Wow, kind of put off by the lack of reviews on the last chapter. Come on guys, gotta fill me up with that HAPPY SAUCE! XD Here's another chapter, kind of a longer one since I couldn't really hack it into parts. Hope you guys enjoy!

- And remember that any reviews/private messages that are questions will be posted on each chapter so everyone can get an answer!

FWI, I plan on adding some filler chapters after the end of Promise Me. Probably battles or scenarios that people want to see. Hopefully I can fit them in right.

(Also, I'd still highly appreciate it if people create fanart of King for me XD Like I said before, just picture Mega Charizard X's body and colors mixed with Y's ragged wings and spiked tail! If someone makes some fanart, I'll link it on my page for everyone to see!)

Now let's get down to it!

"So, this is it then?" - Human Speech

'Wow, I expected something... more.' - Human Thoughts

"Ready for the worst mistake of your life?" - Pokémon Speech

'I'm itching for a fight you little shit!' - Pokémon Thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, except my Mega OC!

Chapter 5: Me? Responsible?

*Crunch, crunch…*

*Crunch, crunch…*

The sounds were enough to quickly yank him out of his sleep and King's head pulled itself up like a bullet. His red eyes immediately focused in on the source of the sounds as fast as his reflexes allowed him to.

The first thing King noticed was a shadow silhouette walking towards him. And by the warmth under his right wing, he could guess meeting Iris wasn't a dream he had over night.

The shadow - its details blurred due to King's sensitive morning eyes to the light behind it - stopped moving as soon as King let out a low growl as a warning. Behind him, his tail began to swish back and forth as his tail flame began to heat up.

"It's just me King." A familiar voice sounded. "No need to be alarmed."

"... Sophia?" King whispered as the voice finally registered into his tired brain.

Only one person was brave enough to venture into his cave, especially during his sleeping hours...

Blinking the sleep away from his eyes, King's vision finally adjusted to the light and took in the appearance the of the woman before him. She wasn't very tall and one couldn't tell how frail she looked due to her robes. But after seeing exactly how old she looked, King wasn't so curious anymore. Especially taking notice of the wrinkles that surrounded her kind smile.

"It's good to see that you're doing well, King." Sophia - or specifically the Village of Dragon's Elder - quietly greeted and walked up to King with a peaceful stride.

"I take it you're here for the kid?" King asked. Seeing no threat within the cave, he relaxed and resumed resting his head back on the ground. He looked back over to his wing and saw a ball of purple bed-head hair. It was all ruffled up and tangled with leafs and tiny clumps of dirt, but King could make out the sleeping face of his friend under all of it.

"Indeed." Sophia nodded, kneeling down in front of the two.

"Hey, what time is it anyway?" King questioned after seeing the bright light outside of the cave. "That storm last night shouldn't have ended so soon."

"With your sleeping habits, you should know it's well in the afternoon." The elder giggled to herself.

"Oh, I guess you're right. Last night was pretty eventful anyway." He recalled the hazardous storms he had to fly through in search of fruit and dry supplies. And a certain Serperior he nearly scared to death.

A thought came to mind. A scary one. King's muzzle pulled back into a distasteful grimace. "Does the villagers know you're in my cave? I don't want to start a panic and deal with a vengeful mob if they think I ate you or something."

"They know fully well where I am. Plus, most of them are busy searching for young Iris." Sophia gestured to the sleeping girl. "It didn't take long before word spread about her disappearance. And once the storm stopped this morning, everyone began to search for her. Some villagers are even in the forest below looking for any sign of her."

"While it's nice that they're stressed out over one little girl," King's mouth curled into a scowl. "She wouldn't be missing if it weren't for a couple of kids bullying her into running into a forest at night."

"... Then those boys lied to me."

"You knew about the bullying?"

"I've been aware for a while, yes."

"And you've done nothing to stop it?" King questioned, completely flabbergasted. He jutted out a claw and pointed at her. "C'mon, you're the village leader Sophia! It's your job to stop conflicts before they get worse!" While his voice was raising in aggravation, King made sure his voice was low enough as to not disturb Iris' slumber. Although it was still loud enough to cause her to stir.

