N and his two sisters had all brought their Pokémon along.
However, because they didn't use Poké Balls, they kept their Pokémon with them at all times. Fortunately, none of them were very large.
"I wouldn't recommend messing with her doll."
Standing in the room, Kashiwagi spoke to another "Kashiwagi." "Petty little tricks like framing others won't fool Mawile."
"Hee-hee-hee-hee!"
The "Kashiwagi" let out an eerie laugh, red light flickering in its eyes. With a sudden leap, it transformed into a black fox with messy red fur upon hitting the floor.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee!"
Zorua let out a mischievous cackle at Kashiwagi, seemingly intent on escaping through the window. Unfortunately, it had underestimated someone's explosive speed.
As the fox jumped onto the windowsill, a sudden rush of air came from behind. Zorua's heart skipped a beat as it leapt outward, only to find itself caught in mid-air and held tight.
"Do all Dark-type Pokémon love playing pranks?"
Kashiwagi held the struggling Zorua and turned to look at Anthea, who was standing at the door. "Or is it because they love pranks so much that they were classified as Dark-types?"
"That is one reason, but not the whole story behind type classification. There are other things to consider," Anthea said with a gentle smile. "For example, there is a Pokémon in Unova called Whimsicott. It loves pranks just as much, yet it is a Grass and Fairy type."
"I see..."
Kashiwagi nodded. "Uh, lunch is ready. Shall we eat? Or is the food not to your liking?"
"No, the food is wonderful. I was mainly worried that Zorua had done something out of line; it's naturally mischievous and playful."
Anthea lowered her head slightly. "Regarding what happened this afternoon, I must apologize to you once again."
"No need, it wasn't intentional. Besides, the lawn has already been repaired, let's just leave it in the past," Kashiwagi smiled and pinched Zorua's nose, causing the fox to glare at him.
With three new guests in the house, Kashiwagi naturally had to explain the various household rules.
Because N's Zorua was a bit too rambunctious while playing with Deino, it had accidentally torn a meter-long gash in the front lawn. Since it wasn't on purpose, Aggron didn't lose his temper with Zorua or Deino—after all, a lawn is meant for playing, and it's normal for things to get a bit ruined during a scuffle.
Still, Aggron couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.
Others might not have noticed, but Kashiwagi certainly did and comforted him. For N and his sisters, who were acutely sensitive to Pokémon's feelings, the mood was clear, leading them to apologize repeatedly.
In truth, Kashiwagi knew the responsibility was his.
Aggron wasn't wrong to protect the fruits of his labor, but his protective streak was verging on the excessive. To an outsider, the big guy might even seem a bit petty.
Kashiwagi didn't know how other Aggrons behaved, but he knew that if he could give his partner a whole mountain—or even a mountain range—the Pokémon wouldn't be sulking over a missing meter of grass.
At the end of the day, it was a matter of territory size.
Aggron's thirst for territory likely carried deeper meaning. Perhaps, having tasted the bitterness of abandonment, he desperately wanted a home of his own; perhaps it was an instinct inherited from his parents.
Even within the same species, every Pokémon is different. Ash's Pikachu was the ultimate proof of that.
-----
In the backyard.
Kashiwagi and Chansey carried massive basins of food to the assembled Pokémon.
Ever since Steelix joined the team, they usually ate outdoors. Steelix couldn't fit inside the house, and eating together was the best way to build a bond. Since sleeping together in a literal sense was difficult, Kashiwagi kept Steelix's Poké Ball on his nightstand.
Today, however, at the strong request of N and the others, Kashiwagi had moved the dining table outside to ensure the trainers could eat alongside the Pokémon. To prevent dust from flying, he had lightly dampened the ground with water.
As N helped out, he watched Chansey busily running back and forth to assist Kashiwagi. He couldn't help but remark, "Kashiwagi, it's clear that your Chansey truly loves you."
"Is that so? Thank you. I'm happy to hear that."
Kashiwagi returned the sentiment with a bright smile. As someone who could communicate with Pokémon, N's presence was like a living friendship rater from the games.
N fell silent for a moment before asking, "Aren't you curious? If Chansey is so close to you, why hasn't she evolved yet?"
"I've wondered, but it doesn't really matter," Kashiwagi shook his head. "She'll evolve when the time is right. If Chansey were to resist evolving, why would I force her? Don't you agree?"
N blinked in surprise, then smiled. "You're right. Forgive my intrusion."
He watched Chansey move gracefully among the other Pokémon. "Since coming to this region, I haven't met the trainers of Pyrite Town in person yet, but from the trainers in Gateon Port, I've seen enough to understand how people here treat Pokémon.
"To be honest, I'm disappointed in myself. I should have come to this region sooner. At the same time, I hoped to find a 'True Trainer' here. I thought it would take some time, but here you are."
"A True Trainer?"
Kashiwagi was flattered by the praise but more curious about the term.
"Yes. Someone who builds a bond with Pokémon, establishing a special relationship that transcends mere friendship. There are a few people in the world who have achieved the feat of truly connecting with Pokémon."
N spoke softly, "I once met a trainer traveling with a Pikachu. He was the one who woke me up and told me what I should truly be doing in this world—how to build a bright future where humans and Pokémon coexist."
"It sounds like you have a very noble ideal." Kashiwagi knew exactly who N was talking about.
"I do."
N nodded. "A noble and distant ideal, but one that must be achieved. Everything in the Orre region is just one step on my journey forward. I hope more people like you appear in Orre's future."
"Definitely. That's my ideal, too."
Kashiwagi invited him to sit. "But before that, let's eat. Everyone's already getting impatient."
N snapped out of his thoughts and saw the Pokémon waiting for them. He let out a boyish, bashful laugh. "Sorry, sorry."
The relationship between Kashiwagi and his team had passed N's inspection.
Even though Steelix was a new addition, she was full of goodwill toward her trainer. After all, he provided her with high-quality food every day and let her relax with the occasional scrap.
The only annoying thing was that he wouldn't let her dig. Digging was a Steelix's nature! What kind of Steelix doesn't dig?
The day Kashiwagi finally let her dig, he would be a perfect trainer in her eyes.