A Restless Dragon

THUMP!

A loud clatter rings out after knocking your head against the wall of the room you're in. If you can call it that when it's more or less the entire front of your present body that's basically a block with legs. There's a small impression left behind in it—not big enough to be easily noticed by your trainer, which you're not sure is more relieving or disappointing. You turn away and shuffle back, settling down against the carpeted floor with a grumbling sigh.

"Why didn't I just go along with everyone in my Pokéball?"

You let out a low grunt and look around at your surroundings, or at least as much as your now cumbersome and bulky body will let you. You were moody when your trainer tried to bring you along earlier, but instead of staying here with you, he got the wrong message. Because of course he would when he doesn't fully understand what you have to say.

This present room is somehow even smaller and more cramped than your trainer's bedroom back home. There's a bed laid out on the right side that's still mussed and unmade. On the opposite side, there's a desk and a stand wedged in the corner along with a squarish 'television' set on it and a few little dolls set on top. The few constants from your trainer's old room.

This current room is in a building that humans apparently call a 'dorm', in a large city a good distance away from where you, your trainer, and your companions grew up. He apparently had to come here for some 'college' thing, which takes up much of his time either with studies or with his human friends. He's been spending a lot of time in particular going to some events called 'Lahn Parties' or something like that, hence why your other blocky companion in this room—a silver cube with a handle coming out its back which is normally connected to the television with cables—isn't here right now.

Your trainer and the life you share with him have changed more than you could've imagined in the span of just a few years. He's grown visibly taller and his voice is now deeper, and most of your teammates have evolved—other than Roy, who insists he won't remain a Wartortle for long.

Eira's now a Marowak, Aries evolved into an Ampharos a couple years ago, and even Jaki's no longer a Murkrow thanks to a lucky break that helped your trainer get ahold of a Dusk Stone. All of them were excited for their new forms and everyone on your team was excited for them.

And then there's you. Which on days like today, make you wonder if you'd have been better off holding back and not evolving into this slow, unwieldy block. Your teammates reassured you in the past that you're just as quick as you used to be as a Bagon, even if it sure doesn't feel that way sometimes. It's much harder to move around with the shell all about your body, and you constantly have to ask your friends to slow down for you. You even have to ask Roy to do so sometimes, and he's a Wartortle for crying out loud!

You can't fit into many of the places you used to be able to as a Bagon, and going around the places that are still big enough for you is often a cumbersome slog. You felt it even on the occasions where your trainer gathered enough smaller Air Balloons to get your bigger and heavier body off the ground. Even though you still find yourself daydreaming of being in the sky, you've given up on trying to fly while in this form for a while now. The one time you tried jumping off a ledge to test your chances, you rolled and got stranded on your back. You just stayed stuck like that for the better part of an hour… with no company other than Jaki pointing and laughing at you until your other teammates came and helped roll you back onto your feet.

If only it'd occurred to you before you jumped that you didn't have arms to flap anymore. It would have spared you the entire episode. In the wilds, Shelgon apparently sometimes meet their ends stranded like that, not that the humiliation of just lying there and flailing helplessly as you called out again and again for help was dramatically better.

Maybe you should just go find a cave to hide in until you're a Salamence. You've heard that Shelgon supposedly do just that in the wild, and from your experiences since evolving, you're starting to understand why. To not have to constantly fight with a body that feels more like an anchor than a step forward and to just stake a claim for a dragon's den all for one's self. A place to lay and rest, without ever having to feel like you're being left behind by the world.

The door clatters open and you jolt to attention after something heavy thumps against your side's plates. Something else clatters to rest from above on top of you and you feel weight on your back. You have trouble seeing past the edge of where your shell meets your face, when you spot your trainer's legs passing… along with a Wartortle putting a claw to his mouth as he speaks up and calls out.

"Marl? We're back!"

Your trainer… just used you as a shelf. Heat builds up at the back of your throat as a flash of anger comes over you and you turn your body to better see the pair. You can't make out your trainer's expression from your field of view, but Roy is visibly taken aback and mortified. They spent all night away from you and they seriously didn't even care enough to check if you were behind the door?!

"Ack! Sorry!" the Wartortle cried out. "We didn't realize that you were resting there-!"

"Yeah, and I didn't realize that I was just the new shelf in the dorm to set random junk on!"

You buck the object forward off your shell, and before it hits the ground, you spew dragonfire onto it. Roy and your trainer yelp as a silver blur launches across the room, and slams into the wall over the bed with a crash. It drops down, bounces off the mattress, and lands on the carpet. You see there's now a dent in the wall where it struck, when you look down at the still-smoldering lump and freeze.

