Something random that might interest you, I've started a Pokemon role playing site. (It's a Proboard…) The link to it is my homepage on my look-up.
I'm really glad you like my stories, Kitsune, and honored that you took the time to read this one! You want to see some Sara/Drake eh? Well, they're both ten and not exactly thinking that way yet… xD Well, thanks for your review!
And I thank Moon and Skitty-san for their reviews as well! Here's the new chapter, I hope you all like it!
Chapter 29
"Why are we doing this again?" Gryff asked the Swellow perching on her back as they hid inside a big bush. The two Flygon were just leaving after talking about some sort of 'song.'
"Because." Star sighed, "Sara wants to know what they're doing out here, and you're here for the ride. And this gets me away from Mellow."
Gryff rolled out of the bush, laughing hard, "MELLOW! Oh gosh, I thought you were here because of something more important than that!"
"Getting away from Mellow is important." Star tweeted simply.
"What's up with you two anyway?"
"None of your-"
"Oh Ber-ry!" The familiar male voice sang sweetly.
"Oh no-oh!" Star took off behind Sandsinger and Tarragon with Mellow on her tail and Gryff barking with laughter, bringing up the rear.
"That's it?" Sandsinger asked breathlessly as they landed on a dry patch of desert. A vast creature stood just feet from her, his voice rising in the agitated moaning that she'd been hearing for the longest time. His eyes glinted red from deep in his skull.
"This is it." Her companion kept his wings unfolded as he took a cautious step forward. Immediately the creature jumped to life, his huge arm swinging around to meet Tarragon's jaw.
From above the familiar figure of Sundav watched with growing interest as a battle started between the red-eyed Tyranitar and the two Flygon. "Surely they do not hope to destroy the evil inside of him." She murmured to herself, keeping still as a statue. The light bird's feathers were all sorts of brilliant colors now that she'd restored most of her powers. But it still wasn't enough…
Sandsinger beat on the creature's back with her tail, causing just enough annoyance for him that he grabbed her by the arm and tossed her into Tarragon. Both fell over in a crumpled heap in front of the beast, which roared his defiant win over them both. It was then that Sundav opened her wings and decided to kiss her newly gained powers good-bye. Doing something good would always kill part of her energy and strength…
But that was when she noticed something strange about Sandsinger. The female Flygon got to her feet and slowly stalked towards the Tyranitar, her face a mask of a new emotion to her. Fierce anger. When the Flygon spoke, her voice seemed to ring out over the desert sands as if they were in a hollow mountain, "Song of the desert, you no longer rule this place. You have a weakness somewhere, and I intend to find it!"
She jumped skyward just as Sundav closed her wings in. Perhaps there was something to this Flygon… Sundav watched in shock as the last creature she would ever expect to have the power to destroy dark control bands used it. Sandsinger's claws glowed a bright, shining blue for only a moment as they came down hard across her enemy's head and chest, slashing right through the problem source.
Tyranitar stood with his eyes turning back their normal color for just a moment while the desert winds gave one last, deep sigh and gave out completely. He also gave one little breath out before falling over and Sundav could have sworn that it was, "Thank you."
Sandsinger blinked down at him for a moment, utterly bewildered at what happened. She had felt like she was asleep for a bit, and now the creature creating the song of the desert was fainted at her feet. The Flygon looked down at her claws once, and passed out, out of sheer exhaustion.
"That was… interesting." Sundav clicked her beak just as three forms touched down around her.
"SUNDAV!" Both Mellow and Star exclaimed, then the two of them realized they did that and Star jumped aside of her lover.
"Who's Sundav?" Gryff asked, looking confused, "The pretty birdie?"
Sundav gave a very large sigh, "Yes, me the pretty birdie. I am Sundav."
"Look, there's Sandsinger and Tarragon!" Mellow chirruped, pointing with one of his talons, "What the?"
Sundav was left alone again as the three flitted down to where there were two fainted Flygon and an unfamiliar Tyranitar. She clicked her beak again as the three of them didn't even notice the sands had disappeared. "Young and foolish." She snorted, "Just like I was…"
The desert was eerily quiet when Star, Gryff, and Mellow left to retrieve their trainers. A single blow of wind disturbed the sands and Sundav's wings, but it was easily ignored. That is, until she saw what it was writing in the sand. Your powers have been split and sorted, the most of them aborted. Life goes on and you are half. You seek the one who sings all the time, the one under your nose. Beware the one who is not small, but smaller.
