I'm ten now.
Fraxure doesn't fit in the yard anymore. Not properly. His tail knocks against the fence if he turns too fast, and the neighbors stopped pretending not to notice a long time ago. They look, they register it, and then they move on. Dragons do that to people. They force a decision.
The journey isn't today. It isn't tomorrow either. There's still time before that door opens for real.
But this didn't start when I turned ten.
It started earlier.
Two years earlier.
Before Fraxure had tusks that scraped the floor when he lowered his head.
Before people watched instead of whispering.
Back when he was still small enough to sit on my shoulder and pretend he wasn't tired.
Back when Axew was still Axew.
Late afternoon light filters through the trees, warm and gold, the kind that makes the park feel like it belongs to us even though it never really does.
We've claimed the same patch of ground we always do. Close enough to the trees for shade, far enough from the paths that no one wanders through by accident.
"Arin! Over here!"
Kai is waving like this is his park, which it definitely isn't. Noel is sitting cross-legged on the grass with a drink balanced on his knee, already halfway finished, and Mira stands a little apart, quiet, eyes moving between Axew and the open space like she's memorizing the layout.
I lift a hand in greeting and keep walking.
Axew moves beside me, head high, tail swinging, very aware that he's being watched and doing his best to look like he absolutely does not care.
"He's showing off," Noel says.
"He's walking," I reply.
Axew bumps my leg with his head anyway, just hard enough to make a point.
"See?" Kai says, crouching the second we get close. "That's a show-off bump."
Axew snorts.
"We're not here to perform," I tell him. "We're here to practice."
He chirps once, sharp, and plants himself directly in front of me like he's challenging the definition of practice.
Mira tilts her head. "He's been restless all week."
"All month," I say. "He's been holding back."
Axew flicks his tail hard enough that I feel the breeze from it.
Kai grins. "So you're finally letting him do something cool."
"I'm letting him do something controlled."
Noel raises his drink in salute. "That's Arin-speak for 'no.'"
Axew looks personally offended.
"Once," I say, holding up one finger. "And you listen."
He stomps one foot like this is the greatest injustice he's ever experienced.
"I love him," Kai says immediately.
"No biting," I say automatically.
Axew turns his head and stares at Kai.
Noel snorts. "He's judging you."
"I deserve it," Kai says cheerfully. "Okay. Show me the dragon breath."
Axew doesn't wait for permission.
"Hey," I say not loud, just firm.
He freezes mid-step, glances back at me, then at the open space like it's calling his name.
"You can do it," I say. "Once."
He lifts his chin and inhales.
"Axew," I add, steady, "Dragon Breath."
The glow forms cleanly at first, familiar and steady, lighting the back of his throat in that soft violet I've learned to recognize. The breath comes out strong, controlled, slicing across the grass
Then it stutters.
The stream breaks into uneven bursts and collapses with a hiss, sparks fading into the air like they were embarrassed to exist.
Axew stands perfectly still.
The park keeps going around us someone laughing, a ball thudding somewhere nearby but in our little circle, everything pauses.
Kai blinks. "Uh."
Noel clamps a hand over his mouth. "I'm being supportive," he whispers. "But that looked like a sneeze."
Axew snaps his head toward him, eyes narrowing.
"Supportive!" Noel repeats quickly.
Mira doesn't laugh. She watches Axew's posture instead, the way his claws dig into the grass without him noticing. "He's frustrated."
"I know," I mutter.
Axew draws in another breath immediately, harder this time. The glow flares brighter than it should.
"No," I say, stepping closer. "Axew. Once."
He doesn't look at me.
"Axew."
His tail lashes.
I put my hand against his shoulder not gripping, not restraining. Just grounding.
"You don't have to prove anything," I tell him quietly. "Not to them. Not to me."
He ignores that too.
The energy doesn't settle into a move. It builds instead, pressing outward, crowding him, refusing to stay where it belongs.
Axew makes a strained sound that isn't a cry and isn't a growl.
Then his body locks.
The light erupts. It's evolution.
The noise of the park drops away like someone turned the world down. Light wraps around Axew in spiraling bands, tightening and reshaping him without slowing, lifting him just off the ground. His body stretches, limbs lengthening, frame broadening, the glow carving something larger out of the space he's always been too small for.
Kai stumbles back. Noel drops his drink. Mira inhales sharply and doesn't look away.
I stay right where I am.
The light flares once, bright enough to wash the grass white and collapses.
Something heavier lands with a solid thump.
Fraxure lifts his head.
For a heartbeat, he doesn't move. He looks down at his hands, flexes them once, jaw shifting as if the weight of the tusks is new. His posture tightens, uncertain in a way Axew never was.
I step forward immediately. "Hey."
His eyes lock onto me.
"It's still you," I say. "Come here."
He hesitates, then takes one careful step, then another. When he reaches me, he presses his forehead into my shoulder, heavier now, solid, and lets out a low rumble that vibrates through his chest.
Relief.
I laugh under my breath and wrap an arm around him. "You really couldn't wait, huh."
He huffs, offended.
Kai exhales. "Okay. Yeah. That was insane."
Fraxure straightens, steadier now, eyes sharp but calm. He glances at Kai and Noel, then deliberately turns his head away like they're beneath his attention.
"No biting," I say again.
He ignores me, which somehow feels like progress.
The memory fades.
I'm back in my room, bag half-packed, evening light slanting through the window. Fraxure sits across from me, larger now, calmer, watching like he already knows what comes next.
I close my eyes.
The system surfaces.
Registered Pokémon: Fraxure
Condition: Healthy
Strength: Above average
Endurance: Stable
Mobility: Fully recovered
Known Moves:
Scratch
Bite
Assurance
Dragon Breath
Dragon Rage
Slash
Scary Face
No signs of lingering poisoning.
Growth is consistent.
I open my eyes.
Fraxure meets my gaze.
"Looks good," I say.
He rumbles, satisfied, and finally relaxes.
I zip the bag closed.
The journey isn't today.
But when it comes, we'll be ready.
If you like the story so far, feel free to leave a review or some feedback. I'd love to hear what you enjoy or what you'd like to see more of. And if you can, please leave your Power Stones it really helps!