It's the silver cube with its handle. Except now the bottom is now all charred, and one of the top corners now looks dented and discolored.

… You shouldn't have done that. Your trainer's parents gave that silver cube to him as a gift a couple years ago. Even simple gifts tend to be regarded by humans as treasures that they jealously guard, and the silver cube is no exception for your trainer.

You briefly see your trainer stoop down and look at it, before he turns his unplaceable face towards you. It's etched with a deep, sharp frown, one that looks more upset than you've remembered in a long time. Roy's face looks little better, when it occurs to you that your trainer sometimes shares the images that he makes through those boxes with you and your teammates to pass the time. It's the only machine of the sort that he has at the moment.

Which you just destroyed in a fit of pique.

Your eyes widen and the flash of anger in you fades away. You back away towards the dorm room's door, your words coming out in a shaky stammer.

"A-Ack! Wait! I can–!"

You don't get to finish your sentence. There's a flash of light, and the surrounding room fades away from your vision.

Well, you're in your Pokéball now, free to stew in your regrets and enjoy a more open-feeling space… even if nothing in it is real. You rest inside the confines of a simulated cave, and occasionally look out at the bluffs and mountainous terrain generated by your Pokéball and see glimpses of the world outside overhead in the fake sky.

The whole time, through faded, translucent images, you saw your trainer moving around the room and occasionally looking towards the ground and talking. Probably with Roy. But it's not like your trainer to keep you waiting inside your Pokéball this long, since normally, he has you back out and with whatever teammates he has on-hand at the dorm as soon as he can.

He's probably mad at you. After all, that was a treasure of his that you just destroyed. Among dragons, such an offense often brands one as someone's lifelong enemy. B-But you weren't the one who started all of this! He was the one who hit you with the door and used you as a shelf first! Why on earth should you be sorry about things before he is?

You see your trainer's hand in the sky above, when your surroundings fade away. In the flash of an eye, you find yourself back in the dorm room looking at the bed. You turn around and see Roy and your trainer waiting, before turning away with a huff. You can afford to wait for their apology.

There's a moment of silence, when Roy's voice speaks up.

"... Marl."

"I'm not saying sorry until Calvin does first," you snarl.

"Marl."

The Wartortle's voice sounds serious, like the sort of voice he'd normally have after catching you trying to jump from your trainer's bedroom window back home. You waver and grudgingly turn to see the Wartortle locking eyes with you with his mouth set into a stern frown.

"You could've gotten us kicked out of the dorm by throwing attacks around inside like that."

You hesitate and look away as a pang of regret comes over you. You didn't realize that you could've gotten everyone into trouble like that. You certainly didn't mean to. You just wanted to send a message about being respected.

Even so, you're not going to apologize first. You are a dragon and you were the one who was wronged first. After everything that's happened today, you refuse to let yourself look weak on top of everything.

"Calvin says he's sorry for using you as a shelf. He was tired from a long day and wasn't really paying attention," the Wartortle's voice sighs. "As for the game console…"

You hear jostling noises as you turn and see Roy turn and lift the damaged cube by its handle in front of your trainer, holding it up before you with a sigh.

"The good news is that it still works when it's plugged into the TV, but it's definitely never going to look the same again," he explains. "And the damage you left behind in the wall is something Calvin is going to need to pay for with that 'money' of his that he was going to use for that trip he was planning on taking during spring break."

A sinking feeling comes over you as the Wartortle speaks. Spring break was just a couple weeks away and your trainer had been dutifully scraping away spare money to pay for that trip. You were looking forward to it and so were the rest of your teammates, since it would've been a chance for you all to travel together again away from this cramped room. You can't even imagine how mad they're going to be with you when they find out about how you've ruined their fun.

You quietly set your teeth on edge as Roy trails off. He shakes his head before continuing on with a low sigh.

"He also said that some things will need to change from all of this."

You starting to get genuinely worried now. 'Some things will need to change'? Like you? But what could possibly change from the way you just sit and stand around most of the time…

Your heart and breath picks up a bit. Your trainer must be angrier with you than you thought. You didn't think that he would ever be the type to do it, but…

"S-So he's gonna kick me off the team? I-Is that it?"

"Actually… I tried to pass along what was going on to Calvin and I think he got the gist of things," Roy tells you. "He'd like to spend some more time with you to make you feel a bit less ignored, especially since we're probably not going anywhere far until the semester's over."

