Pokémon: Starting with Ash's Mom

Kazuki stood quietly by the lakeside, the fishing rod in his hand trembling slightly. 

Aura Power and Psychic abilities interwove seamlessly, locking silently onto the mysterious figure underwater.

Once he'd confirmed that the Pokémon beneath was indeed a Dratini, a slight smile lifted Kazuki's lips as he plotted his next move in his heart.

Although Dratini was smart, at its core, it remained an innocent glutton. 

The bait prepared by Suzie, the finest little cook around, was simply irresistible to wild Pokémon like this.

"Kazuki, what on earth are you waiting for?" 

Misty had grown impatient after seeing Kazuki repeatedly casting more bait into the water. 

Unable to contain herself any longer, she stepped closer with hands planted firmly on her hips, frustration evident in her voice.

"You've fed all of that special bait you got from Suzie to whatever's eating underwater! Are you seriously not going to pull the rod back? Kazuki, we came here to fish, not to feed!"

Kazuki chuckled at Misty's words, the hallmark complaint of an impatient angler, and answered with an enigmatic tone. 

"Patience, Misty. Fishing requires calmness, especially when you're dealing with such a clever, greedy little one."

Misty scratched her head in confusion, clearly unable to grasp his intent. 

"Did you see what kind of big fish is down there?" She turned hopefully towards Suzie, seeking her support. "Suzie, do you understand what Kazuki is doing? As a daughter of Cerulean Gym, I guarantee that fish is already hooked—so why doesn't Kazuki just reel it in?"

Suzie smiled softly, looking gently at Kazuki as she softly spoke up. 

"Don't be hasty, Misty. I'm sure Kazuki has his reasons for doing this. Perhaps he's sensed something very special."

Luckily, with the gentle Suzie there to soothe tensions, Kazuki could maintain his concentration undisturbed. Without her, Misty might've just leaped into the lake and grabbed the fish herself to give Kazuki a hand.

"Something special?" Misty's eyes sparkled suddenly. "You mean... it could actually be a super rare Pokémon?"

Kazuki didn't respond right away, maintaining his unwavering gaze on the water surface instead. 

His Aura Power had already thoroughly pinpointed Dratini's exact position, while Psychic ability gently nudged the little dragon's movements below.

Dratini, now completely at ease, blissfully savored the bait Kazuki offered, utterly oblivious to the invisible Psychic net slowly encircling it.

"Now's the moment." With perfect control over his abilities, Kazuki snapped his wrist sharply, lifting the rod swiftly upward.

Realizing something was amiss, the gluttonous Dratini panicked and attempted to dart away—but found itself hitting an unseen barrier underwater, unable to break through the Psychic barrier sealing its escape.

Splash!

With Kazuki's steady tug, Dratini shot gracefully from the lake, trailing water droplets sparkling brilliantly in the sun, scales glittering majestically—like a legendary creature born of myths and dreams.

"Oh my goodness, it's—it's really—a Dratini!" Misty gasped loudly, staring at the Pokémon in disbelief. 

Her voice trembled slightly from the thrill. "Kazuki, you're amazing! You've actually hooked a Dratini!"

Suzie placed a hand over her mouth in surprise, eyes bright with delight. "Oh, I never thought a Dratini would truly be here—it's adorable!"

It was obvious both Misty and Suzie adored the little Dratini dearly. 

If he chose to gift it away now, Kazuki knew it would significantly advance his romance missions with both ladies.

However, Kazuki himself was lacking powerful Dragon-type combat potential right now, so those romance tasks could be pushed aside temporarily. 

Besides, Misty and Suzie were already deeply in love with him; there'd be ample opportunities later.

Kazuki gently drew Dratini onto the shore. Surprisingly, Dratini didn't panic but rather gazed up curiously at Kazuki, an innocent, playful sparkle gleaming in its eyes.

"You greedy little dragon, have you finally had your fill?" Kazuki teased softly, squatting down to meet Dratini at eye level, showing a relaxed demeanor to win its trust.

Dratini blinked at him calmly, evidently comfortable around him. 

It lightly swished its tail, spraying a few droplets onto Kazuki's face, before eagerly nuzzling its head into his palm.

"I-It looks like it really likes you!" Misty blurted, astonished envy evident in her gaze.

Kazuki smiled inwardly, grateful once again for having obtained that aura earlier—the one enhancing affinity towards Dragonite's evolutionary line. 

That aura not only boosted rapport with Dragonite but naturally attracted Dratini and Dragonair too. With this significant advantage, winning over Dratini had become infinitely easier!

"Kazuki, hurry and catch it already!" Misty exclaimed excitedly, tugging on his arm with glowing eyes. 

"That's a Dratini! A super rare Dragon-type Pokémon! Even if I can't bond with it personally, having my boyfriend capture it means I get to see it often enough!"

"Don't rush things." Kazuki patiently continued his bonding session. 

"Rare Pokémon like this aren't like Tauros. You can't just throw any random Poké Ball to catch them immediately. We must interact a little first."

Misty pouted lightly, though she understood Kazuki's reasoning and reluctantly subdued her bubbling excitement, quietly observing his ongoing bonding with the little dragon.

Just at that moment, hurried footsteps approached from a distance.

A familiar figure emerged breathlessly onto the scene—the Safari Zone warden himself, Kaiser. He rushed frantically toward them, urgency and panic plainly written all over his face.

"No capturing allowed! Don't capture it! You can't catch Dratini!"

Each shout was louder than the last. 

Had he not experienced Kazuki's Psychic might before, Kaiser would probably have drawn his revolver and opened fire in sheer panic already.

