"Latios… and Latias?" I looked at Juliana in wonder. "I've heard of them in legends… but, why us?"
"Perhaps they sensed you needed help in your quest. Clear your mind and listen. They can communicate with you via telepathy, and you can say things back to them. I let my mind clear, and my thoughts dissipate. I sensed something, and focused.
Flight… Flight, can you hear me?
I believe I can, yes. Why have you come for me? I asked, looking up at Latios.
Your journey will be incredibly difficult. You will need to get places across the region in minutes- that's where the Eon Flute you hold in your hand comes in. You can play it almost anywhere, and I'll come in seconds and take you anywhere.
That sounds amazing! We can fly pretty much wherever we like? Also, if you're legendary Pokemon… the battles I face will be a breeze!
Calm down, child. Yes, I may have wished to join you, but I don't feel like battling until I'm not going to be a crutch for you to lean on in every battle. Once you have all eight badges, I'll be glad to fight alongside you, but not until then.
Oh, all right… I smiled and stood up. I walked over to Latios, and sensing a similar conversation had taken place between Eve and Latias, they did the same, then we both turned to look at each other.
Dawn is coming, Flight. Shall we take a bit of a flight? Ha-ha, funny, aren't I?
A true comedian, you are, Latios. But yes, I would love a bit of a trip. I hopped on the back of Latios, and Eve did the same to Latias. A look passed between the two Eon Pokemon, and they lifted into the air.
Hold on tight, human. You might get a little sick. I stabilized myself as Latios did a loop, then shot up into the air. I gripped his wings as he ascended into the air, coming to a gentle rest about forty feet above the ground, then looked as Latias and Eve stopped next to us. Latios started forward again, in a slow glide, and Latias picked up alongside us.
"Ha-ha! Flight, this is amazing!" Eve looked amazingly happy and excited next to me, and together we rode toward Eldrome. I could tell Latios and Latias weren't going a fifth of as fast as they could. I could see the dawn rising in front of us, and Latios and Latias pulled up next to our hotel and lowered themselves to the ground. We hopped off, and I gave Latios a fist-bump.
Latios! That was amazing! I could see all of Eldrome!
Child… that's nothing. Wait until we're hundreds of feet in the air. You'll be able to see all of Islaa, with cities bigger than your wildest dreams, towering mountains teeming with strong Pokemon, vast expanses of open sea, and uncharted islands waiting to be explored…
Oh, I can't wait! Where are we going first? I asked, awaiting a response.
Well… You're going to have to explore the region on foot, first. Islaa isn't my home region, so I don't know my way around this place as well as I should. However, the next logical step is to Brinx Town, located along Brinx River. They were very creative with the names, I know. Brinx Town is one of the oldest towns in Islaa, and I'm sure their library contains a huge wealth of information. Let's go there first.
Sounds like a plan. I'll tell the others. Wait here. I dismounted off of Latios, and walked inside and explained to Luca, Maylee, and Igneo what happened. After all that, we arrived at the western gates of Eldrome. I pulled out my map, and showed the group where we were going, and Latios pointed to a temple to the northeast of us.
That's Galaxy Temple. It's a place where a dimensional tunnel exists, connecting Islaa- and Onous- to the other six regions. That's how we got here. The legendary Pokemon Dialga and Palkia slumber there. They say, that if one brings an Eevee, with a special destiny, and places it in the center, the three Sinnoh orbs will react, and the Eevee will undergo a ritual. If the Eevee is deemed worthy, it evolves into the fabled Dragon-type Meteoreon, servant of the gods of creation. Meteoreon is capable of not one, not two, but three Mega Evolutions- each changing its signature move, Meteor Strike, into different types. Its power rivals that of the legendary Pokemon, Torretia and Volatia. Well, enough with Storytime By Latios. We need to get moving, or else we won't reach Brinx Town by nightfall. Latios gestured for me to put the map away, and I did so. After that, we set off walking at a brisk pace towards Brinx Town. Casually taking turns battling our way through, eventually, we arrived at the gates to Brinx Town. Immediately, something felt off. Something… smelled off.
"Fire!" Maylee screeched. She started running around wildly, until she stopped, realizing the townspeople were looking at her weirdly.
