Virelyra stared at the aftermath, stunned.
She had never expected Dratini to lose the battle—especially not to that final move from Misdreavus. From what she could deduce, the technique was designed to take down its opponent by dragging them into unconsciousness along with itself. A spell like that… she had never seen anything quite like it before. Incredible—and infuriating.
It wasn't that no one was capable of creating such a spell. Rather, no one would bother inventing something that only activated when the caster was defeated. Surely, it's wiser to invest in spells that secure victory before the battle is lost.
Yet now, having seen its effect firsthand, she couldn't deny how dangerous and troublesome it was in a real battle.
Shaking her head, she stepped closer to Dratini. But instead of comforting it, she folded her arms and scolded, "Dratini! Is this the extent of your strength?!"
"Dra…" Dratini opened its eyes, letting out a feeble whimper, clearly disappointed in itself.
"Train harder," she commanded, her tone sharp but edged with pride. "Next time, we'll show Arthuros the true might of a Dragon! Understood?"
"Dra!" Dratini cried, its eyes blazing with renewed resolve.
Virelyra finally allowed herself a smile. She placed a gentle hand on its head, channeling energy into the little dragon. In a heartbeat, Dratini was healed and revitalized, slithering up her arm and coiling around her neck once more—returning to its usual perch like a living scarf.
Dratini had been raised by a dragon, after all. Its pride as a Dragon-type Pokémon was immense to begin with, and now it burned even brighter. Brought up to believe the Dragon Race was the strongest, it carried a mindset where losing simply wasn't an option.
"Don't be too harsh," Rosaria said with a soft smile as she approached, stroking Dratini's head. "Arthur's Pikachu was far above your Dratini's level."
"Hmph! We Dragons have our own ways of teaching and raising our young!" Virelyra lifted her chin proudly—an expression Dratini mirrored perfectly.
Seeing Dratini mirror Virelyra's attitude, Rosaria let out a quiet sigh.
Trainers truly did have their own unique styles. Reden and Virelyra were perfect examples.
Her own Pokémon weren't particularly strong compared to others, but that didn't matter. She loved them just as they were—and that was enough.
Arthur chimed in with a teasing tone, "Dratini, listen to your Father, okay? From now on, you have my blessing to blast your Mother with Draco Meteor whenever she forces you beyond your limits." He stroked Dratini's little head fondly.
Dratini's eyes sparkled with delight as it nodded enthusiastically, already imagining a glorious future where it could blast its Mother out of the sky with Draco Meteor.
"Hey, Arthuros! What on earth are you teaching my child?!" Virelyra gaped at him in disbelief.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "Aren't you the Mother and I the Father? We Dragons have our own way of raising our young, remember?"
Virelyra's mouth fell open in disbelief. Then, as the words sank in, a flush rose to her cheeks and she quickly turned her gaze away. "T-that's right… Damn it!"
Arthur and Rosaria exchanged a glance—and broke into laughter.
Speaking of Draco Meteor… Virelyra had been planning to use it as a finisher in the last battle, a triumphant final move to showcase Dratini's might. But the fight had ended too soon, cut off by that cursed Destiny Bond.
Like Dragon Dance, she had a particular fondness for Draco Meteor—and had even mastered it herself.
Creating or learning a technique that unleashes power beyond one's limits wasn't all that rare, but most of them came with serious drawbacks: shortened lifespan, permanent loss of potential, or even death.
But Draco Meteor?
Its power surged far beyond natural limits—yet the cost was surprisingly manageable: a temporary drain on strength and defenses, accompanied by exhaustion and fatigue.
Virelyra had tested it herself, casting the spell fifteen times in a row before collapsing. But after a single day of deep rest, she bounced back completely—no injuries, no lingering damage.
And the fact that Arthur—a human—had invented it?
Absurd!
How could a human devise dragonic spells so vastly superior to anything the Dragon Race had ever created?
