Leaf

  —

  It wasn't easy pulling myself out of slumber the next morning.

  Erin's Pokemon had restrained me with affection last night, her Deino especially frantic to calm me. The big happy guy was adorably sweet, and the tiny pink Pokemon had tried to wipe my tears away as well, murmuring at me. I had ignored them both, sobbing as the gigantic heartbeat from behind me had soothed me to sleep.

  I had failed.

  I had a chance, but I failed.

  It hadn't worked. It was all my fault.

  He despised me.

  My fault.

  Erin tried to shake me awake, but I refused to come out of my cocoon of blankets as I began to sniffle. I heard and felt a huge sigh before my backrest shifted, strong claws pulling me from my hidden retreat of blankets as I began to cry again.

  That lasted for only a few seconds before a truly massive set of lips plucked up the back of my jacket, swiftly raising me into the air. I watched the ground get further and further away as my hands went up, meeting the slobbery lips of the massive Alpha currently manhandling me. I pulled my hands back in disgust, too shocked to continue crying, but she was already dropping me.

  I looked up from the pile of blankets and took in the scene. Erin was cooking what looked to be huge chunks of meat over a series of coals. Where had that come from? What had it come from? I hadn't realized it, but she had bought a large metal spit in town, and even now she was idly turning the meat with one hand, the other furiously typing on her Pokenav. She didn't glance up at me, but her voice was soft as she spoke.

  "Morning, Leaf. There's a portion of Pidgeotto salad in my pack I saved for you if you're hungry. We just got back from a little hunting trip, but I didn't want to wake you up earlier. You looked like you could use the rest." My brain wasn't working fully yet, so it took me a moment to realize what she said

  "I'm… actually pretty hungry, yeah. You said Pid-" I gasped and looked at her in horror. Pidgeotto? Like the Pokemon?

  Somehow I just knew that it wasn't one of the farm-raised Pidgeottos. Not that Pidgey farms let them Evolve on purpose, so Pidgeottos were priced quite highly. No, I got the feeling this Pidgeotto'd been wild, and way too smart to eat comfortably. My eyes drifted over and I noticed a pile of feathers at the edge of the clearing.

  Definitely wild.

  She noticed my gaze and actually grimaced a bit, looking back to her phone with a frown as she spoke.

  "I get it. Trust me, I of all people understand. However… This is life, and apparently people eat people all the time here. Not like back-" She caught herself and stuttered briefly.

  "I-It's the circle of life, Leaf. Is it better to eat an almost mindless, farmed sapient? The very idea turns my stomach far worse than eating a wild Pokemon. Dumbing down people for food. I don't think any less of my Pokemon for eating a Pidgeotto, so why should I care about doing the same? Am I inherently more moral, more noble than my Pokemon? Are my human morals superior to their Pokemon morals?" She pulled her eyes from her phone and met mine briefly.

  "Am I better than my family?"

  She turned back to her phone, frantically tapping out messages, and she looked frustrated as she turned the spit.

  Her entire team except for the little pink Pokemon were staring at the meat spinning over the flames, even the Tyrantrum. She had been drooling when she so rudely awoke me! No wonder my hair- I gagged a little as I felt my jacket. Eeeuugh.

  That was nauseating.

  I peeled my jacket off in disgust, thankful that the slight chill we had experienced last night was fading. My eyes caught the sight of an unconscious body and I froze.

  My fault.

  He looked pitiful, face bloodied and bruised, limbs limp as his mouth hung open. He was breathing easily, I saw, but that was the only thing that looked remotely okay about him. My heart broke just a little more at the sight, and I couldn't face him. I looked away in shame.

  My fault.

  My stomach growled loudly enough that everyone turned to stare at me in amusement, and I felt my face turning hot as I stumbled over to Erin's pack. I had eaten plenty of the Pidgey line, just never a wild one. It was just one Pokemon, right?

  It tasted far better than any I'd had before, however. Clearly diet had a great deal to do with its taste, because I quickly devoured the salad and its accompanying huge Pidgeotto breast with enthusiasm. She'd bought a bottle of vinaigrette to go with the simple salad of mixed greens, and I groaned happily as I finished my meal. I looked up to see my Pokemon beginning to stir.

  Nobody glanced at him as his eyes opened, and it took him a few seconds to get his bearings. A low growl began to escape him before he froze. He sat up slowly and looked around.

