Chapter 34: Tiki's Rite and the Dive Pokémon

Before the Shepherds go to their next destination, Tiki requests to go to the south of where they are. When they reach there, they enter a valley as they feel relax and refreshed after feeling the wind blowing through them.

"Mmm... The air is sweet here. It's so calming." Chrom notes.

"Makes you want to just flop down and take a huge nap, doesn't it?" Lissa states.

"Tempting…" Lucina admits.

"Odd. It seems like anywhere else to me…" Robin says.

"This is Naga's Cradle." Say'ri introduces. "It is said the divine dragon once called this place home. Here, the Voice will enact a holy rite to commune with Naga and regain her power."

Tiki then begins to focus on something and walks towards a certain spot when Lucina notices this. "Lady Tiki." The Voice didn't reply as she closes her eyes and blue aura surrounds her. "...Lady Tiki?" The future princess calls once more.

"Pray be silent, milady." Say'ri tells her. "The Voice is currently performing the rite. In doing so, she will draw the divine dragon's power from the land unto herself."

Hearing this, Lucina apologizes, "Forgive me, I didn't realize. I thought she was sleeping... She looks so peaceful. What do you think she sees? Does she perchance dream?"

"I imagine she—" Chrom cuts himself when he notices Risen coming. "...Uh-oh. Is that what I think it is? Say'ri! Lucina! Enemies approach us from the south. We'd better get ready, or the Voice here is in for a rude awakening."

Hearing this, the Shepherds immediately gets their weapons ready as Robin orders them to form a triangle-shaped barrier around Tiki. Once that's done, Say'ri speaks to the tactician, "The Voice is defenseless in this state. We must become her shield until the rite is complete. We await your strategy, Robin. Make us as a wall of steel!"

Robin nods. "Got it! Reina, Kai, can your Pokémon help us?"

Reina and Kai already have their Pokéballs in their hands as Reina rhetorically questions, "Do you have to ask?" Both of them then throws the Pokéballs into the air, letting them snap open revealing their Pokémon except Solgaleo and Lunala. "Everyone, we're going to protect Lady Tiki from the enemies."

The Pokémon from both trainers confirms with their own cry before taking their place in the formation. Then the Risens begin to charge at them, specifically Tiki, except the Risen Chief. The Shepherds intercepts them, killing them one by one as the enemies' reinforcements come in causing the Shepherds to spread out a bit while still in the triangle formation. Afterward, as the numbers of Risen dwindles down, the Risen Chief decides to move towards them as both Lucina and Reina notice this. The two go towards the Chief with their partners as they stop it with Reina stopping her tracks so she notches an arrow on her bow with Lucina continues to charge with her blade. The Risen has no choice but to parry the future princess off as Reina lets her arrow fly off towards the undead with Éclair sending an Electro Ball and Adella with Rock Throw. After getting hit by the attacks, the Risen Chief stops momentarily for Lucina to land the finishing blow.

With the Risen all gone, Tiki opens her eyes signaling that her rite is complete and Say'ri asks, "Are you unharmed, Lady Tiki?"

"Yes, thanks to you. I apologize for the delay, but the rite has borne fruit." Tiki states.

"You've taken in the power of the divine dragon?"

"Some of it, yes. ...It's strange. This power had always isolated me." Tiki explains. "Many were the days I wept alone, cursing the charge placed before me…"

"Lady Tiki…" Lucina mutters.

"But now my power has a purpose, and the world needs it to avoid a ruinous future. And so I shall offer it freely. Allow me to join you."

"...Are you certain?

Tiki nods. "I am. I've had quite enough of living in solitude, thank you. Besides, I've always longed to better know this world. Now I can help you save it."

Hearing that Tiki is joining the Shepherds raises their morals higher since the battle with Walhart is coming soon. Then, Éclair's ears perk up and she looks around getting Reina's attention.

"What's wrong, Éclair?" She asks but instead of answering, the Pikachu jumps off from her perch and runs towards the edge of the land. "Wait, Éclair! That's dangerous over there!" Reina chases after her with Kai and Meena following behind.

Stopping at the edge, Éclair looks down and sees something moving on one of the cliff sides. "Pika?"

"Éclair!" The said Pokémon turns around to see Reina coming to her with Meena and Kai after her. "It's dangerous to stay here!"

"Pikachu! Pika-pika!" Éclair says as she points down the cliff.

"Is something there?" Reina asks as she looks down to see something small with the colors of white and blue on another cliff. "There's something down on a cliff!"

"What?!" Kai questions as he and Meena also looks down, confirming what Reina said.

"What should we do? It looks like that cliff won't hold out much longer." Meena says with a worried tone.

