After a short rest, Takeshi retreated back into the "melted" seat back.
Pyrite Town might lack surveillance cameras, but it has plenty of "human cameras." A kid buying soy sauce, an old man passing by, or even a clerk at a street shop could be the eyes and ears of a local faction. Until the Mayor truly gives up the chase, it is best if Takeshi remains a ghost.
As agreed, he would spend this difficult period at Kashiwagi's house until he could safely leave.
Truthfully, Kashiwagi had originally considered placing him in the Sand Unit's underground quarters, where he had two vacant houses. However, on second thought, a house that had been empty for ages suddenly showing signs of life would surely draw unwanted attention. The area around his old Squad Leader apartment was also far too densely populated for a clean hideout.
It was simpler to just have them stay with him. He just needed to pause the cleaning services from the maids.
Fortunately, the Executive mansions were spaced far apart. The closest neighbor was Ryuka, and based on Kashiwagi's observations over the past few days, his mentor rarely stayed at home.
----
A short while later.
The vehicle entered the Executive residential district. After confirming the coast was clear, Yamamino let the two of them out.
"I'm leaving him and the Deino in your hands."
"Understood," Kashiwagi nodded.
Takeshi looked curiously at his residence for the next few days. "Nice environment. I thought Pyrite Town was nothing but sand; I didn't expect to see actual plants."
"Maintaining these plants isn't easy. It's been quite a headache for my Aggron." Kashiwagi waved goodbye to Yamamino and quietly released his Pokémon from their Poké Balls.
Normally, professional staff handled the greenery, but Aggron insisted on doing it himself. Kashiwagi let him be; it was good for a Pokémon to have a hobby. Otherwise, their lives would just be sleeping inside a ball and fighting outside of it.
"Heh... what a sturdy Aggron. You've raised him well." Takeshi reached out to stroke Aggron's face. The steel titan glanced at Kashiwagi, and seeing a slight nod, he obediently lowered his head.
Takeshi couldn't help but praise them again. "Great chemistry, too. Excellent. Mmm, Mawile is great, and Chansey too—"
"Wait."
His voice stopped abruptly as he looked around Kashiwagi's side.
"What's wrong?" Kashiwagi asked, confused.
"Where is your Dragon?" Takeshi asked with utmost seriousness.
Kashiwagi's lips twitched. "I... don't currently train any Dragon-type Pokémon."
"Not just Dragon-type Pokémon, a Dragon Pokémon! As a descendant of Dragon Tamers, how can you not raise a Dragon!?" Takeshi's voice rose. "Did your elders never tell you about the beauty of Dragon Pokémon—oh."
He suddenly remembered that Kashiwagi's elders had been gone since before he could remember.
"Sorry. But regardless! As a descendant of Dragon Tamers, you should be raising Dragon Pokémon with the goal of becoming an Elite Four member or even a Champion!"
Takeshi looked like he'd been injected with adrenaline.
Kashiwagi felt the man had suddenly turned into a bit of a goofball. He answered dismissively, "The jury is still out on that... let's just go inside. Staying out here isn't good."
"Right!"
Takeshi nodded vigorously, shouting as they walked: "Don't worry! While I'm crashing here, I'll make sure you fully understand the charm of Dragon Pokémon!"
"Yes, yes..."
To Takeshi, "Dragon Pokémon" didn't just refer to those in the Dragon egg group like Kingdra, Salamence, Dragonite, or Goodra. It also included Pokémon that looked like dragons, such as Gyarados, Charizard, and Aerodactyl.
Lance's team was the perfect definition of "if it looks like a Dragon, it counts." He'd managed to pivot from being a Dragon-type Champion to a Flying-type Champion, and even as more Dragons were introduced in later generations, he could never quite shake that "Dragon-type Trainer" label.
----
The mansion had plenty of spare rooms, so housing Takeshi wasn't an issue.
Once settled, Takeshi pulled out a bunch of Poké Balls. "I need to soothe these little guys. Can I let them out indoors? I'll try to avoid any damage."
"Let's go to the basement. It's more private and can handle some impact."
Kashiwagi led him downstairs. The vast, empty space met with Takeshi's approval. "Let's do this one by one."
Pop!
A flash of white light. A small, four-legged dinosaur with dark blue skin and dense, shaggy black fur covering its eyes landed on the floor. A single tuft of hair stuck up from its head like a cowlick.
"~Deino?"
It wobbled its head. Since its vision was poor, it relied on its sense of smell to judge its surroundings, using ramming and biting to identify objects. Sensing an unfamiliar environment, the Deino got nervous and began running around, crying out loudly.
"Deinooo! Deinooo!"
Takeshi rushed forward, easily intercepting the Deino. As it snapped its jaws, he deliberately extended his wrist.
Kashiwagi's eyes widened, and he was about to stop this dangerous move when he noticed Takeshi was wearing a gold-colored bracer. Deino bit down on the bracer, and Takeshi didn't even flinch.
"There, there... it's safe here. No one's going to hurt you. Relax, good boy..."
Takeshi gently scratched the Deino's chin. The strange noises in the Pokémon's throat soon softened; it seemed to recognize a familiar scent.
The scent of the Village of Dragons.
Pokémon are extremely sensitive to the "scent of home." Even the most agitated Pokémon will calm down quickly when they smell the soil of their birthplace. Under Takeshi's care, the Deino soon curled up for a nap.
"Impressive," Kashiwagi watched in amazement as Takeshi released one Deino after another, soothing each one with the same expert technique.
When it came to the sixth one, however, Takeshi stopped.
"Your turn!"
He handed over the bracer and the Poké Ball. "As a descendant of Dragon Tamers, you need to master the ability to calm a Dragon Pokémon!"
"But I really might not be a Dragon Tamer, and my scent is a total mystery to them..."
"I say you are, so you are! Take it!" Takeshi forced the items into Kashiwagi's hands.
Kashiwagi looked at the ball, thinking that this might be the exact opportunity the "clue" had intended for him. But while pretending to be a Dragon Tamer felt good for now, it would be incredibly awkward if he were exposed later.
Wait... am I actually a Dragon Tamer descendant?
Even though Kashiwagi knew he had made the medallion himself, he was starting to hesitate. Takeshi's absolute certainty was making him doubt his own history. He had almost no memories of his parents, and the neighbors mostly said they didn't know them well... maybe he needed to do some serious investigating in a few days.
Under Takeshi's pressure, Kashiwagi put on the bracer and threw the Poké Ball.
Pop!
The ball opened, and a short-legged, black-furred dinosaur dropped to the ground.
"Deino!"
"What a spirited little guy!" Kashiwagi could tell from that loud, energetic cry alone that this Deino was something special.