"I have tried numerous times to stop the bullying, but the boys who've been teasing her seem to need proper scolding for lying to me and endangering her life." Sophia sighed, already coming up with ideas of sufficient punishment for each of the three boys. One of those being weeks of hard labor with the adults.

"Why not send them to my cave? I'll be happy to scare them straight, Sophia." As serious as he was to suggest such a thing, King still couldn't resist the chuckle at the end. It always did amuse him to see the terrified faces of those he purposely scared.

Sophia gave an amused snort and slowly shook her head. "You know I can't do that, King."

"It's not like I'd hurt them." King gave the older woman a toothy grin. "You know me well enough in the short times we've spoken."

"It's not my opinion of you at stake, but the villagers. Especially their parents. It wouldn't do any good if they assumed you attacked their children."

"... True."

"But on the contrary if they could see you now, they'd say otherwise." Sophia's mouth curled into a kind smile. The black Charizard arched a scaly brow. "It seems you've grown quite attached to young Iris in the small time you've spent together."

"What can I say?" King shot the sleeping girl another look and didn't know he was smiling until he looked away. "She grew on me. Hard not to since she's the only villager after you to really accept me for who I am." If Sophia was surprised, she didn't show it. But her smile did get noticeably bigger. It was amusing to say the least. The fabled 'scary black dragon that eats humans' laying down next to an eight-year-old and acting as her nightly teddy bear.

"And with how easily you speak of her, I assume…?"

"Yes Sophia, she knows about my English." King rolled his eyes. "As well as practically everything else about me."

"Everything? Why, I'm a little disappointed." Sophia teased with a hearty giggle. "I only know of your ability to talk and that you lived past life as a human. What else is there to learn?"

"Plenty. From meeting Arceus to fighting Champions to meeting more Legendary Pokémon... the list can go on." King sighed as he remembered everything they spoke about last night. Now that he thought back, he rarely told anybody about his past. The only people he's ever told were Sophia out of respect and each region's Champion; out of respect and protection from others.

Now here he was, trusting a young girl with his biggest secret.

Nonetheless, he shrugged. "Like I said, kid really grew on me. And I don't know how, so don't ask."

"I never took you for such a softie." Sophia joked. "Always boasting about how strong you are…"

"Now you're making me seem like an egotistical brute." King laughed in return.

"Not always, no. But as much as I wish to stay and catch up with you, I must continue with why I came here." With a quiet grunt of effort, the elder pushed herself back to her feet and brushed off the dirt from her robes. With a small bow of respect, Sophia said, "If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking Iris back home before the villagers start to worry about the both of our whereabouts."

"Guess you're right. Okay," Gently moving his wing, King slowly nudged Iris back and forth. With a soft voice, King whispered close to her. "Hey... Hey kid, come on... It's time to go back home…"

The rocking back and forth urged a reaction from the sleeping girl, a mutter that was too quiet for Sophia to hear. But loud enough for King, who stopped his wing and looked at her with wide eyes.

The whisper sounded like she said "... papa…"

While King was busy being stunned into silence, his efforts had effectively awoken Iris from her sleep.

Iris caught King's attention when she began to mumble incoherent words until she started to move around. Feeling her body stretch from under his wing, King quickly lifted it up to allow Iris more room to move about. After letting her wake up at her own pace, both adults eventually saw Iris sit up with a yawn.

As she brushed off the leafs that were stuck to her face, Iris cracked open an eye and took a moment to recognize Sophia. "E-Elder? What are you doing in my home?"

"Take a better look at your surroundings, Iris." Sophia suggested with a chuckle.

The younger girl did as she was told and as soon as she did, she took in a couple of things. First she saw a burnt out fireplace, then the walls of the cave around her, then the leafs she slept on, and finally - "King?" Iris' eyes met the familiar red and received a toothy grin.

"Had a nice sleep kid?" King asked. "You were out like a light last night."