"'Not small… but smaller…'" The bird of light shook her head, stumped. "Great Mew, when you give me the gift of your wisdom, please make sure it makes sense."
Another wind blew, this time it wrote: You're still a ditz Sundav. Look the place where you find the obvious.
Sundav made a little objection to the first sentence as she did what Mew told her, looked under her nose. Down at Sandsinger and Tarragon, the two of them fainted on their bellies. Not small. Her gaze lingered on Sandsinger, then moved to the male Flygon. But smaller.
"You mean… oh forget it. The prophecy of Lady Sara's Pokemon!" She waited for the wind to blow a teasing yes before continuing, "Why didn't you tell me this before!"
Fun to watch you. It is time Sundav, and you know it to be true. The wind died down and the last word was barely readable. Sundav nodded once and the words etched into the sand were blown away as if they never existed, just as Lady Sara and her friends came charging over to where she was.
"It is about time I made a real entrance." Sundav turned around and disappeared in a flash of golden light.
"So that's what you've really been doing?" Sara asked when Sandsinger finished her narration. Her trainer was looking very pale as she nodded. It was the beginnings of nighttime, and she was wide awake.
"You worried us sick!" Star-bird was sitting next to the Flygon, silently admitting that they were really actually friends, no matter what. It was a silent bond that they had formed, and Star worked very hard not to let it show.
"Sorry… I don't know what happened…" Sandsinger stammered, just as a ray of golden light hit the foot of her bed. "Cool!"
"I know what happened." Sundav sat daintily on the edge, her feathers a vibrant display of colors. Sandsinger wasn't the only one staring at her and her new look. Sundav had adopted a crest of feathers on the top of her head.
"What happened!" Sara finally asked when a second passed silently.
"I must speak to Sandsinger alone, if you will Lady." Sundav didn't look at her, just said that with a dismissing flick of her wing. Sara knew it for what it was and murmured a good-bye to Sandsinger as she got up and left. "You too Star."
"Why me too?" Star asked stubbornly.
"I want to take to Sandsinger in private."
"But I saw what happened too."
"Oh really? What happened?"
"Sandsinger fought that thing and won! I saw the winning strike!"
"You didn't see what happened."
"Yes I did."
"Go away Star."
"No."
"Fine! You can stay!" Sundav ruffled her feathers impatiently at the Swellow as she cheered.
"Did either Gryff or your mate see what you have?"
"He's not my mate!" Star snapped, not missing a beat. "But no, they didn't."
"I'm not as blind as you think, little one." Sundav replied calmly.
"Star-bird, do you want her to kick you out?" Sandsinger interjected when the Swellow opened her mouth to retort to that. Star promptly closed her beak with a snap and gave Sundav a level glare.
"Alright, here are the basics of it all." Sundav sighed, "I'm a legendary who has had her powers split and everything you can think of has been done to them. I've found every little bit left of them, except for one. And the powers I'm looking for take the color of blue. See how my feathers don't have any blue?"
She paused as both Pokemon squinted at her feathers. Sundav was right; of course, the only color not there was blue. There was none of that color at all. "You're right." Star finally twittered.
"Of course I'm right, I'm always right." Sundav laughed when she squawked a retort.
"What does this have to do with me though?" The Flygon asked softly, as her chest probably hurt from talking. She'd been given a bad bruise across her chest from that battle.
"You used the power of my Touch to destroy that Tyranitar's dark control band. Doesn't it make sense? You glowed blue before and don't remember it either, correct?" She went on when Sandsinger nodded and after she stifled a cough, "Sandsinger, you have the last bit of my lost powers. With your help I can become my normal self again."
"I see why you didn't want me here." Star twittered obtrusively.
Sandsinger was opening and closing her mouth like a Magicarp. Finally, she managed to gasp, "But why didn't I know I'm special!"
"That's the problem. We'll never know." Sundav shrugged and coughed again weakly, "So are you going to help me Sandsinger?"
"Do I have a choice?" Sandsinger asked with a bright smile.
The shock of losing control over the Hoenn desert told Dominus two things. One, Sara was still alive. Two, she was around that area. He snickered to himself as he rode the beast Catastrofate that idiotically was giving him a ride. "No experience, ah brother?" He asked without explaining his question. His 'brother' snuffled agreement, not knowing a thing.
