass of wine.
"To dragons, to our ranch, and our families who do crazy things."
Everyone raised their glasses with her.
"To the future," Frank added.
As the family was toasting and laughing, something else was happening back at their home.
The sun was beginning its descent over the Battle Ranch, casting long, golden fingers across the garden behind the Lindenberg house. The pond shimmered faintly in the early evening glow, and the only sound was the occasional buzz of a lazy Yanma passing overhead.
Mimi the Swanna, Eva's elegant companion, snoozed on the surface of the pond with her head tucked under a wing, drifting gently like a feathered lily pad. On the dry side of the garden, David's Kleavor named Ryan leaned against a tree, arms crossed, chewing on a twig like an old cowboy. A few feet away, Scolipede had curled himself in a near-perfect spiral, antennas twitching now and then like he was having mildly irritated dreams.
In the middle of it all, Charmander lay on his belly on the freshly mown grass, his tiny arms propped up beneath his chin. He sighed. Loudly. Then louder—just in case someone would hear.
No one responded.
Jake, his human best friend, wasn't home. He'd gone off to the capital with everyone else. Charmander acted like he'd be fine, and of course he was fine. Totally. Not lonely at all.
His tail flame flicked once, then twice, as he rolled onto his back and stared at the sky. Clouds passed. One looked like a cookie. Another like a Wailmer. One looked suspiciously like Jake's mop of blond hair.
Charmander groaned.
Then… something caught his eye.
A leaf. Small. Green. Dancing in the grass at the far edge of the garden.
Not fluttering in the wind. Dancing.
Charmander blinked.
The leaf bounced left. Then right. Then spun in a tight little pirouette before ducking into a clump of tall grass near the berry bush.
Charmander's eyes narrowed.
That leaf had rhythm.
He crept forward on all fours, tail flame rising like a tiny torch behind him. Behind him, Kleavor opened one eye, snorted softly, and resumed chewing. Swanna stirred just enough to change direction. Scolipede clicked once. No one moved otherwise.
Charmander was now within a few feet of the mysterious leaf.
It had vanished.
He narrowed his eyes and made a decision.
"Time for a little exploration."
With a proud stomp and an exaggerated inhale, Charmander puffed out his chest and activated Sunny Day in case it would need a boost for its fire attacks. A gentle warmth spread through the air, casting golden brilliance across the garden. Swanna let out a quiet snort of approval in her sleep. The grass seemed to glisten.
Then—pop!
The leaf rose a few inches higher.
It was growing.
Charmander gasped in delight, clapping his claws together. The move worked even on the mischievous leaf!
Suddenly, the grass rustled. The leaf dipped… and then, from between two blades of tall green, appeared a pair of bright round eyes.
They blinked.
Charmander blinked.
The eyes beneath the leaf blinked back.
A tiny Turtwig head slowly emerged from the grass, staring at Charmander with identical curiosity. He was clearly just as surprised to be discovered.
The two Pokémon stood in an awkward, silent stare-down for a beat.
Then, in perfect unison, both slowly tilted their heads to the left.
To the right.
Back to center.
A single apple dropped from a tree nearby with a faint thud.
Scolipede lifted an antenna in its sleep. Kleavor's mouth twitched into what might've been a smirk.
And as the sun began to dip below the orchard trees, Charmander and Turtwig took a cautious step toward one another.
Not enemies.
Not yet friends.
But definitely… something.