Epilogue: Let's Go Exploring
It's been a few years since that last story that I told you about happened. While there's been some others involving the Does' Druddigon and her children since then, I wouldn't really be able to get too in-depth about them here and now since my claws are a bit full at the moment.
Though what became of that Druddigon I knew, you ask?
Oh, she's still around. Her younglings and her mate, too. Why, I saw her sunning herself on the porch of the Does' house just earlier today. It's still the same unremarkable place on the outskirts of Icirrus City that it's always been, still with the same hot and muggy weather like summer's always been.
"Hey! I'm back!"
Her mate and her kids are all in town at the moment, or I guess more accurately, all near it. Same for the Doe children themselves. John's grown up a bit and he's moved on from his life in college, but he still found the time to visit today along with his Scolipede and Stoutland. He doesn't come by as much as he used to, especially since he's apparently been searching for a mate of his own lately. But it still puts a smile on the faces of the household's Pokémon whenever he's around, and his presence was enough to rouse the family Druddigon from a midday basking to glance at him.
"About time, John!" Jane's voice piped. "We were starting to worry you'd be late!"
Jane was there as well, along with her Marowak and Sawsbuck. They usually aren't around the house often outside of summer months, since Jane's gone off to college herself. If I remember correctly, she's training to be a healer of some sort. But as much as she's grown, in some respects, she's still the same girl as she used to be, especially with the way that she was badgering her older brother to hurry along at that moment.
And John, being the sardonic type he was, couldn't help but get a chuckle out of that.
"Tch, you haven't changed a bit have you, Jane?" he asked. "Though how come you were harping on me for being late when James isn't anywhere to be seen right now-?"
"I'm right here, John!"
And of course, James was there to round out the Doe children's numbers. His Snivy's grown and evolved into a Servine in the time since my last story, and the Druddigon hatchling he took under his wing has really shot up himself. He's about as big as Jane's Marowak these days. Still pretty small and young for Druddigon standards, but he's definitely not as little as he used to be. Enough so that his first instinct when passing by his mother on the porch was still to stop and tug at her for attention.
"Gon! Druddigon!"
He was quite the brimming ball of excitement, though he had his reasons. In his own words, the day was a big occasion: the lot of them had been invited to a party at the Vernes' house just across the fence. So naturally, he wanted to know when his mother would come along.
She hesitated briefly as her child wagged his tail in front of her and stared expectantly, as the dragoness traded glances between him and James as he walked up and pat at her child's crest. She's been a bit uneasy in recent months about life going past her, and often worries about whether or not she's missing out on moments from it by just sitting around the house.
"Heh, I don't know what I'm going to do without you, Rudd," James said. "You grow up nice and strong while I'm gone, you hear? I don't want you to miss all of college with me!"
Though it probably doesn't help that it's James' last year in school before he goes off to college himself. I'm not sure if the Druddigon's children completely understand that. From the puzzled look her younger child turned back to his trainer, he probably doesn't fully realize that James won't be around as much as he normally is in just a couple months.
Even if her kids have grown quite a bit in the past couple years, and her younger one has already put up an admirable showing by helping James with picking up where he left off from his Trainers' Leave last summer… neither of them are quite ready to leave the nest for long periods of time. Especially after how homesick the younger hatchling got just during parts of his travels with James to different Gyms about Unova.
The Does' Druddigon has been wondering about how he is going to react. When her elder child went through this same song and dance with Jane, at first, he took being separated from her and her other Pokémon pretty hard. Enough so that he spent the first week afterwards in low spirits hiding and pining about the house… not wholly unlike his parents, really. I'd like to think that his brother will have an easier time thanks to past experiences dulling those feelings, but we won't know for sure until the end of this summer.
The Druddigon told herself that it was probably for the best. James' partner would still be there for him when they were both a bit older. And with how hard their father had initially taken initially separated from her when following his human to college… neither her nor anybody else in the Doe household were ready to gamble that her children would be able to handle that sort of separation any easier.