Kazuki slowly looked up, shooting Kaiser a mild glance as he spoke calmly, "And why exactly can't I capture it? I've precisely followed all Safari Zone regulations—using only the fishing rod provided, the Safari Zone Poké Balls supplied, and haven't even exceeded the catching limit, still possessing more than ten Poké Balls remaining. Also, I never battled it with my Pokémon; my Pikachu is just relaxing over there!"

Kazuki cleanly sealed any objections Kaiser might have had with an irrefutable argument, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Well, you see... this Dratini... it has a bad temperament. Very difficult to handle!" Kaiser stammered weakly, desperately grasping at straws.

"What if you anger it?! It might affect other Pokémon around here!"

Hearing Kaiser's warning, Kazuki merely smiled enigmatically. 

Taking a small portion of specially-prepared bait from Suzie's hands, he slowly squatted down, holding it out gently in front of the little dragon.

Dratini sniffed curiously at the food, eyes instantly lighting up with excitement.

Thanks to Kazuki's Dragonite affinity aura, Dratini moved closer without the slightest hesitation, eagerly savoring the delicious bait from Kazuki's palm. 

With his free hand, Kazuki lightly stroked the top of its head; the little dragon didn't resist, but instead wore a content, blissful expression.

"Mr. Kaiser, look here—this Dratini doesn't seem nearly as irritable as you said." Kazuki lifted his head, voice tinged playfully.

Kaiser stared at the scene with wide eyes, a stunned look of disbelief etched deeply onto his face. 

Falling heavily onto his knees, his voice shook in desperation, "Impossible... That's impossible! It took me such effort just to snap a single photograph with Dratini back then—how can you just...?!"

Ignoring Kaiser's emotional outburst, Kazuki calmly continued interacting with Dratini. 

Enjoying Kazuki's gentle touches immensely, Dratini playfully flicked its tail against his arm, seemingly communicating affection and delight.

A surge of jealousy consumed Kaiser as he abruptly sprang to his feet and declared loudly, "Kazuki, you...you can't possibly understand Dratini! I'm its true friend! I spent so many years guarding this place, just to see it once again!"

Desperately approaching the water, Kaiser attempted to prove his claim, edging toward the Pokémon. But upon spotting Kaiser's advance, Dratini instinctively drifted away from him, eyes instantly wary and cautious.

"Why? Dratini... don't you remember me? I'm your friend, Kaiser!" Kaiser's voice trembled weakly as he continued, "Decades ago, I protected you for months! I understand you better than anyone!"

Dratini simply tilted its head slightly, unresponsive to his pleading cries. 

Instead, it calmly swam even closer to Kazuki, happily expressing its newfound affection toward him.

Kaiser's heart sank deeply. 

The frustration he felt was akin to pursuing his goddess fervently for years, only to watch helplessly as she instantly fell for the smooth, charismatic newcomer.

Just as Kaiser slumped onto the ground in despair, the peaceful sapphire surface of the lake abruptly erupted into wild, chaotic ripples.

As though an invisible hand stirred beneath, the lake center burst forth with shimmering silver-white radiance.

Kazuki's Aura Power tightened sharply as his gaze snapped toward the epicenter of the disturbance.

A moment later, an elegant, serpentine Pokémon rose majestically from beneath the water: a magnificent Dragonair. Her slender form glittered in dazzling radiance beneath the sunlight, regal and beautiful beyond description.

Seeing Dragonair emerge, Dratini eagerly darted towards her, lovingly nuzzling the elegant dragon's sleek body. 

Dragonair gracefully lowered her head, gently brushing Dratini's forehead in response, tenderness filling her eyes.

Kaiser gazed upwards at Dragonair, and realization slowly dawned upon him, a hint of surprise coloring his voice. 

Carefully observing, he suddenly shouted, "You... you must be that Dratini from back then! You've evolved into Dragonair now!"

Dragonair glanced down coldly at Kaiser, mild contempt flashing momentarily across her elegant features—as though silently scolding, "You couldn't even recognize me properly, yet claim yourself my closest friend?"

Kaiser's face reddened in embarrassment, yet he quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Dragonair, remember me? It's me, Kaiser! Back then, I protected and watched over you so closely—we used to be great friends!"

Excitement overwhelmed him. 

He leapt impulsively into the lake, trying desperately to approach Dragonair, incessantly recounting their past memories. 

Occasionally he glanced proudly towards Kazuki, as if attempting to prove that he—not Kazuki—held the special bond.

However, Dragonair ignored Kaiser's passionate overtures entirely, choosing instead to calmly escort her child closer towards Kazuki.

Intrigued by the unique aura she sensed emanating from Kazuki, curiosity shimmered clearly in Dragonair's deep eyes.

"Dragonair, wait—where are you going? Come back! I'm over here! I'm Kaiser!" He called hoarsely, pleadingly trying to redirect Dragonair's path.

In response, Dragonair gracefully flicked her tail once, unleashing a small wave that effortlessly knocked Kaiser straight back onto the lakeshore, soaked and embarrassed.

Kaiser scrambled pathetically back to land, devastated and disoriented. 

As he raised his eyes, witnessing mother and daughter Pokémon both showing affection exclusively toward Kazuki, an overwhelming sense of despair crushed him.

For decades, he had tirelessly protected and waited, hoping fervently to meet Dragonair again. 

But when their reunion finally arrived, the mother and daughter pair lovingly gravitated directly towards this handsome newcomer, easily embracing him over their supposed protector.

A bitter pain gnawed at Kaiser's chest, as if the beautiful goddess he'd admired from afar had casually surrendered to the charm of another man before his very eyes.

"This... this just can't be happening..." he whispered mournfully, despair overtaking his every sense of hope and confidence...

----

Join my Patreon for early access to chapters and to support my work: Patreon.com/rivyura