Your breathing calms down and you look up at your trainer. His face is as hard to place as it always is, but even if it's upset, there's a twinge of regret on it. Much like the one on your own.

… You don't know for sure if Roy isn't just telling you what you want to hear, but he and your trainer did apologize to you for his slight. You're not sure what your trainer has in mind, but you suppose that you can hear him out. After all, you don't know how enjoyable it will be for him to spend more time with you if he's mad at you for the rest of spring.

"... What does he want me to do?"

"Well, since we're sticking around the dorm for spring break, we're going to need a new game console," Roy explains. "He'd like you to come along with him when he picks up a replacement from the department store tomorrow."

You frown and settle to the ground, turning away as a grumbling growl comes from your throat.

"Seriously? His idea of making things up is forcing me to walk around with these legs and my heavy shell?"

"It wouldn't be all the way, Marl," he insists. "Just when he gets to the game section in the department store."

You hesitate and size up your trainer and his starter for a brief moment. You're not convinced in the slightest that this will really make you feel better… but you suppose that you've wronged your trainer and your other teammates too. He at least is trying to make things up to you, so…

"... Fine, I'll come along."

The next day, your trainer sets off from the dorm and brings you and your teammates along on his Pokéball holster. It's a busier than normal day judging by all the people and Pokémon you see pass through the sky of your Pokéball. They filter by as translucent images while your trainer goes about on the street and hops buses before approaching a multistory building.

Or at least that's what you gathered as you moped in one of the simulated caves in your Pokéball. You know that you agreed to come to a department store alongside your trainer, but you were honestly hoping that he would forget about going after waking up, and you're starting to have second thoughts about everything. With all these people and Pokémon around, you can already tell that it'll be easy to fall behind from the others and get separated in the crowds.

Assuming that someone doesn't mistake you for a shelf outside, too. Or do something else to humiliate you in front of an entire crowd of onlookers.

You lay against the ground of your mock cave and turn away to face deeper inside, when your surroundings melt away. As your surroundings settle down, you find yourself standing amidst a sea of legs with human and Pokémon voices all about you. That's the department store alright, but something's different this time. There's no ceiling lights or hanging signs, and you feel the sun beaming down on you. You look up as best as your limited range of movement will let you, and see a blue sky and white clouds overhead.

… Didn't Roy say that your trainer was taking you to the department store?

"Huh? What are we doing outside?" you ask. "I thought that Calvin was going to go and buy one of those game.."

You trail off after noticing that there's stalls all around you, much like ones that would be set up in a market or a summer fair. You blink in confusion when you see Roy and your trainer walking up alongside you. The Wartortle steps forward, and paws at a furry ear as he studies his surroundings.

"He still is, we're just in a bit of a different part of the department store than normal. The one here in Lilycove holds these markets every Saturday that they call 'Clearance Sales'," Roy explains. "Calvin never said that we were getting a new console. With those room repairs lingering, it's probably best to settle for something that's missing its packaging."

… He and your trainer are never going to let you live last night down, are they?

"Look, just tell Calvin to replace the cube thingy with another one that looks like it and let's go home," you growl. "The sooner we can forget everything last night ever happened, the better."

Roy hesitates a moment, before he hangs his head with a low sigh.

"... Whatever you say, Marl. Though I can't guarantee everything will make it through translation. You know how humans can be sometimes," he says. "Though the third stall up on the left should have one for sale."

You make your way forward step by step, as Roy and your trainer steadily keep pace with you. The crowds are still disorienting, but you're quietly grateful that at least this time, you're not falling behind. The market stalls have all sorts of odds and ends set out. One has a row of TVs of various shapes and colors on display and another is selling some flimsy-looking fencing. Why, there's even one that has dolls made to look like various Pokémon set out, with a stuffed Wailmer and a stuffed Rhydon catching your eye.

You freeze up from hearing a cry from ahead, along with the patter of feet running towards you. You look up, and a human tyke not much taller than you comes darting over. His eyes are wide and he calls out at you excitedly and points much to your blinking confusion. You're not really sure what his problem is when he stretches his hand out towards you much like he's about to tap your shell. You growl and make him freeze, when your trainer notices what's going on and comes over.

You hesitate and cast an aside glance at Roy. Are you in trouble right now? You didn't mean to seriously pick a fight. You just wanted to be left alone.

"Roy, what's going on?"

The Wartortle pauses a moment and fidgets his ears as he listens in. There's a moment's hesitation before a small grin comes over his face and he lets out a quiet chuckle.

