Chapter 23: Another Branch of the Dragon Clan
Wait, did those servants just call this kid a princess? Will wondered, looking at the stoic, blue-haired little girl before him. He found it strange. Who could bear the title of princess? Naturally, it would be the daughter of a nation's ruler.
But the current ruler of the Dragonite Kingdom was Liz, and she had never been married, let alone had any children. So where did this "princess" title come from?
"My name is Iris of the Dragon Clan."
"..."
Does this kid always speak so abruptly? Will stared at Iris, momentarily stunned. Communicating with a stranger from a different species was already difficult enough, but this child was also completely expressionless. How was he supposed to talk to her?
Deciding it was too much trouble, Will chose not to engage with the little girl any further. He turned, flicked his tail, and dove into the depths of the small pond to soak in peace.
Time for an afternoon nap. The sunlight in the Johto region is quite nice...
Feeling the sun's rays filter through the water and warm his body, Will began to feel a little drowsy. He yawned and closed his eyes.
In his sleep, he felt as if he were being picked up... again.
Must be Liz... Oh well, I'll just keep sleeping. Will couldn't even be bothered to open his eyes. It didn't really matter if it was Liz or not; no one in this palace would harm him anyway.
It was only his second day reincarnated as a Dratini, and he had already lost count of how many times he'd been picked up. Liz, Hestia, those beast scholars, and even the Poliwhirl at the very beginning... An infant Dratini's body was simply too weak, and its movement on land was slower than a snail's. Anyone could basically pick him up whenever they wanted; he had almost no ability to resist. He was incredibly lucky that Liz had brought him back; he couldn't even imagine what life in the wild would have been like.
As evening approached, Liz, having finished a long day's work, came to the palace backyard and froze on the spot at the sight before her. The stoic girl with light blue hair was holding the light blue beast cub. They lay nestled together on the soft lawn, napping in the glow of the setting sun.
"How long have they been asleep..." Liz walked closer and squatted down for a look. Her niece's drool was all over Lan's face.
"Hestia."
"My lady."
"Carry Iris back to her room."
Liz gently took Will from her niece's arms.
"Yes, my lady," Hestia nodded, bent down, and lifted the still-sleeping Iris, carrying her towards the palace.
"Hmm?" Will was roused by Liz's movements and groggily opened his eyes.
The next moment, he was dunked into the pond and swished around, just like rinsing meat for a hot pot.
"???"
The rinsing shocked Will fully awake. He stared at Liz with a completely baffled expression.
"There, much cleaner," Liz looked at Will's little face and nodded with satisfaction. She didn't want her Lan to be marked with anyone else's traces, not even her own beloved niece's. A queen's possessiveness did not bend for such things.
"Come on, it's time for the evening banquet. Let's get everyone acquainted with you."
What banquet? A welcoming party for me? Will tilted his head, looking at Liz curiously. He hadn't expected her to throw a whole party just for him.
Liz carried Will back to a grand hall on the first floor of the palace, a place specifically used for holding balls, banquets, and other gatherings. However, Liz hadn't used this place herself in a very long time. It was mostly used by other members of the Dragon Clan; she would just make an appearance to show her face.
As soon as they entered the hall, Will felt at least seventy or eighty pairs of eyes converge on him.
"Ooh, a family reunion," Will noted, his gaze sweeping across a sea of red and blue hair.
It was only then that Will guessed the identity of the stoic little girl, Iris, whom he had met that afternoon. He didn't know how many branches of the Dragon Clan had existed in the past, but in the future, only two remained.
One branch had fiery red hair, represented by the Champion of Kanto and Johto, Lance. The other had sky-blue hair, represented by the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City in Johto, Clair. In different versions of the story, their relationship varied between being cousins.
Iris was surely a member of this latter branch. And she likely wasn't just any family member; she was probably a child of the main lineage of that branch, which would explain her title of "princess."
"Uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters, it's been a long time," Liz said, carrying Will to the front of the hall. It was the truth; she hadn't seen these family members in a very long time. Liz lived in the palace, but the other members of the Dragon Clan did not. They could live in other towns of the Dragonite Kingdom, or even right next to the palace, but they could not live with the Queen in the palace, nor could they use their status as elders or relatives to demand she do anything for them. Iris only appeared in the palace because her family lived nearby, and she often came over to visit.
So, on a day-to-day basis, Liz rarely saw her extended family.
"I haven't seen Liz in two years. She hasn't changed much."
"Speaking of which, it's about time Liz got married. I think Uncle Xia's eldest son is quite a good match."
"Has Liz finally decided to start training her own beast? It's a bit late, but it shouldn't be a big problem."
...
The members of the Dragon Clan below chattered away, making the grand hall sound like a busy marketplace. To an outsider, one might expect the Dragon Clan, as the royal family, to be haughty and arrogant. But the reality was the exact opposite. The Dragon Clan was proud of Liz's achievements and would fight for her, but this didn't change their fundamental way of life. They still farmed their lands and herded their Miltank, working to earn money and support their families, no different from the ordinary citizens of the Dragonite Kingdom.
This was the result of Liz's policy of never using her status to grant her kinsmen special favors. She didn't want the Dragon Clan to stand out too much in the kingdom. Becoming disconnected from the common people would not end well. The overlord of the neighboring Kanto region, which had initially been called the Silph Kingdom ten years ago, was a clear cautionary tale. Now, it had been renamed the Kingdom of the Land, and its king had been replaced, from King Silphard to a former commoner named Sakaki the White.
"Ahem. I have gathered you all here today for a reason I'm sure you're all aware of. This is the child I have decided to raise. His name is Lan," Liz cleared her throat and then lifted Will high above her head.
In that moment, Will shone under the lights of the ceiling, and all the members of the Dragon Clan looked up at the small creature.
"Mew? (Am I Simba?)" Will thought, waving his little tail in the air as he scanned the crowd below.
It was then that he noticed something strange. Some of the people below looked unexpectedly pleasant to him, and he felt a natural sense of goodwill towards them. Startled by this change in his own feelings, Will had a sudden realization.
The Dragon Force!
He was sure of it. There were other special abilities that could make a Pokémon feel unprompted affection, but for it to happen with so many members of the Dragon Clan at once, he couldn't think of any other possibility besides the "Dragon Force."