I lie on some soft and comfortable surface. My skin is finally dry after being drenched in the rain for so long. Now that the adrenaline is gone, my body aches with noticeable pain, though I can feel that the injuries are healing.

I open my eyes to a dark rock ceiling. Looking around, I see the interior of a cave that is supported by a large pillar in the middle. It is surprisingly well furnished with tables, chairs, mats, and even a window on the far side. But there is no time to focus on these, because there's a creature sleeping next to me on this bed.

A quick sniff tells me that she is female. She doesn't look like anything that I've seen before. Her lower body is covered with red feathers until up to the neck, where the feathers become white. Wings protrude from her back rather sharply and oddly, which perhaps is because she isn't lying on her back like I am. As my eyes move to her face, I notice a somewhat iconic red pentagon mark on her eyes. I recognize it from somewhere, but where…?

The soft feathers tickle my side pleasantly, and I desire to feel it more. I reach over with my arm and gently caress her soft ears, and then the down along her neck. The sensation is so soft and alluring.

Suddenly she shifts in her sleep, and I become self-conscious of my actions and back away. But my movement actually wakes her up fully as she shuffles and opens her eyes. Her yellow irises turn to me and as our gaze meets, a bright smile appears.

"You're awake!" she exclaims in an oddly familiar voice, floating herself upright. I notice the strange arms and legs I hadn't before coming out of her lower body. "How are you feeling? You were fairly injured from the fight with the Salamence."

"It doesn't hurt that much anymore," I say and sit up, not wanting to lie down passively with her watching from above. My head still aches, fuzzing my memory. "What happened?"

"You were quite upset at everything that had transpired," she tells me and puts her arm on my shoulder. "Are you feeling better, now that you finally have a fellow psychic?"

Another psychic? That's right! I remember the warmth in my heart when she first contacted me through telepathy. It was when I knew that I wasn't alone in the world anymore. But with the realization of her psychic identity, I manage to recall and associate the image of her with a species I learnt of ages ago… "Are you a… um…"

"You may call me Latias," she says, maintaining her comforting smile. "It's been a while since I've had another psychic in these lands to talk to." Her gaze is kind, but…

"You're a Legendary Pokémon!" I exclaim, backing up against the wall. "I'm just a Flygon. Even if I'm psychic, I'm still-"

She leans in close and places her paw to my mouth. "Hush, Nova. Even if you are a Flygon, you have extraordinary psychic powers. There is something special about you; I can feel it. Don't feel undeserving of my company." She pauses and looks away. "Legendary Pokémon… we are merely stronger and live longer than the common ones. We still consume food, feel emotion, and desire mates. We are no gods. Don't worship me."

"But…" Despite her words, I am still overwhelmed from even being in her presence. I can't feel comfortable around someone so special! "I don't even know why I'm psychic. It just came out of me when I was…"

"That's what you will have to find out," she continues calmly and leans in. "You're still hurt. Just relax." I don't resist as I feel her softness on my body. It soothes my panic, and I do really feel more relaxed.

Calming down, however, makes me remember why I battled and sustained the injuries in the first place. "The eggs! What happened to them! Where are they?" I turn to her and ask desperately.

"Your… friends have them in their care for now. They misunderstand you… They try to protect the eggs not with you, but from you. But that's all right. They are not ill-willed, so they will take good care of the eggs." She gives me a comforting hug. "As a psychic, you know how others are thinking, but no one knows how you are thinking. It is something difficult to endure, which you will have to get used to."

I close my eyes and try and take solace in her physical comfort. What she says is true. None of them understood, even when I tried to explain it. I remember the despair I felt… I was so alone.

"It's all right." Almost as if sensing my anxiety, she holds me close. "I'll take care of you and teach you how to use your psychic abilities," she tells me as she holds me close. "Since I discovered you were a psychic, I've been dying to spend time with you. I hope I can teach you all I know."

It appears that she, too, seems glad that there is another psychic with her. "Do you know how a Flygon could be psychic, then?" I ask out of curiosity.

She flinches and looks up with a knowing gaze. "I can sense that you've had these abilities for a long time," she explains slowly. "They stayed dormant in you as a Trapinch and Vibrava, and only surfaced once you really tried to use them. I suspect that your flight capabilities were always boosted by some subconscious self-levitation."

"…How long have you been observing me?" I bring myself to ask. "Do you know everything about me? What about my inner thoughts?" I begin to feel awkward and look away.

"It's all right," she comforts. "I understand you, Nova. No need to feel awkward. I have indeed known you for a long time."

"I see." Not feeling as amiable as before, I begin to wonder. Did she really know all of my embarrassing moments?