At night Slateport City was quite empty. Perfect for the kind of magic Dominus intended to do. He spread his arms wide and a dark cloud appeared over the city. When the inhabitants woke up and breathed that air, they would magically remember that there was going to be a tournament the next day and would quickly send out fliers and prepare for it. They would also find that everything they needed for it was right there. The perfect bait.
"There's going to be a tournament in Slateport tomorrow!" Rena exclaimed, as she read the fliers that were going out to everyone in the Pokemon Center. "Yessss!"
"Perfect! Dorovi does need some exercise…" Drake patted his Pokemon, who opened one eye from his nap on the cool floor, groaned at his annoying trainer, and fell back to sleep. "Lazy lump." He continued playfully.
"I need some exercise too you know." Karen purred to everyone, using her psychic powers to be heard.
"It's not a good idea." Maxie, of course, was the only one in their group that could see beyond the battling and prizes of the tournament. "What happens if Team Aqua are there?"
"Maxie has the right idea." Solorite said softly, "We should not go."
"But we'll cream them!" Pocky exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Woopa!" Woop whooped.
"But-"
"Hey Maxie," Tabitha said in a flirty tone, she was still wearing the dress disguise. Maxie was 'accidentally' kicked by Pocky when he turned and stared dreamily at her. "I think Puff wants to play."
Indeed, Puff was giving his trainer very wide, cute eyes. In truth, it was because Devon was dangling a fish over Maxie's head, but it was enough to get the old Team Magma leader's heart to melt. He went over to Puff and forgot all about the conversation.
"So what are we waiting for?" Elvina asked with Huan in her arms, "Let's go!"
Sandsinger, with her chest bound with white bandages, buzzed her agreement to the statement. She giggled when Meep and Squee climbed her tail and sat on her back.
"I sense something is not right here Lady." Sundav also was going to try to spoil this, "Dominus has been quiet for a long while, and I think his presence is near…"
"His 'presence' can get lost." Rena growled, "And so can he, for that matter."
Sundav gave a weak laugh, "That is not how it works."
"It never is…"
The Flygon Tarragon poked his head out of the recovery room door with a blackened eye. He flitted his wings to let off a couple of notes and smiled crookedly at Nurse Joy before leaving the Pokemon Center. As Sara looked to her Pokemon with a questioning look, Althea looked up from her own nap and yawned. "He was saying good-bye to us and thanking the nurse."
"You all can go to this little tournament, but I'm not coming along." Solorite was saying stubbornly, "It is foolishness!"
"Agreed." Sundav nodded, but a strange look crossed her eyes for a moment. "But we should go anyway."
"I thought you said we weren't supposed to be going." Karen lashed her silver tail impatiently, "What is it then?"
"I may be stupid, no don't look at me like that Solorite! But I just got an idea. Let us get to Slateport."
"My name is Sara Wellington from Elemental Ridge." Sara was saying to the attendant, who wrote it down very quickly.
"The three Pokemon you're entering?" She prompted.
"Star the Swellow, Sandsinger the Flygon, and Karen the Espeon." Sara answered quickly and received a little tag from the female attendant that said all of the information she'd need about the tournament.
"Anything else you're entering in, miss?"
Sara took her Swellow off her head and looked up at what all the things to enter were. In golden letters blazed the words: The Slateport Cup, at the top of the screen. "The race with Star the Swellow." She said and bit her lip, "And… put Sandsinger the Flygon in there too… that's it!"
She received a nametag and flitted over to where Elvina, Rena, and Devon were waiting. They had already gotten their nametags and stuff, Elvina's Pokemon were going up for another round in the talent show. (Elvina still wouldn't say what Huan's special talent was, she was determined not to ever since the first time they'd met Dominus.)
"We're taking you down Sara." Drake flashed his card at her with his three Pokemon on it.
"Yeah, right! We'll clean your clock!"
"And take lover-boy down in the process." Star added.
"What do you mean, I can't enter with just one Pokemon!" Pocky was yelling at the tortured-looking attendant.
"Well, you can't. It wouldn't be fair to you. We've got plenty other contests you can enter though…" The silver-haired girl shook her head and stormed over to where her friends were waiting.
"That solves that." Jacob came after her, looking depressed.