She gave him a sleepy smile in return. "Good morning to you too, King."

"Come now, Iris. It's time we head back to the village. The others are worried about you." Sophia informed. Pulling a hand out of her robes, the older woman grabbed Iris' hands and pulled her to her feet.

The happiness gradually left Iris' face as soon as she felt the warmth of King's body vanish. Then she realized what was happening. "Iris? Is something wrong?" The elder questioned, noticing the sadness in her eyes.

"It's just… I don't wanna go…" Iris whispered.

That's when King decided it was time to get up as well. After stretching out the kinks in his bones, the dragon-like Mega Pokémon placed a hand on Iris' left shoulder. "Don't be upset, kid. If you go back, you'll get to sleep in a warm bed and eat something better than apples. And hey, you'll still be able to visit me whenever you want."

"If she has a guardian to travel with her of course." Sophia added, making sure to put Iris' safety before anything else.

"See? Everything's cool." King finished with a thought. 'If anyone else were actually brave enough to escort her back to my cave, that is.'

Iris let go of Sophia's hand and backed up to hug King's side. Both adults looked on in surprise when they saw the strong, defiant look Iris' face. However, the one who was most surprised was the elder herself. Iris had never disagreed with her before. At least not like this. "Iris?" The older woman called gently.

"I want to stay with King."

"Iris," King spoke up before Sophia could. "As much as I'd love to have a roommate, I really don't think that's a very good idea." The look of betrayal on the little girl's face was enough to make his heart sting a little. King quickly corrected himself. "I-I mean, you can't live on fruits forever, right? And what about clothes? Medicine?"

"B-But…"

"Is it the bullies, Iris?" Sophia brought up with a concerned voice. "If so, I promise we'll have a serious talk to get them to stop teasing you."

"It's not them, Elder." Iris said. She sighed. "I've... been feeling uncomfortable in the village lately."

"... Uncomfortable how?"

Iris didn't say anything for a while, leaving both Sophia and King to grow even more worried for whatever reason she had. Obviously from the way she spoke and how stiff her posture was, Iris was starting to feel the pressure of both adults looking down on her. Taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, Iris felt the words leave before she could stop herself. "...I feel like I don't fit in anymore."

"Oh Iris…" Sophia knelt down before the purple haired girl and looked up into her eyes. "Why do you feel like this? Did someone do anything to you? Was it something I did?"

"Of course not!" Iris quickly retorted, not wanting the older woman to feel guilty for her problems. "It's not you or the villagers. I-I think." Iris stuttered, closing her eyes and trying to find the right words in her head. "It's not like I hate anyone. But I like being out here, in the forest with all the Pokémon. I feel like I belong here." She felt awkward as she tried to explain herself. And as soon as she opened her eyes, she felt Sophia's gaze drill right through her. "Is… does that sound weird?"

"Well…" King started, sheepishly scratching his cheek with a claw.

"Not at all." Sophia quickly interjected, shooting King a quick and stern glare before putting her focus back on Iris. With a comforting smile, Sophia shook her head. "It's not weird, Iris. In fact, it's completely normal for someone of your age. You wish to see more of the world and not remain in the village, correct?"

"Almost. It's hard to explain, Elder." Iris ran a hand through her thick hair and nervously chuckled. "But I know I'm not ready to see more of the world. At least not yet. I just feel more comfortable around Pokémon." Hearing her said that made King pause for a moment. Tapping his chin with a claw, the dragon-like Mega Pokémon thought back to something he'd always see in the woods.

"Quick question. Iris, are you the young girl that I normally see playing with the forest Pokémon on some days?" King questioned, tapping his chin in thought. He thought back to days he spent flying around the forest to get exercise and spotted the occasional purple hair among critters. Once King got a nod from Iris, that was enough to confirm his suspicions. "Maybe the kid feels like she's around those who understand her. Unlike those kids who mock her dream of becoming a Dragon Master. The forest Pokémon are definitely kinder than most humans, that's for sure." King snickered and lightly nudged his elbow against Iris' shoulder, earning a small giggle in return. "And I've seen the friendly dogpiles Iris joins in."

