Nightfall.
Takeshi was on a video call with the Elder of the Village of Dragons, all the way in Unova.
"Elder! Mission accomplished! I've recovered every single one of the Deino!" he shouted excitedly, pointing the camera at each individual Pokémon.
The white-haired woman on the screen smiled warmly at the sight of the little dragons, making soothing clicking noises similar to the ones Takeshi used.
"I'll be bringing them back soon!" Takeshi added, before running into the master bedroom to grab Kashiwagi, insisting on introducing him to the matriarch.
Unable to resist his enthusiasm, Kashiwagi offered a polite greeting.
"Hello, Elder. It's an honor to meet you."
"Hello to you, too. Takeshi has certainly been a burden, hasn't he? Not only asking for your help but intruding upon your life as well," the old woman said with a kind smile.
"Not at all. We're just helping each other out," Kashiwagi said, waving his hands dismissively.
At this point, Takeshi chimed in. "Elder, you have no idea—Kashiwagi is a long-lost descendant of Dragon Tamers!"
He quickly launched into a summary of his theories.
"Oh? Is that so?"
The Elder looked surprised, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Kashiwagi's features.
Kashiwagi felt a wave of awkwardness. This woman was clearly wise; she likely saw right through his "heritage" act. He tried to do some damage control. "This is just Takeshi's speculation. I happen to have a medallion passed down from my family, but I don't actually know its history."
"Hmm... show it to me?" the Elder requested, not jumping to conclusions.
Kashiwagi's heart hammered, but he held the wooden medallion up to the camera. The resolution of a phone camera can't be that good, right? Hopefully.
The Elder squinted at the screen. Suddenly, she asked, "Has the surface been sanded down?"
"Uh..." Kashiwagi asked weakly, "What makes you say that?"
"Because it looks far too new, even if you've tried to make it look old."
The Elder sighed and continued, "To be honest, I can't confirm its origin. The design of that medal is incredibly rare; I've only seen it a few times back in my youth."
"Eh?" Takeshi's interest piqued. "Is it that rare, Elder?"
"It's... unique. Usually, a Dragon Tamer's medal has dragon energy symbols on both sides, isn't made of that kind of wood, and is much narrower..."
She paused, looking directly at Kashiwagi. "Kashiwagi, based on your appearance alone, you do possess some traits of the Dragon People. If you don't mind, you should seek out Meteor Falls or Blackthorn City. You might find the truth of your lineage there."
The old woman didn't seem to think he was lying; she genuinely believed he was just ignorant of his past and offered sincere advice. Kashiwagi nodded, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
The topic shifted, but Takeshi wasn't done yet. His eyes darted around before he turned back to the phone. "Elder, these Deino are eventually going to be entrusted to Trainers for their development, right?"
"That is correct."
"Then why not let Kashiwagi raise one? It's too tragic for a Dragon Tamer descendant to have no Dragon-type Pokémon!" Takeshi ran the phone over to Aggron. "Look at this sturdy Aggron! Kashiwagi has raised him exceptionally well!"
"...Roar!" Aggron didn't quite understand, but hearing the praise, he instinctively flexed his arms and let out a mighty "Agron!"
Takeshi moved the camera to Chansey, who stiffened in surprise, and then toward Mawile—who simply turned her head to reveal her massive, menacing black jaws.
"Er... anyway, you see? Kashiwagi is definitely the right person to entrust with a partner!"
"Yes, I see. He is indeed impressive," the Elder's voice crackled through the speaker. "What you say is worth considering. But have you asked Kashiwagi if he's willing?"
"Kashiwagi! Are you in or out?" Takeshi pointed the phone at him, winking.
This guy really likes presenting people with a 'done deal'... Kashiwagi thought. Still, the man was trying to get him a Pokémon.
Kashiwagi met the Elder's eyes through the screen. After a few seconds of thought, he bowed. "If it's possible, I would be honored to raise and train one of the Deino! Please!"
"Hohoho. It seems you're in agreement," the Elder laughed. "Very well. I agree to let you care for one of the Deino. However, I won't be the one to choose which one."
"Before Takeshi leaves Pyrite Town, if you can win the favor of any of the Deino, the right to train it is yours. I assume such a simple task isn't beyond you?"
It was clearly a test.
"The favor of any Deino?"
Kashiwagi's expression turned odd. Beside him, Takeshi looked equally strange.
"Yes. Do you have any questions?" the Elder asked, assuming he found it difficult.
Instead, the two men shared a look. Takeshi backed away, leaving Kashiwagi standing alone in the center of the room. "Ready!"
Kashiwagi added, "Alright, I'm starting."
"?" The Elder looked confused.
In the next instant—
"Listen up, you brats! It's chow time!" Kashiwagi roared at the top of his lungs.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.
A series of crashes echoed from outside the room, followed by a chorus of high-pitched, rowdy cries.
"Deino!"
"Dei-no!"
...
In a flash, all six Deino came charging into the bedroom in a mad scramble. To Mawile's horror, they began swarming everywhere, knocking things over in their excitement.
CLATTER! BANG!
Mawile stood guard over her "Princess Bed," using her massive jaws to knock away any Deino that dared get close.
When they realized the scent of food was missing, the Deino swarmed Kashiwagi—the "source" of their meals—rubbing against him and even nipping at his clothes and limbs.
"Deino! Deino!"
They were like a pack of hungry Husky puppies with the destructive power of a demolition crew.
"Elder, does this count as 'favor'?" Kashiwagi asked, with three or four Deino hanging off him and one literally perched on his head. He turned back to the screen, facing the stunned, then laughing matriarch.
"Hahahaha! I haven't seen a young man this interesting in a long time! Fine, fine. It seems you're even more gifted than I imagined. I'm now certain you have Dragon blood in you."
The Elder continued, "Being able to make food that Deino crave this much is no small feat—perhaps you should try raising all six? We do have Tamers in the village who raise multiple Deino at once."
"No, no, no! One is enough! Just one!"
Kashiwagi hurriedly declined. Deino was a species that grew notoriously slowly and required immense time and effort. Raising six at once? Even with the Simulator, he'd be biting off more than he could chew.
And so, his future partnership with a Deino was officially settled.