There is a bump in the rock over there. It was there when I was a Trapinch. It's still there. How is it still there? It's been so many years since I've seen it. But of course it's still there. Nothing would have affected it, because this cave hadn't been used in a long time. The surface of the cave is hard and stiff as I lie on it face down, like I am doing now. I've been in this position for what feels like ages. It was never a problem when I was a Trapinch – now my skin is more sensitive. But moving into a more comfortable position feels like it would take too much effort.
I blink again. The light coming in from the entrance tells me that it is midday. When did I fall asleep? What happened?
I finally gain the resolve to push myself, turning around to face up. Why do I feel so tired? Why does my head hurt? Why don't I remember anything?
Glancing to the side, I notice the tunnel's entrance. I'm used to someone being beside me whenever I wake up. But no one is here. I haven't woken up alone in a long time.
Suddenly, I catch the scent of blood and my lethargy vanishes, replaced by an instinctual drive to feast. Climbing up onto foot, I follow the trail eagerly and head to the entrance where I find a Sandshrew. My stomach grumbles and I dig into it with a voracious appetite.
But as my hunger is sated, I begin to wonder. Who would leave it for me? The person that would've left it isn't here…
It's coming back to me. The chaos that has happened in the past day: leaving Aya, confronting Rue, and dropping Phendrene into the ocean. That's why no one is here for me.
I sigh. How is Phendrene, anyway? Her father's relatively mild reaction means that I shouldn't need to worry about her health. But I'll still need to teleport to Fen's place and see for myself. How do I teleport again? Right, close my eyes and focus on an image of the area. It's strange, like I want something to happen, and it just happens.
…
The headache is coming back, and my skin still feels the hot desert air. It's not working.
I peer out of the cave. Nobody is in sight. Undoubtedly they're out hunting or battling or doing whatever they do all the time. They have many pastimes that I'm not a part of. All I did was try and isolate myself to refine my psychic powers. But if after so much practice, I can't even teleport, I must be a failure. …
Calm down, Nova. You learnt how to teleport yesterday. There are probably some details about it that I haven't learnt. So, what exactly happens when I teleport? I went quickly between here, the cliff, and the beach. It seemed easy enough back then, but now it's impossible.
I still can't remember everything clearly. Especially what happened in the afternoon. Maybe I did something weird and scared them all away? Nah. Then, who would have left me that Sandshrew? It feels like something that Charmeleon- Charizard would do, but she's not here. Definitely not the stupid Haxorus, or the stupid Salamence…
Oh, now I remember. That idiot Spire had the audacity to shout at me, even if he's the one in the wrong. I'll just keep on trying and read his mind. What is he gonna do about it? Haha, my younger self would never have believed it if someone told him he could intimidate a Salamence.
"Nova!" a shout snaps me out of my thoughts.
I raise my head and see a Flygon silhouette flying down in front of the sun. If I hadn't heard her voice I would have to guess between her and her brother.
"You finally woke up!" she cheers as she lands. "I was starting to get worried."
"What?" I answer, confused. "What happened?"
"…You don't remember?"
"Well, I teleported back, and you were here, and then there was that stupid Spire, but then something happened…"
Vie shifts slightly. "You sure you feeling okay?" She places a hand on my arm. It feels peculiar because she hasn't done this in a long time. Even since before I left…
"I'm fine. Why?"
"Er… You passed out," she says emphatically. "For an entire day."
"I did?" So that's why I don't remember things clearly. "But why?"
"I don't know. I was hoping you'd tell us when you woke up," she says, worried.
I shake my head. "I don't remember getting injured or anything…"
"Forget it. Did you see Phendrene anywhere? The last we saw of her was when you led her into your cave two days ago. She would normally be out in the mountains, but…"
I try to come up with an excuse, but fail and remain silent.
"She's a Charizard now, so I'm not too worried. But there's no reason for her to be missing, so…"
"…Tell the others I've gone flying," I say and immediately float into the air.
"Wait!" she calls behind me, and I feel the temptation to ignore her but I suppress it down. She's one of the only ones that still treat me like a normal person. I shouldn't be so spiteful.
"What is it?" I turn around as I levitate in the air, looking down on her.
"…You know where Phendrene is, don't you?" she asks.
"I have an idea. But only I can reach there quickly enough."
"Oh… Okay then. Stay safe." She waves.
I give her a brief nod before turning around and zooming off. I've been teleporting so much I forgot how fast I can fly. The desert soon ends and I'm at the plateaus before the mountains. Instead of heading to the snowy peaks, however, I trail along the side until the terrain becomes one that is more hospitable to plant life. My mind is mostly blank, focused on keeping my speed as I survey the land beneath me. Then appears familiar group of hills, and I follow a few landmarks to arrive at the cliff.
I gaze up. The sun has moved from the top of the sky to the edge. Not good enough. I took an entire afternoon to fly here. I need to become more proficient at flying, or I need to figure out how to teleport again.
Spotting the camouflaged entrance easily, I head inside and approach Fen's door. Inching the door open, I find that there is only one Charizard lying on the bed, her lit tail dangling off the side.
"Phendrene!" I head next to her immediately. "Are you feeling better?" I grab onto her hand. It's as warm as it should be.
She turns her head over. "Oh, Nova. I thought you'd come earlier…"
"I couldn't teleport, so I flew here as fast as I could," I explain. "I won't leave again. I'm…" I try and apologise but it doesn't come out.
