Shiny Feebas's performance on her first day of waterfall climbing wasn't exactly great.
But as Kashiwagi always said, results can improve—the level-up was proof of that. What mattered was Feebas's will to keep climbing.
To be honest, if Kashiwagi weren't such a poor swimmer himself, he'd have been tempted to lead by example and charge into the falls alongside her—
well, just kidding. That would only add to Feebas's mental burden.
After understanding the little one's inner journey today, he was more certain than ever that choosing Dragon's Gate Falls as the focus for rebuilding her confidence was the right move.
"Thanks for the hard work, Aggron. This was supposed to be my responsibility."
Under the moonlight, Kashiwagi sat on the engawa porch in his pajamas, smiling as he thanked the Aggron sitting beside him.
"Ag-gron~"
Aggron shook his head. He felt he hadn't done much—just shared a few words with Feebas.
Even if it did help her, it was only natural. Even without his status as the "Ace," he was her teammate. It would be wrong to see a companion struggling and do nothing.
"You're so considerate, Ace."
Kashiwagi leaned back against Aggron's massive frame. The summer nights in Hoenn weren't stiflingly hot, and the cool touch of Aggron's black steel hide felt incredibly comfortable.
Faintly, he could feel the Pokémon's heartbeat.
It seemed to beat in perfect rhythm with his own—thump-thump, thump-thump—a gentle, echoing pulse.
Aggron seemed to notice it too. His usually heavy breathing slowed as he savored this moment of quiet intimacy with his Trainer.
At this moment, while their minds seemed suspended between heartbeats, a deeper entanglement was forming.
It felt as though they were on the verge of melting into one another. Neither truly realized the magnitude of it; they simply wanted to be a little closer, to stay like this for just a little longer.
The Dragon Elder, who had come by out of concern for the boy, stopped in her tracks at a distance.
"..."
After a moment, a smile graced her face, and she slipped away as silently as she had arrived.
Initially, she had worried Kashiwagi might find the transition to village life difficult. She'd intended to chat, hoping to deepen their mutual understanding and strengthen his sense of belonging to the People of the Meteor.
But seeing this, she knew she had overthought it. Unless a Trainer was perfectly attuned to their Pokémon, they could never enter such a state of resonance.
A boy like Kashiwagi—no matter his origins or the environment he was raised in—could never hide the brilliance he radiated.
"An excellent Dragon Tamer... no, I should say Trainer. I hope you continue to move forward bravely. May the Great Dragon Lord protect you," she whispered.
And in the impossibly high reaches of the heavens, Rayquaza—swirling through the sky in its endless search for meteorites—briefly glanced downward.
It then turned its gaze back to the horizon and continued its flight as if nothing had happened.
A few meteors would be falling soon. It hoped for a full meal.
...
Back on the ground, Kashiwagi unfortunately couldn't cuddle with Aggron for long.
Hydreigon had woken up multiple times, and upon realizing his Trainer wasn't in bed, he had come sniffing around with a series of worried whines. This jolted Kashiwagi out of his half-dreaming state. He and Aggron shared a helpless look as the three-headed dragon practically tackled him.
"Go back to sleep. I'm just waiting to see if Raikou shows up. Be a good boy."
Kashiwagi patted all three of Hydreigon's heads, half-coaxing and half-pushing the big guy away.
While it was flattering to have a clingy Pokémon, being stuck to 24/7 didn't work. He had to give his other Pokémon space to be near him, and he needed that space himself.
"Hydrei-g-o-n..."
The "Husky Dragon" looked at his Trainer piteously, his deep purple neck-ruff drooping like a wilted flower.
However, Kashiwagi remained firm, whispering, "Go to sleep!"
Defeated, Hydreigon drifted back to the bedroom, hovering over the bed like a giant balloon and closing his eyes.
At the head of the bed, the red eyes of Galarian Corsola flickered briefly before vanishing. She was giggling inside her semi-translucent shell; nothing amused her more than seeing this big dummy of a dragon get snubbed.
Back on the porch, Kashiwagi sighed, turning to Aggron. "Am I spoiling Hydreigon too much?"
Although he tried to be fair to everyone, humans aren't machines. The simulator didn't track the exact minutes spent with each Pokémon, so "favoritism" was almost inevitable.