"Don't just stand there, genius! Go and help!" An angry man pointed to a building, where a girl was standing in front of it, facing four men in Team Corona uniforms. She looked like she needed help, her and her Tigterra weren't holding up all that well. I felt someone poking my shoulder. I looked over and saw Igneo.
"Flight. What Pokemon is that?" He pointed at Tigterra, and I pulled out my X-Pad and found Tigterra and let him read.
"Tigterra, the Phototiger Pokemon. It is a white and tan striped tiger who uses the power of the earth as it fights and raises its young, Kiterra." Igneo handed me the X-Pad back, and I stuffed it back in my backpack and ran over to help. I could hear the girl issuing battle commands, and I stopped before sending out Searline.
"Tigterra, Brighttorrent!" I watched as Tigterra raised its two front paws, then slammed them back onto the ground. As he did, a storm of light enveloped and battered the enemy Pokemon. It was a four against one, but it wasn't long before Tigterra would be out.
"Hey! Girl! Do you need any help?" I asked, my hand dropping to Searline's Pokeball. The girl replied.
"I'm not girl! I have a name! My name's Mayva! And yes, I could use a little help, if that wasn't obvious to you!" As she spoke, I looked to see her Tigterra take a painful-looking Night Slash from a Weavile. "Tigterra… argh, I'm down to my last one. Don't just stand there, boy, DO SOMETHING!" Mayva growled as she tossed a Pokeball onto the ground. "Turrsmic, let's show them how it's done!"
"Turrsmic? Flight, help, please." I turned to Igneo and started talking.
"Turrsmic is a living turret Pokemon, a dual Psychic-and-Light-type. It has dual cannons on its hands and it flashed pink and white when shooting from them. Now let me fight. Join in if you wish." I tossed Searline's Pokeball on the ground, and the cat flashed out of it, snarling. "Searline, hit that Weavile with a Fire Fang!" Searline lunged forward, sinking its fangs into Weavile, who howled with pain before falling on the ground.
"Hang on, Flight! Don't start the party without us!" I turned to see Luca and Eve running up behind me. "Sorry we're late! Arcanine, let's show them how I do things!" Luca threw Arcanine's Pokeball into the air, and in a flash of light, Arcanine materialized and dropped to the ground, causing the earth to shake. His eyes were blazing as he let out a ferocious roar. The town fell silent. "What? It's only an Arcanine!"
"Good mother of Arceus… I want to live… put out the fire and let's book it. I don't want to be near one of those things!" as the leader issued the commands, the other three bolted without putting out the fire. "Oh, forget it..." the leader took off after them.
"Cowards… why is everyone so scared of Arcanine?" Luca looked at me curiously until Mayva walked up to us. Long ago, before either of you were born, a man tried to take down Team Corona, and almost won, had he not been killed after killing their leader. The sole Pokemon he used to accomplish it all… was an Arcanine. They're terrified of them."
"Mayva! Are we too late?" I heard a familiar voice behind me and turned to see Dakota, riding Articuno, lowering to the ground. "Oh hey, I remember you kids. And is that Arcanine yours, Flight?"
"No, Arcanine is my partner," Luca said, walking next to Arcanine, who towered over him, giving a friendly growl. Articuno did the same, and I could sense a bond between the two.
"I'm sorry, Mayva… I came as fast as I could. I'm so, so sorry..."
"It's all right, Dakota. You came, and that's what matters. Also, do you think we should put out the-" Quack quack! We turned around to see a proud Auktic standing in front of a smoking, wet library. He had put out the fire.
"Well done, Auktic!" Luca congratulated the penguin Pokemon, and Auktic gave a happy quack in response. "So, Mayva… who are you, exactly?" Luca turned back to Mayva, looking curious.
"I'm the Light-type Elite Four. Probably explains how I know Dakota so well- she's my older sister." Mayva threw a grin Dakota's way, and the two sisters laughed. "The two other Elite Four members, Zekara and Jun, are Psychic- and Fire-type users, respectively, as well as brothers, Jun being the older. Dakota thinks he's super hot!" Mayva said, and laughed.
