"Come on, Dream, don't falter at the last moment—just hit."
Al's voice was firm but gentle, his eyes flicking down to the trembling Dreepy clinging to his leg. Dream's little body shook, eyes misted with tears, but she didn't let go.
In front of them, the chaos unfolded. Morpeko—Mero now, as Al had dubbed him—was in the Corviknight's face, fists flying. The steel raven shrieked as the pint-sized fighter clung to its head, tiny fists hammering again and again.
The mighty bird thrashed, wings buffeting the air, trying to shake him loose. But Mero only growled, tightening his grip. Sparks crackled around his cheeks, anger and hunger mixing into wild bursts of energy.
Then the Corviknight's beak flared with steel light. With a sudden whip of its neck, it tried to land a {Peck}, its beak jabbing toward Mero.
Al's breath hitched. "Move!"
But Mero was already in motion. With a cocky little hop, he dodged the strike and bounced free, landing lightly on the ground.
The raven screeched, wings snapping wide, and launched itself upward, beating the air furiously as it climbed.
"Hey, Mero, look out!" Al called, his tone sharp but with a hint of a grin. "That Corviknight doesn't seem like it wants to let this go."
Mero squinted up, then casually glanced back at Al. He raised a stubby paw, flashing a confident thumbs-up.
"Pe~ Peko."
Al huffed out a laugh despite the tension. That little guy was reckless—but fearless.
Above, the Corviknight circled once, its dark body cutting across the sky, but then it hesitated. With a final glare at the ground below, it turned and flew off into the distance, disappearing past the treeline.
Al's shoulders eased. "Well… guess not that Corviknight, huh?"
Dream, still perched on his head now, let out a relieved trill, pressing her cheek into his hair.
Al chuckled and tilted his head, looking up at her. 'We'll find one of those Rookidee—raise it ourselves. That way, we'll have our own flyer to rely on.'
Dream hummed happily at the thought, her tears forgotten.
Meanwhile, Mero had already scampered back to Al, but instead of staying out, he waddled toward Pocket's open interface, cheeks puffing with anticipation.
"Yeah, yeah," Al said with a sigh and a smirk. "Back inside to eat again."
Mero dove in without hesitation, the sound of munching echoing faintly as the portal closed.
Al scratched the back of his head and looked to the forest path ahead. "Guess my team's growing faster than I thought."
---
"Dream! Dragon Tail, now!"
Al's voice cut through the air as the little Dreepy faced off against a Zigzagoon barreling straight at her, its body glowing with a yellow sheen of {Take Down}.
Dream hesitated for only a second before her tail flared green. At the last moment, she whipped around and smacked the Zigzagoon square on the head, slamming it into the dirt with a dull thud.
"Good! Follow up with Astonish!"
Al's next command came without pause. Dream curled her tiny body, a dark-red aura spilling out from her ghostly frame before surging forward. The shadow struck the dazed Zigzagoon, whose eyes rolled back as it collapsed into unconsciousness.
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then Dream blinked, realizing what had just happened—she had won her very first battle. Her eyes shimmered with relief and joy. With a shaky cry, she zipped toward Al, arms open for a hug.
But when she reached him, her bravado broke. She clung tightly to his arm instead, trembling, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Dree~py…"
Al let out a soft sigh, a proud smile tugging at his lips. He gently rubbed her head, his voice low and reassuring.
"It's okay now. You did great."
Dream sniffled, then nodded, wiping her face on his sleeve before fluttering back to her usual perch on his head, determination flickering beneath her shyness.
Al crouched beside the fainted Zigzagoon, pulling Pocket free. From within, he produced a Leppa Berry and pressed it into the Pokémon's mouth. After a moment, the Zigzagoon stirred, blinking awake in confusion.
She tilted her head at him, dazed, tongue lolling out of her mouth in an almost goofy expression. The sight tugged at Al's chest, breaking his composure with a soft laugh.
"Hey," he said warmly, making up his mind in an instant, "I want you. From now on, you'll come with me—free food, free place."
The Zigzagoon didn't understand a word of what he was saying. But Al's excitement was infectious. Her ears perked, tail wagging furiously, and with a happy yip, she bounded straight into his chest, knocking him back a step.
Al chuckled, catching her in his arms."Guess that's a yes."
---
It was dawn in the forest, and the group had set their camp by a quiet riverside.
Al and Morpeko were busy putting together a tent made from woven flora, working in sync as the morning light filtered through the trees. Morpeko dragged branches over while Al tied them into place, the structure slowly taking shape.
Near the fire, Dream and Zai lingered beside the pot where a berry soup simmered, its sweet aroma rising into the cool air. Next to it sat a small bag of berries, tempting enough to keep Zai occupied.
Dream's gaze stayed fixed on Al, watching him work with quiet admiration, while Zai pawed eagerly at the bag. The little Zigzagoon dug out a berry, gnawed on it, and then tossed the half-bitten piece aside.
Dream flinched when it struck her. She blinked, picked it up in confusion, and before she could react, another berry hit her square in the face. Narrowing her eyes, Dream turned sharply—
Only to freeze.
A massive shadow loomed over the camp. From above descended a Corviknight, its metallic feathers glinting in the dawn light. Its claws clutched Zai tightly, the little Zigzagoon kicking and wriggling in panic.
"Dreepy!!" Dream cried, her voice trembling as she looked up at the steel giant.