Though such worries were far from James' mind at the time, as he stooped down and patted at the family's elder Druddigon with a warm smile.
"Aren't you coming along, Neela? Everyone's going to be there at the birthday party," he insisted. "Carol and Chopper are already there helping to set things up."
Yeah, that's why everyone was so busy earlier that day. Even if I didn't exactly talk about him much, Carol did have a little brother. And today is his birthday. The Does and the Vernes have grown particularly close to each other over the years, so there was a big point about trying to get both families together for the occasion.
Except, the mother Druddigon wasn't quite ready to join in. She curled up tighter in her resting place on the porch and let out a quiet grunt before looking away. James and his Pokémon blinked puzzledly afterwards, before Jane patted his shoulder and spoke to him.
"Give Neela a bit of time to rest, James," she reassured. "The party's just across the fenceline. It won't be easy for her to miss it."
James sighed and relented, before beckoning his Pokémon to follow along. His Servine drifted off and after a moment to press his mother not to forget, the younger drake followed suit after his trainer.
The Druddigon watched as the Doe children and their Pokémon made their way off. From her place on the porch, she watched as they slipped past the fenceline with the Vernes and off for their house's backyard. She turned her head and caught glimpses of the rest of the Verne family just past the wooden planks, including a glimpse of her mate's long neck and tusked head.
Even so, she decided not to get up just then. There was still a bit of time before the important part of the birthday party started, and with its location so close by, she could afford to wait and bask a little longer.
"Shao?"
A poke at the Druddigon's side turned her attention upwards, where she saw her Mienshao mentor squatting down beside her Mr. Doe followed closely behind him, both human and Pokémon more aged than they'd been when she'd first come into the family's life. In particular Mr. Doe, with the human patriarch sporting a head of hair so thinned and grayed, the Druddigon would sometimes forget that only a little over a decade had passed since their first Christmas together. The elder man stooped down beside his Druddigon companion, giving a reassuring pat at her shoulders.
"I heard the kids wanted to take you along as a guide up to Dragonspiral Tower after the birthday party," the man said. "Did you need any help from Duke holding the fort down?"
The Druddigon's grasp of human tongue has grown over the years, enough so that she could catch the gist of Mr. Doe's question at the time… and also get a little annoyed by it. She gave a testy bat of her wings and an adamant growl in reply, insisting that even if she'd be watching over a bigger party than in the past, it was a task she was perfectly capable of.
The Mienshao shook his head back to his trainer and tried to pass along her remarks in simpler terms. Much of it went lost in translation like it always did, but the old man gathered enough to pause and smile back at the Druddigon with a low chuckle.
"Guess it wouldn't be right to intrude on your family time, huh? But fair enough, I know you'll do great out there, Neela."
As he should've, really. In the Druddigon's words, she knew the area well enough and the local Pokémon had calmed to the presence of outsiders again in the last few years. After all, from the moment when the idea was first suggested earlier in the week up until right then, nobody from either the Doe or Verne family had thought twice about their children going off together to see the tower under her guidance. So it'd surely be fine…
Probably, anyways. It would depend on what her own children got up to when they arrived there. But she'd insisted that her mate come along with his trainer for the occasion. Just in case something happened where they would need his strength.
And… well, because she also wanted him to be there to share her old home along with their children.
"Mienshao."
The Mienshao prodded at the Druddigon again, and she turned her head as cheers and laughter came from beyond the fence. The dragoness blinked a brief moment, as Mr. Doe leaned in and patted her with a small smile.
"Sounds like the kids are just getting to the presents," he said. "I don't think you want to miss out on it."
The Druddigon lingered a moment, before she got up and stretched. She decided then that she'd waited long enough and then made her way down the porch. After all, she, the Doe children, and her own children had all worked together to prepare a particularly special gift for the Vernes' younger child, and she intended to be there to see him receive it.