  They all ignored him entirely, and his eyes drifted over to me. Our eyes met.

  Hate.

  He despised me.

  My fault.

  He gave a hiss of pain and turned away, nose drawn by the scent of roasting meat. They all continued to ignore him. He seemed to be too scared, too uncertain to move closer, so he warily crouched there, staring at the Pokemon and human studiously ignoring his existence.

  Finally, with great reluctance, Erin called over her Deino. It took an amusingly long time, but soon the blind Pokemon was enthusiastically spinning the spit, and after a few more seconds Erin had gotten him to slow down, stopping the wild spray of hot grease. She smiled fondly at him before her eyes came to rest on my Pokemon, a flat look coming to her face. She walked over to him, the rest of her Pokemon watching her intently.

  Erin settled into a crouch near my broken Fraxure, my baby Axew, my best friend. Then she broke him further.

  "You are no dragon." There was a calm finality in her words that froze his sneer before it ever got started. She wasn't making an accusation, She was stating a fact.

  "You are no dragon, because you have no honor and no pride. You hold nothing sacred, not even yourself. You act like a coward, attacking your trainer while she slept! That is unforgivable for any dragon. That is cowardice!"

  She took a deep breath, and she started to break my heart, too.

  "I'm not here to make you Leaf's Pokemon, to get you to follow her commands, to respect her. After the stunts she's pulled, I don't blame you for your dissatisfaction with her." I felt so small as I hunched my shoulders, and the tiny pink Pokemon hopped over to my lap with a giggling sound, nuzzling into me.

  "I'm here to turn you into a real dragon. Look at my mother. Would you dare call her a false dragon?" He shook his head violently, hunching over as he did. The Tyrantrum continued to simply glare at him.

  "Exactly, yet what is her opinion on the matter, hmm? There was a right way and a wrong way to do things, and you chose the wrong way." She sighed, her voice so sad.

  "Do you know why Pokemon Evolve? Because they're ready for the next stage of their life. They Evolve under high stress situations like battle, breaking a personal record, achieving their goals during training, saving a life. They break through their own limitations. Some Evolve through the bonds they share with their family, friends, and trainers. Some never Evolve, through choice or species." Her eyes were hard as she stared my baby down.

  "No dragon should ever Evolve without first touching their limit. You've never even touched the starting line, yet you Evolved. I was curious about it, so I asked a friend of mine. He's damn good with dragons, and he had some knowledge to drop on me. What would drive an inexperienced baby dragon to force an Evolution, hmm?" He was practically quaking on the ground now as my mind rang with questions. Where was she going with this?

  "The only reason, he said, was from pure spite." I felt my eyes begin to water as she spoke those words.

  "You were stifled. Unable to live as a dragon, and treated like a house Pokemon. You have every right to be mad, and I am as well. Leaf failed you. She let you down, and she can never take back what she's done, whether she did it through ignorance or malice."

  My fault.

  Her voice grew fiercer as she continued to speak.

  "However, you failed as well. Tell me, were you unable to communicate with her at all? Did you express your desire to battle, after which she refused you? If so, I promise you right now you will never have to see her again in your life, and not because I will kill you."

  She was frowning as she spoke, but her eyes were impassive, like she was looking at nothing. Like he wasn't even worthy of acknowledging.

  "Think carefully before you answer me. I can tell when you lie, and if I don't catch it, I guarantee my mother will." She took a breath before continuing.

  "There are few types more opposed than dragons and fairies. However, do you know what we have in common? We despise liars. Tell me the truth. Think long and hard before you answer, because a lie might be the last mistake you make. Now..." She looked into his eyes, speaking softly now.

  "Did you try to battle? Did you try to tell her something was wrong? Did you put in any effort?"

  My Pokemon sat there, sullen as he stared at the ground between his legs. Nobody said a thing, Erin sitting on the ground in front of him as she waited for him to think. He looked mildly frantic as he did.

  Had he? Had he ever tried to battle? Asked me, begged, pleaded, even looked interested?

  No, no he hadn't.

  I had still failed him, and my eyes were wet as he finally gave her a hesitant shake of his head. She reached out and gave him a light pat on the head.

  "That is your fault." My fault. "You could have spoken up at any time, but I can guess why you didn't. You were a baby Pokemon living a luxurious life. You were pampered. You were coddled. You didn't even know what was wrong until you had Evolved, just that something was. Am I correct?" He nodded sadly, and she continued.