"Can we go flying?" she suddenly asks, her eyes lighting up.
This soon after the incident? I eye her tail. The flame is still quite small. "Are you sure?"
She pushes herself up. "Let's go." Throwing the blanket off, she stands up and leads me outside with her hand. "Now I'm evolved, I can fly with you, Nova! Have you seen me fly? I hope I can keep up with you! …"
Her sudden energy makes me feel revitalised. Reminding me of times gone by. And so I follow this familiar yet strange Charizard out into the open.
She lifts into the air with surprising grace for someone who has only evolved recently, and stays aloft with strong wingbeats. "Can you catch up to me?" she says playfully before heading off.
Of course I can. Purposefully using my wings and not levitation, I follow her upward. I see her tail move instinctively to balance her as she flies higher and higher into the sky. The flame is mesmerising against the setting sun.
"Not fast enough!" Her voice from up ahead brings me out of the stupor.
I'll humour her. Pretending to chase, I fly along at a casual speed, and only when she seems to be getting tired, do I swoop up and grab lightly onto her shoulders. "Caught you."
She laughs and smacks me with her tail before doing turning around, and I release my grip. "Teach me how to fly!"
"You already know, don't you?" I return, finding a smile creep up onto my face.
"I mean turns and swerves! Your special moves!"
"How about this?" I head downward with a sideways flip. "Relax your right wing and use your tail to unbalance yourself."
I circle back to her as she tries what I say, but loses control and tumbles downward before righting herself.
"Not like that!" I rush over to help her. …
I wouldn't have imagined that I would have spent the evening with Phendrene like this. I was prepared for her to blame me, to loathe me for leaving her on the beach, but there is none of that. I see her smile against the night sky with her face lit by her tail, and am reminded of who this Charizard is. Reminded of all that we've been through, from my mother, to her father, to my father, to the revelation of my psychic abilities… I shouldn't have been angry with her for holding onto me. I was the one who left her without a word, to leave her dying on the beach, and still she chooses to fly with me. I don't have to worry about anything with her. The burdens and anxiety that I had approaching here are no more.
But these happy thoughts vanish as another Charizard appearing in my peripheral vision. His tail dimly shines from far below, at the base of the cliff. As soon as I focus eyes on him, I meet his disapproving gaze. When he realises I am looking at him, he stares at me for a few more seconds before looking away and heading inside. I instinctually try to follow him, but Phendrene has grabbed my tail again.
I speak up. "We haven't eaten. Can you still hunt in the dark?
"Don't worry," she replies as she flies next to me. "Father will give us food."
I'm not so sure of that.
"That was fun, wasn't it?" she continues cheerfully. "Tomorrow, let's coordinate our flight! We can make a dance!"
"Okay," I answer absentmindedly as we fly down back to the shelter. She rushes ahead and opens the door to her father's room without knocking. "Father! Nova's here!" she announces as she runs up to the desk he is sitting at. I tentatively follow her in.
The older Charizard turns his head around. "I know."
"Can you get us some food from your food stores?" Phendrene asks immediately.
"Why didn't you hunt? If you had the opportunity to fly with him, surely you could have hunted first."
"Sorry," I interject. "I should have-"
"I'm not talking to you," Fen cuts me off. "Phendrene, I don't store much extra food for other people. Why don't you try to hunt before it gets too dark?"
"…Okay," Phendrene concedes, and turns her head to me. "I'll be quick," she says before dashing out, leaving me alone in front of her father.
As soon as Phendrene is out of earshot, he speaks in a harsh tone without even looking at me. "Get out of my room."
"What is it?" I reply calmly. "If it's worrying about us having half-bloods, I told you I'm-"
"You know very well why." His body language still indicates as if I'm not here.
"But it's her first time flying with me. And she was so full of energy, I didn't think to stop her," I try and explain.
"Don't pretend, Nova. I'm referring to the fact that you almost killed her."
So she told him. …I shouldn't have kept it hidden, anyway.
Seeing my lack of response, he continues. "Why would you leave her on the sand before flying her here? You were lucky you could get her here in time…"
Although he seems to have a grasp on the situation, he is missing out on the important bit – the fact that I teleported. I don't even think he knows I'm psychic. "You don't know anything."
"Then tell me. How exactly did she fall in? And what was the reason for leaving her on the beach?"
I'm not inclined to give an explanation about teleportation nor Aya. "It was just an accident. Nothing much."
I regret saying that immediately as I see his eyes flare up. "A Charizard falling into the sea is no small matter!"
"…It won't happen again. She'll be safe. I promise."
"Really?" he gives a scoff. "You may act caring, but that doesn't solve any problems. You've never taken on any responsibilities. You can't even hunt, let alone fight. How would I believe that you could keep her safe?"
I start to feel hostile as well. "Who are you to question my actions? Do you even know what happened when we arrived at Lyrl?" I return to him.
"Please do enlighten me," he says in a sardonic tone and turns to listen.
"The two Salamence were captured…" I stop myself as I realise I've spoken myself into a dead end. The only reason I brought it up because it was a testament to my worthiness as a fighter. But I can't explain to him that I'm a psychic.
…But wait. Why not?
"And?" the Charizard continues. "Blight fought them off? Or was it the Haxorus?"
"No! It was me! I defeated the Lyrl Flygon!"
"Oh, really," He scoffs. "I think you're lying."
