He flew over the vast environments of the box with a breakneck speed. The simulated skies… they were nothing like home. The clouds may be the same, the sky coated in a crystal clear blue… but it all felt wrong.
A different sky… even more alien than the one he had awoken in after such a long slumber…
"Your fossil is back to life! It's Aerodactyl, like I think!"
The place where he awoke…. The lights… they hurt his eyes. It was so utterly… foreign…. What was that tube he had awoken in? What was the place he was in now? Where was home? Where were the skies? Where was he?
No sooner than had he begun to think, he was sucked into a strange void. He didn't know at first what it was… but he was sent into an environment resembling home.
Maybe it was all a bad dream, he thought. I suppose that I must be home.
But no sooner had he thought that, than had he realized the place he was in… filled with grassy fields and bushy plants, humid climates and wide open skies… was nothing but an illusion. He messed with all of it… and yet none of it felt exactly like it was meant to… it was all wrong.
Where am I?
"Thanks for the help Aerodactyl! Your claws are always great for moving around all of this heavy lumber!"
"It's no problem, Cinccino. I'm always happy to help. Get me if you need anything more."
"Will do, thank you so much!"
And so Aerodactyl flew into the sky once again. He had grown accustomed to everybody in the long time he was here. He knew many, and he was happy. But no matter where he flew… he could never shake the feeling that he never belonged. He recalled times where he had wandered the modern world with his trainer… and all the Pokemon surrounding him looked at him like he was a freak show… something that shouldn't exist. And he knew it. He was an abnormality.
Though in all fairness, that was how he had looked at them the first time around.
"Wow, this guy sure has a ferocious temperament!"
"Won't listen to a word we say, huh?"
"I'm surprised our trainer even let him in for this training session."
They all mocked him. The feared warrior of the skies, a beast that could not be tamed… and yet, he was forced to sit through their vicious scorn. All while trapped in a world he could not define. Strange balls that kept you contained… devices he could never have even dreamt of persisted everywhere… and worst of all, strangers he could never have imagined constantly surrounded him. Beasts of all sorts… Where were the prey he had feasted on at home? Had such a long time passed that they were gone?
Was his kind also gone?
"Come on, you big bird thingy, hit me with your best shot!" And there was his opponent… a strange pink blob, with a very long tongue… was this some form of cruel punishment? Being forced to endure such lowly opponents?
He roared with prehistoric fury as he dove to sink his fangs in his opponent. He would feast on them tonight.
But his fangs felt nothing. He had just kept going. Where was the tongue creature?
And then he felt it. Gripping his tail, something cold and slimy. And he knew what it meant as he was thrown into the ground behind him. And soon he was tossed into the sky above, helpless to the incoming assault.
He should be happy. The sky was his home.
But not now. Not anymore. The sky didn't feel the same as before. For him, there was no home.
And all he could feel as he crashed to the ground in defeat was pain… and humiliation.
"And the winner is… that trainer and Aerodactyl!"
Another battle won, without much effort, either. As former ruler of the skies, he had nothing to worry about. His strength far exceeded anything his opponents could throw at him. He'd never lose to anything or anyone again. He had to appear strong. He had to be strong. He couldn't be anything else.
His trainer hugged him, gave him a treat to celebrate the victory, and back in his ball he went. The environment inside still didn't feel any less fake. He missed the world as it used to be. How much simpler things were back then.
"Hey, are you doing alright, Aerodactyl?"
"Shut up and leave me alone. Why are you here?"
"H-hey now, that's no way to talk to your new teammate."
"You aren't my teammate. None of you are. I have never needed anyone before, and I certainly don't need anyone now."
A silence passed over him and his visitor, one that echoed a thousand words. And soon enough, he caved.
"What do you want?"
"I came to check in on you."
"I am a ferocious beast! I have no need for a "check in!" I don't need any of yo-"
"Your eyes."
"What?"
"Your eyes… They tell a different story. You may look intimidating, but your eyes… They are a pathway to your soul. And in them… I see fear." He turned his head aside in shame and disgust. "... I heard you were revived from a fossil. And I know you're lost, and alone, in a world that isn't like anything you've ever seen-"
"And what would you know of that?"
"What?"
"You weren't there! You never experienced what I felt!"
"I might not have, and I may not understand as you say… but in a situation like this… everyone needs a helping hand." His visitor offered up his own hand. A sign of allegiance.
He stood for a moment, considering, before he gave in, and shook his hand.
"Don't make me regret this."
"I'll make sure you won't. Now, tell me, what do you want to learn first?"