"Don't worry, one of the lessons I'll be giving you is how to resist mind-reading. But for now, just make yourself at home. It's not very big, but it should be cosy enough!" she cheers and smiles again. "I'll leave you to rest for a while. If you need anything, just think of me! I'll be here for you." And with a sudden flash, she is gone.

I stare at the space she had just been occupying, still feeling overwhelmed. There really is another psychic in the world! A legendary one nonetheless. And she has been watching over me this whole time, too. I finally feel relieved of the burden of responsibility that my power gives me. There is someone else to rely on now.

I turn over on the bed to face the wall. The injuries do still hurt quite a bit, and it inevitably takes my mind back to Blight. It was really a horrible fight we had. Both of us could have killed the other at some point. I even though I did for a moment… And I was rather violent with everyone else, too; I doubt they want to see me for a while, nor do I want to see them. That's why Latias came in, wasn't it? She knew that I was feeling alone and hated, so she came to comfort me. Why she would do that for me, I wonder…

At first, I was alarmed when I learnt how long she had been watching me for. But then I realized how difficult it would be for a lone psychic to stay away from another. Even now, I still feel a happiness that there is finally someone in the world who can understand me.

I remember my childhood thoughts of finding Legendary Pokémon. In the end, I did happen to be lucky to grace the attention of one. Sure, perhaps they are not as divine as we thought, but I am certain that she has unparalleled skill and power. The moment when she came and teleported me away, I could feel her softness; yet I could not see her, nor did I hear Rue or Blight make any indication they saw a Latias. Appearing invisible is one of the many skills Latias has. I wonder if she is invisible right here, right now?

The thought gives me a chill. Sitting up, I look around the room, sensing that something is not right. I get the feeling that there is someone else here with me. Could it be her partner, a Latios? In my memory, the pair has always appeared together. Eyeing the room sharply, I try and perceive any abnormalities. It is when I look towards the window I feel the light has somehow been curved. "Who is that?" I ask out loud.

"You found me!" Latias materializes instantly in front of me, aloft. It seems that she has enough psychic power to levitate herself by default without tiring herself. She looks at me with a serious gaze. "That was your first test. Never let your guard down, even when you think you are safe."

"…Were you watching me like that very often?" I ask, beginning to feel uneasy again.

"I told you not to worry! There's nothing you need to hide from me." She takes me by the hand. "I understand everything that you do, Nova. Relax."

"I… okay." Even if she says so, there are some feelings I'd rather keep to myself. I wonder if she was there and knew my romantic feelings for that Flygon. Ah, what does it matter, I've even told the Haxorus about it. And I'm over it by now, anyway.

"So! You ready for some more lessons? Or are you hungry?" she asks eagerly and leans forward.

"I'm fine, thank you." I try to rationalize to myself that as a powerful psychic, she must be very used to knowing desires of others, so it should not matter. I know I have been impartial when I read many strangers' minds, but when it comes to myself, it still doesn't feel right. Maybe because I don't know anything about her. "Hey, Latias," I call, enunciating her name carefully, "do you mind if I ask a few questions to get to know you a bit better? I mean, you know everything about me, but…"

To my surprise, she nods with understanding. "Of course, Nova. What is there you'd like to know?"

I begin with something simple. "Is your name really just Latias?"

"I'm fine with you calling me that," she answers with a nod. "There aren't any other Latias around, anyway. I'm used to it. I understand how it can feel rude when you are referred to as 'Flygon', but I assure you I take no offense."

I have called someone 'Haxorus' quite a few times in a somewhat demeaning way, but I suppose if Latias is used to and requests for it, I will gladly oblige. "How did you find me and where did you bring me to?" I continue to ask.

"We're currently in a cave that I use as my home. We are far west of the Zeal mountains, quite a distance from where most of the dragons live," she finishes and takes a deep breath. "As for how I found you… I was roaming these lands, my psychic empathy brushing through the mind of living creatures briefly. But when I passed your Trapinch mind, I found something strangely familiar: the presence of another psychic, even if at that point the powers were unused. There would be no reason for me to appear to you at that point… so I waited until you had discovered your own powers, and you needed me."

She keeps a straight face as she talks on and on. As if spending years observing me took no effort. What do years mean to someone like her, anyway? "How old are you, Latias?"

"Ah, that's a rather difficult question to answer," she says and looks away. "Let's just say I was born quite some generations before you."

"I see." I begin to feel embarrassed, not at her knowing too much of me, but for me asking insensitive questions. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be questioning so much. I should be glad that you'd even spend time with me, let alone teach me."

"Oh, Nova, please don't feel that way." She comes close and puts a paw on my cheek. "You're too kind. I've seen and experienced a lot; nothing you said made me feel bad in any way," she explains. "I truly am glad that I have another psychic to share my powers with, so please don't think you're unwanted. All right?"

