The four of us followed the natives as we ventured deeper and deeper into the jungle, the Sceptile sprinting through the trees ahead of us.

I can see how no one could find this village. We're going really deep into the jungle.

"I can't believe we're actually gonna see Ajax Village!" Nina whispered excitedly.

"I know!" I replied.

Chief Chogan turned back and smiled.

"Tell me. What is it that you seek to achieve?" Chief Chogan asked.

"What do we seek to achieve?" Kat parroted, "What do you mean?"

"What do you kids want to accomplish in life? What are your goals? Ambitions?" a native asked.

"Oh! Well, I wanna become a Fairy-type trainer like my mother!" Nina said.

Kat hummed before smiling.

"I want to become a Pokémon researcher," Kat said, "I never realized it at first, but all of my minor goals lead up to that."

"Same for me. I want to learn about every Pokémon I come across," Eric said, "That way, if something were to happen, I know exactly how to handle the situation."

Chief Chogan nodded with a smile before glancing at me.

"What about you, Eragona?" he asked.

"Me? Well, it's similar to Nina's goal," I said, "I want to become a Dragon-type trainer like my grandmother, an Elite Four member."

Chief Chogan nodded, his smile unfazed.

"I can see that your goals are within reach. You have shown me that through your battling," Chief Chogan said, "We have arrived."

When I looked ahead, I saw many huts surrounding a magnificent stone statue in the center.

"Welcome to Ajax Village, children." Chief Chogan said.

The four of us looked at one another and smiled.

We're finally here!

The other natives bowed before leaving their chief's side. I walked up to the stone statue to see many Pokémon carved into it. There was a Noivern, Arcanine, Garchomp, Charizard, and Sceptile.

I took out my Pokéballs and aimed them at the ground.

"Jet and Charcoal!" I cried.

At my command, my Pokémon revealed themselves. The natives around us all gasped in shock.

"They're alive!" cried a child.

Everyone began to cheer.

"What's going on?" Kat asked.

"Take a look at the statue." I said.

Kat looked up, and her eyes widened.

"Are they...?" Kat began.

"They are." Chief Chogan said, walking up to us.

Jet and Charcoal let out uncertain cries as the natives surrounded them. I couldn't help but laugh.

Guess they don't like that much attention.

"My friends, I regret to tell you, but they are not our beloved guardians," Chief Chogan said, "They are loyal to this young lady here before you."

I swallowed a lump and waved.

"These four children before you saved my life, your brothers' lives, and the life of our beloved Sceptile," Chief Chogan said, "They are forever in our debt. And what better way to celebrate their heroism than with the Festival of Fire!"

Another round of cheers erupted.

The Festival of Fire? I can't wait!

Chief Chogan then turned to me with a soft smile.

"Eragona, would your Pokémon be willing to light the bonfire tonight?" he asked.

"That's right! It's a tradition that a Dragon and Fire-type light the bonfire." Eric said.

I smiled and called over Jet and Charcoal. When they were in front of me, I told them Chief Chogan's request. Both of them turned to the chief and nodded.

"They'll do it!" I said.

Chief Chogan smiled and placed his hands on their heads.

"I can sense their strength," he said, "You have raised them with such love and care; I can feel it!"

Jet and Charcoal let out soft cries and leaned into the chief's touch. That's when Sceptile jumped down from the trees with a friendly cry. Jet and Charcoal eventually returned that cry.

Since they resemble two past guardians, Sceptile has great respect for them, and I'm glad it's not shunning them. That would've been really bad...

"I must prepare the festivities," Chief Chogan said, "You are free to explore the village to your heart's content."

With a final wave, Chief Chogan walked away. The four of us glanced at one another before smiling. I turned to my Pokémon and Sceptile and walked up to them.

"Sceptile, do you mind showing us around?" I asked.

Libby soon let out a cry as if she were asking as well. Sceptile smiled and let out a friendly cry as it smiled. When I returned my Pokémon to their Pokéballs, Sceptile started walking ahead of us, eventually gesturing its claw for us to follow it. Smiling at each other, the four of us followed the Ajax Guardian.

