As soon as those words left her mouth, Iris noticed the slight furrow in Kashiwagi's brow.
She waved her hands frantically, explaining,
"I—I was just guessing! It's because you have food specially prepared for Dragon-types, and... well, you have the scent of a Dragon-type Pokémon lingering on you..."
Scent? Kashiwagi was impressed.
In the anime, Iris was the ultimate "Dragon fanatic." Not only could she empathize with them—sharing their primal fear of the cold—but she was obsessed enough to chase a Rayquaza flying across the horizon all the way from Unova to Hoenn.
Having a heightened sense for dragons was a given for her. Besides, that wasn't the only "skill" she had up her sleeve.
"It's fine," Kashiwagi said calmly.
The frown was just a subconscious habit he had when thinking.
He had no intention of hiding anything. With a smooth motion, he clicked open a Poké Ball.
"Hydrei-g-o-n!"
Hydreigon materialized, his massive midnight-blue body exuding a heavy, intimidating pressure that immediately caught the attention of Iris's grumpy Dragonite.
The two pseudo-legendaries locked eyes, Dragonite's face instantly twisting into a defiant scowl.
However, its trainer reacted much faster.
"EEEEE! A Hydreigon! What a cute little baby!"
Iris practically threw her bowl and spoon aside, launching herself at Hydreigon with reckless abandon.
She rubbed her cheeks vigorously against his fuzzy neck and chest.
"So fluffy! So soft! And you smell so nice! I knew it—you're the source of that scent!"
"Hydrei...?"
Hydreigon, who was usually the one doing the nuzzling, was completely caught off guard. He froze, looking at the girl clinging to him with sheer bewilderment, before turning his three heads toward Kashiwagi in a silent plea for help.
"Hydrei-g-o-n!" (Save... save me!)
Kashiwagi gave him a "you're on your own, buddy" look and watched the spectacle in silence.
Suddenly, the "Dragon Addicted" girl looked up, staring blankly into Hydreigon's eyes. The dragon's middle head grew increasingly awkward, unable to maintain eye contact with the intense young girl.
After a long silence, Iris suddenly beamed with a radiant smile.
"What a gentle soul~ He keeps saying in his heart how much he absolutely loves his trainer! How adorable~"
"HYDREI!?"
Hydreigon stared at her in shock, his expressions screaming: How did you know what I was thinking?!
Iris giggled, then turned to Kashiwagi with an embarrassed blush.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away... You might not believe this, but I can read the feelings of Dragon-type Pokémon and transmit my own thoughts back to them."
"Sometimes, I can even see their memories. Ah! But don't worry, I won't peek at anyone's private business on purpose!"
She shook her hands frantically, her face flushed with panic.
Kashiwagi watched her with a mix of amusement and respect. To expose such a rare special ability so casually... most people would hide a portion of it to avoid misunderstanding, yet she chose total transparency and then scrambled to explain herself.
Is "honesty to a fault" a standard requirement for the protagonist's group?
Or perhaps it was because she felt she could trust him.
"I believe you. I know all about your history in the Village of Dragons."
Kashiwagi beckoned to Hydreigon. The dragon "fled" to stand behind his trainer, peeking his three heads out from over Kashiwagi's shoulders and hair like a suspicious multi-headed guard.
"You heard about me from big brother Takeshi?" Iris asked curiously.
"More or less," he replied.
In reality, her hands had been glowing like lightbulbs just a moment ago during her "connection." Denying she had special powers at this point would be like denying the sun was hot.
On the other hand, Kashiwagi was genuinely curious about her gift.
In the anime, it was attributed to her innate talent, but she didn't fully master it until she caught that powerful Dragonite. Could it be learned? He had always admired that kind of soul-to-soul connection.
As for the "memories" part, Kashiwagi wasn't worried about his secrets being exposed.
Hydreigon had been blind for a long time in the past, and besides, the way a Pokémon perceives the world is vastly different from a human.
Memories aren't objective video recordings; they are filtered through emotions and personal bias.
For example, if Hydreigon had ever watched a shojo anime, Kashiwagi would probably appear to him surrounded by sparkling flowers and a divine glow.
If he liked shonen battle manga, Aggron would probably look like a terrifying, shadowy monster in his recollections.
Memories can be quite deceptive.
"It seems you didn't realize he also comes from the Village of Dragons," Kashiwagi said, patting Hydreigon's center head.
Iris gasped. "No way!"
After hearing about Hydreigon's past—the neglect and the rescue—she went from indignant anger to a sigh of relief.
"I can't believe things like that happened... I'm just so glad everyone was saved."