"I'll go down there." Reina states getting the attention of the other two.

"Wait, Reina! It's dangerous to go down there!" Kai tells her.

"He's right, Reina." Meena agrees.

"Don't worry. I came in prepared in this situation." The archer tells the two as she takes out a long rope, harnesses, and mountain pitons from her bag. Reina puts on the harness that has a hook ready and ties the end rope on it before tying the other end on the piston and nailing it into the ground. She then put her bag on her back and face towards Meena and Kai. "I'll be back."

"Reina..." Meena calls.

"Are you sure about this?" Kai asks.

"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't have brought these gears out." Reina points out and climbs down the cliff as Meena and Kai watch her.

Once Reina's figure goes down, Chrom and Robin approach them.

"Meena, Kai!" Chrom calls out.

"What are you two doing here?" Robin asks and both she and Chrom look down in surprise as Reina continues to climb down. "Reina?!"

"That's dangerous! Come back!"

Hearing two more voices, Reina looks up to see Chrom and Robin there. "I can't! There's a Pokémon down here that needs help!" She replies back and continues moving downwards to the cliff below.

"Reina!" Robin calls out.

Hearing the commotion, Lissa, Lucina, Say'ri, and Tiki comes over to see Reina carefully climbing down the cliff wall. As Reina moves her left foot down on a rock, it breaks apart making her drop both of her feet and causing the group above to gasp in shock but her hands still on the sturdy rocks. Reina also looks down having a bead of sweat going down before placing her feet on different rocks to go down. On the land above, the group sighs in relief.

"That was close... She almost gave me a heart attack." Lissa says.

Robin nods. "I agree."

"But why would Lady Reina be climbing down?" Say'ri questions.

"There's a Pokémon stuck down there." Meena answers. "If we use a Flying-Type Pokémon to go down there, it only stimulates the cliff walls."

"So this is the best option..." Chrom notes with a grimace.

"But with one wrong step, she'll fall like before." Lissa points out.

"Don't worry. With the gear she's wearing, Reina will be fine." Kai states.

After taking another step down, Reina looks down to the small cliff where the small Pokémon is and confirms the distance between her and the cliff. "All right. I'm almost there." She moves in closer to the cliff and places her feet one before facing the Pokémon which surprises her.

In front of Reina is a small pale silver-white dragon, with blue undersides with slightly varying tones. It has a ridged mouth similar to a beak, although it has pointed teeth on its lower jaw. Its head has a point to the back, and its eyes have pointed blue or black spikes on them. The figure has a long, slender neck and a smooth, streamlined body. Dark blue or black plate-like protrusions run down the length of its back, and there are two smaller, more pointed ones on the end of its tail. It has large wings that resemble hands.

"This is a surprise. I never thought I'd find a baby Lugia here." Reina admits and steps closer to the baby Pokémon, but it moves away from her. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you." She tells it as Reina kneels in front of Lugia and offers her hand to the Pokémon.

At first, Lugia is wary of her but seeing the gentle smile on Reina's face, it calms down and comes closer to her, letting her to pet it. Above the cliff, the group anxiously wait for the female archer to come back as they watch her putting the Pokémon into her bag before climbing back up. When Reina's hands grip on the ground, she pushes herself up.

"Reina!" Lissa cheers happily as she hugs the female trainer after she stands back up.

"You had us worried." Chrom tells Reina.

"Sorry about that, but I managed to save this one." Reina says as she turns her bag around her and opens the lid showing Lugia in it.

"That's-"

"Lugia!" Meena and Kai exclaim in surprise.

"Lugia?" Lissa repeats.

"Is there something special with this Pokémon?" Robin asks.

"In our world, Lugia is considered to be one of the legendary Pokémon in Johto Region." Meena states.

"Also, finding a baby Lugia is very rare since the parent is very protective of its young." Kai adds and questions, "Did something happen to them for the parent to leave this one alone?"

The baby Lugia hangs its head with a sad expression when Tiki walks towards Reina, getting the group's attention.

"Lady Tiki?" Say'ri calls out as the Voice stands in front of Reina who is still holding the baby Lugia.

She then picks it up and cradles it in her arms before saying, "I'll take care of this one."

Hearing this shocks the group and leaving them agape as Lugia looks up at Tiki.

"Are you sure about this?" Reina asks.

"Yes. Also," Tiki looks down at the baby Pokémon with a smile, "I don't want this young one to experience the loneliness as I did."

Looking at the smile Tiki is giving to Lugia, Reina smiles and nods. "Okay." Everyone else looks at her with surprise. "Then I'll leave this one to you, Lady Tiki."

"Thank you, Reina."