Hmm... Every Ajax Guardian was either a Dragon-type or Fire-type. If I remember correctly, Sceptile is a Grass-type. Does that mean Sceptile can Mega Evolve into a Dragon-type?

When Sceptile came to a halt, he presented us with a small area covered in moss, leaves, and straw. Looking around, I saw a Goodra lying down in the shade. Surrounding it were different-colored eggs.

"Is this a nursery?" Nina asked.

"It is." said a kind voice.

Turning around, we saw a young woman wearing a beautiful dull red, blue, and brown dress.

"I am Zihna, caretaker of these eggs," she said, "My Goodra watches over the eggs when I am not around. She also heats them so they can hatch. If any of my brothers' or sisters' Pokémon has an egg, it gets taken here so it can hatch."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Kat said.

Zihna smiled as she walked over to the eggs.

"Are any of these eggs your Goodra's?" I asked.

"Two," Zihna said, "The ones wrapped in her tail."

Looking down, I saw two eggs the same color as Goodra.

"That's so sweet." I said.

Sceptile let out a cry before moving forward.

"It was wonderful meeting you, Zihna." Eric said.

"You, too," she said, "See you at the festival!"

With a final wave, the four of us followed the Ajax Guardian. Sceptile soon stopped and let out a cry. Looking ahead, I saw a hut with a lot of tapestries. We walked inside and saw that the tapestries had the Ajax Guardians on them. I then caught a glimpse of a man that looked like Chief Chogan. Looking around at the tapestries, I saw they were telling a story.

I'm guessing the tapestries tell how Ajax Village rose and fell.

As I admired the tapestries, I saw a picture of a man holding up a shining stone. Looking ahead, I saw a Pokémon that looked like Sceptile, but not completely.

Is that... Sceptile's Mega Evolution?

Below the tapestry, I saw a small chest. My curiosity got the best of me, and I opened it. Inside was a Pokéball, a Mega Stone, and a smaller, green, and orange stone resembling a marble.

Whoa...

"Are you seeing this, Libby?" I asked.

Libby let out a soft cry as she nodded. When I heard a familiar cry, I saw Sceptile looming over me. I swallowed hard, not knowing what it was going to do. The Sceptile walked over to the chest and placed its claws over it, causing the small box to close. Looking at the tapestry, I looked at the man and back at Sceptile.

"Was he your trainer?" I asked.

Sceptile sighed and nodded. A wave of sympathy crashed over me. I turned back to look at the others, and they had the same expression as me. I then placed a hand on the Pokémon's back and smiled.

"I know he's watching over you, proud of the Pokémon you've become." I said.

The Sceptile turned to me before letting out an uncertain cry. Libby bounced up and let out happy cries.

"Same." Kat said.

"I agree as well." Eric said.

"Yeah!" Nina said, "I know he's so happy and proud of you!"

That's when Charcoal and Jet leaped out of their Pokéballs and uttered reassuring cries. The Sceptile smiled and let out a happy cry.

I know this Sceptile has been through a lot, losing its friends, family, and trainer, but it's still protecting its home as if it never left.

"Children." said a familiar voice.

We turned around to see Chief Chogan standing in the huts entry, wearing a soft smile.

"Evening is upon us," he said, "The Festival of Fire will begin soon. Follow me."

Returning Charcoal and Jet, we all followed the chief back to the center of the village. Some of the natives were placing wood inside the statue's bowl.

"That is where the Dragon Flame will burn and where your Pokémon will light it, Eragona," Chief Chogan said, "Are they ready?"

"Yes, sir." I said.

The chief nodded and turned to the statue. Sceptile soon walked over to one of the natives and started helping him carry wood.

"Sceptile's trainer was my great-great-grandfather. He was the first chief of Ajax Village and the only one who knew Mega Evolution," Chief Chogan explained, "In his honor, we leave his Key Stone and Sceptile's Mega Stone in that chest."

