Before Dragonite had even fully stabilized its landing, Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix could no longer hold back. They leapt out of Theo's arms impatiently, darting forward like two streaks of lightning toward Alolan Ninetales.
"Wuuu!"
"Wuwa~"
Alolan Ninetales let out a soft, low cry, then gently lowered its body and nuzzled the two little ones with the tip of its nose. Soon after, two of its tails swept forward gracefully, each wrapping around one of the Vulpix, lifting them high into the air. It tossed them up playfully, spinning them in circles before catching them again.
The two little foxes burst into delighted laughter, their giggles ringing out continuously as they enjoyed their mother's affectionate game.
At the same time, more than a dozen Alolan Vulpix, each slightly larger than the two youngest, ran out from the cave behind Alolan Ninetales. They formed a circle around her, their voices filled with excited cries, their faces brimming with joy. It was obvious that they, too, had missed their two youngest sisters dearly.
By now, Dragonite had already landed steadily. Theo jumped down and released all his Pokémon in one smooth motion.
"Everyone, come out and stretch a bit."
Red light flashed as Milotic, Metagross, Tyrantrum, and Deino appeared one after another.
Milotic manipulated the surrounding water vapor while Metagross used its psychic power to hover in place. The two floated nearby and greeted Alolan Ninetales.
Tyrantrum also let out an excited roar in greeting. Ever since their farewell at Norman's backyard, this was only their second meeting.
After finishing their affectionate reunion with their mother, Ice and Fire Vulpix noticed their companions had arrived. They immediately ran over together with their older siblings, pointing at Deino and the others while chattering excitedly, clearly introducing their friends to their family.
Smiling, Theo took out several boxes of pokéblocks from his backpack. He had specially purchased them in Sootopolis City, making sure to get one of every flavor.
"Come on, remember me? Everyone, come try some."
The group of Alolan Vulpix instantly cheered and crowded around him, skillfully picking up the pokéblocks with familiarity.
They still remembered Theo. The last time they met, he had already given them plenty of delicious treats.
Theo did not hold back either. He reached out, picking up one Vulpix after another, gently rubbing their chins and cheeks, completely unable to get enough of them.
Each one felt slightly different. Some had firmer fur, while others were softer, and the more he touched them, the more enjoyable it became.
Milotic, Metagross, and Tyrantrum also came closer to join in.
A few of Ice Vulpix's older sisters stared at Milotic's golden tail fins with sparkling eyes. From time to time, they jumped up, trying to grab them with their little paws, and Milotic happily played along with them.
Tyrantrum and Metagross were not idle either. They played with the Vulpix in their own ways. Metagross used its psychic power to lift them into the air, while Tyrantrum carried them on its back, letting them experience the joy of being "dragon riders."
Only Deino stood somewhat awkwardly in place.
This was its first time seeing a Totem Alolan Ninetales. It had never imagined that the mother of Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix would be such a being.
From Deino's perception, this Alolan Ninetales felt like a natural predator.
It had never thought that as a proud Dragon-type Pokémon, it would one day feel a chill of fear toward another Pokémon, trembling uncontrollably.
Even Tyrantrum, Metagross, or that big chubby Dragonite, no matter how much stronger they were, had never given it this kind of feeling. So why did this fox evoke such a response?
After all, Deino had always carried a "grand blueprint" in its heart.
Once it evolved in the future, it planned to first subdue the Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix as its underlings, then recruit Larvesta;
After that, it would gradually challenge Tyrantrum, Metagross, and Milotic, and finally become the unquestioned leader of the entire team.
But today, after meeting the two Vulpix's mother, Deino suddenly began to doubt its entire existence.
Would the very first step of its "rise to power plan" already end in failure?
Would Ice Vulpix eventually grow into a fox this enormous?
And if that happened… would it even be able to defeat her?
If it could not defeat even her, what right would it have to become the leader?
The more Deino thought about it, the more dejected it became, its little head drooping lower and lower.
At this moment, Alolan Ninetales had already noticed this tiny creature that had been sneakily observing her the entire time.
She watched with interest as Deino kicked at the snow beneath its feet, then shook its head repeatedly, finding its behavior rather amusing.
Suddenly, one of her tails flicked lightly like a flowing ribbon. In an instant, it wrapped around Deino and lifted it up in front of her.
"Deei! Dei!"
Startled, Deino flailed its four short legs wildly in the air, letting out panicked cries. It tried to struggle free, but the tail held it firmly, leaving it suspended helplessly.
"Wuuu~!" (Mom, don't bully it, it's Deino, it's our good friend!)
Ice Vulpix hurried over, rubbing its head against Alolan Ninetales' paw as it explained. Fire Vulpix also nodded repeatedly from the side.
Listening to her daughters, Alolan Ninetales responded softly, indicating that she was not trying to bully it. She simply wanted to take a closer look, as she was curious about what this little black dragon looked like.
While explaining to the two Vulpix, she used another tail to gently part Deino's bangs.
"!"
Deino's entire body stiffened. Its precious bangs had been touched. It wanted to get angry, but the moment it sensed the overwhelming, predator-like aura from Alolan Ninetales, all its temper vanished instantly. It could only pout, allowing itself to be handled obediently.
As its bangs were moved aside, a pair of round, ruby-like eyes were revealed.
Alolan Ninetales carefully examined Deino's face, then used her other free tails to get to work. With delicate precision, she tied Deino's hair into two small braids, allowing its eyes to remain visible.
"Yes, this looks much better."
She seemed quite satisfied with her handiwork. Only then did she gently set Deino down, placing it between Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix.
The three little ones stood side by side, one snow-white, one fiery red, and one black-blue, forming a rather unique and charming sight.
Deino had just been about to shake off its braids when Alolan Ninetales cast it a stern glance.
It immediately froze, stopping its movement. Forcing its eyes wide open, it awkwardly imitated the expressions of the two Vulpix beside it, barely managing to squeeze out a sweet smile.
Seeing this scene, Theo could not help but laugh out loud.
Deino turned to look at its trainer, its mouth puckered high, a trace of grievance hidden in its small eyes, as if saying:
"Hey, how can you laugh at a time like this? Come save me!"
Tyrantrum, Milotic, and Metagross also saw Deino's new appearance and could not hold back their laughter.
Tyrantrum even rolled on the ground, trying to cover its mouth with its short claws, yet still letting out uncontrollable rumbling laughter.
(End of Chapter)