"I do not!" Dakota said, stomping her foot humorously and glaring at Mayva.
"Oh, stop pretending, Dakota! The way he has his wears his shirt, half open, red hair never combed, always holding that scarlet katana… you're all 'Oh, Jun, notice me! Let's go out together!'" Mayva fell over laughing, and I couldn't help but laugh along, and I could see I wasn't the only one. Everyone nearby, even Latios and Latias, were laughing.
"Okay..." Dakota said, growing hot with embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess I do..." she gave a nervous laugh, before realizing that Articuno was still laughing. "Hey! Not you, too! Just because he has a Moltres on his team doesn't mean I'm getting with him!" Articuno stopped laughing. "Mother of Arceus, people! Relax!" Dakota smiled, and I could tell she was humored. "So, Flight, Eve, and the rest of your group… why have you all come to Brinx Town?" she looked at me, and I looked at Luca.
"Well, we're on our way to Central, and we figured we may as well pay a visit here. Why are you here?" I asked, and looked at her curiously.
"Flight, I live here," Dakota replied humorously. I was born in Arczoic City, far to the north, but my parents moved down here before Mayva was born. My birthplace defined my nature, and that's why I became an Ice-type trainer. That's also the reason Mayva became Light-type. I assume you came for knowledge?" she asked, curious.
"Not especially. We kinda need a place to stay for the night." I looked at her hopefully, and Dakota rolled her eyes, smiled, and started walking. We followed her, obediently, and tried to talk, but Arcanine's massive paw steps drowned out any attempts at conversation. Eventually Luca sighed and tossed Arcanine's Pokeball at it, and it bounced back to Luca's hand, who reattached it to his belt. Latios and Latias were looking at each other and moving their hands. Telepathy, I assumed. I slowed my pace to walk next to Eve, who was looking up at the sun, which was setting.
"Flight… what do you think this journey holds for us? Do you think we'll meet the legendary Pokemon, Torretia and Volatia?" She looked at me with a kind look in her eyes, and I thought for a second.
"I'm not sure… we might." I looked at the band on my wrist. "Though us having these bands might play a crucial role in that and oh look- we're here." Dakota opened the door to a small house, and we all filed inside and sat around a large table.
"Dakota… who have you brought in here? More apprentices of yours? If your father was here, you know he would scold you." Dakota's mother looked like an older version of Mayva, and I assumed Dakota looked like her father.
"What happened to your father?" Luca asked, before Dakota turned around, an angry look in her eyes. "Team Corona killed him, right in front of me. I was nine years old. Care to ask any other careless questions?" she snapped, and Luca took a step back, bumping into me.
"Sorry… I didn't know..." Luca said meekly, and sat down next to me.
"Dakota. There is no reason to get riled up. He didn't mean it in a bad way," her mother said in a soothing voice. "You know being angry won't bring him back. That's why you fight, no? To get justice?" Dakota closed her fists and lowered her head.
"Correct as always, mother… they killed him without need. They did it out of simple cruelty and hatred. What did he do? Tried to make sure you, and the yet-unborn Mayva, would live out of fear. And what did they do… killed him for it. If it wasn't for Articuno, they would have killed us all." Dakota shook her head angrily, and Articuno curled one of her wings around her. "I'll find the man who killed my father, and I'll repay him the favor." She looked up, angry, and sat back down.
"You don't have to kill him, sis. Just give him a lesson he'll remember," Mayva said, brushing her sister's hair.
"Either way, we need to have you five crammed in the upstairs bedroom. It'll be a tight fit, but keep all of your Pokemon inside their Pokeballs and you should be fine." Dakota's mother led us up a narrow staircase until we came to a hallway with three rooms. She led us into the third one, a bedroom with a nice window view. There was a bed and a big fluffy bean-bag. Other than that, we would have to sleep on the floor. "I'll leave you five to sort out sleeping arrangements," Dakota's mother said, then left the room.
"I call the bed!" Eve said immediately, and fell onto the bed, smiling. I rolled my eyes, and I could see Luca doing the same.
"There isn't enough floor space for three people to sleep on the floor, provided someone sleeps in the bean-bag. Two maximum. Someone is going to have to sleep with Eve, and I nominate Flight."