"Indeed."
He glanced at her Pokémon, who were finishing their meal, and decided to ask for more details about her ability.
Since the anime staff never gave it an official name, Kashiwagi internally labeled it [Heart of Dragons].
It was a fitting title. The ability to read thoughts, emotions, and memories while projecting one's own will was a power rooted deeply in the heart.
When Iris realized Kashiwagi was interested in acquiring the [Heart of Dragons] for himself, she looked stumped.
"Um, to be honest... I don't really know how it works either..."
"It's okay. I know some things can't be forced. I just figure if there's a chance to learn, it's worth a shot."
He waved it off.
Technically, they were both "People of the Dragon." Thousands of years ago, they might have shared the same ancestors. There was no logical reason why Iris could do it and he couldn't—but if it was a dead end, so be it.
He'd just have to wait for his Simulator to roll a blue-tier talent like Aura User or Psychic for him.
Before long, Iris and her team finished their lunch and proactively helped wash the dishes.
Kashiwagi stood up. "Let's go. Time to head back to the Mirage Tower and get your bag."
"Right!"
Iris nodded, keeping her green-armored Fraxure by her side while returning the rest of her team to their balls.
Previously, Kashiwagi had checked over her Pokémon. For the most part, they only had minor scrapes and bruises; none of them had suffered a fracture like poor Emolga.
It seemed the little squirrel was just unlucky.
However, just as they were preparing to set off...
Kashiwagi watched in confusion as Iris started marching off in the complete opposite direction. "Where are you going?"
"Uh, isn't the Mirage Tower that way?" Iris pointed confidently.
"Not even close. You've picked the exact opposite way." He sighed, holding up his phone.
"See the red dot on the screen? This is our destination."
It seemed like anyone who traveled with Ash eventually developed a terminal lack of direction.
Getting lost was one thing, but not carrying a map or using a phone to look at a map is another.
This is unbelievable.
Iris scratched her head sheepishly. "Oh... oops."
"Alright, let's move. Unless you're planning on spending the night out here in the dunes."
Kashiwagi took the lead, with Iris and Fraxure following close behind.
...
They weren't actually far from the tower's site; they reached the coordinates in less than two minutes.
"I'm counting on you, Steelix."
Kashiwagi patted the giant serpent's metallic hide and quickly backed away to give her some room to work.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Steelix let out a thunderous cry. To Iris's amazement, the Steel-type began spinning her horizontal ridges, whipping up a terrifying Sandstorm that rapidly swallowed the entire area in a beige haze.
Through the swirling grit, the towering silhouette of the Mirage Tower slowly flickered into existence.
Kashiwagi didn't rush in immediately. Instead, he reached out toward Iris.
"Can I borrow your phone for a second?"
"Huh? Oh, sure!"
She hadn't quite caught his meaning at first, but once he repeated himself, she handed it over.
To her and Fraxure's horror, Kashiwagi took the phone and tossed it straight into Steelix's gaping maw.
Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"Once we get inside and grab your gear, I'll call your number," Kashiwagi yelled over the howling wind.
"That'll signal Steelix to open the 'door' again from the outside. That way, she doesn't have to keep the sandstorm running the whole time and exhaust herself."
Iris had a lightbulb moment. "Oh, I get it! Wait... you're coming in too?"
"An experience like this only happens once in a lifetime! It'd be a waste not to check it out!" Kashiwagi shouted with a grin, sprinting toward the entrance.
Iris stood frozen for a second, watching the normally "reliable" Kashiwagi act like an excited kid. She quickly hurried after him, unable to resist shouting:
"And you call yourself an adult—you're such a kid!"
"Frax-ure!"
Fraxure grunted in total agreement.
...
Within moments, they were standing inside the Mirage Tower.
Faint sunlight filtered through cracks in the stones, illuminating a massive wall that stretched to the ceiling, with long corridors branching off to the left and right.
"Where exactly is your luggage?" Kashiwagi asked.
"The top floor."
"What? How did you manage to leave it on the top floor?" He looked at her, genuinely baffled.
"Well, Gible got into a scrap with one of those stone Pokémon statues and accidentally fell into a trapdoor," Iris explained.
"I lunged after him and fell in too, and then we just kept falling and falling and falling until we hit the bottom floor."
She went on to describe a short but chaotic saga of trying to climb back up, only to be chased by stone sentries until the main entrance—which they hadn't been able to find before—suddenly swung open.
"Pitfall traps..."
Kashiwagi looked up at the ceiling. It was dim where the light couldn't reach, but with his flashlight, he could see sections covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
According to Iris, these traps repaired themselves over time, just like the statues.