  "You were wronged, and if you never forgive Leaf, I won't blame you." My fault. "But before you decide that, answer me this. Did you ever love her?" My chest felt tight as he glared at me, head unmoving.

  "I'm not here to make you like her, much less love her. I'm here to turn you into a dragon. You don't owe her enough to be her Pokemon against your wishes, but I won't allow you to lie to yourself either. Look me in the eyes and tell me you've never felt affection for her. I don't know the entire story, but I can guess." She pointed behind herself at me. The failure.

  My fault.

  "She adores you. You were her whole world, and she worked herself to the bone for years to even have the opportunity to meet you. I know for a fact she has never hit you, or demeaned you purposefully. She failed you, but she didn't sabotage you. Look me in the eyes and tell me that girl doesn't care for you even after you tried to murder her!" Her eyes grew wild for a second before she took a deep breath.

  "So I ask you, false dragon, have you ever felt that love back?"

  The words hung in the air, and my vision grew watery as he continued to glare at me. My best friend. My baby. My future. My responsibility.

  My fault.

  The rest of the Pokemon glared at him unrelentingly except for Deino. He was listening intently, probably, but his tail never stopped wagging as he continued to turn the spit full of meat over the embers.

  Finally my Pokemon nodded. It was the smallest of nods, but it was there. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing even as Erin nodded at him.

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  "That's what I figured. Now, do you hold any gratitude for her? Has she tried her best with you? Yes, she failed, but so did you. Her actions. Her love. Are you grateful for them?" Another slow nod and I started sobbing into my hands.

  "Now tell me truthfully. Do you think your trainer hates you? Does Leaf see you as nothing more than a tool, an easy ride to power? Does she see a vicious attack dragon to unleash on her enemies? Take a good look before you answer me." I couldn't see through my flowing tears, but after a moment she began to speak again.

  "Good. You can at least recognize that. Now, here's the real question. Do you feel bad for what you've done, what you tried to do?"

  The question hung in the air for so long I had almost cleared my eyes before Erin spoke again.

  "Then this right here is the turning point in your life. You have three choices."

  "You can be a coward, just as you have been. You can play tricks like a fairy and deceive yourself, but that is not a dragon. If you were a pure dark type I would praise your sneaky, violent ways, for that is their nature, but you aren't. You're supposed to be a dragon, so which kind are you?"

  "An honorable dragon repays the kindness they receive. An honorable dragon may still fight for pride, kill and eat an entire family of Pokemon, eat a human, but they have honor. They do not pick on the weak, their prey. They consume them like the apex predators they are. They do not cause pain and terror for the fun of it. They repay the kindness they receive, always. They challenge themselves to be better, every day. They have honor."

  "A dishonorable dragon knows only pride and strength, and one of those will always fail. They are still dragons, though, and strive to challenge themselves. They leap from high cliffs, swim up waterfalls, clash with the greatest forces they can find, all in a drive to improve themselves, to hone their skills and their own self worth. They care only for themselves, but they still have their pride. They are dragons."

  Her voice was brittle like shards of glass as she continued.

  "I am not here to make you an honorable dragon, or a dishonorable dragon. I'm merely here to turn you into a dragon, period." She paused, voice growing lighter momentarily.

  "I would suggest being an honorable dragon, however."

  I managed to clear my eyes enough to take the scene in, and I saw my baby glaring at the ground. He looked even worse than when he woke up, breathing ragged like he would pass out at any moment.

  "So I ask you, false dragon, are you a coward?" He sullenly shook his head, and I saw Erin smile slightly.

  "Are you a dishonorable dragon?" Silence, and it dragged on for minutes. He sat there, eyes closed as he seemed to shake with anger. Eventually he shook his head, a tiny quiver of movement I almost missed.

  "Does that mean that you are, or will strive to be, an honorable dragon?" His eyes rose to meet mine, and while the rage was still there it had died down somewhat. Eventually he looked away, nodding at Erin. She beamed a smile at him, and I swore she had to stop herself from patting him on the head. Her voice was still serious as she spoke, however.

  "Do you think it's possible to forgive her? To work with her? I'm not saying immediately, or even ever. Take your time with your answer, but don't lie to me. I'm not demanding a yes. I'm demanding the truth." She smiled at him, and my heart broke to see the anger in his eyes.