"Do you remember the world we used to be a part of, Dracovish?"
It thought for a moment, considering it, before giving his response.
"Sort of. I remember it was wet… and there was a lot of water. And I remember that I miss it."
"Do you ever feel like you want to go back?"
"Not really."
"How come?"
"Well, I'm happy here. I've got all the friends I could ask for, including you. And in truth, it's much more peaceful than the struggle I had to deal with back then."
He stopped to consider this. Why would you not want to go home? It's… home. The place where they belonged. Sure, he may have friends now, but…
"I can tell you've been considering a lot, Aerodactyl."
"Huh?"
"I'd talk to you a bit more, but I've got a playdate with Eevee I've got to attend. She apparently brought Mienshao with, and we all know how that's going to go. How about you go talk to Charizard? I'm sure he can help."
He stood still as Dracovish sauntered off. That Pokemon… Charizard… he respected him, but there was nothing more to it than that. Charizard had tried to help him in the past… but how would he help him now?
"Lickitung, Power Whip! Aerodactyl, Iron Head!"
The two attacks made contact with their foes, and soon they were knocked out stone cold into the back wall. They had won, together.
"That was a good job out there, earlier," said Lickitung. The battle had long since ended, and their "trainer's" whole "team" was now "partying" together. All except for him, who remained perched upon a tree, far from the action. And now Lickitung had come to get him, trying to show some form of compassion. Ha! He would never approach that devil's spawn as anything more than a strong ally.
"Go back to the others, you blabbering fiend. I have no need for any of you."
"Well we certainly have a need for you."
He paused. Why would this lumbering oaf have any need of him, who had belittled and insulted them? One who had personally been beaten to a pulp by the tongued demon… Why would it show compassion to him?
"I don't think you really understand, Aerodactyl. Charizard's told us all about you. We understand your pain, Aerodactyl. Maybe not entirely, maybe not one hundred percent. But we're here to help."
"Are you, now?"
"Yes, now come on, the party's getting hot! Vaporeon tried balancing Weezing on his head, and-"
And no sooner was that sentence uttered, that a great crash was heard from the site of the party, with both Vaporeon and Weezing having fallen into a heap. And the whole group laughed and cheered for the two who had fallen, all in the great spirit of fun. Lickitung had already dashed off to assess the damage, leaving Aerodactyl to himself.
And to the knowledge of no one, he was smiling, under the shade of the tree. And soon he found that he was chuckling to himself.
Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to join in, after all.
He found Charizard lying down on a small hill. He sure hoped he wasn't disturbing anything, but Charizard beat him to the punch before he could worry about a thing.
"Ah, if it isn't Aerodactyl! It's great to see you! How's it been?"
"I'm not here for small talk, Charizard. I had a question, and Dracovish suggested you to me."
"Oh, and what would your question be?"
"I had asked him this: Did he ever miss home?"
"I see, so that's your problem."
The two sat in silence, for a moment. He couldn't help but recall the first time he had talked with Charizard. That truly was a moment that had changed him forever… and it was why he was honored to call Charizard a… close associate.
Charizard finally interrupted the prolonged silence. "Well, to me, it seems as though you're homesick."
"Exactly. I miss the feelings I felt back then. All the recreations feel fake… it just makes me feel even more lost."
"Hmmm…. Have you tried contacting Celebi? That might be of use to you."
"You know as well as I do that our trainer wouldn't let us out of his sight, and he especially wouldn't approve of us going several million years to the past."
"Well, then I can't help you with anything related to going back home."
He should've expected this. Charizard was good… but he wasn't a miracle worker. He had no further need for this conversation, now. He had to fly off and try to see if maybe, just maybe, he could try remembering how it used to feel, back when he could fly above the jungles, and-
"Now, Aerodactyl, let me posit a bit of advice on you."
"Huh?"
"To me, home isn't the place where I was raised. I see it as a home, but I don't feel tied to it."
"But why not? It was the place where you were born, certainly it should be your closest tie!"
"Because, Aerodactyl… home to me isn't just about where it is… but about who it's with. I see this place as home, because the Pokemon I call family are here as well. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Nidoking, Lickitung… you. You're all my family, my closest friends. They say home is where the heart is, and to me, this place is where my heart resides."