They traveled to where the trainers were supposed to go to get their Pokemon ready. It was the day where the first events were starting, like the start of the tournament. Sara and Drake had already found out, by the numbers on their tags, that they'd be fighting each other in the second match. It was all going perfectly.
Solorite watched all the eager humans with a scowl very unlike him. "This is foolishness." He grumbled Althea, who was snuggled up next to him.
"Tell them that, and they'll just try to catch you." She murmured.
"Exactly as I was thinking."
Star, on the other hand, was having difficulties with Mellow. "I'm going to whack you so hard across your head that… ooh, terrorist! You're just a big terrorist!" She snapped at him.
"I don't want to fight you." Mellow said, ignoring Star's threats as always, "We make beautiful music together…"
"Shove it lover-boy." She grumbled.
"No." Mellow tweeted, "I'm not going to."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not, Berry."
"Yes you are, Thorn."
"No I'm not, Star-bird."
"Yes you are, Mellow-boy."
"No I'm not, Snuggly."
"Yes you are, TERRORIST!"
With that Star retreated to a defensive position on top of her harassed trainer's head. "I only heard half of that."
"It was a lot of 'yes you are' and 'no I'm not,' you didn't miss much." Elvina said airily.
"I sometimes wonder about the two of them." Jacob shook his head when Star snapped at her lover-boy.
"I'd better go take her for a walk…" Sara made a face at the people staring at the two fighting Swellow, gave a very ruffled Mellow back to Drake, and retreated.
"I don't like him." Star said when they got a good distance away from the trainer's area.
"Why not? He seems like a nice guy. Remember Shard calling him a gentleman?"
"He's no gentleman." Star grumbled.
"We'll never know why you don't like him, will we?"
"Nope." Star would have said more, but an old lady beckoned to the little blonde girl with a Swellow on her head, smiling.
"Good day, young lady! What a fine bird you have there!" She exclaimed, holding her head out, "May I see her?"
Star squawked when her trainer took her off her warm perch and placed her in front of the old lady. "How do you know Star is a she? I didn't tell you that."
"You see the tips of her wings? They're much longer in a female than in a male." She traced a finger over Star's two tail feathers and smiled, "She's in very good condition."
"I'm not an action figure."
"Very good training she's gotten so far. Has… Star learned Endeavor?"
"I can answer for myself. No, that attack is stupid."
"I beg your pardon?" Sara asked over her Swellow's voice.
"Screaming really loudly."
"No, she hasn't done that yet…" Sara sighed, "But every once and a while she uses Double Team on her stalker."
"Ah, a stalker. Most Swellow get one eventually… you see, I used to be an expert in breeding birds. The sight of this Swellow brings back so many memories… so I've decided to help you two out! I'm going to teach Star the ultimate flying-type move!"
"Really?" Sara's eyes widened in surprise, "Well, that would be awesome!"
"Does it hurt?" Star asked, and her trainer translated this time.
"Oh, no it doesn't. You'll have to be very careful about using it though, this attack causes a big explosion…" The old lady broke off and bit her lip, "Have you ever seen a bird use Sky Attack? It's very beautiful."
"Sky Attack, eh? Naw, haven't seen that one. It must be really rare."
"It is darling, it is. Now Star, you'll need to eat this…" She held out a handful of white pills to Star and smiled, "And there's something else. Your inner strength holds the power to use this attack. Without it, you're sunk kid."
"I can do that." Star began to snap the pills into the air and swallowing them whole.
"Ah, I'll be watching you two battle. Good luck child!" Sara waved and expressed her thanks as Star finished off her swallowing. Running quickly, she went to go gloat about something her Swellow knew that Drake's didn't. Seeing as Pokemon sometimes learn attacks by pills and machines, they'd believe her.
But nobody was there. "What happened to all the trainers?" Star demanded of Solorite, who was still sitting there, and woke him up. The Absol grumbled angrily and jerked his head out the door.
"It started." He muttered and, curling up, fell back to sleep.
"We're late because of you Star." Sara teased her Pokemon as they ran to the makeshift stadium that had been set up in the last two days.
"No, we're late because you wanted me to learn a new attack. I already tried to use it, and it's not even there." Star twittered with annoyance in her tone, "Not even a little explosion… darn…"
Sara laughed, "You just want to blow stuff up Star!"
"Sure do."