If the others didn't mind, it was fine—but if anyone felt neglected, it was his failure as a Trainer.
He couldn't just "catch and dump" like Goh. He had N, who had promised to help manage his Pokémon back in Pyrite Town and was currently looking after Steelix, but even Steelix needed a check-up, a battle, or a grooming session every couple of days.
That "absentee" style of training wasn't for him. Consequently, Kashiwagi had to become a master of time management.
"Ag-gron."
Aggron offered a low, comforting sound, but as Kashiwagi looked at him with touched eyes, the big steel type quietly raised a single claw. His eyes curved into teasing crescents. "Ag-g-gron~" (Maybe just a little bit.)
"You rascal," Kashiwagi laughed.
Since passing that difficult "adolescent" phase where he was obsessed with territory, Aggron's personality had become increasingly mature. Like Blissey, he had shifted from being a receiver of care to a provider of it.
He would listen to his Trainer's vents and share his burdens—growing from a "child" into a "man."
Yet, this change hadn't created a distance; if anything, it brought them closer on every level.
Kashiwagi felt that if a Key Stone were placed before him right now, he could achieve Mega Evolution with Aggron flawlessly.
Unfortunately, despite being at the very birthplace of Mega Evolution in Hoenn, a Key Stone was hard to come by.
I wonder what kind of trial Zinnia has in store for me? he wondered.
Beep!
His phone let out a quiet chime. Kashiwagi glanced at it and saw it was already 3:00 AM.
"Looks like our dear 'Sir Rai-Meow' isn't coming tonight... Do you think he went to Fallarbor Town instead?"
"Ag-gron~"
Aggron was non-committal—how was he supposed to know the mind of a Legendary Pokémon? He simply nudged his Trainer toward the bedroom.
While Kashiwagi was young enough to pull an all-nighter, the next day's energy wouldn't be the same.
"Don't you stay up either."
Kashiwagi stood up and rubbed Aggron's massive horns. Aggron was a species whose horns grew longer as they aged; his "Great Beast" was a veteran of a hundred battles, yet he was still quite young.
Returning to his bed, Kashiwagi drifted off into a deep sleep.
...
...
The next day.
Kashiwagi woke up and glanced toward the side of the bed, catching sight of Raikou's silhouette as it headed toward the exit.
"I didn't even notice when you got back!"
"Rai..."
Raikou spared him a glance, as if to say there were many things he didn't notice.
Recalling how it had almost run off to Fallarbor Town last night, its teeth felt a bit itchy with annoyance. Fortunately, it had been cautious enough to remember Kashiwagi saying he might not return, so it had swung by to check—otherwise, it would have been a wasted trip.
However, this place...
Raikou sensed the strange ripples in the air, its gaze involuntarily drifting toward the Dragon Shrine nearby.
Had a certain someone not been here, it never would have set foot in a place so heavily marked by another's presence. Not only did it want to avoid unnecessary trouble, but the inherent discomfort of the atmosphere was a significant factor.
But since it was already here, it decided not to dwell on it.
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave, have some breakfast first."
Kashiwagi quickly hopped out of bed to wash up, joining Blissey to prepare the morning meal. He had specifically thanked the lady who brought food last night and politely declined further deliveries.
I assume they won't come this morning? Even if they did, it didn't matter. Those extreme "Dragon-maniacs" would likely only get worked up if they saw a Dragon-type Legendary.
Perhaps because it was so early, the horizon was just beginning to glow with a yellowish sunrise. Meteor Village was silent; not even the roar of a dragon could be heard.
Kashiwagi watched his Pokémon lower their heads to eat. Seeing Hydreigon so out of it that he face-planted into his food, Kashiwagi couldn't help but pat one of his heads. "That's what happens when you stay up all night!"
"Hydrei-g-o-n!?"
Hydreigon snapped awake from his food, his three heads scanning like surveillance cameras for the enemy that had attacked him. Once he realized his Trainer was looking at him with an "unpleasant" gaze, he instinctively licked the food scraps off his face.
Realizing what had happened, he sheepishly retracted his necks.
On a normal morning, Hydreigon wouldn't be this exhausted. It was mostly due to yesterday's gauntlet of battles, combined with the physical toll of clashing head-on with Garchomp. Furthermore, he was still in the adjustment period for his new body—it had only been three or four days since his evolution.