"And Sceptile's Pokéball." I added.

Chief Chogan grunted with a firm nod.

"Why don't you use Mega Evolution anymore?" Kat asked.

Chief Chogan sighed as he watched the Sceptile.

"Because Sceptile doesn't want to," Chief Chogan said, "I would try to persuade it to use Mega Evolution, but it always refuses."

I turned to look at the Sceptile, and a look of hurt stained my features.

"Maybe it wants to grow stronger on its own before it feels ready to use Mega Evolution again," I said, "If I lost my friends and family, and I was one of the only ones left, I'd feel like it was my fault for losing them."

"I would as well," Kat said, "And I'd do whatever it takes to grow stronger to be able to protect the friends and family that survived."

"Same." Eric and Nina said.

The chief sighed and turned his attention back on Sceptile.

"Perhaps you children are right," he said, looking up at the sky, "It is time for the festival. I will gather the others. Have your Pokémon ready, Eragona."

"Yes, sir." I said.

When he walked away, I took out my Pokéballs and tossed them in the air.

"Charcoal, Jet! Come on out!" I said.

At my command, my Pokémon appeared before me.

"It's time, you guys," I said, "You ready?"

Jet and Charcoal let out mighty roars. Turning around, I saw the other natives start to gather. Chief Chogan soon stood in the middle of the crowd, and everything grew silent.

"Welcome, brothers and sisters, to the Festival of Fire!" he announced, "Here, we celebrate the mighty Ajax Guardians and honor our fallen comrades."

Everyone bowed their heads in reverence.

"Tonight, not only do we celebrate our guardians and fallen brothers; we are here to celebrate these four children!" Chief Chogan turned to us, "Thanks to their fortitude, they rescued me, your brothers, and our last guardian, Sceptile."

The natives around us cheered and applauded.

"Tonight, the Charizard and Garchomp that stand before you will have the honor of lighting the Dragon Flame!" Chief Chogan announced.

The cheers only grew louder. Nodding to my Pokémon, Jet and Charcoal walked up to the statue and let out excited cries.

"Jet, use Dragon Pulse! Charcoal, use Flamethrower!" I said.

At my command, my Pokémon released mighty roars and unleashed their attacks at the wood. When their attacks collided, the logs became engulfed in flames. The natives began to cheer, causing my friends and me to smile and join in.

"My friends, I encourage you, if you have any Dragon-types or Fire-types on you, release them so they can celebrate with us!" Chief Chogan said.

Kat, Eric, and I took out our Pokéballs and tossed them into the night sky. Soon, our beloved Dragon-type Pokémon appeared.

"Welcome to the Festival of Fire, guys!" I said.

"Here, they celebrate Fire and Dragon-types, like you!" Kat said excitedly.

"So, go ahead and have fun!" Eric said.

Our Pokémon let out happy cries before joining their friends. Libby hopped off my shoulder and started dancing to the natives' song; Angel soon joined. I looked at Kaiba, Jawbreaker, and Zora to see them dancing with Eric's Axew. That's when the smaller Dragon-types started glowing and growing in size at the same time.

What in the world?

The music stopped, and everyone stared at our Pokémon. When the light died down, three new Pokémon stood before us. I took out my Pokédex and scanned them.

"Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Dratini. Dragonair stores an enormous amount of energy inside its body. It is said to alter weather conditions in its vicinity by discharging energy from the crystals on its neck and tail."

"Fraxure, the Axe Jaw Pokémon, and the evolved form of Axew. A broken tusk will not grow back, so it diligently sharpens its tusks on river rocks after the end of a battle."

The three new Pokémon let out loud cries, causing the natives to cheer. Eric and I ran up to our Pokémon and embraced them.

"I can't believe they evolved so quickly!" I said.

"Yeah!" Eric said, looking at me, "With our newly evolved Pokémon, we'll be able to tackle any problem that comes our way, especially Team Xenon."