Sara skidded to a stop in front of the same attendant and demanded, "Where do I battle?"
"Sara Wellington… your first battle's in three minutes in grass portion of the stadium."
"Thanks!" She scuttled around to the entrance to the stadium and ran to get to her battle on time. The stadium was divided into four parts, where four different battles went on at once.
"And the second challenger has arrived just in time!" Yelled an announcer when the breathless Sara got to her side of the field with Star on her head still. An impatient-looking boy in bright yellow shorts and a blue top that really did not match stood on the other side. "May the battle between Sara Wellington of Elemental Ridge and Rocky Crocker of Hoenn begin!"
"Go, Ninjask!" The boy threw a Pokeball to reveal the ninja-like bug Pokemon who flitted into the field immediately.
"You're up Star." Sara murmured and the bird leapt skyward from her head. Both of the Pokemon were fast, Ninjask moving as a hard-to-see blur, and Star catching up to him, making it look easy with fast strokes of her wings.
Wing and claw hit when both Pokemon, easily matched for speed, attacked each other. Star swept back and cut along the bug's chest with her beak as she dived down. Ninjask exclaimed furiously and followed with heavy wing beats that buzzed angrily. His claw and her wing met again closer to the ground and it was Ninjask that had the advantage as he turned up before Star could do her maneuver again.
"Try a Quick Attack!" Sara yelled up to her Pokemon, who was literally slamming her wings to keep up with Ninjask now. It seemed that he was getting faster as the battle went on…
Star flapped hard once and soared on an air current to slam into the bug's back. With one last, angry cry, Ninjask fell from the sky as she'd managed to give his left wing a fairly large cut.
Hitting the ground hard, it was only the matter of Star's downbeat flap that knocked the bug out. The crowd exploded in praise for the fast little Swellow. "Return, Ninjask." Rocky Crocker bit his lip as he fumbled with a Pokeball, "Go, Arbok!"
The cobra Pokemon appeared with a serpentine hiss and Sara recalled her Pokemon, who came to perch on her head again. Star was feeling hot; if she was a human she'd be sweating hard. "Go, Karen!" She appeared with a happy cry.
With the wave of a flag that signaled the start of the match between the two again, Karen lunged at Arbok and got hit across her head by his descending tail. "Body Slam attack!" Rocky exclaimed and his snake reared to come down on Karen hard. The Espeon rolled out of the way just barely and hissed when she had to jump over the swing of Arbok's tail.
"Try a Psybeam!" Sara said, her hands shaking slightly. She could see that her Pokemon was overwhelmed. Karen nodded and obediently shot a wave of multicolored energy out of the gem on her head and nailed Arbok on the hood. Then she was hit hard when he slammed his weight on her back.
"The Espeon is unable to battle!" The referee exclaimed when Arbok retreated to show Karen lying on her side, fainted.
"Come back Karen." Sara half-heartedly returned her Pokemon to her Pokeball and tossed another one. Sandsinger, with her chest looking a little better now than before, appeared and swept her tail across the ground.
"Wrap it!" Exclaimed Arbok's trainer and the snake slithered closer to do so, until Sandsinger kicked off of the ground and easily avoided it.
"Wow, Tarragon taught her well." Star noted with satisfaction in her voice at the Flygon's newfound gain in speed.
"Use Flamethrower, Sandsinger!" Sara exclaimed, another thing that the dragon had been taught to do. Sandsinger spread her wings wide and exhaled flames over Arbok. It wasn't as good as a fire-type's attack, but it worked well when she toasted the snake Pokemon.
Arbok was returned and a Roselia took his place. She barely survived the first round of Flamethrower, her Magical Leaf attack doing some damage, before she was knocked out with a blast of Dragonbreath.
"And the winner is Sara Wellington of Elemental Ridge!" The announcer exclaimed as Sara received her choice of a prize. Here, when a battle was won, a prize was given out, and the higher the win, the better the prize selection. The only things offered to her were elemental stones, and Sara chose the fire stone with a roll of her eyes. Perhaps Althea would want to evolve, or maybe even Blaze…
She went to the rock field just in time to see Drake's Horsea deliver a final water gun at a misfortunate Golem. And just in time to see one of his Pokemon finally evolve. Horsea looked down at his body and found it spiny and sharp edged, a Seadra.