"…All right." Though she reassures me in a rather sophisticated way, I still smile at it. "Thank you, Latias. I really needed someone after… everything."

"Really, don't worry about it!" she says cheerfully, returning the smile. "Now, are you still tired or hungry? Would you like to begin learning, or would you like to rest for a bit more?"

"What time is it now?"

"Very early morning. When I appeared to you it was late morning. You slept for almost a day, which is quite understandable, as you had been using a lot of energy in the fight." She lowers herself down to the bed next to me. "Psychics do require much more sleep than others. With experience, you will be able to be more efficient in both your energy usage and recovery. But that will come with time. Do you feel up for teleporting right now? You could practice entering and exiting this place."

I close my eyes briefly and bring myself to the brink of teleporting a short distance, and find that there's only a minor ache. "Sure," I answer and reopen my eyes with a nod. "I still have some energy."

"Nice! Come, then." She floats towards the window and motions for me to follow her. Getting out of bed is a little painful, but nothing I can't manage. As I come close I notice the window is really just a small gap in the cave wall that leads to the outside. "This place is situated on the side of a cliff. When I wanted to choose a residence I decided it would be better to have something inconspicuous. The houses like the ones in Lyrl would stand out too much here."

There is a chill as I put my head out to look, likely because it is colder outside. The sky is dark, and there is no moon, but I can still make out the cliffs surrounding us. It seems we're on one side of a ravine.

The time of day, however, makes me self-conscious yet again. "Did I wake you up too early?" I turn and ask. "It's not even sunrise yet. You should be sleeping."

"Nova, how many times do I have to tell you to not worry?" She puts a paw on my shoulder.

"But you have to let me treat you as your equal!" I turn around and argue back, becoming frustrated at her almost patronizing reassurance. "I wouldn't want to disturb anyone's sleep just because I woke up early. Come on, Latias. I don't want you to act like this for me."

She pauses for a few seconds and then looks away. "I suppose you're right. I'll catch up on sleep after I show you how to exit this place." She motions towards the window again. "You know how to teleport already, so you can just look outside and teleport there. It will be easy once you get used to it." She then points to the side where I see a narrow path in the wall I hadn't seen before, as the pillar in the centre of the room had hidden it from view. "If you walk down there, you'll see there's a small downward opening that we can fit through. You'll come out of the bottom of an overhang. The entrance there is only reachable by flight, so it's still relatively safe. If there is a harsh weather, I can always seal it up. But I'll show you how to later." Stifling a yawn, she floats back toward the bed. "Feel free to explore the surroundings. I can find you if you get lost, so don't worry." Having retracted her arms, she snuggles down into the comfortable-looking mattress and closes her eyes. It's only now that I realize the blankets are coloured red, blue, and white. "Good night, Nova."

"Night." I stay there watching her for a moment, wondering if it really is okay for us to sleep on the same bed like this, but I dismiss the thought easily. She's a Legendary Pokémon, so of course there wouldn't be anything between us.

Walking through the narrow passageway, I see the opening on the floor and walk over. Looking down, I see a river at the bottom of the cliff face, with many trees growing at its banks. I normally thought these lands to be barren and with snow, but it seems that here it is more lush. I let myself fall over and spread my wings as I take flight out into the open. The terrain is quite marvellous, even at night. I choose a random direction and shoot straight off and simply enjoy the scenery with the flight. It has been a long time since I flied in such a carefree mood. There's nothing to burden me anymore. Latias is taking care of me. Just like when… Don't think about it, Nova.

As I go farther, the terrain changes rapidly. Sometimes there are plateaus. Sometimes there are waterfalls. Sometimes there are even dark cave entrances. I begin to fly higher and higher, and as the sky brightens I do spot some snowy mountains in the distance. At my speed now, it would only take a day or two to arrive back there and navigate to the desert or forest or valley, but there's no reason to do so. I have Latias here with me now. And if the need to check back on them ever arises, which undoubtedly will eventually, I can simply teleport.

A dim brightness on the right horizon tells me that I have been heading north. The mountainous terrain gradually subsides as I spot what looks like the desert in the distance. Curious about where in the desert I would be, I speed ahead. The greenery beneath me disappears as it is replaced with rocks and sand.

It's been quite a while since I've been to the desert. Judging by Latias's words, this should be quite a bit west from the regions I'm used to, but it looks much the same. There is simply endless sand dotted with a few rocky outcrops here and there. The sun half over the horizon drags an extremely long shadow to the left

Every now and then I gaze backwards, and find that I'm getting farther and farther from the green and hilly region. Flying in the desert is quite a bit less exciting. But the familiar surroundings give a strange sense of nostalgia, and I realize that I haven't seen another Flygon ever since Vie died. To think a few months have already passed from then…

I keep my eye out in the distance for any sign of living creatures very carefully as I continue my flight. Occasionally I'd at least see some Cacturne, Gliscor, or Skarmory in the distance, but I avoid them, and none of them seem to take note of me. I begin to wonder if there are even Flygon living in this area, before finally I see a speck of green perched on top of a faraway rock on the horizon.