"I think I'm starting to understand what King is saying." Sophia slowly nodded. "Iris, is King telling the truth?"

"Yes Elder."

King blinked in puzzlement when he saw Sophia silently stare into Iris' eyes. For several moments, nobody spoke until Sophia broke the silence with a small clap. "Then it's settled." The older woman stood up at full height to look at King with a smile.

"What's settled, Sophia?"

"I've decided to let Iris stay with you, King." Sophia answered.

"What/Really!?" Two voices exclaimed at once; one voice in disbelief, the other in excitement, both in complete shock. The village elder did not flinch under their combined volume as it only widened her smile. "Sophia, you can't be serious! Think of the living conditions Iris will be in!" King tried to protest. "I don't even know how to raise a kid!"

"Are you sure, Elder? I can really stay with King?"

"I stand by my choice, King, Iris. I do not wish to cause Iris anymore discomfort by forcing her to live in the village against her wishes." After reassuring Iris that her wishes had indeed come true, Sophia then turned to King, who was visibly stunned. "And I wouldn't worry very much King. As I've seen, Iris is very capable of taking care of herself in a lot of things. And that includes finding the right food in the forest."

King opened his mouth.

"I will check in every Saturday to make sure Iris is in perfect health."

He closed it. Then opened it.

"And I will provide her means of clean clothes every week as well."

"... what about the villagers? Will they even allow this?"

"I'm not the village elder for no reason, ya know." Sophia giggled before coughing into her hand and speaking evenly. "I will speak to them myself and explain that it is my choice. I will make sure they see no harm in this. Right, King?" The dragon actually flinched under her calm tone of voice.

"O-Of course I'll protect her! But Sophia-"

"Aren't you happy, King?" Iris spoke up, poking King in the side of his stomach to get his attention.

"Uh, yeah I'm happy Iris. But this is crazy. Are you really sure you want to live out here? With me, the 'monster of the forest'?" King had already lost count of how many times he's been caught off guard since Sophia first stepped foot in his cave. And seeing the hurt look in Iris' eye only added to that list.

"I'm one hundred percent sure, King." Iris said with a confident nod. "So please, can I stay with you?" It was those damn puppy eyes again!

Once again, the dragon found himself caving in under the girl's begging face. With a sigh, King leaned over and placed a hand on Iris' head. "Alright, you win." He smirked when he heard a happy gasp and felt Iris bounce where she stood. King gave Sophia a side glance and a slightly nervous grin. "I'll do it, Sophia. But if anything bad happens, I'm giving her right back. Remember, I'm not used to responsibility like this."

"I understand perfectly." The older woman gave the two a curt bow. "I bid you both farewell. And remember Iris, listen to what King says. He's your guardian now." Pointing to the girl in question, she got a hasty nod in return. "And if you ever feel homesick, ask King to drop you by for a visit sometime. Ok?"

"Yes Elder! Thank you very much!" Before the elder could turn around and leave, Iris enveloped the old lady in a hug around her waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She repeated.

As Sophia laughed and rubbed Iris' dirty hair, King stood back and watched them in silence.

It was strange, for him at least.

So much had happened in such a short time.

He rescued her during a storm.

He told her everything about himself.

He learned a lot about her as well.

Looking at the two dance around in happiness, King could only see Iris as a little ball of joy.

King smiled.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Like? Dislike? Peeps, as a reader, you know I crave that feedback XD Lay it on me if you will! I will continue later on with the next chapter, but some things might take a little longer than others. You'll just have to wait!

REVIEW OR PRIVATE MESSAGE me any questions regarding the story!

But still, seriously. REVIEW PLEASE!

And remember, if anybody has found or made any type of fanart of King, please don't be afraid to tell me! I'd love to see it! (Mega Charizard X's black/blue colors and body mixed with Y's ragged wings and spiked tail!

Stay tuned for more!

REVIEW PLEASE!