"Congrats Drake!" Sara yelled at him when they were in the very noisy dining area. Of course it was outside, there were not enough buildings to but it in something.
"Thanks Sara!" Drake yelled back and they finally got to sit down. Elvina quickly followed suit, "Did you see my battle Elvina?"
"You did well!" Elvina said, "But I was watching both your battles, and you did wonderfully Sara! Star was flying very well too…"
"Thanks blue-hair." Star was the only one of Sara's Pokemon other than Sandsinger that she had with her at the moment, the rest were at the overloaded Pokemon Center waiting to be treated. Along with Drake's and probably everyone else's Pokemon.
"I got a fire stone too, perhaps Althea will want to evolve?" Sara continued, fingering the said item, which gave off a fiery glow.
Elvina didn't get to reply, for at that time Rena and a Devon that looked like a storm cloud was over his head came over to their table. "Can you believe I lost?" Devon was saying.
"Yes, now leave me alone." Rena replied, "Hey Sara! I heard you won! Heh, I did too."
"She creamed my Pokemon." Devon growled.
"Sore loser." Amber the Combusken murmured under her breath.
The sound of thunder stopped all thoughts of talking as they looked up to see fierce thunderclouds racing across the sky. "That's coming fast." Sara murmured.
"Too fast. I would blame Kyogre." Sara jumped and whirled around, but it was only Maxie, holding his Squee, frowning there.
"Or Dominus." Solorite snarled, "He can control weather you know…"
He looked over to where Sundav was perching, changing her feather colors to seem invisible, well mostly anyway. The light bird nodded once and that was all the Absol needed. "And he's here too!" He growled.
"No need to worry." Sundav said in her musical tone, "I've got it under control."
"So says you."
"So says me, you are right about that Solorite."
"Aww, how are we going to battle if it's dripping wet outside tomorrow?" Drake asked Sara, who shrugged. For a second the two ten year-old kids' eyes met, until Sara blushed and looked away quickly.
"Perhaps they'll postpone our match." She murmured.
"Not a chance. They'll want us out of here as soon as possible!" Star twittered.
"Hey, none of my Pokemon 'cept Star and Sandsinger are with me… what am I going to do if Dominus attacks… right now?"
"Cue Dominus attack." Drake said teasingly, "Don't worry, all my Pokemon are with me right now. Because I'm smart like that-hey, Sara, wait up!" He ran after her as she went to the Pokemon Center to retrieve her Pokemon.
Only Drake followed her, the rest shook their heads and Pocky, with Woop sitting in her lap, sighed. "Ah, to be ten and foolish."
Dinner was eaten as if it was toxic material, Sara wouldn't even touch it and the rest toyed with theirs. "No sign of that Dominus guy." Rena said at seven o'clock when the talent show was announced that it was postponed because of the torrential rain that was still falling.
"You'll never be able to show us your Pokemon's talents if this keeps up." Sara murmured to Elvina, who sighed as she returned Huan to his Pokeball.
"It's really cool too…" She murmured.
"I've heard of Dominus." Pocky said finally, "Isn't he some famous guy that like knows a ton about Pokemon?"
"Yeah, that's him." Elvina responded miserably, "I asked him for his autograph too and he kidnapped me later."
"Did you save his autograph?" Devon asked.
"No…"
"Dang that would have been worth millions…" He was hit across the head by Rena's fist for that.
"Let's go look for him." Sara said and got up.
"And let's jump off a bridge while we're at it. No Sara, we're not going to go looking for trouble." Maxie grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down onto the chair again.
Ten minutes later, Sara proposed the same thing and received nearly everyone's voice in a joint 'NO!'
It continued to rain, dampening the mood even more. Sara nervously played with Star's empty ball as its owner hopped around trying to avoid her own stalker. Meep, Squee, and Puff seemed to realize the mood, as the three kittens were just sitting around on their tails and staring at each other.
"Are you sure he's here Sundav?" Elvina asked the light bird still pretending to be a part of the sky and the pole she was standing on.
"He is here, I am sure of it."
And a couple minutes later, Sundav was proven correct, as a black arrow stuck itself to the wooden pole of the tent that they were under. "'Dearest Lady Sara and her annoying friends, I am waiting for you be the pier. Come at the risk of you own lives. Signed in blood, Dominus.'" Sara read, making a face at the ending, "He's gambling that we'll stay away from him."
