A.N: This is a rewrite of the first chapter of this story. The original first chapter was, we'll say, pretty rough. I noticed more than half the people who check out the story don't read up to chapter two, so I figured it could only help a bit to try and implement a more up-to-date take on the beginning of our story. Hopefully this encourages the new guys to make it through the older stuff! I don't plan to rewrite the remaining chapters, so be warned that they still show some age. I promise, the quality picks up around chapter ten.
Zinnia could do nothing but helplessly watch the incredible power emanating off the form of the unnamed pokemon. A long dragon with all the energy of a distant quasar, a majestic beast reminiscent of the oldest stories and lore of dragons.
The familiar sky serpent had changed, upon devouring the meteorite which the champion of Hoenn produced from their bag. Its shells hardened at specific joints across the length of the serpentine form, the flexible portions of its body extended and morphed. As Zinnia watched large beads of orange energy form in pairs across the length of the dragon, her attention was pulled to the extending cords of energy forming from the new pincers stemming from behind its gaping maw.
Looking across what may become known as Mega Rayquaza, Zinnia was in awe.
The raw power of this creature had mowed through her entire team with no hesitation. Her entire team had hardly managed to land a single, glancing, blow against this- this god of pokemon.
Seemingly without a single care in the world, an utter lack of appreciation for the incredible sight ahead of them, Zinnia watched as the trainer who tamed this incredible beast donned their...diving gear.
"I cannot believe that this jury-rigged space suit is all the equipment they need to save the world." As Zinnia idly complained, her whismur waddled up behind her and nodded her whole body in agreement.
"Wiz-mer."
"Stay back here, Aster. I should remind them what, exactly, we're here for."
Aster looked on as her trainer approached the legendary scene ahead. Just looking, you wouldn't even see the apprehension in the young lady's voice. The way her singed cloak blew about in the wind, her confident gait in the face of uncertainty. She didn't need the affirmation, but Aster could recognize why her powerful companions stuck around.
The metal-clad trainer mounted their new ally and glanced down to their bested opponent. Aster couldn't pick up any of their voices as the wind howled around the surrounding structure, but the exchange was brief. Zinnia stood by, watching as the immense dragon seemed to coil over itself. The beads of energy began to emit a much stronger, orange glow, followed by the colorful smoke emerging from the beast's open maw. Before Zinnia or Aster could react, a harsh gust of wind threatened to bowl the two over as Rayquaza- and its rider- disappeared into the sky.
In just a few moments, the airstream following the creature dissipated. It left the top of Sky Pillar completely silent, as Zinnia waited out the ringing in her ears. Aster moved closer to her trainer, the light footfalls alerting Zinnia to her presence.
"Well, our part is done." The confident trainer buckled, falling backwards onto her ass with a notable wince of pain. "It's about time I could sit down." Try as she might, there was no way for the eye to track their allies without aid. Nor could she pick out the blemish on this beautiful, clear, sky which would be the meteor. Aster pulled herself over Zinnia's leg to comfortably sit in her lap.
"So, Aster, whattya think?"
"Wiz?"
"Well, what do we do now?" Zinnia's gaze turned from intense, focused on that point in the sky she thought the meteor may be near, to relaxed and aimless. "This was my- this was our everything. Our entire lives, yours especially, complete."
The whismur pondered that point for a bit, not confident in her ability to vocalize such complex thoughts in the space of a few simple sounds.
"I always kind of figured, you know, after you finished your duty… I kind of hoped we could settle down. Relax. Be comfortable, for once."
Zinnia peered down to the pink creature in her lap, a brief flicker of longing presenting itself before steadying her expression. As Aster turned to meet her, the aimlessness seemed to only grow.
There was a long silence between the pair. Minutes passed before Zinnia finally ushered the pokemon to step back so she could stand. Casually patting down her shorts and swiping dust off her top and shoulders, Zinnia began to head to the stairway back down.
"Oh!" Zinnia suddenly paused, causing Aster to bump into her ankle. "I know, we should thank them! I mean, we obviously would have failed if that dumb trainer didn't bring that meteorite. Here…"
Zinnia springs into action, fishing out an old piece of trainer mail from previous travels and furiously scribbling on it with a nearby piece of chalky stone.
"I was finally able to bring everything to an end. I thank you for that. I think I'll spend some time now trying to find out if it's also possible to forge a new beginning for something once lost. Until we meet again,
Zinnia"
Considering what she had to work with, it looked pretty decent. Insofar as thank-yous go.
"Alright, Aster. I'm gonna leave this with you. When that trainer returns- well, if that trainer returns- go ahead and give them this letter." As she gives the order, Zinnia folds up the parchment in the envelope it came with. "I'll head down to the bottom floor. After all that noise, it should be safe to come down for the next couple hours. Meet me there, and we can figure out what next. Sound good?"
The whismur nodded, its entire body tilting about thirty degrees up and down to show her understanding and agreement.
"Cool. I'll have a quick look at the map. Holler if you need me!"
When Aster found Zinnia at the base of Sky Pillar, the girl was unusually sniffly and her eyes seemed unusually puffy. She didn't have the time to consider what that meant, however, as Zinnia began to walk.
"Let's see what's next. I should probably stop by and see Grannie."
Aster let out a few excited chirps at that prospect.
"Yeah, you always did love her." With a wistful gaze in the vague direction of northwest, Zinnia paused briefly. "Yeah, let's start there. Let her know that the last Loremaster still lives."