"Hello!" I shout as I near the Flygon and slow my flight down before landing on the rock. He is quite small and skinny for what looks like an adult male. "What are you here for?"

He pauses for a moment, and I sense his mind is in confusion. "Did you fly from over there?" he says eventually, pointing forward.

"Um, yeah?" I cock my head in curiosity. "Is that bad or something?"

He shakes his head. "And you flew so fast, too. Are you even real?"

Becoming bewildered, I take a step forward and place a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. Of course I'm real! Is there a problem or something? You're one of the Flygon that live in the wild, right?"

He maintains his confusion as he stares at me. "You mean, you're from Lyrl? But that's not the right direction…"

"Wait, tell me. I know I do fly fast for a Flygon, but what's wrong with flying from there? Is it disrespectful or something?" I try and guess, thinking that the wild Flygon may have strange customs.

"No, not at all!" he shakes his head. "It's just… you're not supposed to be able to. It's the Deadlands."

It's my turn to be confused. "Deadlands? I've never heard of it. You mean the mountainous regions?"

He shakes his head fervently again. "No, it's the region in the desert that is not to be crossed. The elders say that this rock we are standing on is the farthest south we are allowed to go. If we go any further, we might get trapped!" He ends his description with a laugh. "But if you flew from there, it must mean that it's just a myth, right? And I believed it for so long!"

"That's interesting. As I flew directly from the mountains to here, I did not detect any abnormalities," I tell him truthfully. "I'd like to meet these elders, though. Would you mind bringing me to them?"

"Um, sure! Who are you, though?" he asks. "I've never seen you around at all."

"I'm a wild Flygon as well. I just wander out of the desert every once in a while," I tell him simply, deciding to not trust strangers with my name, especially considering my reputation amongst Flygon.

"All right. Come with me." He takes off from the rock, and I notice that he flies at quite a slow speed. Judging from his mannerisms, I'd say that he's a young one that has only just evolved. As he leads me forward, I levitate myself behind him, feeling bothered by the slow pace, but not wanting to show off my speed either.

Soon, more Flygon come into view among various rocky outcrops. The way they are disorganized reminds me of the Shallows. It is also rather nostalgic and comforting to see Trapinch and Vibrava scattered among them.

"Elder Kariark!" he shouts as he flies down to an obviously older Flygon resting at the foot of a rock. "There's a Flygon who flew from the Deadlands! I've brought him here with me."

I'm somewhat taken aback at the strange name. The last time I've heard a name this fancy was Phendrene's.

"Oh, really," a deeper male voice answers. "Are you sure it was from that direction?"

"Absolutely," the younger one answers.

The elder's eyes turns to me. "Greetings, I am Kariark, elder of the Spirit Tribe. This young Flygon who brought you here is Sven. And you are?"

The Spirit Tribe? I've never even heard of it. "I'm just a wild Flygon who flew here from the mountains. Call me… Nova." I hesitate before telling them my real name. My imagination is not good enough to come up with a fake one on the spot.

To my relief, they don't react to it. "You may return to your post now," the elder orders the Flygon named Sven, and he nods before leaving. "What brings you here, then, Nova?" he asks patiently. "Did you really, according to Sven, fly through the Deadlands?"

"To be honest, I don't even know what the Deadlands are," I tell him. "Is it dangerous or something?"

"Oh, it is more than just dangerous, young one," he begins, closing his eyes. "I remember the generations of Flygon before me that told of what happened to the ones that ventured in. They were lost for days, weeks, or even months before returning, without memory of their trip whatsoever. Others disappeared entirely. As the Tribe closest to it, we have been tasked with observing it at all hours. No one has emerged from it in decades," he finishes. "So it is indeed quite curious how you managed to arrive without a scratch. Were you trapped in it for a long time?"

"The sun didn't even rise fully as I flew through it," I answer flatly and cross my arms, starting to think that this is all superstition. "I detected no abnormalities at all. How are you so sure of its existence?"

He turns and looks out to a group of Vibrava frolicking in the morning sun. "Elders of the past have recorded incidents when Flygon who refused to listen flew over. And the same thing happened every time. Either they returned after some time, themselves believing none had passed, or they disappeared entirely. There were always youngsters who would try, so we forbade it entirely. Since then, there had been no more incidents." With that, he turns back to me. "So, there would be something amiss if you really flew through it."

"Maybe it didn't exist in the first place," I suggest. "It might have been a myth that was passed down but not actually true."