"Dominus knows us too well." Elvina shook her head, "But we need a plan."
"I've already said that I have this under control. I was not lying." Sundav piped up from her perch, "Come, let us go to Dominus before he comes to us."
"I didn't think you would make it." Dominus cackled icily as he casually looked up at the approaching party of people and Pokemon. They would be weakened from the fighting that they'd done today, perfect for him.
"Oh, we made it. And we've got a plan." Sara said with hope for the light bird that she actually had a good plan.
"Oh, a plan. I'm shaking." He responded with a snicker, "And are you going to tell me your plan while you're at it?"
"Of course not."
Tabitha pointed forward, "Well, as for a warm-up, let's introduce your old friend! Go, Manectric, let him see stars!" With a howl, her loyal Manectric leapt into battle with Dominus, his mane sparking. He jumped for the tall man, and was caught across the throat.
"You don't think," Dominus growled as his form took that of Catastrofate, "That I am that pathetic, do you?" He cast a half-choked Pokemon aside and grinned toothily at his enemies.
"Because if you do, perhaps you need to see my little friends…" The creature that came from his own DNA, the real Catastrofate, came out of the shadows and snarled fiercely just as an ever larger Pokemon turned his head and became visible for the first time, Nekroquaza was there as well.
Sundav flitted over to stand in front of Dominus, reaching about half his size. She glared defiantly at him and growled, "Before you sick your beasts on us, perhaps I can give you a show." She turned her head back and nodded to one Pokemon in particular, "It is time."
Sandsinger stepped forward shakily and stood next to Sundav, wearing an equally defiant expression on her face. "Do you know what I'm about to say, Dominus?" She continued smugly.
Dominus, for once, crossed his arms and shook his head. His gaze lingered on Sandsinger for a moment before he said, "You've got an under-grown dragon to attack me. I am so scared."
"Aye, I do. But she's not the one to attack you." Sundav closed her eyes and her voice became loud and booming, "I am the light in the dark, the keeper of the light. My powers are undefined in the art. By so the powers lost to me are transfixed through this one of heart, I find myself whole once more!"
Sandsinger and Sundav both began to glow blue for several seconds and Dominus seemed to get it, as he shooed both the creatures under his command away as fast as possible. For a moment after the glowing stopped on Sandsinger's part, the bird of light was the rainbow in color. And that was when it happened.
A fierce explosion rocked the earth for miles around, and many questions of 'What was that?' started to go around as Sundav burst into flames. Her body elongated and grew tangible feathers as the fire brought old powers long since dead back to life. Her crest blazed and tail feathers grew long as the fire became one with the light bird.
In Sundav's place was a towering bird that looked down on them all with red eyes instead of green. "By the fire I am reborn." Sundav murmured, not taking in account that her giant form made her voice very, very loud.
Late evening light blazed between the clouds that began to part and put waves of light on the subject at hand. Sandsinger had gotten far out of the bird's way as she transfigurated back to her original form, and was standing with her mouth open next to Sara, who really had her mouth gaping wide. "Sundav, you're a…"
"Ho-oh." The legendary finished for her. She turned her giant head and bird-smiled, "That is correct."
"Look at that!" A man yelled, pointing to where a group of kids was standing with an actual life-sized replica of the legendary Ho-oh and some strange new Pokemon.
"It's a Ho-oh!"
"Naw, Ho-oh doesn't look like that!" Another blurted, "They're normally red, white, yellow, and green."
"And I am not?" Sundav asked the growing crowd with amusement and spread her wings, making sure to slap them into the shell-shocked Dominus.
"Oh no." Sara bit her lip when several of the trainers drew out Pokeballs and approached. That is, until Dominus leapt to his feet and the legendary bird cried out, making a shield of light around him and her.
"This is between the two of us." She growled, "You are going down this time, Dominus."
"Oh really?" Dominus was chuckling, and at this point it turned to full-fledged laughter, "I suppose you don't know what you did then!"
"I became whole. That's all that really matters now."
"And you forgot one thing." Dominus's form blazed with black fire, "That whenever light appears, darkness appears. You have just kicked yourself in the chest, Sundav, as you're not going to win even know."
A ball of black flames was thrown from his palm at her, which hit her in the chest. "Look, the Pokemon are fighting!" Someone from the growing crowd exclaimed, causing those who knew Sundav to either shush the crowd or groan. Sundav let out a cry of pain as the flames set fire where they landed and eventually died out to reveal a scorch mark. (To ooohhhhs, from the crowd.)