I nodded firmly with a kind smile. I looked at Zora to see her crystalline orbs that shimmered in the light of the fire. I turned to Jawbreaker and saw that he was a different color than Eric's Fraxure. While his Fraxure was dark green and red, Jawbreaker was dark lime green and turquoise.

So this is what shiny Fraxure looks like, huh? I can't wait to see what he evolves into next, as well as his shiny!

I then saw Chief Chogan walk up to us with a kind smile.

"That is the power of the Dragon Flame. Every year, a Dragon-type or Fire-type will evolve, and it looks like this year, your Pokémon evolved," Chief Chogan explained, "With new Pokémon, there will be new challenges, much greater than the last, so you must always be ready."

Eric and I stood up and nodded.

"We will." we said in unison.

Chief Chogan smiled and nodded. Kat and Nina ran up to us and embraced us tightly.

"Congratulations!" Kat said, "You two deserve it!"

"Thanks, Kat!" Eric said.

"I can't wait to see what these three are capable of." Nina said, backing away.

"Same," I said, placing my hands on Zora and Jawbreaker, "I can't wait, either."

Libby and our other Pokémon soon came up to us and let out happy cries. Zora, Jawbreaker, and Eric's Fraxure happily returned it.

Just wait until Grandma Eli hears about this!

I then felt something nudge my shoulder. Turning around, I saw that it was Sceptile. I smiled and placed my hand on its head. That's when I saw a Pokéball in its claws. It then dropped the Pokéball in front of me with a smile. My eyes widened when the picture became clear. I picked up the Pokéball and looked up at the Sceptile.

"Do you... want to come with me?" I asked.

The Sceptile let out a friendly cry and nodded. I turned to the chief with uncertainty.

"Chief Chogan, I don't know if I can," I began, "He's the last Ajax Guardian, and I-"

"We will be fine," Chief Chogan said, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Sceptile has been protecting our village for generations. I think it is time for it to see the world, and what better way to do that than traveling with the trainer that resembles its past master?"

My heart fluttered with happiness.

I remind Sceptile of its past trainer...?

"So, will you grant Sceptile's wish?" Chief Chogan asked.

I turned to look at my friends and Pokémon, and they nodded with smiles. I turned back to look at Sceptile and smiled as I held out his Pokéball.

"Welcome to the family, Sceptile." I said.

The ball opened, and Sceptile got sucked inside. I smiled as I looked down at the Pokéball.

"I promise to take good care of Sceptile." I said.

"I have no worries, young Eragona," he said, "Thank you."

I nodded and looked down at the Pokéball. Gripping it, I tossed it into the night sky.

"Sceptile!" I cried.

At my command, Sceptile appeared with a loud cry.

"Welcome to the team, Sceptile!" Nina said, "We're gonna have so much fun together!"

Sceptile smiled and let out a friendly cry.

"Are you gonna give Sceptile a name?" Eric asked.

I turned to Sceptile and stroked my hand down its head.

"Yeah..." I said, "Ajax, in honor of Ajax Village. Do you want to be called that?"

The Sceptile let out a happy cry and nodded.

"Ajax it is!" I said happily.

Jet and Charcoal walked up to Ajax and let out friendly cries, to which Ajax returned.

"Children, may I have a word with you?" Chief Chogan asked.

Nodding, the four of us left our Pokémon and the festivities and followed the chief into a large hut.

"Is everything alright, Chief Chogan?" Kat asked.

The chief sighed and nodded.

"Everything is fine; I just need you to deliver something to someone very special to me." he said.

The chief walked up to us and handed us a small chest that was the color of the natives' clothes.

"What's inside?" Kat asked, taking the small box.

"Herbs and other healing items," Chief Chogan said, "If you head east of the village, you will be on the trail that will lead you to Grandisle City. There, say under the Dragon Flame, understand?"

"Cool!" Nina said, "Who are these for?"

Chief Chogan looked away with a soft smile.

"Elsu," he answered, "My son."

The four of us looked at one another with wide eyes.

Chief Chogan has a son!?