Home was where… the heart was? But his heart was at his own home, with the bountiful skies and the vibrant greens! He could see it clearly… home…
The wind flowed through his wings. The sounds of Pokemon on the move below filled his ears, and he couldn't be happier. He looked down from above, spying all the beautiful creations below him. The vast jungles, the rocky cliffs, and the inhabitants below, and soon, he'd be off to Cinccino's to help carry some lumber, and-
Oh, right, Cinccino wasn't here. Oh well, at least he didn't have to carry lumber anymore. He was free to have fun by himself. And he knew who with! He could go ask Dracovish for a race, or perhaps see if Lickitung was free for a spar! And it would be a great experience for all-
Oh, wait. They didn't exist here. Well, then, who did? The Tyrunt? No, he ate those for breakfast. A Relicanth? No, they didn't like talking to him. A Lileep? No, those were his lunch.
Who did he have?
Who was there who could actually understand him… when he was home?
"Thanks again Aerodactyl, your aid is all I could ever ask for."
"It's no problem, Cinccino. Though… I do wonder what you're planning on using all of this lumber for."
"Haha, that's my secret!" Cinccino shot him a wink, to which Aerodactyl just shrugged.
"Oh well, keep your secrets then." Cinccino simply laughed.
"Hahaha! You won't be getting a peep out of me!"
"Well, if that's all you need, I'll be off then-"
As Aerodactyl got ready to fly off, he was halted by Cinccino yelling at him to wait.
"Wait! Aerodactyl! I just… I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"And what would that be?"
"Are you down for coming to my place for some desserts around five-ish tonight?"
"I'm not quite sure what you mean by being "down," but why would I want deserts? What did I do for them?"
"Haha!" Cinccino began laughing at him. "You're silly, you know that?"
"I'm… what now?"
"Come on, surely someone as smart as you should realize it's a reward for all the hard work you've done for me. I even had Alcremie and Wigglytuff whip up some stuff for it."
"Well, I'm certainly not opposed… but…"
"Great, it's settled then!"
"But wait just a minute! Won't it be… you know, "stuffy," if I'm using that term correctly? Just you watching me eat desserts for several minutes?"
Cinccino thought for a moment.
"I suppose you're right. I guess I may have ordered a few too many, as well…" Cinccino continued thinking, until an idea struck him. "I know! You can invite some pals of yours!"
"Some… pals of mine?"
"Yep, it'll be fun with some company!"
"Well, alright then. I suppose I could invite some… associates."
"So it's settled then!... Have I already said that one? Oh well. Meet me by my place around five with your friends, and we'll have a great big ball! Seeya then!"
Oh, what had he gotten himself into?
Friends… he didn't have friends. He didn't need them. When he was home, he never needed them… they weren't… they'll never be…
…Well, there was nothing wrong with inviting some Pokemon he had a strong… respect for. They could enjoy themselves. After all, it was technically his treat as well as Cinccino's. They would enjoy it.
And then he could take the opportunity to slip away. They wouldn't care that he was gone once they were in the heat of the action.
…
No, they wouldn't. Wouldn't care at all.
"So, you did manage to catch up to me? Impressive."
This… Dracovish, certainly was an adequate racing partner. Especially so given Charizard's absence. That Pokemon was so busy… oh well. It wouldn't stop him from showing off his strength. Now if only the other Pokemon would stay for more than one of them…
"I'm no slouch, you half formed abomination."
"Hey! Rude!"
"I believe you were the one who started this by calling me a, and I quote, "living rock with back problems."
Dracovish laughed. That's curious. Why would it laugh? He had insulted it. Belittled it. Torn its delicate ego apart like leaves. Any lesser Pokemon would have run away crying for its mother by now after this disappointing of a performance. Why was it laughing?
"Stop that ruckus! What is the meaning of this!?"
"Haha, sorry, sorry, it's just… what you said… It was pretty funny."
Funny? How was he funny? He had simply said the truth about its appearance.
"I don't follow." Dracovish laughed again.
"Oh come on, your use of sarcasm was top notch!"
"Sarcasm? …Oh, never mind."
He turned to fly away. There was no need to deal with the… confusing matters of these Pokemon. But what a shame. He would need to find a new racing partner so soon after the last one… he had hoped it would last more than one go. Replacing Charizard truly was a tall order.
"Wait!" That oaf again. What did it want?
"What is it? Speak quickly."
"Could we…. Race again sometime?"
"Race… again?" But why? He had mocked it, defeated it over and over, and it still wanted more? How was this possible?
"Yeah, race again. It was fun! I haven't had a challenge that good in a while!"
"...Fun? You find fun in sport?"
"Yep! It's not only good to see who's stronger, but it's also great to get to know someone and bond with them!"
"Bonds… I have no need for them." He turned away. Bonds… "...Tomorrow. Same time, same place?"
