The new morning in Grand Jipang rose. Pikachu slept soundly on Vivi's chest as she started to wake. As she started to sit up, Vivi cradled Pikachu in her arms. Feeling skin on his fur, Pikachu stirred. He awoke to find himself in Vivi's arms. "Good morning, Pikachu," she cooed. "Did you sleep well?"

("Oh, so well…") he squeaked.

"Yeah, you sound like you've had a good night." Her slender fingers on the mouse's abdomen, Vivi rubbed Pikachu's stomach, tickling him. His laugh brought a brighter smile on Vivi's face. Ash woke alone in a different room before there was a knock on the sliding door.

"Ash, are you awake?" an older woman voiced.

"I'm decent," Ash briefed. Opening the door was an elderly blond woman who looked quite like Igaram with two less rolls in her hair. She wore a red robe while offering food to Ash.

"My goodness," she awed. "Why are you not a son of mine?" Ash giggled.

"Come on, Terracotta… It's embarrassing." The reaction made Terracotta laugh.

"Yes, I can imagine… Anyway, here's some breakfast." Accepting, Ash nodded. "By the way, Princess Vivi seems to have admired the little rodent. Of course, so would I."

"Could you blame her?" Giggles came to both.

Dragons! Future of Grand Jipang

Vivi met Ash and Pikachu by the entrance of the castle, the latter two departing. "Are you on your way back to the inn?" she asked.

"Not really," Ash denied. "It's actually back to Commissioner Rayleigh's office."

"Understood." Vivi accepted as the woman from the Pinwheel arrived.

"Oh, there you are!" she voiced. Vivi, Ash and Pikachu turned to find the woman who paid for tea at the Pinwheel.

"Robin, did you come by for something?" asked Vivi. Ash and Pikachu gawked and turned to the princess.

"You two know each other?" guessed Ash.

"Yes," Robin replied. "See, I'm one of Princess Vivi's protectors watching from afar."

"Oh, that's good to know," Ash awed. "I guess that means you and the princess are friends, then."

"We are, but it's easier to maintain a low profile," Vivi advised. "Well, I'll leave you two… or three to go where you need to go." Dismissed, the three departed.

"Ash, I heard from Luffy that you have a lot of scrolls," Robin started. "That must mean that you have a lot of creatures. I can't wait to see them."

"I bet you're not the only one," Ash smiled.

"Perhaps… but that means you can show us all of them before you leave for other parts, right?"

"It's possible… I don't want to use my powers just to show them off."

"No, of course not." Suddenly, kids came to find the three. Among them were the kids from before. Ash smiled as Pikachu jumped into Orika's arms.

"Ash, we were wondering if you can summon dragons," Onion asked. Pikachu heard the creature being requested.

("He's got dragons,") he squeaked. Hearing the positive reply, Orika awed the answer.

"He does?" guessed Aisa.

"Okay, I can bring out one of my two big dragons," Ash surrendered with a smile. "You guys might want to step back." The kids complied as they gave Ash room to summon. He had a lime green scroll on hand. He unrolled it with the glow. "Her wings carry her all over the world at the speed of sound! COME FORTH, DRAGONITE!" There was a flash, and it dimmed to become an orange dragon with a horn on the crown of the head between two feelers. The wings were short as it stood on its hind legs. The kids awed the dragon with the large and round snout. It let out a loud roar. The kids surrounded the dragon who seemed startled. It soon recovered and smiled while letting out a soft wail. It hugged the kids who seem excited. Robin awed the dragon's friendly demeanor.

'So cute!' she awed. Dragonite turned to see Robin, startling her. With a happy wail, Dragonite tackled Robin in a hug, the feelers forming a heart. It took a second for Robin to recover and enjoyed the hug. "So affectionate!" Dragonite nuzzled Robin cheek-to-cheek.

"So, this dragon is a girl?" guessed Pepper.

"She is," Ash shrugged. "When I first summoned her, Dragonite did the same thing to me, my sensei and Pikachu."

"No kidding," Orika laughed. They weren't the only ones admiring the sight of Dragonite.

"A dragon!" cheered Luffy. He arrived and reached Robin and Dragonite. "Whoa, it's real! A real dragon!" Dragonite saw Luffy and grabbed him for a hug. His legs stretched as his feet remained stationary. "Oh, I've never been hugged by a dragon before! This is definitely a new feeling for me." Dragonite saw the stretched legs and gasped before letting go. Luffy's legs returned to normal. Dragonite seemed baffled to Luffy's legs able to stretch.

"His whole body can stretch to unusual lengths," Onion briefed. "He can even stretch his neck out." Dragonite seemed fascinated with the ability.

"Can you give me a ride?" asked Aisa. Dragonite accepted the request and lurched down. Aisa boarded before lifting off, the girl holding the dragon on her shoulders.

"Well, at least Aisa's having a good time," Pepper smiled. "Now, what's this other dragon you have?" Luffy seemed surprised to hear that Ash had another dragon like Dragonite.

"You have more dragons!?" he eagerly wished.

"Yeah, and this is what I have," Ash replied as he unrolled another scroll. "The rain empowers the awesome might of its roar! COME FORTH, GOODRA!" The scroll flashed to where another dragon appeared, this one purple in color, darker around the abdomen and chest than other parts with green eyes and wobbly horns. There seemed to be skin hanging below the wrists. The kids awed the new dragon as they gathered around it. Aisa saw the new dragon on Dragonite, but smiled.

"That dragon isn't like you, Dragonite," she judged. Orika and Pepper got a lift from Goodra's arms.

