Chapter 74: The Dragonite's Gift

I woke up to the sound of seagulls and the cold, damp sensation of morning dew clinging to my back. My eyes cracked open, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the overhanging cliffs above. For a second, I felt disoriented, but the weight on my chest brought it all back—Erin. She was lying on me, her head resting on my chest, the calm rise and fall of her breath almost comical considering the chaos we'd just been through.

The Dragonite. The battle. My team—Venusaur, Pidgeot, Raichu, Alakazam, Gyarados—all pushed to their limits.

I shifted slightly, careful not to wake her, and my hand instinctively reached for my Pokéballs. Still there. All of them. Relief washed over me, but it didn't last long. A low murmur of voices caught my attention—Ash, Misty, Brock, and Bill were huddled nearby, deep in conversation. Bill held something small, round, and pulsing with life in his hands—a Pokémon egg. Just great.

I moved again, and Erin stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked at me, still half-asleep, before her brows knitted together in that usual, deadpan expression of hers.

"Why?" Her voice was calm, but I knew that tone—an odd mix of confusion and irritation, wrapped in her typical blunt honesty.

I let out a short chuckle as I sat up, causing her to roll off me onto the grass. "You wouldn't understand," I replied, my tone relaxed. "Only a Pokémon Trainer and their Pokémon can really get it. And Ash—he can understand too."

Erin, still as calm as if she'd just asked me for the time, sat up beside me. "Don't do that again."

There it was. No anger, no raised voice. Just a calm, simple command. But I wasn't about to bend.

Standing up, I dusted the dirt off my jacket. "I'll do it again and again if I have to. I'll do whatever it takes to win."

Erin didn't flinch, didn't even seem phased. "Stubborn."

I chuckled again. "Yeah, maybe." With that, I turned and walked toward the group, Erin following behind me in her usual silent way. The conversation hushed as I approached.

Ash greeted me first. "That battle was incredible, Punit. You almost had it!"

Misty scoffed, crossing her arms. "He won. Almost doesn't count."

Brock spoke next. "Let Bill explain."

Erin stepped up beside me as Bill cradled the egg, his expression thoughtful, almost distracted.

"Do you know why your normal Pokéballs didn't work?" Bill's voice had that academic curiosity, like a man who knew the answer but was dying to hear your guess.

"You said only a Master Ball would work," I replied, my tone as relaxed as I could make it, despite the frustration still simmering under the surface.

Bill adjusted his glasses. "I thought the same thing, at first."

Brock cut in. "Until you got knocked out cold."

Misty added, "I had to recall all your Pokémon and return them to you. You were out for a while."

"Thanks for that," I muttered, giving Misty a quick nod.

Ash jumped back in, eyes wide with excitement. "When you were down, that ancient Dragonite just stood up, like nothing even happened."

Bill nodded, turning his attention back to the egg. "Your Alakazam... He's extraordinary. He communicated with the Dragonite, mind to mind."

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Can you just get to the point, Bill?"

Bill adjusted the egg in his hands. "The Dragonite wasn't fighting you seriously. According to Alakazam, it thought the whole thing was just... fun. A game. It said it'll come back to play with you again."

I blinked, dumbfounded. "Play? My team was nearly wiped out, and it was 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨?"

Bill nodded, completely unbothered. "It left this egg as a gift. We don't know what species it is, but it said when this Pokémon evolves to its final form, the Dragonite will consider you a friend. You can call on it anytime."

I stared at him, trying to process the absurdity. My body moved on autopilot as I grabbed the egg from Bill, who seemed reluctant to let it go. The egg was warm in my arms, a subtle, almost soothing pulse emanating from it.

Bill looked at me, his voice almost wheedling. "You know, I could study that egg for you. Maybe even buy it off you—"

"I don't need the money, Bill," I cut him off, my tone firm but relaxed as I held the egg protectively. "I've got plenty."

I turned to Erin, who was watching me with that same unreadable expression. "You good with Raichu now?"

She nodded, calm as always.

"Good," I said. "Then you're ready to get used to Pidgeot. We need to travel faster, and he'll help with that."

Ash jumped in, grinning. "Faster? Are we slow or something?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, my voice deadpan. "Because of you, we get lost constantly. And trouble seems to follow you like a magnet."

Misty chimed in, smirking. "He's right, Ash. You are a magnet for trouble."

Brock shrugged. "Let's just head for Vermilion City. I've already got directions from Bill."

We started walking, the sun rising higher, casting long shadows across the rocky cliffs as we descended toward the path. Pikachu sat contentedly in Ash's arms, Misty and Brock walking side by side, chatting quietly. Erin trailed a step behind me, her gaze flicking between the egg in my arms and the road ahead.

Bill watched us go, a mixture of curiosity and something like regret on his face as we disappeared into the horizon. 

Trouble might find us again, but I'd be ready. Maybe