"You big dummy..."
Kashiwagi gave Hydreigon's cheek a firm pinch.
Porygon finished its breakfast, silently thanking its Trainer for his hard work. As its peripheral vision caught Galarian Corsola, it couldn't help but feel a bit curious. "Pory-gon?" (Is it just me, or are you in a great mood?)
"Cor..."
Galarian Corsola decisively denied Porygon's implication that she was gloating.
I am not! I didn't! Stop talking nonsense!
Porygon withdrew its gaze. If its visual sensors weren't malfunctioning, Galarian Corsola's mouth—which usually drooped downward—was definitely curving upward right now.
How strange.
Of course, it didn't dwell on it; it was normal for a teammate to be in a good mood.
Once breakfast was finished, Galarian Corsola intended to float back to the head of the bed to continue sleeping, only to find Kashiwagi's eyes on her. "It's your turn today, 'on duty'."
"..."
Galarian Corsola's good mood evaporated instantly. Being a "working coral" was hard.
She drifted sluggishly onto Kashiwagi's shoulder, secretly hoping there wouldn't be a single moment where she was needed today.
Seeing her looking reluctant, Hydreigon sidled up like a sycophant. "Hydrei-g-o-n?" (Want me to take your place?)
"..."
Galarian Corsola suddenly found her motivation. She snapped her head away in a clear gesture of rejection.
Hydreigon flew off, looking disappointed.
Watching the interaction, Kashiwagi plucked Galarian Corsola off his shoulder. "Why do I feel like you have a grievance against Hydreigon?"
"..."
Galarian Corsola's red eyes stared directly at him, as if saying: I have a huge grievance.
"Is it because... because he nibbles on you every morning?"
Kashiwagi thought about it for a while. Their daily interaction was pretty much limited to that morning nibble; most of the time, Galarian Corsola just slept the day away.
Galarian Corsola: "!"
"Hey, what's with that shocked expression?" Kashiwagi twitched his lips, looking at this piece of former seabed stone.
He handled Galarian Corsola every day and was incredibly sensitive to the scent of Hydreigon's saliva; how could he not notice? He just hadn't given it much weight.
In his mind, Galarian Corsola usually counterattacked when provoked, so he didn't think she was losing out. Plus, in Pokémon behavior, a bit of roughhousing usually helps build bonds.
Now, looking at her...
"I really didn't think it bothered you. I figured you'd be too lazy to even care about something like that." Kashiwagi was curious as to why she minded.
With her temperament, she was one step away from achieving a Zen state of complete indifference. She shouldn't care about such trifles.
Galarian Corsola's eyes became even more resentful. Perhaps she used to be like that, but after staying by her Trainer's side for so long, her habits had shifted. Her mental state was no longer stable.
It's all your fault!
"Alright, alright. I'll go give Hydreigon a talking-to and tell him not to harass you anymore." Kashiwagi rubbed Galarian Corsola's increasingly smooth head.
Turning around, he found Hydreigon and gave him a stern, righteous scolding.
Hydreigon looked confused with all three faces, then stared at Galarian Corsola in disbelief. "Hydrei-g-o-n!" (Ah! You're a snitch!)
"Sola!"
Galarian Corsola solemnly corrected him. The "snitching" had come to her; she had merely cooperated a little by nodding her head. How could that be considered snitching?
Slander is forbidden!
"Don't get distracted. This is your warning: no more nibbling on Galarian Corsola." Kashiwagi grabbed the cheek of Hydreigon's middle head, pulling it until the skin stretched.
"Hydrei-g-o-n—"
Feeling the sting, Hydreigon raised his left and right heads and nodded vigorously.
Kashiwagi nodded in satisfaction. "Good cooperation. What do you think?" He turned to Galarian Corsola.
The latter chose to stay silent, but began to vibrate slightly. Clearly, she was very satisfied. And so, he let the not-so-pitiful Hydreigon go.
"Hydrei-g-o-n..."
Hydreigon used his other two heads to lick his smarting cheek. He felt that ever since he evolved, his power had grown, but his Trainer had become less and less indulgent.
Does being big mean he isn't a baby anymore?
Not far away, many "adult" Pokémon watched the farce—some with disdain, some with chuckles, and some with thoughtful expressions... or simply getting up to leave.
