Orion's point of view:
I was excited to see what type of Pokémon it was.
Then a male Pyroar jumped and landed in front of us.
He was massive—bigger than any Pyroar I'd ever seen in pictures or videos. His mane blazed like actual fire, flames dancing along the edges of the golden fur as he landed, and for a moment, the air around him seemed to shimmer with heat. He threw his head back and roared to the heavens, the sound echoing through the trees and shaking the leaves above us. Fire flickered around his frame like a living crown.
"PYROAR!" (I'M HERE!)
(Image here)
I stared, my heart pounding in my chest. Not from fear—from pure, unfiltered awe.
Mom stepped forward, her smile so wide it looked like it might split her face. "Orion, this is Charles. He's my starter Pokémon. He's been with me since I was four years old."
Four years old. That meant they'd been together for over two decades. No wonder they moved like they shared the same heartbeat.
"He's practically my little brother," Mom continued, her voice warm with affection. "And that makes him your uncle, my cub."
Charles turned his massive head toward me, his amber eyes gleaming. Then, before I could say anything, he completely ignored me and wrapped himself around Mom.
His body curved around her like a protective shield, his mane pressing against her chest, his head tucking under her chin. For all his size and power, he looked like an overgrown kitten seeking comfort.
"Pyroar... py pyro!"
(Ohhh, I have missed you so much, big sis!)
Mom laughed and scratched behind his ears, right where the fur met the flame. "I missed you too, Charles. I'm sorry it's been so long."
He rumbled something else against her shoulder, but I wasn't really listening anymore.
Because I understood every single word he said.
Thank you, Viridian, for giving me your blessing. This is awesome!!!
I kept my face neutral—or tried to. The grin threatening to break across my mouth was getting harder to suppress. But I couldn't let it show. Not yet. Mom didn't know about my blessing. Charles didn't know. And I wasn't ready to tell them.
So I just stood there, watching my mother hug Charles.
It was nice, honestly. Seeing them together like that. The way Mom's face lit up, the way Charles pressed into her like he was trying to make up for two years of missed scratches in a single hug. I felt like I was intruding on something private, something precious. So I just waited, my hands clasped behind my back, pretending to study the grass beneath my feet.
Then Charles stopped hugging her.
His ears swiveled, twisting like satellite dishes picking up a signal. His head lifted, nose pointed toward the sky, and the flames around his mane flickered with something that looked like recognition.
I followed his gaze automatically, looking up toward the sky.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mom's hand moving. She was holding her Pokegear, angling it toward me with a soft smile on her face. Filming. Of course she was filming. I made a mental note to steal her Pokegear and delete the evidence before it can be used against me.
But that was a problem for future me.
Then I heard a loud cry.
"Pidgeot!"
My heart leaped.
Pidgeot might be one of the most common fully evolved flying types in Kanto. You could find them anywhere—perched on cliffs, soaring over routes, probably stealing sandwiches from unsuspecting picnickers. But common didn't mean weak. Common didn't mean slow. Common didn't mean you could just ignore a Pidgeot.
They were one of the fastest flyers in all the regions.
And this one was diving straight toward me.
I didn't flinch. I didn't run. I just tilted my head back and watched as the massive bird folded its wings and plummeted like a feathered missile, pulling up at the last possible second to land in front of me with a grace that made no sense for something so large.
Her talons touched the grass without a sound. Her wings folded against her back, each feather settling into place like a queen adjusting her robes. She looked royal. Regal. Like she expected a red carpet to roll out beneath her feet at any moment.
(Image here)
Then she walked past me and went straight to Mom.
"Pidgeot! Pidgeot pidge!" (Big sis! I missed you so much!)
She nuzzled against Mom's cheek, her crest feathers brushing against Mom's red hair.
"Pidge... pidgeot pidge pidgeot!" (It's been so long! Do you know how long it's been? I've been reduced to taking care of my feathers the NATURAL way! It's a TRAVESTY!)
Mom laughed—that bright, warm sound I loved—and scratched under Sky's beak. "Stop your whining," she said, her voice full of affection. "I'm back now, aren't I? So I can take care of your dearly beloved feathers. Happy?"
Sky puffed out her chest. "Pidgeot." (Acceptable.)
Mom turned to me, and I noticed she wasn't even trying to hide her Pokegear anymore. The red light was still blinking. She was absolutely recording this.
"Orion," she said, "this is Sky. She's the fastest member of my team." Mom's eyes sparkled. "And of course, she's your aunty."