  "Remember how she cared for you. Still cares for you, you dingus. I know you saw her charge my mom's jaws to try and save your ungrateful ass. So answer me truthfully."

  "Is it possible to forgive her? Would you even want to?"

  His eyes met mine again and I had to blink tears away rapidly to maintain eye contact. His red eyes bore into me with the same hate I had gotten so dreadfully used to, but as the seconds turned to long minutes he refused to blink, and eventually they softened. It was still a glare, but it was the kindest face I had seen on him in over two months.

  He slowly nodded, his eyes never leaving mine as he did. I heard flesh slap scales, but I was already sobbing into my hands again. I heard Erin stand before she spoke again.

  "I won't force you to do anything, but I think both of you could use a hug. It's your call, little dragon, but any injury you deliberately cause, you'll receive back triple." I laughed as I sobbed into my hands. Right, like he'll give me a h-hug of all-

  I felt myself pulled into a light embrace, and I didn't hesitate to throw my arms around him, pulling him in for a crushing hug. I nicked my forearm on his blades, but I didn't let that stop me as I sobbed into his chest. He growled, but held himself stiff as I frantically apologised to him. He didn't hug me back after that initial grasp, standing there like a stiff, angry statue, but I didn't care.

  He was my Pokemon. My best friend. My baby.

  My fault.

  But maybe not forever.

  I continued to sniffle, and with an actual growl he pulled himself from my arms. I let him go as I collapsed back to the ground, emotionally exhausted. Somehow, she had broken through to him.

  Nothing was fixed, but now there was a chance to have my best friend back. My baby.

  My fault.

  I was so emotionally drained I barely heard the sound of a Pokenav ringing before Erin picked it up. No video, so it must have been international. Someone in Galar? Where had she come from before Galar, by the way?

  "You're where!?... How!?... WHY!?" Her eyes were wide in anger, and for some reason she began to scan the skies as she spoke into the phone. The serious atmosphere that Erin seemed to have worn like a jacket disappeared like a drop of water in a hot pan.

  "You call that a vacation? Yes, I understand it's your time off, but-... Don't you put that evil on me, my dude! I warned you, and I bet Look-" Her mouth snapped shut as she turned to look at me. She exchanged a long look with the Tyrantrum before she began to stomp away.

  "Listen you stupid playboy, if you- You are a playboy! ... So? Public perception is ke- I just chose one of the existing ones! You know I…" Her voice got quieter as she disappeared from sight.

  I glanced up and shared a look with the Tyrantrum, who looked highly amused, before turning to my Pokemon. He refused to look at anyone, but continued to stare at the meat. I itched to heal him, but if Erin hadn't decided it was necessary yet, I would leave him be. I had screwed up enough as it was.

  My fault. Still.

  I was rudely pushed to my feet by the Tyrantrum, who stared at me before looking at the massive spit covered in meat. I looked up at her in confusion.

  "Is it… done?" She nodded, and I gave her a curious look. "So… What? I can't lift that, I have no idea how she got it on there in the first place. She's tiny."

  She snorted, sending my hair flying, before she strode over, the ground quaking at each step. She pointed to a flat log with Erin's Pawniard blade stuck in it. The surface looked mirror smooth, so clean was the cut through the log, and I looked up at her in shock.

  "You want me to…" I looked at the Pokemon, all but the little pink one staring at me intently. Even mine, and even though there was mostly irritation in that gaze, it was so much better than hate. I looked up at her, still hesitating.

  "That's Erin's blade. I don't think she'd like me using it-" I cut off as her head pushed me forward, stumbling as I flailed my arms to maintain my balance. She gave me an insistent look, so I stopped hesitating and strode over. She followed me and lifted the giant skewer in her arms, showing no reaction as the hot metal dug into her paws.

  I doubted she even felt it, anyway.

  I grabbed Erins blade, examining it in fascination as I did. The edge was beyond razor sharp, the metal shining as if it was oiled. It clashed harshly with the blocky, rough handle, and I realized she had probably held the blade with her bare hands to craft this. A shard of metal had been used to pin the end of raw sneasel skin that wrapped around the handle, and the blade felt rock-solid despite its shoddy appearance. I vaguely remembered that rawhide shrunk as it dried, and I held the proof in my hand. The wood was completely stained with blood, however, and I desperately wanted to ask who's it was.