Lost in thought, Virelyra was interrupted by Arthur's earnest voice. "But seriously—here's some honest advice: balance training with rest. Dratini may enjoy pushing itself, but as the Mother, it's your job to look after its health. Be a responsible parent, got it?"
"Y-yes!" Virelyra replied, her voice faltering at first, but firm with determination.
---
"Dragon Race really is incredible..." Arthur murmured in admiration as he watched Virelyra enchant his Safari Dome with her draconic magic.
She made no visible changes—no new runes, no altered structures. She simply channeled her mana into the central control hub, and just like that, the enchantment was complete.
Now, he could use high-grade resources without worrying about them losing power after a single day and needing constant replacement. It was a massive improvement!
"This kind of thing is a piece of cake!" Virelyra lifted her chin proudly. Though inwardly, she was frustrated—she didn't understand any of the runes in this Safari Dome. Once again, not just in Pokémon battles or spell invention, but even in the intricate craft of magic circle engineering, Arthur made her feel inferior.
Technically, with Virelyra's help, he no longer needed Porygon's assistance for this project, but he still planned to construct additional Safari Zones in other regions. He couldn't rely on Virelyra to be available every time, so the creation of Porygon was still essential.
As his thoughts wandered, Arthur suddenly asked, "So now that I'm officially... what, the Father of Dragons? What should I say if other dragons come looking to pick a fight? Just tell them you're the Mother?"
Virelyra waved her hand nonchalantly. "Just tell them you're under Virelyra's protection."
He nodded slowly, then raised an eyebrow. "And if a female dragon shows up and demands I acknowledge her as a 'Mother' too—like you did—what then?"
Virelyra tilted her head thoughtfully before replying, "I doubt you'd want to say you're my mate… So just tell her to f*ck off and come challenge me instead!"
Arthur let out a wry laugh. "What a crude way to handle it…"
By the time they returned to his research lab, the house was quiet. Lena was still training with her Pokémon in her private room, while Hector and Anna were out in the forest, hunting with theirs.
Virelyra collapsed onto the couch beside Rosaria, and the two of them immediately dropped their usual grace, flopping down and sprawling out without a shred of elegance.
Shaking his head at their antics, Arthur sat down on the edge of his bed and asked, "Virelyra, do you know anything about the Fairy Race?"
Virelyra, currently sprawled upside-down on the couch in the most unladylike manner possible, froze mid-stretch. She quickly flipped upright and replied, "They're a mysterious bunch. Dragons like us enjoy the spotlight, but the Fairy Race—while powerful and strange—prefer to stay hidden."
"If you want to meet one," she added confidently, "I can go fetch one for you right now."
"Please don't…" Arthur sighed, then continued, "They're usually friendly, right?"
"Yup! Though—recently… hmm, maybe not that recent. It probably feels recent to us dragons, but for you humans, it might count as ancient history. Anyway, the Elven Kingdom on this continent once owed the Fairy Race a huge favor. Their World Tree was dying, and to save it, they had to pay a steep price for the Fairy Race to use their Mystraleaf Wellspring to rejuvenate it."
"So the rumor was true…" Rosaria murmured to herself, quietly validating what Virelyra had said.
Arthur nodded slowly. "Thanks for the info…" He appreciated it, though he wasn't sure what to do with it. It's not like he had any intention of blackmailing the Elves or the Fairy Race.
Speaking of those races, the Fairy Race was pretty straightforward—it was obvious they'd favor Fairy-type Pokémon. The Elves, though, were a bit more nuanced—likely favoring Flying, Grass, Psychic, and perhaps even Fairy-types, depending on their lineage or subrace. With so many variations across fictions, it was hard to say for sure without meeting them firsthand.
The trio spent the rest of the evening chatting, bonding over their shared interest in Pokémon.
Well—mostly Arthur was the one doing the talking, while Virelyra and Rosaria acted like enthusiastic students, eyes wide and brimming with curiosity. Virelyra, of course, only really perked up when Dragon-type or Flying-type Pokémon came up.
As a Sky Sovereign, it made perfect sense—her affinity for creatures of the skies was second nature.