Sky turned to look at me. Her amber eyes—so similar to Charles's, but sharper somehow—studied my face for a long moment. Then she stepped closer, her head tilting.
"Pidgeot... pidge." (Oh. Oh, you're a cute hatchling. Look at you. Look at your little face. I'm going to spoil you so much.)
I didn't hesitate.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her neck.
Sky went completely still.
Her feathers were warm beneath my cheek, soft in a way I hadn't expected. She smelled like wind and sunshine and something sweet I couldn't name. I hugged her tighter, not caring that she was three times my size, not caring that Mom was definitely capturing this moment for future blackmail.
"Nice to meet you, Aunty Sky," I said into her feathers.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
"Pidgeot..." (Oh no. Oh no, I love him.)
Her wing came up, slowly, carefully, and wrapped around my back.
From behind me, I heard a sound. A grumble. Low and distinctly put out.
I pulled back from Sky and turned around.
Charles was sitting on his haunches, his massive arms crossed over his chest, his bottom lip pushed out in a pout that looked absolutely ridiculous on a face that had been roaring at the heavens five minutes ago.
"Pyroar..." (He didn't hug me.)
I stared at him.
He stared back, unblinking.
"Pyroar py." (He hugged Sky. But not me. I'm the uncle. I should get hugs too.)
I felt my lips twitch.
Then I walked over to him—this massive, fire-maned, pseudo-king-ranked Pyroar who could probably incinerate a small building if he felt like it—and I wrapped my arms around as much of him as I could reach.
"Don't be sad, Uncle Charles," I said, my voice muffled against his fur. "I was going to hug you next."
Charles made a sound. A sound that definitely did not belong to a fierce predator.
His tail started wagging. And his arms came up to wrap themselves around me so gently, as if he was afraid of breaking me.
Everyone laughed. Mom. Sky. Even Charles, though he tried to hide it behind his pout.
I stayed in his hug for a long moment, feeling the warmth of his fur, the steady thrum of something that might have been a purr vibrating through his chest. This was nice. This was really, really nice.
Then I heard it.
Gentle flapping.
Not heavy like Sky's wings. Not powerful. Just... soft. Delicate. The kind of sound that said whoever was coming wasn't trying to make an entrance.
I let go of Charles immediately.
And closed my eyes.
The gentle flapping came again—soft, almost musical, drifting from the forest where Charles had emerged. Unlike Sky's powerful wingbeats or Charles's heavy footfalls, this sound was delicate. Rhythmic. Like someone was playing a lullaby with the air itself.
Then I heard it.
"Butterfree!!"
The cry rang through the clearing, high and bright and so full of happiness that I felt my own lips curve into a smile before I even opened my eyes. It wasn't just a call—it was a song. A greeting. A joyful declaration that someone was very, very excited to be here.
I opened my eyes just as she passed the tree line.
She was beautiful.
Her wings were a brilliant white, etched with intricate black patterns, and they caught the morning light like stained glass. Each flap scattered tiny shimmering scales into the air, and for a moment, it looked like someone had tossed stardust across the clearing. Her large, deep red eyes were fixed on me—only on me—and her antennae twitched with barely contained excitement.
(Image here)
Mom's voice came from beside me, warm and fond. "Orion, this is Petal. She's the heart of my team. And..." She glanced at the Butterfree with a soft smile. "She's the youngest member of my team."
Petal's wings fluttered faster a second later.
Then she rushed toward me.
"Butterfree! Free free butter!"
(Ohhhh, you're so CUTE! Look at you! Look at your little face! And your HAIR—I love your hair! It's like a galaxy!)
She circled my head twice, her scales dusting my shoulders like tiny stars, before hovering right in front of my nose. Her deep red eyes were shining.
"Butter! Butterfree!"
(I'm Petal! I'm your auntie! Can I be your auntie? Please say yes! I've been waiting forever to meet you!)
I chuckled—I couldn't help it. Her energy was infectious, bouncing off the trees and filling the clearing with something warm and bright. I reached out, and she immediately pressed her tiny forehead against my palm, her antennae curling with happiness.
"Nice to meet you, Auntie Petal," I said.
Petal froze.
Then her wings snapped open.
"BUTTERFREE!!!"
(HE PRACTICALLY SAID YES!!!)
She launched herself at me, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck as best she could, her wings fluttering against my cheeks. I hugged her back—gently, careful not to crush her—and felt her little body trembling with joy.
I looked up at Mom, who was still recording everything with that soft, teary smile.
"Mom," I said, my voice flat despite the warmth in my chest. "Is being this energetic... normal?"