'So cute!' thought Robin. Goodra came to Robin with a smile. "Oh, did you want to give me a hug as well?" Goodra nodded as it applied the hug. "It feels refreshing… Much like what it would feel like on those hot summer days." Luffy palmed Goodra's back, feeling the slime.

"So, this is how you feel…" he pondered. Goodra softly roared to acknowledge Luffy. That's when someone new stepped up.

"So, this is where the dragon came from!" a new man awed. All turned to find a tall blue-haired man with a steel nose and large mechanical red arms. Ash and Pikachu gawked at the sight of the new man.

"Franky!" cheered Luffy. The man with a flat hair and a loincloth around the hips faced the kids who weren't as bothered as Ash and Pikachu were.

"Franky, are you making anything new?" asked Onion.

"Well, nothing special," Franky shrugged. "I was going to check on the Pinwheel to see how the new equipment I made for Sanji is doing. That's when I saw that dragon flying."

"We were treated to Ash's creatures, Franky," Carrot briefed. Franky blinked to the name given.

"Ash?" he repeated. "Is it the Summoner that I heard about?" Ash nodded to the claim.

"It's me," he admitted with a hand raised. "But what are you doing wearing… that?" Franky wasn't sure what Ash referred to until Pikachu pointed to the loincloth.

"I don't see a problem with my loincloth," he defended.

"I'm thinking Ash wanted you to be a little more covered than that," Robin believed.

"Hey, don't diss the wear!" refused Franky. "It's a signature of me!" He calmed down from that. "Anyway, when I heard the Summoner was here in Grand Jipang, I was expecting him to be taller and have some sort of beard. Of course, I also expected his dragons to be a little fiercer."

"I don't, Franky," Orika disagreed. "I got to feed his Pikachu and liked getting hugs from his dragons, though Dragonite is a girl from his take." Franky seemed humored to the take.

"A female dragon, huh?" he realized. "I didn't see that coming." Dragonite landed and allowed Aisa to hop off to confront Franky. She looked on curious. Franky studied the dragon closer. "I'm finding it hard to believe that these tiny wings kept you in the air for so long. Can you fly fast?" Dragonite nodded before taking to the air again and flying around the city. Everyone but Ash and Pikachu were blown away at Dragonite's speed. Ash and Pikachu smiled while Ash crossed his arms. A couple of minutes later, she returned to the delight of everyone.

"Dragonite, that was incredible!" awed Aisa.

"That wasn't fast," Franky laughed before clanging his arms together in the air. "That was SUPER fast!" Dragonite happily cheered to the compliment. At the Pinwheel, Usopp and Omao saw the dragon and gasped.

"A dragon?" she awed. "I haven't seen one in my life!"

"But how fast was that dragon going!?" gawked Usopp. "It made all of the horses I've seen look like they're standing still!" Ocarrot didn't see the dragon, but she smiled with hearts in her eyes.

"That must be Ash's summoning!" she believed. Usopp and Omao turned to Ocarrot, disbelief in their faces.

"You think Ash summoned that!?" guessed Usopp.

"I do," Ocarrot believed. "Ash has that ability! Youteia should feel the power!" Onami and Omao weren't sure about believing the humanoid rabbit. At the inn, Goodra held Makino's baby that giggled.

"I thought you'd be a little more reluctant with your summons," Shakky informed. "Then again, a pair of dragons… I probably would've been as eager to see them."

"So would I!" joined Luffy. "After all, how often do you see dragons in Grand Jipang?"

"Let alone dragons that can take care of a baby," Ash smiled. Just then…

"Excuse us!" voiced Onami. She and Omao entered to the courtyard where everyone else was. When they saw Goodra holding Makino's baby, Onami came over to see. "Whoa, are you the dragon that flew?" Goodra gawked, thinking Onami mistook him for Dragonite.

"Up there!" pointed Omao. Onami looked up to see Dragonite approaching and landing to which she welcomed the two.

"Oh, that's awesome!" she awed. "And you're actually pretty cute!" Dragonite lowered her head, allowing Onami to pet her.

"How nice!" giggled Omao. "And that one is just as cute." Goodra handed the infant back to Makino where it got a petting. Onami felt the secretion on Goodra.

"What is this?" she wondered as she whipped the slime off of her hands. "Goo?"

"That's why it's named Goodra," Shakky replied. Onami gigged to the realization.

"That makes sense…" she understood. "And who's this other one?" Luffy came to Onami to introduce Dragonite.

"I know, since I was pulled by her," he brought up. Onami angrily jabbed a finger in Luffy's nose.

"Until you start paying your tab, you won't get another nibble from Sanji," she threatened. Luffy whined. Onami turned back to Dragonite. "Now, how do I know you're friendly?" Dragonite wrapped Onami and Omao in a hug while smiling. The two girls received nuzzles from the dragon.

"I think this counts!" laughed Omao. As they got to understand the dragons, another group hid in the shadows at another part of the city.

"So, the Summoner has arrived in Grand Jipang," one man said. "I heard he can summon ninjas."

"We did hear that he and his summons dismantled Lord Nelson's castle," a woman remembered. "Think he'd be a good match for us?"

"In what?" the man asked.

"Recruiting to our ranks?" another man asked.

"As if!" the first man denied. "Did you forget that he's part of Rayleigh's officer squad? There's no chance that he can be a part of us. On top of that, I heard that he's nothing but a mere child. I doubt your flirtatious ways will work on him."

"Ah, but children are easily educated under the right manipulation," the woman replied.

"So, are you planning to take his summons away?" the second man guessed.

"We'll do more than that," the woman believed. What plan did these people behind the shadows want with Ash?

TO BE CONTINUED...