Suddenly, the "door" behind them vanished.
The wall became solid stone once more, as if the exit had never existed.
Kashiwagi turned and felt the thick, earthy texture of the wall.
"Did you ever try to just break through the walls?"
"I tried... but they're indestructible," Iris sighed, shaking her head. Fraxure nodded solemnly beside her.
"Try again," Kashiwagi said.
"Right now."
Kashiwagi stepped aside to give them space.
Iris didn't hesitate. "Fraxure! Use Dragon Claw!"
"Frax-ure!"
Fraxure lunged forward, his claws wreathed in glowing emerald energy, and slammed them into the earthen wall. There was a sharp crackle of energy and a spray of dust as the attack connected.
When the dust settled, only a few shallow scratches marred the surface.
"See?" Iris said with a shrug. "It's completely indestructible."
"..."
Kashiwagi frowned slightly. He reached for a Poké Ball and clicked it open.
Pop! A flash of white light, and Mawile appeared on the ground.
"Mawi~"
"Mawile? Oh, she's so cute! Her red hair ribbon is so pretty!" Iris was instantly smitten by Mawile's charm and lunged forward to scoop her up.
Unfortunately, Mawile stepped back with graceful precision, firmly resisting the hug.
Celebrities do not get hugged by strangers!
Ever since she realized how high her "popularity" was, Mawile had abandoned her "lady" persona in favor of acting like a full-blown "diva."
She still, however, refused to learn how to read—determined, to remain a beautiful illiterate forever.
Kashiwagi ignored Iris's crestfallen expression and knocked on the wall.
"Help me tear this down. Use Swords Dance and Iron Head."
"Mawi-le~!"
Mawile understood.
She spun in place, her physical attack stat skyrocketing, then suddenly whipped the massive, silver-glowing jaws behind her head into the wall like a wrecking hammer!
BOOM!
The deafening roar made Iris and Fraxure jump backward. The sheer force of the impact shook the very floor, filling the air with thick, choking dust.
"What? What happened? Is it an earthquake?!"
She repeated the words nervously, utterly stunned that a cute-looking Mawile could pack that kind of destructive power.
Fraxure's jaw hung open in shock.
A moment later, a gentle gust of wind cleared the haze, revealing Mawile and Kashiwagi.
Kashiwagi was standing in front of the wall, where the impact had left a spiderweb of deep cracks. He began picking at the edges, trying to pry a piece loose, but to no avail.
"The wall... it's self-repairing."
Kashiwagi watched as the sand and earth seemed to move like a living thing, slowly filling in the cracks. It was genuinely unsettling.
He knew that the anime world was packed with these kinds of bizarre, logic-defying ancient ruins.
If this world weren't a perfectly polished pseudo-utopia, it would be just as dangerous and twisted as the Pokémon Adventures manga.
Iris, however, didn't seem scared at all—she hadn't even been afraid when she was trapped inside. She simply waved a friendly hand at Mawile. "Hello~"
"Mawi..."
Mawile glanced at her and decided she needed to stay as far away from this weird human as possible.
Iris let out a deflated sigh, realizing she was being shunned.
When Kashiwagi told her it was time to move on, she just nodded lethargically.
"What's wrong with her?" Kashiwagi asked, bewildered.
Fraxure and Mawile both shook their heads, equally confused.
...
The Second Floor
They moved forward. Soon, they reached the staircase. The steps were cracked and looked treacherous, but they were sturdier than they appeared.
According to Iris, the second floor was where the stone Pokémon statues and pitfall traps really started to show up.
The statues were embedded directly into the walls, waiting to spring out and attack without warning.
"Sounds a lot like gargoyles," Kashiwagi remarked.
"Gargoyles?"
"A mythical creature from movies. Not a Pokémon, and doesn't actually exist."
"Movies? Like, on the big screen? I love movies!"
"You could say that," Kashiwagi chuckled.
They chatted as they reached the second floor. Just like the first level, light filtered through the cracks in the walls, but visibility remained low.
Kashiwagi scanned the hallway with his flashlight. Dozens of hairline fractures crisscrossed the floor—undoubtedly the pitfall traps.
Honestly, though? These traps were hardly a threat. He could easily cross them by having everyone ride on the backs of Hydreigon or Dragonite. The real question was how the statues would manifest.
Every trap had a trigger mechanism. Temperature, sound, even light...
"This is getting annoying," Kashiwagi muttered.
He decided to abandon the puzzle-solving approach.
He had Aggron and the others; he could just brute-force his way through.