Everyone burst out laughing at that.
Charles's deep rumble shook the ground. Sky's wings rustled as she threw her head back and made a sound that might have been a bird's version of cackling. Even Mom doubled over, her Pokegear shaking in her hand as she tried to catch her breath.
Petal pulled back from the hug, her little face scrunched up in a pout.
"Butter... butterfree!"
(Hey! I'm not THAT energetic! I'm perfectly calm! See? Look how calm I am!)
She tried to cross her tiny arms, but it just made her look more adorable. Then, despite her best efforts to look offended, she started giggling. And then she was laughing too, her wings fluttering so hard she almost fell out of the air.
Mom finally straightened up, wiping her eyes with her free hand.
"Sorry, my cub," she said, still chuckling. "But yes—that's normal for her. And honestly?" Her smile softened. "That's normal for most kids your age too. You're supposed to be that energetic. Running around, getting excited over everything, wearing yourself out by noon."
She crouched down in front of me, her purple eyes meeting my red ones.
"But you..." She brushed a strand of black-and-purple hair from my face. "You're special, Orion. You keep your energy inside. You observe. You think before you act. And that's not a bad thing—it's just who you are."
I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I just nodded.
Petal, apparently deciding that the serious moment was over, flew up and landed directly on top of my head.
"Butter!" (Comfy!)
Her tiny weight settled into my long black hair, her little feet gripping the purple strands beneath her. I could feel her warmth seeping through to my scalp, her wings folding against her back like a tiny living hat.
I looked up—or tried to, which just made me go cross-eyed trying to see her.
"Really?" I asked no one in particular.
Mom laughed again, and I could see her Pokegear zooming in on my face. My resigned face, apparently.
"You look so cute like that," she said, not even trying to hide her amusement.
I sighed.
Then Mom's expression shifted.
The laughter faded from her eyes, replaced by something more serious careful even. She glanced toward the pond next to our house—the one I'd noticed earlier, its surface smooth and dark in the morning light.
"Orion," she said, her voice gentler now. "My next partner... he's a little scary."
I followed her gaze to the pond.
I raised my chin, trying to look as tall as possible—which wasn't very tall at all—but I puffed my chest out anyway.
"Ha! I will be the judge of that, Mama!"
Mom blinked, then burst out laughing—that warm, musical sound that echoed across the clearing and made the trees seem to sway with her. She shook her head, still chuckling, and nodded toward the pond.
"Alright, my brave little Litleo. Then watch closely. To most trainers, my next partner can be their worst nightmare—the one Pokémon they fear above any other."
I turned just as the pond's surface began to ripple.
At first it was subtle—tiny rings spreading outward like someone had dropped a pebble into the water. But then the ripples grew faster, sharper, and the water started to bubble. Not the gentle simmer of a hot spring, but something violent and churning, like something massive was pushing its way up from the depths below.
Waves lapped at the edges of the pond, sloshing onto the grass with increasing force. The bubbles grew bigger, more frantic, and the water began to swell upward in a great, heaving dome.
Then it broke.
Water erupted into the air in a cascading curtain, and from the center of the pond rose a Pokémon I would have recognized anywhere.
Blue scales. Massive, serpentine body. A crest of sharp, white fins running along its head and spine. And those eyes—narrow, fierce, and utterly intelligent.
A Gyarados.
(Image here)
A real fucking Gyarados, rising from the water like a living storm given form, easily twenty feet long if it was an inch, with muscles coiling beneath those gleaming scales and a presence that pressed against my chest like thunder waiting to crash.
Its mouth opened slightly, revealing rows of teeth that could shred steel, and for a moment—just a moment—I understood exactly why most people would run screaming.
I did not run.
I jumped.
"Gyarados!!!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the clearing. "This is awesome!!! You are so cool!!!"
I was bouncing on my heels now, barely able to contain myself. I knew my inner Pokémon nerd was showing—knew it with every fiber of my being—but I could not bring myself to care.
Because Gyarados had always been one of my all-time favorites.
Gyarados tilted its massive head, those fierce eyes narrowing in confusion. It blinked once, then twice.
"Gya... ra?" (Is... is this kid seeing me right now?)
The deep, rumbling voice echoed in my head through my Verdant blessing, and I could hear the bewilderment dripping from every syllable. This enormous sea dragon was genuinely asking itself if I understood what I was looking at.
I heard Mom exhale behind me, and when I glanced back, her expression was caught somewhere between surprise and deep, fond amusement. She had clearly expected me to be at least a little frightened—maybe trembling behind her legs, maybe wide-eyed and clinging to her hand.
