Ash's Story (Part 6: Unova)

Chapter 66: Champion's Home

The road to the Village of Dragons felt different the moment Iris started walking faster than the rest of us.

Route 11 had given way to rougher paths, old trees, and hills that seemed to hold their breath before Opelucid City. The air carried the smell of stone, leaves, and distant smoke from village cooking fires.

Pikachu sat on my shoulder and watched Iris almost skip ahead with Axew clinging to her hair. His meaning came warm and amused. "Dragon girl's feet remember home before eyes see it."

I smiled. "Yeah. She has been waiting for this."

Iris turned back so quickly Axew nearly lost his grip. "Come on! The Village of Dragons is close to Opelucid City. I can't wait to see the Elder and Grandpa again!"

Reisa blinked in surprise. "Grandpa?"

Iris grinned proudly. "Yep! Opelucid City's Gym Leader, Drayden, is my grandpa. We are not really related, though."

Cilan lifted one finger with elegant interest. "A chosen family bond seasoned by Dragon tradition. How splendid."

Golly checked the road ahead, then looked at Iris. "Chosen family still counts if the responsibility is real."

Iris's grin softened for a second. "It is real."

That was the first time I noticed the nervous part under her excitement.

Iris was not only returning home as the wild girl who had once run through forests with Axew. In this story, she was Unova's Champion too. She had traveled with us using only part of her strength, keeping some of her strongest Pokémon at home while learning through the road, but a Champion could not stop being Champion just because she walked beside friends.

Alice seemed to notice it too. She looked at Iris the way she watched me when I tried to hide weight behind motion.

"She wants them to see who she is now," Alice said quietly.

Eve answered just as softly. "And she is afraid they already know."

The village appeared beyond a bend in the road.

Dragon-type Pokémon were everywhere around the village.

Axew played near stone steps. Fraxure trained in pairs under the trees. A Haxorus stood near a wide clearing, watching younger Dragons with patient strength. The whole village seemed built around Dragon breath, claw marks, old lessons, and people who knew better than to treat power like decoration.

I stopped without meaning to. "Dragon-type Pokémon are everywhere you look."

Axew leaned forward from Iris's hair with wide eyes. His meaning came bright and trembling. "Many futures. Many tusks. Home big."

Iris touched his head. "It is okay, Axew. You belong here too."

Before we reached the central path, a familiar voice called from above.

"Long time no see, Ash and Alice!"

Zinnia dropped lightly from a ridge, grinning like she had always planned to appear from somewhere dramatic. Her cloak shifted in the wind, and the village Dragons barely reacted, as if Zinnia arriving from strange angles was normal.

Alice stared for half a breath, then smiled. "Zinnia."

I crossed my arms, though I could not keep real annoyance in my voice. "How have you been? You did leave last time without telling us."

Zinnia laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "That sounds like me."

Iris looked between us quickly. "You know Zinnia?"