Dratini really is the perfect starter for her, Arthur thought, recalling that Dragonite—Dratini's final evolution—was both a Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon.
He took the opportunity to relax with them and his Pokémon. There was no need to push toward his goals all the time. He'd already learned that from Pikachu.
Besides, helping spread Pokémon knowledge to two of the most influential people in the world could be considered a huge step toward a future where Pokémon were the norm.
While chatting, something finally clicked in Arthur's mind—something that had been bothering him about Rosaria every time he saw her.
He never taught her the difference between Attack and Special Attack!
Naturally, the moment he brought it up, Rosaria simply smiled and said she had already learned about it long ago from studying Pokémon moves on her own.
All Arthur could do was sigh.
Suddenly, Rosaria seemed to remember something and said, "Arthuros, there's a problem with one of the recently hatched Pokémon."
Arthur's eyelid twitched. "...Why are you calling me 'Arthuros' now?"
"Hehe~!" She giggled, then continued, "One of the hatched Pokémon—Magikarp—has golden scales instead of the reddish-orange color shown in the Pokédex."
"A golden Magikarp?!" Arthur shot up straight, startling both Rosaria and Virelyra.
"W-what's wrong with it?" Rosaria asked nervously, suddenly worried that the Magikarp might be sick.
"No, it's not that…" Arthur exhaled slowly, calming down as he sat back. "It's just… wow."
Out of the hundred eggs they'd incubated—with all their parameters randomized—it was a huge surprise that one of them had turned out to be a shiny Pokémon.
And it had to be that Magikarp, of all things!
Zeth… that guy. Did his prayers to Arceus actually work? He chuckled to himself and shook his head.
Arthur began explaining to the eager Rosaria and Virelyra, "That's called a Shiny Pokémon. They're rare color variants, usually differing from their standard appearance. For example, a regular Magikarp is reddish-orange, but a Shiny Magikarp is golden. They're extremely rare."
He recalled setting the Shiny chance at 1 in 4,096—about 0.02441%. Somehow, Zeth had gotten lucky and hatched a Shiny Magikarp.
"A Shiny Pokémon?" Rosaria's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Who wouldn't want to own something so rare—and so beautifully unique?
"You can scan that Magikarp with your Pokédex. If you see a little star next to its name, it means it's definitely Shiny," Arthur added.
Rosaria nodded, making a mental note to check Zeth's Magikarp to be sure it wasn't some strange illness.
"Alright, Dratini! Our next training will be to make your scales all turn golden!" Virelyra declared enthusiastically.
"Stop! That's not how it works! Pokémon can only be Shiny if they're born that way!" Arthur protested.
"And no, Dratini, don't just nod along with her!"
"No! Painting your scales gold won't make you Shiny either! Where did you even get that brush?"
"Your Mother's a bad influence—listen to your Father!"
The three of them burst out laughing, playing with their Pokémon as the day slipped by.
---
The next morning, Arthur handed Virelyra an egg.
It was pale blue, speckled with fluffy white spots that resembled clouds or soft cotton.
The night before, both Rosaria and Virelyra had decided to stay over at Arthur's house. Thanks to Virelyra's power, creating separate spaces within his bedroom was easy, giving each of them a private room. Lena had also been invited to join the sleepover, along with her Pokémon.
And what's a sleepover without a pillow fight?
Though it was brief—one of Virelyra's pillow throws was so powerful it knocked Arthur's Pikachu out cold with a single hit.
Thankfully, Pikachu woke up shortly after, completely unharmed.
Later, Virelyra asked if Arthur could give her a second Dragon-type egg. Unfortunately, aside from Kingdra—the final evolution of Horsea—he had no other Dragon-type Pokémon besides Dratini. And he doubted Virelyra would want Horsea, since it didn't look much like a dragon at first.
So, while playing and chatting with the others the previous night, Arthur also spent some time crafting a new template for another Dragon-type Pokémon—right in front of them.