"What? Me? Why?!" I looked at Luca, bewildered.
"I'm sure as hell not sleeping with her. She's all yours," Luca said, and took a step back.
"Whoa. I'm not sure I like what you're inferring here, Luca..." Eve gave him a stern look, but her face was light and she was smiling. "Oh, fine. Flight gets the honor of sleeping with me." Eve smiled, and gestured to a pillow next to her. I sat down and Igneo hopped onto the bean-bag.
"You two get the floor!" he said, smiling, and rolled over in the beanbag. "Eve, a blanket, please… I'll be cold without one." Eve tossed him a blanket with a few small holes in it, and I looked out the window. It was dark outside, and I decided it was time to sleep.
"Let's hit it, everyone. I'm tired as anything." I yawned, and Maylee lied down next to Luca, who I could tell, even in a dark room, was red in the face. I turned the opposite direction from Eve, and was about to fall asleep when I felt a poke at my shoulder. I shook myself and pulled the blanket tighter over me. There was the poking again.
"Flight… I can't sleep..." Eve whispered, and I rolled my eyes.
"Neither can I. I wonder why?" I shifted myself and looked at her. "I was about to go to sleep when I was poked.
"Sorry… I just don't want to be awake alone. Something doesn't feel right, and you know my sense of intuition is rarely wrong." I could detect an undertone of seriousness in her voice.
"All right… if it makes you happy, I'll go take a look around." I rolled my eyes again, and slid onto the floor, and pulled on a shirt. I grabbed Searline's Pokeball and started down the hallway. "Oof!" I said, as I bumped into someone.
"Watch it!" Dakota snapped, and turned back down the hallway. "What are you doing up at this hour, Flight?!" She turned to look at me, and I could see her ice-blue eyes glaring at me.
"Eve thought something was wrong, so I decided to go take a look outside to calm her down and let her sleep easily."
"Same reason for me, except it was Mayva who got me up. Well, two people are better than one. Let's go quell their fears." Dakota started down the stairs, and motioned for me to follow. Once she was in the main room, she stretched, and walked over to Articuno, who was sleeping, and tapped its head. The majestic bird shook its head, and gave a soft growl before standing up and following Dakota out the door. Once outside, I tossed Searline's Pokeball on the ground. His fire illuminated the area, and we used it as a guide as we walked. So far, the town was quiet- too quiet. It was unsettling, and we walked further into town, naturally, towards the library, for some reason. As we neared it, I noticed a figure standing in front of it, and that was no human. It was four legged, and had huge wings. It looked like a horse, though it didn't look like any Rapidash I had ever seen. The creature looked at the library ruins, still faintly smoking, and touched a burned bookshelf with the horn on its head. The horn glowed light blue and the shelf was encased in ice, and stood back up by itself. I watched in wonder as the creature did the same for each other shelf. I called Searline into its Pokeball, and yet I could still feel something glowing. I looked down and saw that my Moon Band was faintly glowing a light blue, the same color as the creature's horn. Knowing what I had to do, I stepped out and put myself in full view of the creature.
"Flight! What are you doing?!" Dakota hissed at me, and furiously motioned for me to get down, but it was too late- the creature had already noticed me. It started walking towards me, and as it got closer, my Moon Band started to shine brighter. It stopped about ten paces from me, and lowered its head. I took a few steps toward it, and held out my hand. I could feel Dakota and Articuno watching me. The creature took a step forward, and again lowered its head. I reached up and felt its horn, and felt a groove in it. Should I place the Moon Band here? I thought to myself. That's what it seems to be telling me to do, after all. I slid the Moon Band onto the creature's horn, and the entire Pokemon started glowing light blue. As I watched in wonder, it began to be encased in rainbow ice, as frozen snowflakes swirled around it at intense speeds. With a loud neigh, the animal burst from the ice, then slammed into the ground. It looked completely different. Its wings were frozen over, and its body had complex patterns and were embedded with icicles and crystals. Its tail had turned into something that looked like a generator, and it looked at me with eyes as blue as ice, yet warm and thankful. Instantly, without knowing anything about it, its name popped into my head.
Volatia.