"And you? What did you do? Running errands for Charizard officials to feed your sister? Trudging through the difficult desert where you met Phendrene's mother as a Vibrava? Does that make you responsible enough to have children even though you have no idea how to take care of them?
He is silent after that, and I almost feel guilty. It's not really his fault that he doesn't believe me. I didn't even think I would be a competent fighter before I discovered my powers. But then again, it's none of his business.
"…Who told you that?" Fen asks in a quiet voice, staring up at me with a piercing gaze.
I open my mouth but I don't speak. The reason I remembered it so vividly is because… I was Fen in those dreams.
"No one could have told you that." His eyes are directly on me, and even though he's not sporting an angry look, it still makes me shiver. "But you know. How do you know?"
Even though I have the urge to give him some made up excuse, I keep my mouth shut, because I know I'm a bad liar.
"You read my mind, didn't you?"
Giving up on my secrecy, I give a slight nod. "It wasn't on purpose…"
He ignores my comment. "So that's how you defeated the Lyrl Flygon. You're some psychic in disguise with an ulterior motive trying to get closer to my daughter. And I suppose you're going to murder me now that I know the truth."
What?
"But I won't go down without a fight!" he shouts suddenly and breathes a stream of fire. Instinctively I extend my arm out and hold him in place, but not before his flame has reached my face.
It burns and makes me cough, but doesn't hurt as much as I'd thought. When the smoke clears, I find myself holding Phendrene's father onto the rocky ceiling of the makeshift room.
"I know it's not easy to believe. But please, calm down," I tell him.
"…Let me go," he says, struggling.
"Only if you don't attack me."
"Fine."
So I place him gently in the opposite corner of the room.
"You really are Nova?" he asks.
I sigh. "Yes! Why wouldn't I be?" I'm regretting revealing the secret to him. "I'm not reading your mind. That one was a dream I had that picked up on your subconscious. It was the day we arrived here."
He looks away. "Ah, I do remember my thoughts from that day. Sorry about that. It's just… it made more sense that you were a psychic transformed, rather than a psychic Flygon."
"Phendrene knew me as a Trapinch. I'm pretty confident that I'm a born-and-raised Flygon." I cross my arms in frustration.
He frowns too. "If you want me to trust you, you'll have to be honest. How are you even psychic?"
"I don't know." He doesn't seem convinced. "I really don't!"
"And how did you discover your powers?"
"I willed for something to happen. And it did."
"Fine, I believe you. This does make more sense in context. Phendrene had sand on her when you brought her here, and the closest coast is a cliff rather than beach. I assumed you simply flew from elsewhere, but it seems like that is not the case. You teleported her here, didn't you?"
"…Yes." He does have impressive deductive skills.
"And, as I was saying," he continues, "I would really love it if you would explain why you didn't do that immediately after Phendrene fell into the water, but rather waited for hours."
Hours? I was flying around, frantically trying to find Aya for hours?
"I was just trying to find someone."
"And locating this person was more important than Phendrene's life?"
"…No, I was just not thinking straight at that moment," I answer honestly.
"Then you should understand my concern for her being around you," he finishes. "If you cannot control your emotions, then why would I entrust her safety to you?"
I glare at him. "Like how you hit your mate and caused her to leave with Phendrene?"
"Stop bringing everything back to me. My mistakes do not justify yours, Nova. How can you feel justified in leaving her after she had been submerged in water? I'd also like to ask on how exactly she fell in to begin with."
I struggle to contain a grimace.
"As I suspected, you have something to do with it. Don't you feel any guilt over doing this to the dragon you profess you care for?"
I feel my stare waver in light of his words. He is right, but…
The door suddenly opens beside me. "I can't find anything, my fire is too noticeable in the dark. …Nova? Are you okay?"
I turn my head away. I don't want to think about the fact that it was really me who almost killed her. "I'm sorry…"
Instead of responding to me, however, she turns to Fen. "Father? Did you blame him?" Phendrene says accusingly, her tone surprising both of us. "Don't make that face, Nova was perfectly fine with me. I thought I could trust you again," she says bitterly at the larger Charizard.
"But Phendrene, he-"
"You don't know anything!" Phendrene angrily interrupts. "Nova has been through so much stress. Do you want me to tell you how he saved us from the Lyrl Flygon?"
I simply stand there, gazing at her. She has a perfectly valid reason to hate me, but instead she chooses to defend me, even though I haven't told her anything.
"And the time when we first met. I was so scared. But he tried to comfort me and was even worried about my safety, when he knew nothing about me. And even when I had never talked to him, he stuck by me for months. He is the most brave and selfless dragon I have ever met."
Does she mean what she said? She mustn't. How am I remotely brave and selfless? I ran away and left everyone else without so much a word…
I'm feeling embarrassed. "Phendrene, that's enough," I tell her. "Let's go sleep."
"Fine." She turns back to her father. "Don't you dare try to scold him again."
I drag her out of the door and she follows me half-voluntarily. I'm starting to feel sympathetic towards Fen. His concerns are not completely unfounded…
"Ignore him," Phendrene tells me as we walk into a room. "What he says doesn't matter. Sure he won't be giving us food, but I'll be able to hunt in the morning."
I feel like I should say something about Fen being her family, but that would just make me a hypocrite. Instead, I ask, "Did you really mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"I'm not brave. Or selfless," I respond as I lie down on the mat.
She doesn't answer and simply cuddles in next to me. I'm more inclined to reciprocate than the first night in the cave and wrap an arm around her. Only then do I realise how much bigger she has gotten. She doesn't feel like a child anymore, but more like someone who…
I close my eyes. I don't need to think about it too hard. I'm happy being with her, and that's all that matters.