"You've got a bit of a fan, it looks like," he says. "He was saying that you looked big and strong."

You blink at the Wartortle's response. While you know that you're at least tougher than when you were a Bagon, you're still surprised to hear that. Even with this blocky, cumbersome form of yours, this human child is impressed by you?

"... He thinks that I'm big and strong?"

"Well, yeah," Roy says. "You are a dragon. Even if you're not fully evolved, that's how humans tend to see you."

You feel a twinge of pride at his comment, and even more when you feel your trainer pat along the top of the shell. Roy joins in at the side, and you're about to ask why they're doing so when you see the younger child approaching again with his hand outstretched.

The Wartortle turns to you and gives a sheepish grin.

"I don't suppose you'd be down to let the kid get in a quick pat?" he asks. "That's what he was trying to do to you earlier."

You hesitate a moment, before giving a wary glance back.

"... If it's quick, sure."

You hold still and brace yourself, half-expecting the human child to poke at your face. Your trainer says something and the child moves his hand towards the base of your shelled body, cupping it and stroking near your legs where you have the most feeling.

The way his fingers stroke back and forth against your scales feels more satisfying than you thought it'd be, and you can't help but let out a content rumble. The human child looks happy, too. He continues on a little bit, before he turns and waves and slips back off into the crowd towards a waiting Torchic.

You weren't expecting someone to be impressed with you as a Shelgon. It doesn't change how much of a chore moving around is, but it still lifts your spirits a bit.

You snap back to attention after feeling clawed digits paw at your side. It's Roy, as he continues ahead alongside your trainer, and stops to give a rub at the back of his head.

"Sorry for holding things up, Marl," the Wartortle tells you. "I know you asked for us to not drag things out, so I guess we should hurry on over to that game stand."

… You did tell Roy that's what you wanted, even if now you're not as sure about going back to the dorm right away. You can't say you'd really oppose staying here a little longer if it means running into others like the little human youngling from earlier.

You lumber on a little ways, and before you know it, you and your teammates are standing in front of the game stand. It's laden with boxes and machines of various sorts, including a number that are the same as the old ones that used to be in your trainer's room at home a few years ago. They kinda look like they've sat in some backroom for about as long, too.

Roy steps forward and gets to work trying to help point things out for your trainer to speed the process along. He doesn't speak human, but even so, he's gotten pretty good at getting your trainer to figure out what he's trying to tell him. Good enough that barring the trip back to the dorm, you doubt this errand will last much longer than a couple minutes.

You try to listen in on the two when you feel a chill run over your body. A strong gust of wind kicks up, forceful enough to nip at the stands' awnings. You know that you're outside the main Department Store building right now, but you didn't think that it was that windy today. You turn and see that the gust is coming from past the stand, and without thinking you start walking towards its source.

You plod along, drifting off past passersby who duck out of your way. You fight back a growl when a trainer's Medicham absentmindedly brushes up against you, but you let it slide since your thoughts are more preoccupied with where this wind is coming from. You follow after it as it blows in your face, until you bump into something hard and hear a metallic clang.

"... Huh?!"

You glance up and discover that you've run into a railing. There's open air ahead of you, while there below you, are rooftops and streets. From how small the humans and Pokémon in them look, you're pretty high up right now. You see the sky and clouds overhead as the wind blows in past the railing and can't help but feel a sense of awe. You know better than to assume that you'll be able to fly by leaping off of here, but you're still closer to sky than you've been in some time.

You hop in place as the wind keeps blowing, and for a second, you don't remember your heavy shell. It's almost like you already have those wings on your back, the same ones that will be yours one day and let you look down at the world from above as the wind rushes over your scales.

"Marl? Where are…?"

You stop and turn around after hearing Roy's voice call out from behind and spot him and your trainer walking up. The Wartortle sees you at the railing, as he cracks a sheepish grin.

"Guess the surprise is out of the bag now, isn't it?"

You warily raise a brow and trade glances between Roy and your trainer. You're not sure what to make of his comment at first, when it dawns on you that Roy and your trainer knew this view and the wind would be here.

"Wait, you told Calvin to come here?" you ask. "On purpose?"

"Well, it took some effort, but yeah," he says. "It's not quite tugging you around with an Air Balloon again, but I figured that just being up in a high place again would cheer you up a bit."

You blink and turn your attention over to your trainer. He really must've wanted to make things up to you. Whatever worries you had about him being mad at you, they're gone now. You paw one of your forelegs against the ground, and go up and nudge at him with a grateful rumble.

