"Alright, alright, Bagon, calm down! If you jump from here, it could be life-threatening!"
Rex was struggling to hold onto the increasingly restless Bagon in his arms. The little dragon was determined to wriggle free, eager to experience the feeling of flight. The only problem? It couldn't actually fly.
Bagon, however, seemed completely lost in its fantasies, entirely ignoring Rex's warnings. All it could think about was soaring freely through the sky.
If not for Rex holding it tightly, Bagon would have already leapt off Swellow's back in what it thought was a "leap of faith."
Swellow's current altitude was no joke. If Bagon had attempted freefall, its tough body likely wouldn't have been enough to survive the devastating impact.
Thankfully, Littleroot Town wasn't far from Rex's farm. Just as Rex felt his grip slipping, Swellow descended smoothly, landing on the open ground in front of the house where Yuli and the others lived.
As they landed, Bagon seemed to snap out of its daydreams, though it kept glancing longingly at the sky.
Its yearning for the sky was deeply ingrained, a desire so strong that it fueled its determination to grow stronger, eventually evolving into a Salamence capable of soaring across the heavens.
Once on the ground, Rex released all of his Pokémon, letting them return to their usual spots around the farm. Only the newly caught Bagon stayed by his side.
Entering the house, Rex noticed it was empty, but he wasn't surprised. He'd already spotted Yuli and the others in the backyard while flying overhead.
Compared to a month ago, the backyard had transformed into a lush, vibrant garden, teeming with flowers and plants Rex couldn't even name. Yuli and her team were each tending to their own section of the garden.
"Welcome back, boss!"
Yuli was the first to notice Rex approaching. She quickly stopped what she was doing and greeted him with a smile.
"Ah, boss, you're back! Come look at the flowers I've been growing. I've been taking care of them so carefully!"
Yui called out excitedly upon hearing the commotion, clearly thrilled to see Rex.
"Huh? Is that a Bagon? I can't believe you managed to catch such a rare Pokémon, boss!"
Karen, who had been studying Pokémon in her spare time, immediately recognized the Bagon as the rare pseudo-legendary Pokémon it was.
"That's right, this little guy is definitely the highlight of my adventure!"
Rex picked up Bagon with a grin, showing it off proudly.
"What an adorable little guy! Boss, can I hold it for a bit?"
Yui's eyes lit up as she stared at Bagon, her voice pleading.
"Sure, but if Bagon doesn't want to be held, there's nothing I can do about that," Rex replied, handing the Bagon over to her. Whether she could win it over was entirely up to her.
Sure enough, the moment Yui cradled Bagon, it began squirming and fidgeting. Thankfully, it understood that this girl was a friend of its trainer, so it didn't struggle too hard to break free.
"Alright, Yui, let it go for now. Once you get to know Bagon better, I'm sure it'll let you hold it. For now, give it some space," Yuli gently intervened, noticing Bagon's discomfort.
"Fine…"
Though reluctant, Yui obediently set Bagon down.
The moment its feet touched the ground, Bagon trotted back to Rex's side, its short legs carrying it as it curiously examined its surroundings. Its eyes searched eagerly for a high cliff from which it could leap and attempt flight, but to its disappointment, the area was entirely flat with no cliffs in sight.
"Judging by how quickly these flowers have grown, I'm guessing you had Shaymin's help, didn't you?"
Rex had only been gone for about a month. Even with the assistance of the Jumpluff flock, it shouldn't have been possible to cultivate such a flourishing garden in such a short time.
"Hehe, you're sharp, boss! I had to beg Shaymin for ages before it finally agreed to help!" Yui said, beaming, clearly fishing for praise.
"Oh? Looks like you've been getting along pretty well with Shaymin lately," Rex said, surprised that Yui had managed to convince the notoriously reclusive Pokémon to lend a hand.
"Well… not exactly. Most of the time, even when I bring it Pokéblocks, Shaymin doesn't show up, so I don't know if that really counts as 'getting along,'" Yui admitted with a conflicted expression.
While Rex and the three girls were chatting, Linoone came barreling toward them, accompanied by Roselia and Nuzleaf. Sitting on Linoone's back was Chimchar, who seemed to have made itself quite comfortable with the group during Rex's absence.
Having not seen their trainer in so long, all the Pokémon appeared excited and eager for attention. Chimchar, in particular, leapt off Linoone's back the moment it saw Rex and scrambled onto his shoulder, claiming its usual spot.
"How's everyone been doing?"
Rex patted Chimchar on the head affectionately, then turned to the rest of the Pokémon with a smile.
Over the past month, Linoone and the others had been doing quite well. Thanks to their recent evolutions, they were no longer among the weakest Pokémon on the farm. Whenever they got bored of hanging around the farm, they'd venture into Petalburg Woods to explore.
Their increased strength meant they could safely navigate the outer edges of the forest without encountering any real danger, especially since they always traveled as a group.
Knowing their trainer's interest in rare items, Linoone often brought back things it deemed valuable from the forest, saving them for Rex's return.
Chimchar, on the other hand, had been feeling down for days after Rex left. During that time, Linoone had stepped up as a mentor, leading Chimchar through training and play to keep it occupied.
"Rawr!"
Bagon, seeing Chimchar perched on Rex's shoulder, immediately protested. It let out a fierce growl, as if declaring that it was the one who deserved that spot.
Chimchar, who had been happily enjoying its seat, was taken aback by the challenge from the "chunky dragon" below. Not one to back down, it opened its mouth and spat out a burst of Ember at Bagon.
For the thick-skinned Bagon, the Ember attack was little more than a mild inconvenience. However, it saw this as a direct challenge to its status and immediately retaliated. With a powerful leap, it headbutted Chimchar off Rex's shoulder, sending the little monkey tumbling to the ground.
"Uh… what's going on with you two? Why are you fighting all of a sudden?"
What had been a warm and heartfelt reunion was now disrupted by the two small Pokémon squaring off. Rex could only shake his head, caught between amusement and exasperation, as he tried to intervene.
Unfortunately, neither Bagon nor Chimchar paid him any attention. They were fully absorbed in their scuffle, determined to settle once and for all who was the top Pokémon.
This wasn't just a playful fight—it was a battle to determine their hierarchy and establish their roles in the team going forward.
(End of Chapter)
(Note: I apologies because i got confuse about the trio pokemon, Steenee is Roselia, Exeggutor is Nuzleaf, and Ursaring is Linoone