She made her way past the fence, and pushed her way past a gate that had been left ajar for her, where she could already see a table set out with a colorful cloth and cake. The Vernes' boy was a dark-haired little squirt not much older than John was when the Druddigon first left her Pokéball under their Christmas tree.
His mannerisms reminded her of John's from those days, too. He'd just gotten through unwrapping a box alongside his parents. A pocket-sized machine with two screens that played video games, one which reminded the mother Druddigon of similar ones the Does would play with when they were younger.
"Haxorus!"
The Druddigon blinked and stiffened up as she was abruptly pulled into a warm embrace, and looked up to see her mate resting his head on her. He let out a content rumble, telling her in their tongue that he was happy that she'd made it when he was starting to worry about whether or not he'd have to go and fetch her.
"Hax…?"
The Haxorus trailed off and looked down beside his mate, noticing that she'd come alone. He shifted uneasily for a moment, before pressing the Druddigon as to where her elder child had gotten off to. It was an important occasion and it wasn't like him to be absent when his little brother was off doing something fun. Her younger child perked up at the explanation and opened his mouth to speak, prompting his mother to grunt for silence and turn back to the Haxorus with a shake of her head.
"Drudd…"
The dragoness pawed at her mate and gave a reassuring nose at his chest as she began to speak up. In her own words, her elder child was feeling tired and needed a chance to rest, not least of all since they had a big day of exploring ahead of them after the Verne boy's party. She assured the Haxorus that her elder child would show up for it to join in the festivities, just on his own time. To just be patient and trust a mother's judgment.
The Haxorus faltered a moment, before giving a disappointed sigh and nodding back. Even if he was starting to get a bit worried, he decided he'd trust her on this. A tug and excited cry from their younger child turned their attention over to the Verne boy, who'd set aside his earlier toy after discovering a red-and-white sphere resting at the bottom of his pile of gifts. He at once snatched it up in his hands and raised it for everyone to see, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Oh wow, a Pokéball!"
The Vernes' Haxorus blinked at the sight of the Pokéball, as he turned to his mate and remarked that he hadn't expected that the Verne boy would be partnering with a Pokémon that day. Curiously, Mr. and Mrs. Verne didn't seem to react the same way to seeing the ball. Mr. Verne seemed unfazed while Mrs. Verne seemed surprised, a scenario that felt curiously familiar…
The Haxorus briefly wondered aloud what sort of Pokémon it could be inside, when the Doe children traded knowing smiles and Jane made her way over to the Verne boy, placing her hand on the Pokéball with a light squeeze as she helped bring it up to his eyes.
"It's a bit more than that. The Pokémon in there's someone we felt would make a good friend for you to grow up with," Jane explained. "He's someone you already know, actually."
The gathering fell quiet and tense with anticipation as the boy blinked puzzledly, before he aimed the Pokéball for a patch of grass in the backyard and tapped the button at its center. In a flash of light, a spiky, winged form about the size of Jane's Marowak materialized, the dust clearing to reveal the elder Druddigon hatchling donning a ribbon about his neck.
The young drake struck a pose, batting his wings out to make himself look impressive as he crouched and wagged his tail with an excited cry.
"Gon! Gon!"
Mrs. Verne let out an audible gasp as the young Druddigon scampered up in front of the Verne boy, giving an affectionate nose at his hand. The boy looked down at the young Druddigon, and then over at Jane, as he slowly put two and two together and a beaming grin came over his face.
"Oh wow! You're letting me train Rufus?!" the boy exclaimed. "Thanks, everybody! This is the best birthday present ever!"
The Haxorus stiffened up as a startled look mirroring Carol's came over his face, watching slack-jawed as his elder child pulled his trainer's brother into an embrace. Right as John hastily cut in with a reminder to "pat along his scales and not against them". After a moment of blinking disbelief, the Haxorus turned his head back towards his mate with a flustered stammer.
"Ha-Hax?"
The dragoness nudged him back with an impish grin. She'd put in quite a bit of work raising the two over the past few years, and it was only fair that he take a bigger part in her children's lives. Besides, she'd shared a good chunk of her own treasure hoard since then, and it was about time the Haxorus similarly put his to good use.
