Chapter Text

Chapter-1

A Bird who misses his Nest

5:30 PM, Michina Town, Sinnoh Region.

The Orange hue of the setting sun, reflected by the large, shiny lake, created a scenery so breathtaking that Dick Grayson could stare at it all day long. It was truly beautiful. Although he wasn't much of a Photography enthusiast, he still takes out a camera. It's the one thatTim had gifted him when he briefly visited his Wayne Family in Kalos. 

"..evee?" Grayson's Evee rubbed against his left leg affectionately, almost as if comforting him. 

Tucking the camera, surely back in  his backpack, grayson bent down and picked her up gently in his arms. 

"You're tired too, right?" He said, but the words for him too as much as they were for his little companion. "It's been a long day.." He gazed at the setting sun and mumbered. "Let's head back to the hotel room." 

He truly needed some good rest. 

After arriving at the hotel and making sure both him and his Pokemon had a good meal, he headed to the bed to rest. But when he arrived in his room he found someone unexpected waiting for him. 

He had just entered through the door when someone ambushed him, trying to hit hi,m but Dick moved fastly, he spun around, avoiding the punch that was about to hit his face, and immediately raised his leg to kick back. 

He landed a successful hit.

"Not bad, little bird. Not bad. Good to see you're skills are still the same." A familiar chuckle fell on his ears, and he looked up in surprise.

"Slade?" Dick stared in confusion. "What are you doing here? Weren't you in Kanto or something?"

"Well... I just arrived here a day ago." Slade Wilson smirked. "Word travels fast, pretty bird. I heard of your little adventure in this town. Can't say I'm too surprised."

Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator as he was most famously known, was a mercenary. But why was Dick Grayson hanging around a deadly mercenary? Well, it's a very long story. But Him and Salde had become good friends(????) during the time they had spent together travelling on the road during Dick's Pokémon journey. 

And the man also knew about the fact that he was Nightwing, something that Grayson had kept till now from his family, a well-guarded secret. 

"But seriously. Why can't you stay out of trouble?"

"Look who's taking." Dick chuckled as he tried to be sarcastic. 

"Care for a drink?" He added. 

"Why not. You definitely look like you could use one." Slade replies. 

They both  decide to spent some time drinking together. And Dick, like always told Slade about what happened this time. The whole thing was wild. Arceus, the jewel of life and don't even get him started on traveling back in time. Slade wasn't surprised. He had gotten used to his situation by now.

But if you ask Dick, he was still trying to process the recent events that had taken place. It was all too much. 

"Maybe you should go home and rest for a while." Slade suggested in a very serious tone. He really meant it.

"Oh shoot. Speaking of home, I haven't contacted anyone back at home from like a whole week." Dick panics. Shit! He needed to come up with some really good excuses this time. His family will not let it slide this time. "Maybe I should say that my gear broke down? Or that I was lost in the forest for a while?

Slade sighed. He was all too used to it by now. "Seriously, Kid. How do you fight and stop literal gods from destroying the world but, can't come up with some convincing excuses? You used the same lie at least four times while we were travelling together."

"Shut up, Slade. Why don't you tell me if you have any better excuses?" Dick and Slade bantered and shared drinks for the night. Slade didn't let him stay up for too long, saying that he really needed to rest this time and Grayson shouldn't argue afterall he did just had to save the world from ending again. 

He drifted to sleep peacefully and prepared himself for the tough conversation he was about to have tomorrow with his family.

7:00 AM, Gotham, near Luminose City, Kalos region.

"Morning, Suckers." Jason yawns as he sits down at the dining table for the morning breakfast. A little sleep still lingered in his eyes. But it pales in comparison to the dark circles beneath Bruce and Tim's eyes. Thet had been working on some important case recently.

"Morning, Master Jason. Would you like some pancakes?" Alfred asks in a calm tone, and Jason nods happily. Just what he needed to start his morning. Cass and Steph soon arrive at the table and greet everyone. The family is almost all here in the mansion except Dick Grayson. 

"Has anyone heard from Richard?" Is the first thing Damian asks as he arrives downstairs. "He hasn't called me once. It's been a week, and I'm starting to think that he has gotten lost in a forest again."

"Good morning to you too, demon brat." Jaosn frowns. Dick never misses to call damian for that long. "Maybe he's just busy preparing for another Pokémon contest?" He reasons. 

"I don't think so." Steph chimes in. "He's in sinnoh region currently and as far as I'm aware there were no contests this month."

'Maybe-he's-lost-again?' Cass signs using her fingers. Bruce is still not paying attention to the conversation.

"Wait-Sinnoh?!" Tim suddenly jolts awake."Damian is he by any chance near somewhere called Michina?" Tim looks at Damian, alert. 

"Yes, Drake."

Tim's eyes suddenly widen. 

"Jason. Try calling him." He says in urgency. 

"Has something happened there?" Bruce finally starts paying attention to the conversation.