"That is what many young ones, thought, but… the past elders would never lie. Perhaps the spatial anomaly has subsided by now." He looks up to the sky and flexes his wings. "Would you mind going back to check with Sven?"

I am becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated with the situation. Do they really believe it? "How would I check? I'd just fly through it normally like I did before. I'm sure there's nothing!"

The elder is silent for a moment, and I feel a little guilty for my outburst. "Very well, Flygon," he says eventually. "I suppose you will be on your way further north?"

I shake my head. "I'm just a wanderer. I don't know where I'm heading next."

"In that case, please avoid nearing Lyrl. No new eggs have been laid for months now. Our tribe is still doing fine, but I fear that some infertile disease has spread."

I am taken aback by the news, not sure if it is another superstitious rumour. But I suppose that even if it isn't true, this elder only means well. "Thank you for the warning, Elder. I'll be on my way, then."

He gives a courteous nod as I turn around and levitate myself up into the air, before I realize that I don't have anywhere I'm planning to go.

"Halt!" I hear the elder yell from below. "Sir Nova, could you be the legendary psychic Flygon?"

Huh? I turn around and note that he had flown up to meet me. Seeing his beating wings makes me realize that I've forgotten to use mine.

"What do you want?" I ask defensively and prepare myself for any sudden move.

"I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. It's a great honour to have you grace our lowly tribe! Would you like to stay for longer? There are some children who really want to see you!" His old face lights up with a smile as he holds his hands together, almost like a prayer.

How does he know about me? Surely by word of mouth from the Lyrl Flygon? The words he uses to describe me make me feel something strange between embarrassment and pride. Do they really think so much of me? I never knew that someone like me could become a role model.

I can tell his intentions are genuine, and I feel obliged to comply, as if it's my duty. Latias said she could contact me whenever she needed to, anyway. So I give a brief nod. "Let's head back to the ground," I suggest, not wanting to tire him.

He doesn't stop speaking as we land and leads me out into the other scattered Flygon. "Perhaps this is why you managed to fly through the Deadlands! Your powers are so great that you are able to ignore the spatial distortion the Deadlands bring!"

I hadn't even considered it. "Perhaps you are right," I admit. Just like how I was unaffected by Silex's time stop, maybe I am immune to this strange phenomenon, too. I'll verify it with Latias later, who certainly knows about the Deadlands.

"Perhaps you could talk to the children? They all look up to you!" he says and gestures towards the open sand where I see many figures, either sleeping or playing, their shadows dragged long by the morning sun.

They look up to me? I smile at the thought. "I'll do what I can," I say and take flight over to the others, the elder following me.

The process is a little mundane, despite everyone's excitement as the elder introduces me. Even the adults seem as enthusiastic as the children when introducing themselves, but there's no way I'll remember all of their names. I wonder, though, why their view of me is so positive. I'd think they have a negative opinion of me after what I did in Lyrl. Perhaps this place is so far that that they never have to deal with Salamence, especially if "the Deadlands" prevent anyone going directly to and from the mountains.

It turns out that these wild Flygon are not as simple as I thought they were. Unlike those from Lyrl and the Shallows, they retained their power to manipulate sand. The older and more experienced ones can even cause brief sandstorms on a local scale. "But surely you can do more than that, psychic one?" another elderly Flygon asks, and all the children start asking for a display of my special powers.

And so I do. Catching one particularly nosy Trapinch with my telekinesis, I levitate her up and around in a circle before putting her back down carefully. Then all the other children, too, each ask for that to be done with them, and so I gladly entertain them as everyone watches enthusiastically. Afterwards, they ask me what else I can do, and with a grin I teleport behind them. As they turn to face me, I teleport up into the air above me.

Though at first I was a little apprehensive, seeing them react so positively makes me begin to enjoy the attention. I was always proud of my psychic powers, but I have never used them for display prior to this. Since there are only so many of them living here, the crowd never gets too big, even though they are congregated beneath me, so I don't feel overwhelmed.

"Nova!" a young Vibrava calls from below. "How'd you go up there suddenly?"

"Teleportation," I answer as I glide down. "It's another psychic technique. But I can't do it too much, or I'll tire out," I explain.

"But how?" another inquisitive voice asks. "How do you do it?"

"The power of will," I answer truthfully. I extend my hand and form a pit in the sand in front of me. "It's just like how you all are able to manipulate-"

Nova. The telepathic voice in my mind startles me. This is Latias. I'm wondering where you've flown.

Hold on, I'm busy.

I sigh. Yes, Latias was bound to wake up soon. And though it was fun hanging out with these wild Flygon, I don't belong here. "Sorry, everyone, but I have to go now. There's someone calling me."