"You betcha. I'm always up for a challenge." Dracovish smirked.
He paused. "Fine. But don't you dare chicken out on me."
As he flew off, he thought to himself about bonding. Bonding… through challenge. Challenge… for fun… this was a foreign concept. Something he had never known before. Life had always been a challenge from day to day for survival… and now… There was no challenge. No struggle. Just an opportunity… to make…
No. He didn't need friends. He needed to be home. He needed to be strong.
…And that's all that mattered.
"Thank you all for coming!" Cinccino squealed in delight.
He did as he planned. He invited a few… allies, of his. Charizard, Lickitung, Dracovish. He figured keeping it small would be all he needed. And besides, Lickitung and Dracovish would tear up any desserts he didn't need. That should keep them all occupied.
"It's great to meet a few of Aerodactyl's friends! I never see him interact with anyone other than me!"
"I'm glad to hear we're considered friends back." Charizard looked to him, and he could only help but turn away in mild frustration. Of course Cinccino had to use the term friends. He couldn't call them friends. He wouldn't. Not in a million years.
"Well, what are we waiting for! Let's dig in and have fun, everyone!"
And so their feast began. As he expected, Lickitung and Dracovish went rampant, while Cinccino and Charizard were more thoroughly enjoying the conversation. The conversation itself had veered far away from him. Excellent. That means no one was paying attention. That means… he could sneak out unnoticed.
But as he began to make a move for the door, Lickitung had already noticed him.
"Going somewhere?"
The observant imbecile! Always ruining his plans!
"None of your concern. It's cramped in here… I just need the air, is all."
"We all know that isn't the case, Aerodactyl." It was Cinccino's turn to confront him this time. He was caught off guard. He didn't expect Cinccino of all Pokemon to break through his usual facade.
"Aerodactyl… You don't see us as friends, do you?" This time, the remark came from Dracovish.
He paused. He supposed his deception was a failure, then. They had all seen through him easily. But how? No other Pokemon break through his plans this easily. Most don't even succeed at all. What was this?
"You figured me out that easily?"
"Yes, Aerodactyl! Because we know you!"
"We know you well enough to know when you're feeling down, Aerodactyl."
"Because… we're your friends."
He didn't need this. Not now, not ever. He didn't need compassion, he never did. He only needed…
"Home."
"Huh?"
"Home. When I was there… I never needed friends." His temper flared. "Friends are for the weak. And I'm not weak!" He bared his fangs at them. He knew full well that they would thrash him, it was merely a distraction so he could escape…
But if they could easily thrash him, why did they recoil in fear when he snarled at them? Why did they… look hurt?
"Why do you fear me? You could stop me from leaving easily. Explain."
"Aerodactyl…" Charizard had stepped in. "We're scared because we saw one of our closest friends growl at us in hostility. Don't you know what that's like?"
He… didn't. He couldn't. He didn't sympathize.
…
But what if Charizard growled at him? What if Dracovish bared his fangs in the one place he felt safe? What if-
"But I think we're sidetracking the main point here," Lickitung replied, "You're not weak Aerodactyl. You never have been. The only weakness you have… is the weakness in your heart."
Weakness… in my heart?
"You push away because you're scared. You're far from home. And I understand that." Lickitung paused. "But you aren't scared because you don't know the world. You're scared because you fear that if you accept us, the world you knew will leave you behind. You're scared that you'll lose what made you who you are."
Was that truly why he had pushed everyone away? No, of course not. He hated them. They hated him. They… they…
…
"And, Aerodactyl…" Charizard stepped forward. "You are everything to us. Never forget that."
No. He couldn't.
Try as hard as he might, he couldn't bring himself to hate them. They were everything to him. They were… Charizard was right… They were… his world. They were… his…
…
"I… Lickitung…" He could feel the tears welling up on his face. He pulled them back and cried for them to stop. The tears kept coming anyway. He had to stop this. He was showing weakness. He was accepting defeat, he was-
Lickitung had taken a step toward him. Then two steps. Then a few more. And soon enough, he had gone in to hug him. And soon enough, the others joined him. The fluff of Cinccino, the soft feeling of Lickitung, the heat of Charizard, and the dripping water of Dracovish all surrounded him in one warm embrace. He was overwhelmed with emotion.
Normally, he would fight. Normally, he wouldn't give in. Normally, he would screech obscenities to force them away. Normally… he never really meant anything at all.
But now was the moment he realized. The moment he saw that it was truly alright to let go. The moment he learned what everything was to him. The moment he had found the Berry at the center of the rose bush.
They were my friends, and I was home.