"Yeah, I think we should check on him. I've heard that strange things happened in Michina."

The others stare at Tim, waiting for an answer. 

"Apparently, The skies turned red and people reported witnessing the pokemons that rule over space, time and dimension fighting each other."

"We don't have much information because the authorities are as always keeping a tight lid on the matter." 

"Everything happened almost exclusively in Michina."

Everyone is silent as his explanation ends. 

"Can't you-" Before Jason can finish the sentence. Damian's phone rings. 

Damian doesn't even think a second as he picks it up automatically. 

"Hey lil D!" Richard greets him enthusiastically over the phone like he hadn't just not called for over a week.

"You Imbecile-!"Todd snatches the phone right from his hands before he even has the chance to say anything.

"Give it back, Todd!" Damian screams but the phone is also snatched from his hand by Tim who gives it up to Bruce after losing a staring match. Cass and Steph completely give up. 

"Not fair." Steph huffs at bit angrily. 

"Hello?Lil D? Can you hear me?" 

"Dick." Bruce says. He accidently almost slips into his Batman persoona demanding a report before remembering that Dick has no idea about their secret identities.

"Hi Dad!" Bruce smiles softly. He can almost hear the smile in his eldest's voice. 

"Hello, Son." He says softly this time. "Is everything alright? Damian said you were in Michina and concernigly enough Tim had heard some rumors. Are you alright?"

Grayosn stays quite for a while but answers quickly. "Yeah don't worry. I just arrived here and heard those rumors too. I was actually lost on the road again for a while and couldn't find by way. and by battery was running dangerously low." He lies easily. He was the one who saw everything happen first hand.

"Otherwise I'm fine."

Bruce breaths a sigh of relief. 

"That's good to hear." He glances at the others waiting eagerly for him to hand over the phone. 

"Actualy....." Grayson speaks too quietly this time. "I was thinking of coming back home for a while. I'm starting to grow a little home sick." Although he spoke calmly, Bruce noticed that something was off. He sounded very tired. Did something bad happen?

"Really? That's great." He keeps his voice normal. Dick was the only 'normal' person in their family after all. 

"yup! :D"

"Father...." Damian says impatiently. It's his phone so he's going to make sure that he is the first sibling Richard talks to. 

"Back off ,Demon!" Jason shouts as he reaches for the device only for Tim to beat him to it. But Steph snathes the phone right in front of his eyes, before Damian jumps onto her. 

"Children!" Alfred's sharp voice cuts them all out. But Then all do they notice that Cass has quietly slipped the phone. 

"Hello. Big Brother." Cass says quietly. But she has a soft smile on her face. 

"Hello, Little sister!!" Dick greets excitedly."Were you guy's fighting?? It sounded like that. Wait- let me do a video call! Hold up a moment-"

Dick cuts the call. 

"Oh no!

"You imbeciles! I hadn't even spoken to Richared yet!' Damian pouts.

'He's-calling-again' Cass tells them all as she holds up the screen towards all of them. 

"Hi guys! Good morning!" Dick greets all of them. He's in a small hotel room. But he's completely dressed and his stuff is packed neatly, but there are a few bottles of alcohol near him.

"Damn, Big bird. I didn't know you drank." Jason strares at the screen.

"That's a concerning amount of alcohol to drink by yourself,Master richard." Alfred comments with a dissapointed tone.

"Tut. Take better care of yourself,richard." Damian says with furrowed brows. 

"Hey Lil'D! hey Alfred. And hello Jay!"He greets back. "Wow. Steph that's an amazing outfit. Also, When was the last time Bruce and Tim slept? Look at those dark circles. Cass! You look good as always!"

"Also, Don't worry. I didn't drink all of that alone. I drink rarely. It's just me and a friend of mine had a little drinking competition last night."

"A friend?" Tim asks curios. 

"Yeah. I think I've mentioned him before. He travelled with me during my entire Kanto and Jhoto region."

"Hmm." Tim tries to recall. Dick didn't really tell them much about his 'friend.'

"Anyways, I'm coming back soon." Dick says. "I have a flight to catch. I think I should be at the mansion by tomorrow evening. 

"You are?" Damian asks with bright shining eyes. 

"Yes, Lil'D. And I think I might be staying for a while."

"Good." Damian huffs in approval and gives him a little almost unnoticeable smile. 

"See you all, soon." Dick says before cutting the call.

"So..." Jason says as all settle down after the unexpected but welcomed phone call. "Does that mean we'll need to try our best to hide our identities during his stay?" 

"Shit. I almost forgot about that." Stephanie curses. Curses at Bruce for creating an entire family( and even their friends) being vigilantes, but forgetting to ever include one single person. 

"I suggest you all try not to talk about anything suspicious during master Richard's brief stay. I believe the maximum he will be staying for is at least a few months." Alfred declares and they all agree. Good thing it was winter, it will be easier to hide all the scars.