The Haxorus blinked a moment, before his elder child darted over and embraced him. The Axe Jaw Pokémon paused, still visibly flummoxed, before giving a small pat at his child's ruddy crest and letting out a small chuckle.
Even if it was unexpected, he was looking forward to his elder child being still closer to home. He wasn't fully sure how everything would work in taking a bigger role in his child's life, but they'd figure things out. He was sure of it.
"Dear! I thought we were getting another Axew!"
The two dragons and their children looked past the table and the cake set out on it to see Mrs. Verne shooting an unamused scowl over at her husband. Just in time to see Mr. Verne look back and give a teasing shrug in reply. The Haxorus gave a worried glance down at his mate as she shook her head with a knowing chuckle.
She told him not to worry about things. With a little time, her child would be as at home with his human's family as he was.
After all, she could speak from personal experience on that front.
And since you're still here with me… I suppose that story takes us to the present day. Right here, right now, in the forests around Dragonspiral Tower with the Doe and the Verne children. The birthday party wrapped up a couple hours ago, and now they're in the middle of exploring along with their companions. Much like how John's currently with his Scolipede further up the trail by those trees there, looking off at the tower in the distance.
"Tch, I don't know how good that restoration job on the tower could've been when I can still see a hole in the roof from here."
So you've probably already gathered by now, but there's a reason why I know so much about this family and their Druddigon. And well… that's because I'm a part of it myself and gotten to see all the things they've been up to first-hand over the years.
So who am I, then? Who's the Pokémon that's been telling you this story? I mean, you probably already have an idea by now, but I suppose we'll go by process of elimination.
I'm not Mr. and Mrs. Doe's Mienshao, since he's not here to tell you this story in the forest at the moment. And there's a few things that I've told you about the Does that John's Scolipede and Stoutland wouldn't know about. Or at least not in as much detail as me.
So then what about Jane and her Pokémon, you ask? The young woman currently following after her older brother with her Marowak and Sawsbuck that's currently trying to catch glimpses of the tower's moat?
"The local Pokémon got used to some of the changes Team Plasma left behind to the tower, John," she remarked. "Even if it's not exactly the way it used to be, it'd hardly be fair to force more changes on them if they didn't want them."
Like the bridge across the moat that goes into the hole that Team Plasma punched in at the bottom. I've heard from Pokémon that live here that it's become a popular sunning spot in recent years.
But I suppose I'm getting a bit off topic. Me being one of Jane's Pokémon would be an admirable guess, but it wouldn't be quite right either. After all, even if that bone lizard of hers has more of a mind for looking out for others, I wouldn't expect her to know things about the Does' lives that John's Pokémon wouldn't. She's been part of this family for less time than his Scolipede.
I suppose you would think that would also rule out me from being one of James' Pokémon. But they're admittedly a bit of a strange case. Just like how that Servine of his and that little Druddigon beside him gawking and pointing off at the forest along with him are an unlikely do themselves.
"I still think it shouldn't have taken anywhere near as long," James sighed. "I'm just surprised that the Pokémon here were okay with things dragging on like that."
Hrmph, not sure if that remark of his is really accurate. Nobody, human or Pokémon, likes repairs to their homes taking forever and a day. But it definitely didn't hurt and the trust it rebuilt with the humans of Icirrus City is part of the reason why we're even able to visit it again right now.
But anyhow, about my identity… it'd be correct to say that the young Druddigon with Jame would have an advantage at knowing about things from before his time. After all, he's got parents to pass along stories to him. As so does his brother, who's going alongside his new trainer right now and waddling up to his father and the Verne kids.
"Gon! Gon!"
… Who just picked up a sacred pebble from beside the trail and is currently showing it off to him. Oh boy, he really should know better than to do that by now. Though I guess I can't really fault his father for not realizing why this is a bad idea, since from that puzzled look on his face, it probably just looks like a colorful rock to him.