"Aw, but it was so fun!" a Trapinch calls.

"It was fun," I agree with a smile. "But I have some urgent things to attend to. See you all later," I say and give a small wave, before taking up to the air in a burst of speed.

All right, I'm at the desert. What is it? I think to Latias as I fly towards the Deadlands.

The desert? You really flew that far?

I was just flying in one direction until I got there. I met some wild Flygon, too. They all really look up to me! It's really nice. …Latias?

…You shouldn't do that, Nova. I'll speak to you in person. With a sudden flash, her familiar red and white figure appears in front of me, and I come to a halt. "I didn't expect you to come this far out," she says in a relatively neutral tone, but I can feel a hint of disapproval.

"What's wrong?" I ask with curiosity. "I mean, I didn't abuse my powers or anything…"

"Nova, using your powers for entertainment is abusing your power," she says seriously. "I've never consciously appeared to others for the same reason. People of our calibre shouldn't use our powers for trivial purposes like this."

"B-but… what harm can come out of it?" I ask, not understanding.

She sighs and puts a soft paw on my shoulder. "Let's head back first," she says and brings her other arm over, then with a flash I am back in the stone cave that I woke up in.

I walk over to the bed and sit down, unhappy at her chidings. "I still don't understand. What do you mean I can't do that?"

"Our powers are not to be played with, Nova. You have to understand that." She floats down next to me. "Imagine. What if I, a Latias, just waltzed over to Lyrl and showed off my abilities for fun?"

I look up and shake my head. "But I'm not a legendary like you! I haven't seen my own kind in a while, so I got excited. I'm just a normal Flygon."

"A Flygon with powerful psychic abilities that no one else has, so not a normal Flygon," she corrects, and maintains her stern gaze. "If you let your powers be seen so easily, in due time, people would no longer care about them. You shouldn't derive satisfaction from showing off. And on top of that, it would be very easy for your enemies to track you down and study your powers if you use them when you don't need to. That's why you shouldn't do it Nova," she finishes and sits next to me. "I hope you understand."

…She does have a point. I do feel a little regret for appearing to them and showing my powers so easily. It seems unbefitting of what I am meant to be. But the elder asked in such a genuine and enthusiastic way…

"It's all right, Nova. Just don't do it again," she says with another comforting pat on my arm. I am silent in response. Even if she is probably right, it still felt fun, being the centre of attention. But perhaps it really is, in a sense, squandering my power.

"So," she speaks again. "I hunted for you. Let's eat, and then I'll teach you things."

As we eat, my mind turns back to what the wild Flygon told me of. "Latias, do you know what the Deadlands are?"

She looks up at the mention of the name, but doesn't answer at first. "Yes, I do," she says eventually. "But it is not dangerous to us. So we can disregard it."

"But it's dangerous to normal Pokémon, right?" I continue to ask. "How come? Do our psychic powers protect us from what swallows them?"

"Yes, they do," she answers simply and continues to eat. I notice that she doesn't get much blood on her mouth, quite fitting for a legendary.

"So, what exactly swallows them? It's probably not a Pokémon, right?"

"No, it's not," she replies without looking at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask her and grab onto her arm, not understanding her behaviour. "Are you all right? Why are your answers so short?"

She looks up at me with a neutral expression. "Are they? You only asked yes or no questions, so I answered them that way. I see nothing wrong with that," she states as a matter-of-fact.

"I know, but I thought you'd clarify more about it without me needing to ask," I explain. She was quite forward in her speech this morning.

"As I said, since it doesn't affect us, we can disregard it," she repeats her earlier line.

I don't know what to say after that. I'm almost certain she knows more about it. Otherwise, I think she would have said that she doesn't know. But why won't she tell me more about it? Just because it doesn't affect us doesn't mean it's not useful to know.

But I don't pester her any further. She's a Latias that would give a lowly Flygon attention just because he's psychic. I shouldn't pester her so much.

When we're done eating, she teleports me back outside, and I recognize it to be directly on top of the cave. The ground has some grass, but it is sparse, and the terrain around us is rather uneven – we are right beside a ravine, after all.

"You know the fundamental basics of psychic ability already," she begins lecturing. "You will for something to happen, and if your psychic power is great enough, it will happen. For instance, telekinesis." She stops speaking and suddenly I find myself floated into the air. She hasn't moved any of her limbs. I feel a little nauseous until her grip stabilizes. "I am willing for you to be in the air right now. Because you are not of significant mass, and also not resisting, it is a very easy task." Suddenly the grip disappears and I take control of my own body and levitate it back down.

"Why don't you need to use your hands like I do?" I ask her.