When I was staring at my empty cave this morning, it was strange and unfamiliar. Now I understand. Your home isn't defined by where you are, but rather who you're with.
…
I open my eyes and there is a Charizard sitting at the edge of the wall. I reach out for her instinctively, only to realise something is not right.
"She's out hunting for you right now," Fen tells me.
My arm retracts and I sit up instantly. I forgot about him.
"I'm here to apologise about yesterday. I understand that you two know the situation better than I do. But I really would appreciate it if you could tell me what precisely happened to Phendrene the day she was at the ocean. Can you do that?"
Though I still have some hesitance, I can tell that he is being genuine. So I nod.
"So, how did she fall in?"
"I intended to teleport to the sea alone," I respond quietly. "But I accidentally brought her along."
"I see. I suppose it was to find that 'someone'?"
"Yes."
"Who was this person?"
I look away. "Someone important."
"Who exactly?"
"You don't know her."
"Do tell me."
"It's a long story."
"We have plenty of time."
I stare at the floor. "I don't want to talk about it."
The sound of the door's opening allows me to stay quiet. "You're awake!" Phendrene's voice sounds. "You must be hungry after flying all the way here without food!" She hands me a piece of fresh catch, just like the way she did in old times.
"So, who was she?" Fen continues.
"Father, let him take a bite first," Phendrene saves me again from answering.
The two Charizard both look at me as I chomp down on the meat, making me feel slightly uncomfortable. But soon Phendrene picks up a piece and joins me, while Fen sits patiently at the side.
"Why wouldn't you want to talk about her?" Fen questions as I finish a piece. "Please explain."
"It's personal," I state simply.
"So… I guess she was your mate?" Fen conjectures.
"Of course not!" Phendrene answers before I can, and directs an eager look towards me. "Right, Nova?"
"She wasn't," I affirm. "She just… fed me for the time I was gone. And we got separated… and I tried to find her."
"You were gone from your group?" Fen questions. "Why?"
"I was scared…"
"That's enough!" Phendrene says to her father. "It doesn't matter what happened in the past. He's here with us now."
"Alright," Fen concedes. He must have negotiated with her before I woke up. "How long are you going to be staying here? Are the others coming over?"
"Maybe," Phendrene replies curtly and tugs onto my arm again. "Nova, let's go flying!"
"Wait, just one thing." Fen's comment brought up something on my mind that was completely forgotten with the events of last night. "Is Sylar still here?"
"No, they left a while ago," Fen answers. "After they recovered, there was no reason to stay here."
"I see…" I let out a disappointed sigh.
"Why?" Fen immediately follows up. "Is there something you needed to find him for?"
"Yeah. Spire's hiding some secret that seems to be really important, and Sylar knows. I was hoping I could ask him…"
Fen cocks his head. "Should you really be prying into other people's private business?"
"No, that's not what I meant!" I try to explain. "It just seemed like a really important secret."
"Seemed like?"
"It is important," Phendrene says to support me. "Because it's about Nova's father."
Right. I almost forgot about what originally caused me to pursue this secret. Sylar reacted at Blight's name and Spire conspicuously led him off privately.
"If it's that, I think I have an idea of what it is," Fen says.
"Really?" I ask, excited. "How come?"
"I know quite a lot about Pokémon biology. And genetics as a sub-branch."
Why is he mentioning that? "So did I inherit something?"
"No, this is about him, not you," Fen replies. "Anyway, let's start from scratch. Do you know how a dragon's species is determined?"
"From their parents?"
"What about half-bloods?" Phendrene asks after me.
"Oh, I remember! The Dragonite Sky was talking about it. Something about dominance between species."
"That would be correct," Fen says. "Some species' genes naturally express over others. For instance, the Charizard gene expresses over the Flygon one. …And that is why Phendrene is a Charizard. I have two Charizard genes and her mother had two Flygon genes. Each parent passes on one, so Phendrene has one of each, of which the Charizard one takes precedence."
"So does that mean Flygon expresses over Salamence? Since I'm a Flygon…"
"This is why there is a problem. Flygon isn't dominant to Salamence. By all means, you should have been born a Bagon and not a Trapinch."
"…So what does this mean?" I ask further.
"We know for sure that you have no Salamence gene. This means your father didn't pass on his Salamence gene, and instead something else."
"So my father… he's a half-blood?" I look up and come to the logical conclusion.
Fen nods.
"That's Spire's secret?" It is nothing. "No one cares!"
"Do remember that your attitude towards half-bloods is rather rare. Most people look down on them immensely. Which would be why Spire would want to hide it for Blight. Even if your group would be fine with it, it's easier to leak and attract unnecessary enemies."
"Who would be my enemy just because I'm a half-blood?"
"Many." To my surprise, it's Phendrene that answered. "Mum was killed because that Salamence thought she was disgusting for having mated with a Charizard."
Fen stares at her. "She…"
"Sorry," Phendrene says immediately. "I shouldn't have…"
"You should," Fen replies quietly. "We need to sit down. And have a long conversation."
I suddenly feel out of place. I would like to inch out of the door quietly, but it's on the other side of the room. So I just sit there.
"Okay," Phendrene replies. "But not now. I have to go flying with Nova. …Couldn't you just have told us Blight was a half-blood, and spared us the complicated explanation?"