And as you do so, you spot the shopping bag in your trainer's hand and notice that something's wrong with it. He game here for a replacement "game cube", but whatever is in that bag looks much thinner than what one ought to be.

"... Wait, I thought that Calvin was replacing the game console that I burned. That doesn't look like a cube at all."

"It's more of an attachment to add onto one, actually. The one back at the dorm still works, and this thing wound up being quite a bit cheaper than buying another console," Roy explains. "Even if it doesn't look as nice as it used to, I guess he must still have some attachment to it. Heh, maybe he figures it's better keeping it around as a reminder to pay more attention to us."

Roy tugs at your trainer's leg and motions at the bag, prompting him to pull the mystery object partway out of it. It's a silver device in clear plastic that looks like a base of some sort, with one end raised with some sort of connector. There's a disc in a clear case of some sort, along with another case with a sleeve over it. It's some sort of cover depicting various creatures and rays of light in front of a banded background, with black-and-red glyphs set against a brick wall in the foreground.

It's from that same set of games that the dolls on the television are from, but just from the box and its art, this one looks very different from the ones you've seen before.

"Calvin used the leftover money he was going to use for the console on this game with those cartoon monsters. You know, the same ones from those games he'd play at home?" he explains. "He says that since we're not going anywhere fast for Spring Break, that he wants to bring the whole team out and show it off like the old days."

You stare at Roy for a moment, at a loss of words to say. He paws at his shoulder, before he looks away uneasily with a low murmur.

"I know this isn't what you asked for, Marl… but you're not too upset about it, are you?"

You hesitate briefly, before you narrow your eyes back and speak up with a teasing huff.

"I guess that depends on whether or not I feel he wasted his money. I guess we'll find out when Spring Break comes around," you chuckle, before trailing off.

"... But before we do that. Could we stay here for just a little longer?"

Roy passed your request along to your trainer, and before you knew it, one thing led to another and a good half the day flew by on the rooftop of that Department Store. By the time you all made it back to the dorm, it was nighttime. Much to your surprise, you didn't have to wait until Spring Break to make a judgment about your trainer's purchase or share your thoughts with your friends. Your trainer made a visit to one of those 'PC' things to gather up your teammates who were home with your trainer's family, and for the first time in weeks, you were all together again in this little dorm room.

Your trainer started showing off that new game of his not long afterwards, it's been a couple hours since then, and most of your teammates have drifted off to their own amusements and chatter elsewhere in the room. You and Roy however, are still seated and watching the TV, which your trainer brought off the shelf and down to the floor for you to get a better view.

You peek off to the side where the silver cube is set on the ground next to it. That stand thing that your bought for the cube did a better job hiding the damage you left behind than you expected. Aside from a couple scorch marks poking up from the bottom when you look closely and the damage to the top edge, it doesn't look that different from when your trainer first brought it with him from home.

You settle against your trainer as he uses a controller connected to the cube with a wire to shift the images on the screen, with him moving around a human in a trenchcoat through what looks like a desert town. Off to your left, Roy's watching while lying on his belly with a cheeky grin.

"Hah! That sure looks a lot more like real life than those older games, don't you think?" he chuckles. "Shame I probably won't be able to do this for much longer. I'm going to miss being able to sprawl out on the floor like this when I'm finally all evolved."

You find it hard to believe this is really related to those same games your trainer would play at home yourself, since it looks so different from them. Even so, you can see it's got the same cartoon monsters in it along with some new ones thrown in, almost like the game itself evolved from those older ones. You muse to yourself about how that's surely a bunch of nonsense, when you see the human on the screen abruptly stop. Your trainer stops to pat you at his side and says a few reassuring-sounding words to you, much as he did when you were a Bagon.

… In its own way, everything right now really does feel like you're back at home.

"So what do you think, was the trip worth it, Marl?"

You shift your body to glimpse at Roy as your trainer goes back to fiddling with the controller. That's when it dawns on you: you don't need to find a dragon's den to call your own and hide away in, you have one right here. Yes, the den one in your ball is one too, but you have a real one here in this darkened little room. It's not as quiet or solitary as a cave, but it's comfortable, and you're able to just rest here alongside your teammates, whiling away the time together enjoy simple pleasures. Much as you're sure you'll be doing much the same together again in a couple weeks.

And… even if it's not what most others of your kind would reflexively call a "dragon's den," you think you like it more this way.

"Yeah, it was."