Seeing Raikou preparing to head out, Kashiwagi asked quickly, "Is Team Rocket coming today?"
Raikou returned a look that clearly said: How should I know?
"...Mainly because I've notified so many people. If they show up a week or a month later, it'll be really awkward for me," Kashiwagi said sheepishly.
As the source of the intel, he felt uneasy without some kind of reassurance from Raikou. After all, "it's easy to be a thief, but hard to be the guard." Right now, the People of the Meteor were on high alert and Steven seemed prepared, but if this dragged on too long, it was hard to say if they'd stay vigilant.
"Rai..."
Raikou stared at him for a few seconds and then shook its head again. If it knew the exact time, would it still be stuck here stake-out style?
"Fair enough."
Kashiwagi realized he wouldn't get an answer and gave up, watching the legendary beast gallop away.
Deep down, he was still curious about its source of information. Did Raikou have a spy in Team Rocket? A human spy? A Pokémon spy?
A mystery for the ages.
He sighed softly and turned to his Pokémon. "Let's pack up. It's time for our own training."
A short while later, just as Kashiwagi was about to begin his session, Jinya and the others came knocking.
"Kashiwagi! Did you see? Raikou just ran past from this direction!"
"The legendary Pokémon, Raikou!"
"It had those long fangs, roaring as it ran—Awoo! Awoo!"
They all spoke at once, their faces flushed with the excitement of seeing a miracle.
When Kashiwagi shook his head, they all looked disappointed. "You didn't see it? What a shame! Raikou is a Johto Pokémon! Who knows why it would come all the way here."
"True. I've never heard of Raikou coming to Hoenn before."
"By the way, did it head toward the Dragon Shrine?"
"Let's go check! It would be bad if it disturbed the Elder or the ancestors!"
The group hurried off as quickly as they had arrived.
"So much energy," Kashiwagi remarked.
As the sunlight illuminated the land, Meteor Village suddenly burst into life. Roars and shouts echoed from every direction.
When the sun reached its zenith, the dragons departed from their homes, flying off toward the direction of Meteor Falls.
These adult Dragon-type Pokémon spent their days commuting between Meteor Village and the Dragon's Nest, playing together without a care in the world. It was a truly enviable lifestyle.
By comparison, the young Dragon Tamers didn't have it nearly as easy.
Meteor Village housed a cultural school specifically established for the youth. Its mission was to ensure that the young Tamers—who would otherwise spend all day idling—became well-educated citizens.
The children wailed in despair; they didn't seem to share even a fraction of the joy Ash felt when he went to school in Alola.
Especially, when they passed by Kashiwagi and saw him happily raising his various Pokémon, their jealous howls grew even louder.
Their brief walk to school was as arduous as a pilgrimage to the West.
Kashiwagi offered them a silent moment of mourning.
Basic education was widespread in the major regions.
Those who wanted to be Trainers could attend Trainer Schools; those wanting a standard education could go to middle or high school. It wasn't even uncommon for people to return to school after their journeys.
Back in Verdanturf Town, Kashiwagi had asked Wally why he didn't go to school if he felt lost about his future. Wally admitted he was a bit afraid of interacting with peers and simply couldn't handle a social environment like a school.
Of course, if someone forced Kashiwagi to go to school now, he wouldn't be able to handle it either. So, when a Meteor Village elder suggested he visit the local school, Kashiwagi didn't even hesitate to decline, using his upcoming Contest as an excuse.
In truth, he was very busy.
Beyond basic training and move-learning, he had two major projects: getting
Blissey and Mawile to work as a singing-and-dancing performance duo,
and continuing to take the Shiny Feebas to challenge Dragon's Gate Falls.
Blissey's vocal cords couldn't compete with a species like Jigglypuff, which was born for the spotlight.
However, she wasn't bad either.
Kashiwagi needed to specifically train her sense of rhythm, while Mawile would coordinate her dance to that beat. Honestly, the concept reminded him of Nando, the wandering bard from Sinnoh—a master of combining music and dance.
With that in mind, he had Porygon collect match records of Nando to gain inspiration and help Blissey understand her role.
Truthfully, Blissey's grasp of "Flashiness" and creative move variations wasn't strong.
It seemed all her talent points had been poured into healing and caring for others; even Pokémon have their limits.