  Instead I gestured the Tyrantrum over and began to slice large chunks of steaming meat from the spit onto the log. I had a large pile of meat by the time half had been sliced, and the Tyrantrum abruptly pulled the rest away, placing it back over the embers. I looked around, only to find a series of eyes staring at me in hunger. Well, the Deino was sniffing in this direction, but the rest looked ready to charge.

  I gulped a little bit, but with a low growl from the Tyrantrum I began tossing chunks of meat to Erins team. They snatched the meat out of the air with care, but fell on the food with savage glee once they acquired it. I had to smother a laugh at the looks on their faces as they chewed the roasted meat, and my heart grew warm as my Fraxure snatched his portions out of the air.

  I had just finished tossing the last chunk of meat out when I heard a large vibrating sound from the air. Everyone froze momentarily, but with a huff the Tyrantrum sat back down.

  A moment later a large green Pokemon dropped out of the sky, its wings the source of the vibrating sound. Huge eyes stared at us from behind transparent red… goggles? Despite the Alpha behind me I froze as its inhuman eyes met mine before I sprinted into the pile of blankets. It thumped as it landed, and a tiny whine began to escape my throat before it nodded at the Tyrantrum, who idly returned the gesture.

  Erin was charging us now, Pokenav held tightly in her hand as she glared at the new Pokemon. Well, not the Pokemon, as I saw her glare shift to follow the dark-skinned man who leapt from its back.

  He had a wide smile on his face, bright teal eyes shining with happiness from under a strange orange headpiece as he strode towards the Tyrantrum. He wore a thick jacket with small shorts, and if not for how handsome he was, he would have looked extremely goofy. Goofier. The smile grew wider as he reached out, and upon receiving a nod from the Tyrantrum, began to stroke her snout.

  I gaped at him in shock as he began to speak. I thought I recognized him from somewhere.

  "Hey there, big mama! Still a maneater?" Her lips peeled back in a snarling grin and he laughed before he bent to meet the Tyrunt's charge.

  "And you, the vicious little princess! Have you had fun so far?" She began to babble up at him with her tiny little roars. The rest of Erins team had begun to wander over as well, the little pink Pokemon launching herself into his chest.

  He caught her with a laugh and a soft look in his eyes as he gently hugged her.

  "And you, sweet little Hatenna? Have you been happy?" The little Pokemon, a Hatenna apparently, began to rapidly nod into his chest, still letting out adorable little murmurs. He looked relieved, and I was about to speak. Ask him why she wouldn't be happy, who he was, what he was doing here, but Erin beat me to the punch.

  She slid to a stop in front of him, scowling at him with those spooky eyes of hers lightly glowing.

  "You're here already? What the hell Rai-" Her eyes finally saw the little Hatenna and her voice dropped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back at him.

  "Why are you here?" He looked a little hurt as he answered.

  "I had some time off, so I was going to hang out with a friend…" She chuckled, but it was a dark sound.

  "Really? I believe you, but why would you be all the way in Kanto? What if something happens in Galar and you're here?" He looked ashamed as he mumbled his answer.

  "Rose kind of… forced me to vacation, and I wanted to be… far away, for awhile. Leon suggested I come check on you. Maybe help you train?" He paled as Erin snatched his collar, pulling his face close to hers.

  "Raihan, tell me something. Why did Rose force you to take a vacation, huh? I thought you had no problem with him. Right?"

  I expected him to get more scared, more intimidated. I wasn't the only one who found Erin to be intense and intimidating.

  Right?

  Instead, he brushed her hand aside and frowned down at her. His voice was harsh as he spoke.

  "Still a dragon, I see." Her face flushed in embarrassment and he continued. "I'm a grown-ass adult Erin, you don't get to tell me where I can and can't go. Rose?" His lips pulled back in a snarl. "Rose knew I knew something the moment he saw me." Erin groaned, burying her face in her hands as he continued.

  "I don't think he knows, but he suspects something, and he wanted me gone, Erin. I chose to take a vacation of my own volition, rather than fighting the man on the matter. Because let's be honest, if I had rejected the offer of a free vacation, would that have been believable? Or completely out of character? All while Nessa and Melony take theirs? I'm well aware of my reputation."

  "As a playboy…" She mumbled, but I could hear the grin in her voice. He flushed and dropped his serious expression.

  "For the last time, girl, I'm not a playboy! Playboys go out of their way to find women, I just have a lot of fans!"