"Hax?"
… Great, now the Vernes noticed it too. I'd better go over and explain to them to put it back before things get out of hand-
"Druddigon!"
Er… too late. A patrol of two Druddigon and three Mienshao just found us. Based on some of the scars I see on them, I think that we might've met them before in the past.
From the way that they're growling and glaring, it looks like they saw the pebble too. The elder hatchling's yelping and beelining behind the Haxorus along with the Vernes right now. Guess the local guards still don't cut kids breaks…
"Haxorus!"
Not that I would've expected them to get really far with the way Carol's Haxorus is stomping up to them right now. He's definitely not the timid little squirt he used to be, or at least not when someone's threatening his kids. And I'm pretty sure he just challenged the local patrol to go ahead and make his day. John and Jane's Pokémon look they're in much a similar mood right now.
From the way that those wild Pokémon aside from the bigger of the two Druddigon are currently stammering and cringing and trying to make themselves look smaller, I don't think they're terribly eager for a fight right now. Not that I blame them. Aside from being outnumbered, staring down an angry Haxorus definitely requires a strong set of nerves. Even so, those Pokémon won't just roll over when their fellows are counting on them to do their duty watching over this place, so I should probably step in and try to de-escalate things.
Especially when I've got a bit of an advantage at doing so.
"Drud. Druddigon."
Namely because that Druddigon from the Doe family I was telling you about earlier… Well, she's me. Born and raised among the Pokémon that stand guard over this forest and shrine on behalf of the great ones, and the Pokémon who's currently putting that sacred pebble back by the pathside.
It looks like my mate and my older child realized their mistake from those sheepish looks on their faces. And it doesn't take me long to turn back to the local patrol and give them a piece of my mind. I know how just much those pebbles mean as they do, but there's no need to be so harsh towards a youngling when there's a peaceful solution.
The patrol's Pokémon are all too eager to let things go and they're already making their way back for the brush… mostly. The bigger of the two Druddigon is still standing his ground with a scowl. He's telling us to remember where we are and not to act like we own the forest. That the rightful lord of this place has returned and that he and those who live here won't be bullied around as easily as in the past.
He turns and leaves afterwards and peace returns to the path as my mate busies himself trying to calm his humans and our elder child. I should probably be helping him right now, but something about what that last Druddigon told me feels a bit weird.
'The rightful lord of this place has returned'? I wonder what he meant by that?
My younger child's pointing something out right now, something about a fast-moving cloud in the sky-
… Oh.
Oh.
So that's what that other Druddigon meant. I can see it for just a few moments. A shock of white, flowing fur passing through the sky, before dipping out of view into the top levels of Dragonspiral Tower. The Dragon of Vast White. The Lord of Truth.
I don't know what the story is behind why or how the dragon's come back, but my counterpart from the brush certainly wasn't kidding. It'll be a long time before anyone bullies the Pokémon of this place around again the same way Team Plasma did with someone like that having their backs.
"Did you see something, Neela?"
That's James prodding at me along with his Servine right now. It crosses my mind briefly to try and explain to him what I just saw, except I know it'll go over his head. From the looks of it, only me and my younger child noticed the dragon. Even if they could understand everything I had to say, would anyone else believe what I had to say?
It probably doesn't matter. After all, we're just going up to the approach to the tower, not inside it. We've got a ways to go to get there still and my story with my family and the ones we've come to know and love is still being written.
And that's the end of my tale. I haven't exactly gone off and saved any regions, or won any tournaments. I'll probably never have anyone depicting me in any movies from Pokéstar Studios anytime soon. I'm just a normal Pokémon in a normal family for this part of Unova. One who's done her part to look out for them the same way they've looked out for me in return.
But I'm okay with that. This story's still mine. And whenever John, Jane, James, or my children need someone to share a new chapter of it with or go off exploring someplace around that little house on the outskirts of Icirrus, I'll be there for them.
For moments just like these.