"It's not a big problem."
Kashiwagi finished watching a video of Nando's Kricketune using Sing to create colorful musical notes. It used those notes as a baseline for various stage effects.
"It looks like your first task, besides rhythm, is learning how to weaken the hypnotic effect of Sing while increasing the number of visible musical notes," he told Blissey. "And luckily, we have plenty of local teachers."
"Happy?"
The Lucky Egg tilted her head in confusion.
She soon found out exactly what her Trainer meant.
Kashiwagi visited the home of a villager who specialized in raising Altaria and invited a group of natural-born singers. "I'd appreciate it if you could teach my Blissey how to sing."
"Altari?" "Tari-tari!"
The Altaria chirped back, some confused, some gossiping. It took quite a bit of effort for Kashiwagi to make their duties clear. Once they understood, they enthusiastically agreed and surrounded Blissey with dead-serious expressions.
"Al-tari!" (So, you're today's student?)
One Altaria used its cottony wing to adjust a completely non-existent pair of glasses—a habit it had picked up from watching the school teachers.
Blissey looked at the group, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
"Happ-py..."
"Tari! Tari!"
Her cries for help were quickly drowned out by the chorus of Altaria.
Mawile, watching Blissey's tragic fate, began to back away toward her Trainer, only to remember halfway that he was the mastermind behind the whole thing.
She took two more steps to the side to keep her distance.
But Kashiwagi didn't let her off the hook. "What are you standing there for? Does a dancer not need to master rhythm? You're going in too!"
"Ma-wile..."
"Are you planning to just dance to your own beat?"
"Ma-wile!"
Mawile gave him an indignant glare. She started to shuffle over reluctantly, but suddenly turned back and shouted with gravity: "Ma-wile-maw!" (Is the Trainer just going to stand there and watch? Come with us!)
She swiftly grabbed Kashiwagi's arm. Before he could react, he was dragged into the pile of Altaria, instantly buried in a sea of white, fluffy feathers.
That morning, the "cotton chickens" successfully harvested three very hardworking, if somewhat clumsy, students.
While the Contest group was busy training, Aggron and Shiny Feebas headed to a small river near the village. They planned to practice a simulation of "Leaping the Dragon Gate."
Simply put, it was a two-step process: Aggron would manipulate the water to create a wave, and Feebas would take the opportunity to leap over it.
Kashiwagi had come up with the idea. Since Aggron had repeatedly insisted on helping Feebas, Kashiwagi put some thought into this alternative training method.
The two were eager to test it out.
"Ag-gron!"
Aggron roared from the upstream side of the river. Feebas, positioned downstream, blew a large bubble to signal her readiness.
Boom!
Aggron slammed his claws into the water, sending a rolling wave toward her. Since this first wave was just a test, Feebas cleared it easily.
"Ag-gron?" (Did it feel like the waterfall?)
Feebas thought about it for a moment and shook her head. Not quite.
"Ag-gron..."
The Great Beast began to ponder. His Trainer's training method couldn't be wrong; the issue was likely his execution.
Right. I probably didn't use enough force.
Aggron signaled for another go. Once Feebas was ready, he raised his claws and channeled elemental energy. A massive sphere of blue water vapor condensed before being fired into the river!
Thud!
The river let out a muffled groan as if it had been struck by a heavy blow. A massive wave immediately surged up, crashing toward the Shiny Feebas!
This is it!
Feebas's eyes brightened. As the wave neared, it carried a fraction of the waterfall's terrifying momentum. While still different, as a training method, it was perfect!
"Fee-bas!"
She suddenly snapped her tail and leaped. Her small body traced an arc through the air, her slightly dull purple scales reflecting the morning sun. Then—...
She was promptly washed away by the wave.
"Ag-gron!?"
Aggron was startled, his massive frame shifting in a flustered panic. Fortunately, Feebas soon surfaced from the depths, blowing a bubble to show she was fine. The Great Beast breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ag-gron?" (Keep the power the same?)
"Fee!"
Feebas gave a firm nod. Just as her Trainer said—break through one layer at a time. She was certain she would find her answer!
"Fee-bas!"
Feebas flicked her tail, exposing her body unreservedly to the sunlight. In the silence, she began to sing a wordless anthem of defiance against her own fate.