"You don't need to, either. For new learners, it's easier to visualize the way you control something to help your mind focus on it. By now you should be able to levitate small things with just your eyes. Here, don't move your hands." A piece of dirt is disturbed from the ground and it takes me a moment to realize Latias is doing it. As it hurtles towards me, I focus my gaze on it and will for it to stop. And to my delight, it does.

"Good job! Sometimes you'll still have to use your hands, since it really does help you focus. And for the other part, resisting telekinesis, it's essentially trying to keep control over yourself. …"

She goes on and on about all the basic psychic techniques I've used, from telepathy to teleportation. My reservations about Latias are all but gone after a morning of training. Despite only spending this much time with her, the way she talks and refers to things I've discovered before makes me feel very comfortable, and it is clear that she knows a lot about me. On top of that, she really is a good teacher, and I can tell that she is putting effort into genuinely helping me improve. I know because it is just like when someone else taught me things… but I don't let my mind stay there.

She gives me a small break after a while of practicing. I sit on the cliff edge, marvelling at the ravine, as she hovers by my side. "Do you know non-psychic abilities, too?" I ask.

"Of course. For one, I'm also a dragon." She turns to the air and fires a familiar pulse. It doesn't seem like it took much effort, but it's just as large as the ones I would normally breathe. "But you already know that, don't you?"

"Yes, but what about other moves?" I inquire further. "Can I breathe the fire of Charizard? How about ice attacks? They would be really efficient against other dragons."

"You mean these?" she answers swiftly before opening her mouth firing a flamethrower and a beam of ice in quick succession, both dissipating after travelling a short distance down the cliff. "You can learn the fire, yes. But Flygon cannot learn the ice technique. It's all right, because the dragon pulse is as effective against other dragons.

I thought I saw Aya use ice before, but I must be mistaken. "So will you teach me the flamethrower, Latias?"

"Of course," she answers with a smile. "Not yet, though. I still have much more about psychic abilities to teach you. It will be the most useful thing to master. You ready to get back to it?"

"All right." I levitate myself back up onto the top of the cliff. "I don't usually exert this much psychic power, though, so forgive me if I'm a bit tired."

"That's completely fine! I'll start with something conceptual. Look at me, Nova," she says in a serious tone, and I nod and stare at her. She returns a calm gaze, but before I notice it she has disappeared. But the background behind her is a little strange, so I know that she hasn't teleported and has merely gone invisible. I walk over and place a tentative paw forward and feel her soft feathers. The part of palm in contact with her seems to fade to transparency, too.

"I am indeed invisible," she answers, gripping my arm with one of her invisible hands. "It is one of the first things I learned as a Latias. But it's not something you can do just by thinking to appear invisible." In a blink, she has returned to normal, and I glance up at her in the exact same spot.

"Sight works by reflection of light. When you see me, the sun's light reflects off my skin and into your eyes. If I want to become invisible, I need to be conscious of the light reflecting off of me, and will them to curve around me. Like this." She raises one of her hands up, and it simply disappears with the rest of her body remaining visible. "I'm willing the light to go around. That is why there is a distortion, and that is also why you can still feel me with your touch."

Keeping in mind what she said, I stare at my own arm and will the same thing of it. The sight of it flickers somewhat, letting me see through briefly, but I never succeed.

"Persistence is the key. You need to keep the light refracted in the same way to minimize the distortion, or else it would be very easy to notice," Latias explains. "Here, I'll make you invisible."

All of a sudden, the world turns to black. I am somewhat panicked, but I can still feel Latias with my paws, and the ground with my feet. I just don't see anything.

"Yes, if light doesn't get to your eyes, you won't see anything either," Latias's voice comes from where she was before, and the world appears back into vision. "That was how I felt when I was completely invisible, too. Of course, I can opt to keep my eyes visible." Latias's body gives way to the sight of the ground behind her, but following her, I look up and spot two floating yellow irises. "But that sort of defeats the point," she says, and appears back into vision. "Psychics have ways of sensing other than sight, so it's not all useless."

"Do I need to practice more?" I ask as I try and fade my paw out of vision, but to no avail.

"It's something that's quite innate to our species, since our feathers facilitate the process," she continues. "So it will be difficult for you to learn now. But perhaps you will be able to easily some day," she finishes with a smile.

"That's very interesting," I admit as I take the information in. "I wonder, if there's a way to even eliminate the feel of being touched when invisible?"

She pauses for a moment. "There is, but… it works on a different principle."

"Show me!" I answer immediately and tug onto her hand. "I want to know!"

Latias sighs, albeit with a smile at my excitement. "Fine, but it will feel a bit weird." She pulls away and closes her eyes, as I keep my attention on her. After a few second of concentration, she fades.

"Can I try touching you now?" I ask, eager.

No. Be patient.

I obey and stand there. After a few more seconds, I feel her signal. All right. You can try and feel me now.

