The forest was still smoldering.
Cinders drifted like snowflakes through the ruined clearing, swirling above scorched soil and shattered trees. The scent of burnt leaves and scorched ozone hung heavy in the air.
Ray coughed softly and stood, legs trembling beneath him.
At the center of the battlefield, Dragonite lay motionless—its enormous body cracked and blackened from the final Hyper Beam. Blood seeped into the earth beneath it, pooling slowly.
But just as Ray took a cautious step closer…
Clink.
The cage door popped open.
With a soft creak, it swung wide and fell with a metallic thud.
The lock had been smashed—Dragonite's final act had been to reach through the bars and tear it open.
From within, a tiny form crawled forward on shaking coils.
Dratini – Combat Level: 5 | Aptitude: Core PurpleCondition: Stable. Emotional state: Severe distress.
"Dratini…" Ray whispered.
The small dragon blinked at the light for the first time since its hatching—and saw the body of its mother lying in front of it.
A trembling whimper escaped its throat.
It slithered forward, soft cries turning into heart-wrenching wails. It nudged Dragonite's nose with its own, then its head, curling close to her cheek, coiling against her still-warm neck.
Ray's chest tightened.
He didn't need Statsight to feel the sorrow in that cry.
Then… Dragonite stirred.
Barely.
Its eye opened. Faint, unfocused, but conscious.
It turned—not toward Dratini—but toward Ray.
"...You're awake," Ray murmured, falling to his knees beside it.
Pidgeotto landed quietly behind him, solemn and silent.
Dragonite blinked slowly, then raised a trembling claw. Not to threaten—but to beckon.
Ray hesitated… then stepped closer.
Kneeling beside the massive creature, he reached forward and gently touched its shoulder.
"I… I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered. "I want to help."
He tried to examine her condition using his insight—but even without it, the truth was obvious.
Dozens of lacerations.
Burn wounds.
Internal bleeding.
Her aura was flickering like a dying flame.
Dragonite – Fatal condition. No stabilization possible. Time remaining: Minutes.
"No…" Ray whispered. "No, no—there has to be something—"
Tears welled in his eyes before he could stop them.
"I can't save you…"
Dratini let out a broken, keening sound, its body wrapped tightly around Dragonite's side.
Dragonite exhaled, slow and soft—then lifted a claw and pressed it gently to Dratini's head. The young dragon grew still.
Then she turned her head again and tapped Ray's chest—once, firmly.
Her message was clear.
Protect her.
Ray's throat tightened as the realization sank in.
She wasn't asking.
She was entrusting.
"You… want me to take care of Dratini?"
Dragonite gave the faintest nod, her eye still locked on his.
Ray wiped at his cheeks and forced a trembling smile.
"Then I promise… I'll raise them strong. I'll protect her no matter what."
Pidgeotto chirped beside him and flared its wings in agreement.
Dratini slowly turned to Ray, tears still falling—but its small body slithered to his side, pressing against his arm.
Dragonite let out a final exhale.
A whisper of wind.
And then… she went still.
Her massive chest no longer rose.
The light in her eye faded.
She was gone.
Ray didn't speak for a long time.
Even Pidgeotto bowed its head, feathers puffed in solemn silence.
Eventually, Ray stood, cradling Dratini gently in his arms. The little Pokémon clung to him tightly, burying its face in his chest.
"We can't leave her here," Ray said softly.
With care and reverence, he and Pidgeotto spent the rest of the afternoon digging.
They buried Dragonite at the foot of a tall, unburned tree—one of the few left standing in the clearing. Ray placed smooth stones around the site, marking it with a spiral of feathers, twigs, and a large flat slab of bark where he etched a single word:
Guardian.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ray stood beside the grave with Pidgeotto perched on his shoulder and Dratini coiled around his neck.
"We have to get stronger," he whispered. "All of us. So nothing like this happens again."
Pidgeotto nodded firmly.
Dratini, still sniffling, gave a faint, tearful chirp—and nodded too.