Fen gives a small smile. "I'd prefer you to know the concepts behind it, considering you never had a proper education."
"It doesn't matter. Skills like flying matter. Nova?" She prompts and extends me a hand.
I shake my head. "Not now. It's more important for you two to talk over things first. We can still fly later."
"All right, then. Phendrene, let's go to my room." Fen says and stands up.
She glances at me reluctantly and follows her father out. I let out a yawn and lie down. I really am a hypocrite for advocating parent-child bonding, huh?
So my father's a half-blood. I'll probably ask him about it later, but it's not a big deal. At least I can make Spire stop being so fidgety all the time. …I haven't had a proper conversation with him in a while.
I sigh. Of course we haven't, I went missing for months. There must have been some things that have happened between the members of the group.
And what about Aya? She must have been so worried, trying to find me after I went missing. But maybe she simply moved on and continued along the shore. Will I ever see her again…?
I close my eyes and sigh. The memory of Aya is like a dream. I recognise her face and her scent, but it all seems so surreal and intangible. It's like a distant fond memory that I would love to go back to… but I shouldn't. I'm finally back now, able to face everyone with them knowing that I'm psychic. It feels a lot less stressful, now that I don't have to keep a secret identity. I just wish everyone else would be open as well. That reminds me, none of the others know that Fen is Phen's dad… I can't believe none of them realise from our behaviour already.
I should stop thinking so much and go out to practice telekinesis. On top of that, I'm thirsty as well.
The fresh morning air livens me up as I descend to the familiar stream. Time and time again, I have begun to associate this location with childishness and naivety, what with always meeting the Dratini and Growlithe here. I kind of miss them. …I promised Fly that I would talk to him, but then I fainted and flew here… What about the Growlithe? What was her name again? I never really remembered because in my mind she was simply the only Growlithe I knew. I want to call out to her but it would be awkward simply yelling out her species name.
So I just begin my usual pastime. Though my telekinesis is fine, I worry about mind reading. I don't really want to do it, because I'm sure people wouldn't want me to… but I may need it in the future against enemies.
As I walk back into the room, I project my mind deeper into the shelter, and can easily find the pair's consciousness. They seem to be discussing about Lyrl right now. Phendrene is describing all the curious eyes that were on her, and how it made her very uneasy…
"What are you doing here?" a sudden voice sounds behind me, and I turn around to see Fen's sister standing with another bag of supplies.
"I'm visiting with Phendrene," I answer flatly. "Where's Talon?"
"Not here," she answers. "Is she in there with him right now?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I wouldn't want to disturb them." She places her bag of supplies next to the wall.
"Really."
"Yes. What? He deserves some time with her, don't you think?" She sighs in relaxation as she sits down at the wall.
Her figure almost reminds me of the other female Charizard. But they act nothing alike.
"I know," she continues, seeing my silence, "you must still be upset at me for punching you. But it wasn't for myself."
"Then who was it for?" I retort.
"Fahrenheit, of course. You've had all the time in the world with that Charmeleon of his. Yet you still want her attention? So selfish."
Before I'm able to correct her about Phendrene's species, the door to the inner room opens. "Cel? Is that you?"
"You're done talking with your daughter?" Celsius asks back. "I can wait." Suddenly, her eyes narrow at the figure following Fen out. "Don't tell me, that's your daughter? How could you let her evolve? She's fourteen. Her body isn't ready for it!"
"I didn't-"
"It's this Flygon's fault, isn't it?" she turns her head towards me. "You convinced her to evolve, didn't you."
"No!" Phendrene's softer voice interrupts Celsius's tirade. "I evolved by myself. Leave Nova alone!" She runs over to between us.
"Oh, really. I suppose you're going to bring more unwanted children into this world, aren't you?" Being taller than Phendrene, the elder female looks down on us. "Just like all-"
"Celsius!" Fen interrupts. "It's all right. I'll make sure it won't happen."
"They don't understand why. Listen," she says to Phendrene and me. "Dragons shouldn't breed at this rate. There are good reasons why dragons take so long to mature."
"Don't you have a child, too?" I argue back.
Her eyes flare for a moment. "Talerin is adopted. Don't talk about what you don't know."
What? "I thought he was Phendrene's cousin…"
"On a familial scale, yes, but that is irrelevant. Flygon, I give you one piece of advice. Just because someone's not your sycophant doesn't mean you can disrespect them. You might think that you're some martyr-like figure who has been through so much, and that I'm an annoying adult who spouts pretentious bullshit – but I have been through things that you haven't and never will. The world doesn't revolve around you." She gives a glance to Phendrene. "And you. What made you think evolving at the age of fourteen years is acceptable? Your physical body may be developed, but mentally you will still make poor decisions. Do you really have a good reason for following this Flygon around unconditionally?"
Phendrene averts her gaze and tugs onto my arm.
"I hope you can at least justify to yourself. Make a decision that you know won't regret ten years down the line." She turns back to her brother. "Well, Fen, I'll be on my way. The supplies are in the bag."
"This quickly?"
"I don't have much free time like some others do…" She glances at me one last time before leaving through the door and taking flight swiftly.
What did she mean? I only disliked her because she punched me in the face, not because I'm pretentious or anything. She did sound reasonable, other than the fact I don't get why she's lecturing me.
"Why does everyone assume we're lovers?" I finally vocalise my frustration on this topic that I don't want to touch. "It's extremely annoying."