By now, there was no need to hide the fact that he could create Pokémon like this—especially after the whole Father and Mother thing earlier.
The egg came from Generation 3, and it felt just right for Virelyra.
A Swablu Egg—destined to become the fluffy and majestic Altaria!
Though Swablu was initially a Normal and Flying-type, Virelyra, as the Sky Sovereign, would surely adore it.
Of course, Arthur had asked her beforehand if she'd be alright with a Flying-type rather than a Dragon-type, and she had agreed without hesitation. He'd also mentioned that the Egg's evolved form would become a Dragon-type—and she had happily believed it would one day grow into a mighty dragon.
And so, in the end, he chose to gift her the Swablu egg.
With this, Virelyra would now have two Dragon and Flying-type Pokémon.
Let's see... Dragon and Flying-type Pokémon... Dragonite, Altaria, Salamence, Noivern, and Rayquaza... that should be all of them, right? Arthur mused. Not that I'm ever giving her Rayquaza, of course—but the others? Sure, why not.
Maybe I should also give her Gyarados and Aerodactyl, or another Dragonite... then tell her to change her name to Lance. Arthur chuckled quietly to himself at the thought.
Rosaria and Lena stepped closer to Virelyra, peering at the Swablu Egg with wide, curious eyes.
Lena had somehow befriended Virelyra over the course of a single night. Arthur wasn't sure whether Lena was just incredibly sociable, or if Virelyra was simply that approachable—or maybe it was both.
"Bro, what kind of Pokémon is gonna hatch from this?" Lena asked, staring at the soft blue egg with its fluffy cloud-like markings.
"It's a pretty cute one," Arthur replied with a grin. "That's all I'll say."
"Hmph!" Lena pouted, clearly wanting to know more.
Virelyra cradled the egg gently in her arms, moving it slightly as if trying to feel the tiny heartbeat within. "All I know is that its final form will be both Dragon and Flying-type—a perfect match for me!"
He hadn't told her that directly, but it wasn't hard to guess.
"Dra~!" Dratini cried out with excitement, its eyes welling up with tears as it looked at the egg.
Finally—a friend who will suffer alongside me! Dratini thought, already imagining intense training sessions with another partner under Virelyra's strict regime. It was proud of its progress, but the process had been incredibly lonely. After all, Virelyra became an entirely different person when it came to training...
"Arthuros, place your hand on the egg!" Virelyra suddenly said.
Arthur blinked in confusion, but didn't think much of it. He gently rested his hand on the Swablu egg.
Virelyra placed her hand over his and softly murmured, "Little one, this is the hand of your Father and Mother… grow strong and healthy, alright?"
Arthur just sighed at her words. By now, he'd grown used to being dubbed the "Father of Dragons". But nearby, both Lena and Rosaria gave him strange looks.
"Bro, you just met Virelyra and you're already a father?" Lena asked, squinting at him suspiciously.
"Just… shut up, okay?" Arthur replied with a weary shake of his head.
Lena burst out laughing, even though she still had no clue how things developed like this.
Virelyra grinned and declared cheerfully, "Young man! The road of fatherhood is forged through hardship—prepare yourself!"
"You… shut up too," Arthur muttered, drawing even more laughter from the group.
Eventually, Virelyra waved goodbye and casually punched a crack in the air, pulling a panicked Rosaria through it as they vanished together.
Watching them disappear, Arthur had little doubt—by the time he saw Swablu again, it would likely be just as much of a monster as Dratini under Virelyra's care.
Afterward, he spent some time chatting with Lena before they both headed off to work on the farm.
He didn't really need to work on the farm anymore—his sister and parents had encouraged him to focus solely on Pokémon—but today, he just felt like it. He wanted to enjoy a calm, grounded morning.
Tomorrow, he'd begin working on Porygon and start laying the groundwork for his next big project: the distribution plan for a thousand Pokémon Eggs across the Safari Zone.
Stretching out his stiff muscles, Arthur walked alongside Lena and their Pokémon toward the fields, bathed in the warm, golden light of morning.