Instead, I was acting like I had just won the lottery.
"Orion," Mom said slowly, walking up to stand beside me. "This is my Gyarados. His name is Kaijin." She reached out and placed a hand on Kaijin's massive snout, and the fearsome dragon leaned into her touch like an oversized puppy. "He is our gentle giant."
"Gyarados..." (Gentle...? yes. I am Gentle. That is me alright. ) He glanced at me with those golden eyes, still looking uncertain.
But I didn't hesitate. I walked right up to him, and Kaijin—understanding what I wanted—lowered his massive head toward the ground. Even lowered, his head was bigger than my entire torso, but I stretched my arms as wide as they would go and pressed myself against his cool, smooth scales, hugging as much of him as I could reach.
"It's great to meet you, Uncle Kaijin!"
For a moment, Kaijin went completely still. Then his massive jaw curved into something that could only be described as a smile—a slow, gentle tilt of those fierce features that transformed his entire face.
"Gyarados... gya." (You are a precious little hatchling.) His deep voice rumbled through my connection, warm and certain. "Gyara... dos gyarados." (And it is obvious that you are Yua's child. No one else could be this fearless.)
Before Kaijin or Mom could say anything else, I heard it.
Light, fast footsteps racing toward us from the forest—quick and graceful, like a dancer's feet against the earth.
I turned just as a flash of white and blue burst from the treeline.
It moved like liquid frost, sleek and elegant, with nine magnificent tails streaming behind it like ribbons of snow. Its fur was pure, luminous white, but tipped with a soft, ethereal blue at the ears and along the curve of each tail. Its eyes were a deep, piercing crimson that seemed to glow even in the morning light, and its entire body seemed to shimmer with a gentle, otherworldly cold.
An Alolan Ninetales.
(Image here)
It stopped at the edge of the clearing, those red eyes scanning the scene before it—Mom smiling, Kaijin rumbling with contentment—and for a moment, it simply watched. Frost sparkled faintly along its fur where the morning light touched it, like diamonds scattered across silk.
Then it lifted its head, tails swaying gracefully, and took a step forward.
"Beautiful," I breathed.
It steeped closer. Her nine tails swaying like silk in a winter wind, and her blue eyes studied me with a quiet intensity.
Mom placed a gentle hand on her back. "Orion, this is Aurora. She's my Alolan Ninetales."
Aurora leaned in and sniffed my hair, my cheek, my outstretched hand. Then her eyes widened. Without warning, she pressed her entire body against me, rubbing her frost-kissed fur along my arms and chest, scent-marking me like I was her own cub.
"Ninetales..." (he is Precious! This one is super precious.)
Mom laughed. "Aurora! That's my baby!" But Aurora just flicked a tail at her, unimpressed, and Mom sighed fondly. "Fine. We can share you diva."
Then the air suddenly turned sharp.
Cold exploded through the clearing something mischievous and sudden. Frost crackled across the grass and then a purple blur shot from the trees, weaving past Charles and Sky before materializing directly in front of my face.
"BOO!"
A Gengar hovered inches from my nose, its red eyes blazing, and a huge grin stretched wide.
(Image here)
I blinked. Then I laughed. "Nice try! But you'll have to do better than that."
The Gengar's jaw dropped. Behind me, Mom made a strangled sound of pure shock. Charles's mane flickered wildly. Even Aurora's tails went stiff.
"You—" Mom stared at me like I'd just wrestled a Legendary. "You didn't even flinch!!"
The Gengar recovered first, crossing his stubby arms with a pout. "Gengar... gen." (You are Too brave. Hatchlings are supposed to squeak and run.)
Mom shook her head, still bewildered. "Orion, this is Phantom. He's my Gengar. And apparently, you've broken his brain."
I stepped forward and hugged him. "Nice to meet you too, Uncle Phantom."
Phantom froze—then melted. "GENGAR!" (A HUG!) He squeezed me tight, then lifted me onto his shoulder and zoomed around the clearing while complaining loudly. "Gengar gen gengar!" (Too brave! Too brave! But cute! I forgive you!)
Mom stopped recording and started taking pictures—click, click, click—as Phantom finally deposited me in front of the group.
I looked around at all of them. Charles. Sky. Petal. Kaijin. Aurora. Phantom.
My mom's team was stacked.
Especially Kaijin seeing him is everything I'd ever dreamed of.
This is the Best birthday ever!!!!!!