Fen sighs. "Not many people act as close as you two do, especially when you are opposite genders. It's all right, I know you don't mean anything." He pats me on the back. "So are you two going to stay here?" Fen asks us.
"Yes," Phendrene answers, but I can't let her make this decision for me.
"Only for a little longer. I need to go tell the others that Phendrene is okay." I have to talk to Fly and Porygon-Z, too, but I don't say that. "You can stay here if you want to," I add to Phendrene.
"But… it's nice here! We didn't even fly much yet!" she complains.
"We can fly anywhere. Are you two going to continue your talk?"
Phendrene gives a subtle nod.
"Then call me when you need me. I'll be outside. Practicing."
So again I begin my usual pastime. Since I've already tested telekinesis, this time I try and properly test if my teleportation is working. And it actually succeeds once across a short distance. I don't dare try teleporting back to the desert, though, lest it uses up all my energy. I'll have to bring Phendrene with me for that.
Does the distance of teleportation matter? I'm not taking any chances.
Regardless, telekinesis is the most important skill. I need to be able to consistently lift other dragons. Didn't I lift Fen last night? The only time I couldn't was when I was in the cave on the mountains. Maybe it was because I hadn't been using any psychic abilities with Aya. But then, how did I manage to first teleport after all that time without practice?
Psychic abilities make no sense. I really wish I could find a proper teacher, but there aren't any other psychics. I didn't even take their existence seriously before I discovered my own powers.
Actually, I'm wrong. There is one person that knows something.
It is late morning when she flies out to me handling some water.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Let's go back." She holds onto me tightly. "I'm ready."
Now that my mind free from any inexplicable migraines, I teleport us back to the Shallows confidently. She learns to expand her wings the moment we materialise and catches a wind down, leading me to the group's primary campsite. She goes off to hunt and only them am I free to attempt what I am planning.
Imagining the old Flygon mentor in my mind, I try and reach her with my mind, but it doesn't work. My mind doesn't hurt at all, so it mustn't be that. Is it different for people rather than locations?
Replacing the image with that of a Haxorus, I find myself transported easily.
"Aack!" Her yelp of surprise is the first thing I hear. I open my eyes and I see her sitting in some dry dirt.
…Dirt?
"I thought you were in the desert?" I ask, confused.
"Shouldn't you apologize for surprising me and making me fall over?" she complains. "How did you even know I was here?"
"Sorry! I didn't know what was going to happen. I was just practicing how to teleport to people," I answer. "So where are we?" I glance around and it seems like there is little plant life, and in the horizon I can see just the peak of snowy mountains.
"South of the desert. I'm on a day trip to find some fruit because I'm getting sick of the desert meat. I really want to go back to the forest for a while." She throws her arms up in exasperation. "I hated it when you were gone! I had to let the Flygon take care of me, because I can't hunt properly in the desert, and the air is incredibly irritable. Battling got boring fast, too. On top of that, I was… we were worrying about you. So thanks for that."
"Um… sorry. I can teleport you to the forest if you really want me to."
"It's fine. You might faint again. …Just let me fly on you."
"Okay." I flex my wings and present my back to her. "Tell me which direction to go. …Rue?" I turn my head around and realise she's staring at my back. "Um…"
"Sorry," she answers. "It's just… I haven't flown on you for so long. And also sorry for getting mad at you when you came back. …"
"Stop apologizing and get on me!" I tell her and she finally climbs on, gripping my shoulders. She doesn't feel as heavy anymore, which should mean my subconscious flight-aiding telekinesis is improving. Maybe one day I'll be strong enough to consciously move things with only my mind.
"The berry fields are that way." She points over in the direction of the mountains.
But as Rue's directions become more and more frequent and we get closer and closer, I start to realise where we are heading. The grass has the strange turquoise tint, and the hills are much taller. When Rue gets off for berry pickings, I can't help but fly around and look for the place. The cave where I first met her…
It's not difficult to find. The crevice is easily recognisable, and there are only so many naturally occurring caves that are big enough for us. I venture into the dark interiors, and find an oddly familiar bone pile, now decayed.
"Nova!" a distant voice sounds, bringing me out of my reverie. I almost want to pretend it was that Flygon's voice, but that would be delusional. I re-enter the afternoon light and fly back towards the Haxorus, who is looking up with a bundle of berries in her hand. "Where were you?"
There is a part of me that wants to conceal it, but the urge to show her that place is too strong. I want someone else to know…
I descend down to the Haxorus and ask her to come into the cave with me. She agrees, albeit somewhat confused.
"This is where I first met her," I say softly as I lead her into the darkness.
"Her? You mean…"
"The Flygon I was with during the months I was gone. At that time, when everyone had suddenly discovered my abilities, I was afraid of people judging me. So I fled… And when I found someone who didn't know about it, I latched on."
"I see." She picks up the bones and examines it carefully. "Impressive. This comes from a large Pokémon. She must have been a very proficient hunter."
"She was good at everything. She could hunt, she could fight, she could even keep up with me in flight. And she knew so much. She taught me how to swim, she taught me how to use energy pulses…" To demonstrate, I huff it at the stone wall, brightening up the room for a very brief moment. "And she was so friendly. Every time I was cold she would give me warmth. Every time I was afraid she would give me comfort. Her smile brightened up my bleak world."
Rue stays quiet despite seemingly want to make a comment. But I know what she's thinking.
"Yes. …I fell in love with her."
Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would admit this. The Haxorus's expression isn't one of blame, which is what I would have assumed from what she had said before. But I still find it difficult to maintain eye contact.
"You were right. When you fall in love with someone, they become the only thing that matters in this world. I would have followed her to the ends of the earth." I feel something in my eye. "But…"
"It's all right," Rue places a gentle hand on me. "Fate is something you have no control over. Everybody dies someday."
I turn to face her. "Die? No, she didn't die. I was the one who chose to leave her. Because I was selfish, and didn't think of her. When I went to find her in the morning, she was gone. Nothing was even wrong. I just…"
Lying against the wall of this familiar cave, I try and keep myself from snivelling, and just blink the tears away. What is it that just came over me? "I'm sorry, I…"
"Hey, let's agree to stop apologizing to each other," she replies. "And you're back with us now, that Nova we all know and love. You'll find her again."
"I hope so." I sigh. "I wonder how people before us fared not knowing the whereabouts of others. It's not just her."
"Are you talking about…?" Rue prompts.
"Yes, Silex. I suppose you're still wondering about her?"
"I mean, you don't have to talk if you don't feel comfortable-"
"Forget it. I only ever kept it a secret because I couldn't explain it without letting out the fact that I'm a psychic. Because Silex was also psychic," I state simply. "But not as powerful or skilled as me, or so I observe. She lost control of her emotions and somehow, froze everyone in time. That is, everyone but me. And teleported away. I prayed to revert the time freeze, and my wish became a reality. And that was when I discovered I was a psychic."
She looks at me, confused. "You're not kidding, right? How could both of you be a psychic?"
"It must be a fortunate coincidence. Otherwise everyone would still be in stasis right now."
"You saved us?"
"I guess you could put it that way. But…"
"Oh, why?" She grabs my hand. "Why did you have to keep all this from us? They thought your detachedness was just because of your father, but no… I was right, it had something to do with Silex's disappearance. You changed so much after that. You used to be friendly, always with a warm smile on your face… But after that, you became edgy, irritable, and distant. And it was all simply because of being psychic?
"But people are always wary of me, now. …When I visited Phendrene yesterday, Fen attacked me just because I was a psychic. People think of me as a threat, because I have powers beyond their comprehension. Beyond my comprehension…"
"Why would you worry? A Haxorus is rarer than a psychic. Or as far as we know. Come on." She pulls me up. "At least now you know that none of us hate you. So let's just head back, and call it a day."
"Spire still does…"
"Who cares about him? Come on!"
I let her pull me up and follow her slowly out of the cave. I take another look back, at the ash pile, the decaying bones, and the place we slept together, which now has been piled up with dust…
I sigh. I really did love her. She was too perfect in catering to me in every aspect of her action, whether it was flying with me, taking care of me, or playing with me. But I never thought of her as a mate, never imagined what it would be like having children together. It's strange.
The flight back to the desert is rather quick. When we land in the clearing, Hale is there, carrying some meat over.
"Oh hey!" he greets us. "How'd you find each other?"
"He teleported," Rue says and jumps off me. "Apparently he can teleport to people. Pretty fancy."
"Woah. Nova, that's pretty amazing, I have to say," he says with a smile. "By the way, what happened with Phendrene? She was in such a good mood."
"Because Nova's back, of course!" Rue answers for me. "Poor Phendrene, she doesn't even know that Nova has someone-"
My eyes widen as I realise what she is going to say, and I immediately use telekinesis to grab her on the tail and tug it strongly.
Stop it.
"What was that for?" she says as she rights herself from falling over.
Just because I told you doesn't mean you can tell everyone, I project into her mind.
She must have heard that, because she stares back equally indignantly."What are you doing?"
What am I doing? I wanted to tell her to stop, but didn't feel like saying it out loud. I don't know, telepathy. Don't you mention what I said about her toanyone. And stop making those comments about Phendrene, it irritates me."
"Okay, fine! But they should be allowed to know about Silex."
"You tell them," I resume talking verbally now that there's nothing to hide. "…I'm hungry."
"Uhh, are you guys okay?" Hale asks in confusion. "And what was that about Silex?"
"Oh, Nova just tried to mind control me, but I fought him off," she says casually. "And I'll tell you about Silex at dinner. Let's feed our resident psychic guardian first. Have you had lunch yet?"
"We just finished, but there are some leftovers. They're in my cave. But Nova-"
"I'm just hungry, that's all," I tell her and walk over to get some much-needed meat.
Why do I exactly want to keep it a secret? It's not anything specifically against Hale. I just want to keep it between the Haxorus and me. Perhaps it was because she told me of her crush on a Grovyle. Moreso, she's just all-round honest, so I feel bad about keeping secrets around her. But one person is enough. I don't want any others getting any ideas. Especially not that old Salamence. It's like he's expecting grandchildren! Though Celsius was wrong in her assumptions about Phendrene and me, she is right about our ages. We only evolved early because we're a lot more active in the wild than in Lyrl.
When I finish eating, I first head toward the lake and dive in. It feels quite refreshing, the cool temperature and the unique feel it provides. Though it's also because I want to spend some time with my brother.
Paddling methodically as the water settles, I see a lithe figure swim over and pop his head out from the surface.
"You're here!" His singsong voice contains his usual cheer. "You said you would be here yesterday!"
"Sorry, I was planning to, but I fell asleep in the middle of the day," I explain.
"It's all right, you're here now!" he says without any blame. "Why are you in the water, though?"
