"Carefully recall the process I just showed you!"
Takeshi couldn't help but shout out guidance.
Kashiwagi didn't disappoint him. As the Deino began its characteristic blind rampage, he intercepted it with a swift stride and naturally extended his elbow.
However, this particular Deino didn't act like its siblings. Instead of biting the gold bracer, it flexibly whipped its slender neck around and clamped its jaws firmly onto Kashiwagi's palm.
Snap!
A crisp sound echoed from his hand.
Kashiwagi stared into the shaggy bangs that completely obscured the Deino's eyes. Neither moved. Neither made a sound. It was a silent standoff.
"Holy—! Let go! Quick, scratch its chin to make it let go!" Takeshi was startled by the sound, terrified the Deino might actually gnaw the hand off. He rushed forward to help.
To his surprise, Kashiwagi raised his free hand, signaling him to stay back.
Then, Kashiwagi reached out with his other hand and began to lightly scratch the Deino's chin. His movements were incredibly gentle. "There, there... don't be nervous. Let go of my hand, good boy..."
"Deino~"
The Deino let out a muffled, indistinct growl and slowly opened its mouth. Kashiwagi took the chance to retract his hand.
"Are you okay!?" Takeshi asked, visibly tense.
"I'm fine. It didn't use much force. That sound earlier was just its teeth hitting the metal edge of the bracer's frame." Kashiwagi held up his palm, which bore a clear ring of tooth marks coated in translucent drool, proving his point.
Takeshi breathed a sigh of relief and broke into a grin. "See? I told you that you could do it! You clearly have the innate talent of a Dragon Tamer."
"Is that so?"
Kashiwagi's expression was complicated. At first glance, it really did seem that way—
Snap!
The crisp sound returned.
He turned his head stiffly only to find the Deino had, for some reason, latched onto his hand again—aiming precisely for the palm once more. "Does this really count as a success?"
"...Success, definitely. It just likes you and wants to be close." Takeshi gave a forced, awkward laugh.
True success looked like the other five Deino nearby, who were all lying down submissively. Clearly, the one in front of Kashiwagi was still in a state of high excitement.
"Try it again!"
"Again it is."
Kashiwagi nodded, confidently scratching the Deino's chin. The little dragon purred happily like a cat and released his hand.
But a second later—Click—it bit down again.
While there was no blood, being repeatedly marked by teeth was starting to sting.
"Hey!" Takeshi found it bizarre. "Let me try!"
Kashiwagi hurriedly handed the bracer over to Takeshi.
Unexpectedly, the Deino "glanced" toward Takeshi, sniffed the air, and then frolicked back to Kashiwagi. With a joyful leap toward Kashiwagi's slightly raised hand, it lunged and bit down!
No sound this time. Without the bracer, there was nothing to clink against.
"..."
Kashiwagi looked at the Deino dangling from his hand, then at the equally bewildered Takeshi. "What's the deal here? Why is it going out of its way to bite me?"
"Maybe... maybe it's just more familiar with your scent," the latter whispered, before pointing an index finger in the air. "Or maybe it's fallen for you!"
Takeshi nodded emphatically at his own logic. "As a Dragon Tamer, it's perfectly normal to be loved by Dragon-type Pokémon—Ow!"
He let out a cry of pain as the Deino suddenly lunged and bit him on the head.
"I think it likes you more," Kashiwagi said with absolute certainty.
"There, there... let go, good boy." Takeshi scratched for a bit until the Deino finally released him, though it remained poised as if it were still very interested in their hands and heads.
This was highly embarrassing for the master Tamer. He had wanted to give the "younger brother" a bit of experience, but he hadn't expected to pull such a troublemaker.
"Keep at it. It's about that time; I'll go prepare dinner," Kashiwagi said, sensing Takeshi's awkwardness and choosing to make an exit. "We don't have many fancy ingredients at home, so please bear with it."
"No problem! I can eat anything!"
Takeshi waved a hand grandly, secretly resolving to finish every scrap even if the food was terrible. A Dragon Tamer had to have a stomach of iron!
----
An hour later.
Takeshi was licking his plate clean, meticulously ensuring not a single grain was wasted.
His only partner he had brought to Orre—Haxorus—was "sitting" nearby, eating with surprising elegance. It had to be elegant; the massive axe-like tusks on its jaw meant it required specific deep containers to eat efficiently.
Nearby, the Deino were focused on their food like a litter of piglets, emitting a constant crunch-crunch sound that was oddly satisfying to listen to.
Having finished her meal, Mawile watched the Deino with great interest.
"Ma-wile?"
"Not quite."
Kashiwagi shook his head. Although he had some designs on these Deino, Takeshi didn't necessarily have the authority to give them away. Asking Takeshi for one of them would be pointless.
The person truly responsible for assigning young dragons to trainers was the Elder of the Village of Dragons, a matriarch who acted as the clan leader.
Takeshi explained that due to the time difference between Orre and Unova, they had to wait until evening to contact her so as not to disturb her rest.
"Thanks for the feast!"
Takeshi set his plate down, looking refreshed. "I thought staying cooped up in a house would be suffocating, but with your cooking, I could stay here forever! Don't you guys agree?"
He turned to his Haxorus and the group of Deino.
"Hex-orus!"
"Deino!"
Haxorus and several Deino responded to his shout before lowering their heads to finish every last bit of their food. Of course, these little ones weren't the peaceful type; they naturally tried to snatch food from each other's bowls, leading to squabbles.
Fortunately, Aggron stepped in to mediate. Even if the Deino couldn't see his massive frame, they could sense his terrifying aura. They immediately became well-behaved.
"You've got a real 'strict father' vibe going on," Kashiwagi teased Aggron with a laugh. The steel titan scratched his head sheepishly.
In reality, Aggron simply felt that on his turf, every Pokémon—aside from the Trainer, Mawile, and the others—should answer to him. He was the boss! If he wanted them to move east, they wouldn't dare move west.
"Alright, that's enough. Smaller meals more often. I knew you'd go overboard, you 'doting mother'." Kashiwagi stopped Chansey, realizing he had made the right choice not to teach her the "Glowing Cuisine" techniques yet. These Deino were already as round as beach balls, and she was still trying to feed them!
"Lucky~" Chansey sighed and regretfully put down the large serving spoon.
They really are like a bunch of pigs, Kashiwagi thought. Finally, he looked at Mawile, who was sitting in her spot looking amused. "And you... the mischievous older sister?"
"Mawile!" Mawile made a face at him. She didn't want to be the sister to a bunch of Deino—she was the Big Boss!
Shortly after, a physically and mentally satisfying dinner came to an end.