"If they do that again, I swear…" Rena grumbled under her breath, and that was when the damage done to Sundav disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. She flapped her wings once and roared to the sky as her body became a living fireball and the flames incinerated Dominus, as he was stuck in a small space with her. He began to gasp for breath and turned back to normal, looking a bit more pale and blue than usual.
Dominus touched the wall of light and it collapsed in front of him, giving just enough room for him to squeeze out and escape from. Sundav watched him run with a smug look. "Aren't you going to give chase and… you know, kill him?" Sara asked when she made no move to move.
"No Lady, I am not ready to do that. Dominus will be back, and the next time he will not escape with his life." The Ho-oh turned around and gazed deep into Sara's eyes, "I beg your pardon, we are no ready."
"I want a battle, Ho-oh!" Exclaimed the person that Sara recognized as Rocky Crocker, the trainer she'd just beaten. A Sandslash stood just in front of him this time around. Sundav looked up from Sara and snorted on the spiny, armadillo-like Pokemon, before hitting him with her heavy beak, sending the Sandslash flying into his trainer and the two of them toppled into a heap.
"You got your battle." Sundav said with amusement, "Anyone else want me to knock your Pokemon around a bit?"
Not surprisingly, the trainers that were holding Pokeballs quickly shook their heads and retreated away. Eventually, the crowd broke apart and went on with their business, mainly shopping and sleep. Sundav watched this all with a patient look on her face, and eventually turned around to see Drake and Elvina ushering the rest of the stragglers and their friends away. Only Sara was left with Star perched on her head as usual, the only two there. "I beg your pardon Lady Sara, but you're staring." Sundav's tone was still amused.
"Is there a reason why I shouldn't be?"
"You knew she was a legendary." Star reminded her trainer.
"But… she's so COOL!" Sara exclaimed, earning a chuckle and a twitter from her Swellow, "With the flames and Sandsinger… hey, what did you do with Sandsinger?"
"A transfusion of power. I'll explain when you're more awake."
"How-"
"I'm a Ho-oh, I can do anything." Sundav sounded exceedingly smug at that moment.
"Including-"
"Reading your mind, yes. But I won't do that very often."
"Well what am I thinking right now?" Sara asked as she crossed her arms, she didn't like this mind-reading business.
"You want a ride." Sundav said unexpectedly and kneeled with her wings spread, "And I want to stretch my wings. Perhaps you can get a warm-up to your race as well Star."
Sundav had thought she'd seen the last of the open-and-close fish motion, but she was wrong as Sara did just that. She made a 'come hither' motion with her head and Sara finally, if shakily, climbed onto her vast back.
Her feathers were soft and as warm as the glow of a fire. Sundav took off with a heavy beat of her wings and laughed loudly when Star was left in the dust. It was nighttime when they got back, and Sara was still making the fish mouth every once and a while when Sundav did something unexpected. Which happened a lot, as she didn't know what to expect from a Ho-oh.
The tent in which Sara would be sleeping was right next to Pocky's, and a Wooper stuck its head out of her tent-flap. "Woopa!"
"Hello to you too." Sundav said.
"Woopah, whoo?"
"Yes, I'm sleeping out here tonight."
"Woop!"
"Of course little one."
Sara watched as Woop bounced out of Pocky's tent and gave Sundav's leg a hug. (At least that's what it looked like, as Wooper have no arms to speak of…)
"Good night Sundav." Sara said in the same shell-shocked tone that she'd adopted as she went into her own tent, hearing Sundav's murmured good night, and found it crammed full of her Pokemon. Sandsinger got off her bedroll with a smile.
"I kept it warm for you!" The Flygon exclaimed happily as three furry bundles tried to get her attention at once.
"Look what I found!" Meep pawed at her legs and pushed the fire stone she'd won from earlier closer. "It's cool!"
"She won that earlier, silly." Karen said butting him aside and purred at Sara. That cued Meep and Althea to do so as well, and the three's purring was loud as they crowded around their trainer.
Sara fell asleep with Sandsinger curled up into a ball next to her, a Swellow asleep on her chest, and the three furry Pokemon keeping her legs warm. She was not cold that night, at least.