"I learnt to swim. It's kind of cheating, because I'm levitating myself."
"Oh. What's levitating?"
"Sort of like this." I will myself to move upwards and out of the water, so I'm floating above him. A sense of coldness assails me so I let myself splash back down into the water.
"That seems fun! Papa says I can do that when I evolve," he tells me, excited.
That's great!" I remember that their species has the natural capacity to levitate.
He swims closer to me, enough so that I could grab his body if I reached out. "Can you swim under, too?" he asks.
"Yep!" I take a deep breath and dive downward, and am greeted with many rocks behind swirling bubbles. Directly downward, near the centre of the lake floor, is a tunnel that curves out of sight. After all, the water has to come from somewhere.
I am distracted by the Dratini suddenly dashing in front of my face, and then across to the other side.
You swim fast! I try to call out as I pedal over.
He looks backwards and asks in a much more muddled voice through the water, "Was that you?"
I can't speak underwater! So this is just in your mind.
"Oh. It's not too hard. You just need to be underwater a lot. I talked with my friends this way."
His friends.
I didn't even realise. He'd lived his entire childhood somewhere else, before he left in search of a water source. But I was too absorbed in my own feelings to care.
"What did you do with your friends?" I ask when I resurface.
He comes out of the water with me. "We used to play all sorts of games! Like hide and seek, or catch the tail. Our lake was really big, way bigger than this one. And we knew all the places inside it! Sometimes Mama would bring me to neighbouring lakes and we'd meet with some other friends. I kind of miss them, but Papa says we can't go back because it's dangerous… and Mama has to help the other Dragonite. So even though I'm bored here, I try not to complain."
I find a footrest at the edge of the lake. "…Fly, have you been to the sea?"
"The sea? The one the older Dragonite told stories about? I heard it's very big! And salty."
"Yes. Yes it is. It's so huge that it's endless. You can't even find its edge." I close my eyes, remembering the grand view from the beach. "…If you want, I'll bring you there."
"That sounds fun! But how can you do it? I heard that it was very, very far away!"
"It's a secret! I'll show you tomorrow. I have to rest today so I have the energy for the trip, and so I don't accidentally fall asleep again!" I laugh at my euphemism. "Don't worry, I'll tell Papa first."
"Really? Thank you, Nova! I can't wait! You are the best brother!" He jumps up and down.
I can't help but smile. Is this what it fees like to have family? I'd almost forgotten. "You're a great brother, too. One day, you can show me your lake as well."
"Nova, what are you doing in the lake?" An irksome voice interrupts our conversation. "You do realise we drink from it, right?"
"Shut up, Haxorus." I turn around and place my arms on the bank as I look upwards to her almost towering figure. "I thought you were telling them about Silex?"
She kneels down to be more level with me. "Not yet, they're all over the place at the moment. And plus, I'd rather you be there. To clarify things."
"I'm not explaining it to all of them. Why does it even matter?" It seems like such a trivial thing. "I'd much rather be spending time with my brother than reciting an unpleasant memory to the public."
"Come on, they deserve to know about her, don't they? You were fine telling me, why not them?" she asks, clearly not understanding my feelings.
"Fine!" I climb out of the water, letting her pull me out. "Let's get this over with. Sorry, Fly, I have to go now."
The Dratini who has been listening quietly the whole time gives a small nod and swims deeper into the lake.
"Were you even listening? I just said that they're all over the place and I can't find them, so we can't get this over with," she says as I throw some sand on myself to dry up. "What are you even doing?"
"Telekinesis. Actually, all Flygon can do this. Or at least they're supposed to be able to." I twirl a bit of sand and throw it in the air.
"Hey, I don't have goggles!" she says, covering her face as the sand falls. It's almost comical, because I've never really seen her afraid like that.
"Anyways, do you know where Blight is?" I ask immediately. "I need to talk to him."
"He's probably hunting. He's always hunting, or with this Dratini at the lake. I'd suggest you just wait here," she says. "Well, gotta go find the others. Be back for dinner."
I nod and watch her run off. I decide to spend my time practicing the telekinesis of water as Fly watches in fascination.
"That's impressive," my father says from behind me. "What is it?"
"Just telekinesis of water," I answer and turn around, letting the water splash down. "I need to talk to you," I tell the Salamence.
"What is it?" He tilts his head in curiosity.
"I just wanted to bring Fly to the sea. He seems quite cooped up here," I explain. "Can I please?" I do my best show of a child's face.
"Oh. Are you sure it's safe?" he asks. "He can't defend himself yet."
"Don't worry!" I tell him. "I'll protect him. And there aren't any dragons at the beach, anyway."
"I see. Then it's fine."
His agreement makes me smile. "Thank you, Father."
He gives me a rather strange look, and I realise what I had just called him. I want to say something to justify it, but his smile stops me.
"Maybe you can come, too?" I suggest. "This way it will be extra-safe. I can teleport us there. Like a family trip, or something…"
"Oh, really?" he says like he wasn't expecting me to invite him. "I'd gladly go!" he says with enthusiasm.
The plan makes me feel giddy. "Don't tell anyone else. We meet here after breakfast tomorrow, all right?"
Rue forces me to talk about Silex that evening in front of everyone, but even that isn't enough to dampen my mood. She pretty much tells the story for me, anyway. Everyone is left in shock about the time freeze, but I don't really take note. All I can think about is how much fun I'm going to have swimming in the ocean with my brother tomorrow.