  She snorted, looking up at him with clearer eyes.

  "That's what every playboy says, playboy." Her eyes drifted to the large green dragon, the Flygon, as she spoke. "Go ahead and come out if you want, buds."

  I only had a second to parse what she said before there was a series of red flashes from this Raihan- where had I heard that name before?- as his team leapt out, and I shrunk deeper into the blankets in shock despite myself.

  A small tortoise popped out first, lava glowing from openings on its shell as a cloud of smoke poured from its nostrils. It was tiny, but it radiated danger in an almost visible wave. A Torkoal, and my eyes grew wide as a human-sized, bright red turtle materialized next to it, standing on its back two feet. I could feel the intense heat radiating from both of the Pokemon, and the Turtonator gave Erin a light nod as it came out.

  A large, amorphous mass of red light solidified into another human-sized, slug-like creature that dripped with mucus. Its brilliant green eyes opened and stared around, and my eyes were dragged from the Goodra as what looked like a living chunk of steel beam formed, fierce yellow eyes scanning the scene before they landed on Erin and jerked. I didn't recognize the Pokemon, but it was easily the scariest one yet.

  She smiled as they came out, and her team seemed to know them as well, as they all rushed at different Pokemon. I saw Raihan crouch in front of my sullen dragon, noticing the look of shock on his face as he stared at Erin. She met his eyes with an unflinching gaze, and he looked back down in disbelief.

  "This is the fraud you told me about?" My dragon growled but didn't dare rise to the bait as Erin nodded. His eyes were wide as he slowly nodded at her, giving her an odd look the whole time.

  "Looks like you got the worst out of the way, I guess. Where's his trainer?"

  Erin pointed to me, and he jumped a bit as he saw me hiding in the bundle of blankets, my eyes still wide. Erin grinned at me.

  "She's hiding from you already! Good job, you need to watch out for this guy! He's a bad influence." She easily dodged the elbow that came her way with a laugh.

  Raihan walked over and held out a hand to me. I stared at it for a long second, and just as his face grew uncomfortable I grasped it. He yanked me up and I found myself standing before him. All of a sudden the look in his eyes wasn't kind anymore. It was fierce and vicious as he leaned in and spoke, and though his voice was even I could feel the steel in it.

  "So, you're the novice?" He didn't even let me answer as his hand rose, cutting me off. "Actually, sorry, let's start over. I'm Raihan, Gym leader of Hammerlocke, second strongest Trainer in the entirety of Galar, and a Dragon Master. Now." He leaned in, eyes still firm.

  "Are you a Dragon Tamer?"

  My eyes were wide as he spoke, and now I remembered him. The top expert on dragons for an entire region, strong enough to be a Champion almost anywhere else if not for his rivalry with the Galarian Champion!

  "I-I am?" My voice was weak, and he sighed and shook his head before stepping back. His eyes were sad as he looked at me. Sad and disappointed.

  "It's no wonder he wanted to kill you. You've got no spine, girl." I shrank in on myself a bit before I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder. Looking up, there was an easy smile on his face now, and his eyes were confident.

  "Don't worry! Erin will handle your little troublemaker back there for us. I won't lie, she's probably better at that than I am. Let me tell you something about Erin, though. She's the best I've ever seen working with dragons. You won't be able to do what she does, and I would worry for your sanity if you tried." Erin laughed at that, even the Tyrantrum growling with a smile.

  "Me, however? I had to claw my way to where I am now step by agonizing step. Flygon used to despise me way back when he was a Trapinch, and I hatched him from an Egg!" The green Pokemon looked up from the meat the Tyrantrum had doled out with an easy nod before going back to his feast.

  "So believe me when I tell you this: I'll do my best to turn you into a Dragon Tamer while Erin teaches your Pokemon what it means to be a dragon. In two weeks, I guarantee you will walk out of this forest with a working relationship with your Pokemon." My face lit up hope as he continued.

  "He may not like you by then, or work with you flawlessly. In fact I highly doubt it, but that's the first step. That's the most help we can give you, but it will be more than enough."

  They were all looking at me, even my Pokemon, so I did my best to straighten my spine as I responded. If I didn't do my best here, it really would be my fault.

  "Then… I will be a Dragon Tamer." He smiled and held out his hand, and we shook on it.

  "By the way, you know my name. What's yours?"

  I had no idea why his face went pale when I answered him.