I step forward to where Latias once was and reach out. To my delight, there's nothing but air. I outstretch my hands to cover as large a space as I can, but there's still nothing. "Don't tell me you moved away!" I joke.

I didn't. You're the one that's not moving.

"Huh?" I stop in place, confused. "What do you mean?" I ask as I look around, unsure of which direction I should face to address her.

Be careful, now.

With that telepathic line, suddenly the world disorients in a flash and I find myself almost losing balance, as if I have shifted back suddenly. "Wh-what just happened?" I ask and look up to a now-visible Latias.

"Even if I am psychic, I can't make solid material simply disappear from the space it occupies," she explains with a serene gaze. "To make you think you couldn't feel me, I had to take some other measures. Namely, altering your perception. In essence, it is like how I appear invisible. In that case, the sense of sight is deceived. This is more difficult – I have to manipulate your mind to alter all your senses in order to give you the illusion of stepping forward and feeling me. You thought you were because I gave your mind false signals."

I look up and try to understand what she is saying, but it's still confusing. I can only stare at her as I try to make sense of what has just happened.

She sighs again, and looks away. "I didn't want to introduce you to mind manipulation on day one… but I suppose it helps you get used to it, since we'll get to it later. It must feel very strange, I know. That's why I was hesitant. It also takes me quite a lot of energy. This example was quite extreme, since I had to placate you."

"Placate me? What do you mean?" I ask, still interested.

She closes her eyes with a deep exhale, as if she is finding a way to explain this difficult concept. "If I am facing an enemy, I only need to confuse them and not perfect all the senses my target is feeling. It would be a lot easier to let you move freely and actually touch me, while I eliminate the sense of touch. But if you start to try and walk through where I am supposedly located, in the real world you're going to hit me and deviate from the false sense I am giving you. So sometimes it is easier to just fabricate all the senses from the beginning."

"Oh, okay." She made me think I was seeing, feeling, and doing something I wasn't? That's an insane power to have. But she is, after all, a Legendary Pokémon, here spending time to teach me of it. I'm really grateful.

"I think that's enough for now. We'll take a longer break. Wanna go flying?" she suggests, and I nod in response. She does know my preferences, after all.

It turns out Latias is able to fly really fast. When she retracts her limbs, air resistance is reduced to a minimum and she is able to zoom ahead. And I thought I was a fast flier! She slows down for me occasionally as we fly across the hills and rivers, and finally I understand how it is to be the slower one when flying with others.

After this brief repose, she goes back to teaching me about the more basic psychic abilities. We focus on honing my telekinesis, and by the end of it I'm able to move large pieces of mass simply by keeping my eyes on them carefully. She also commends me for how resourceful I am, able to take something as trivial as water to use in tandem with my telekinesis. Her words make me very proud – I've been praised by a legendary! How marvellous is that!

I still wonder about the power of manipulating the mind, however. She says that it requires intricate care and practice to use effectively, as a wrong signal can make your target realize the falsehood of the illusion instantly. But it really would be the most useful thing to learn. If I were able to make everyone not see or feel the eggs, how could they stop me?

I know that I'm still very far from it, so I don't bring it up to Latias as we go to bed. Though consciously getting onto the same bed as her feels a little awkward, and moreso when her feathers brush against me.

"Company is as necessary for us as food or water," Latias explains after sensing my hesitance. "If you ever feel like you need a hug, I'm here."

"Thank you, Latias," I answer. Somehow her words evoke a strange emotion within me and I really do bring my arm over her. "I can't believe you would do so much for me as a legendary," I can't help but blurt out.

"Hey, didn't we promise to treat each other as equals?" she says with a smile. "Don't worry, I've been longing to pass my knowledge down, too. So we're even. It's been a tiring day, so let us go to sleep."

"All right. Good night," I say and close my eyes, still holding my body close to hers.

It is rather tiring after an entire day of practicing my abilities. But with Latias here, I feel safe and relaxed. If someone asked my younger self how I would meet my first legendary, I would have though that it was the result of a long and carefully prepared adventure. It is surprising that she is the one that came to me.

I realize I have left them again, though. Just like when I was with Aya. But I feel much more mature this time. Instead of repressing my memories of them, I often reflect on all that has transpired. I know I am being rational in my decision to avoid them. At the very least, it would be best if they didn't see me for a while, so everyone can calm down. I, for one, still hold a great deal of antipathy for my father right now.

Yes, I still don't think I was in the wrong. I really, truly, did only want the best for Vie's eggs. But they might never understand me. Latias does, though. And that's why I choose to stay with her. On top of all she has done for me, even within the short time span of a day, I am truly grateful. In this moment, I feel like I'd rather be nowhere else in the world but with her.

If only you knew…