April propped her mountain bike on its kickstand and went through the pack of Gary's bike, which lie on the ground. She approached Arceus with some trepidation and gave Gary the camera case.
After Gary got the camera running and connected with April's bluetooth headset, which she wore attached to her bicycle helmet, April thought carefully about what to say to the so-called 'god of Pokemon'.
At length she spoke, "Arceus, sir? May we record this encounter for our Pokemon research channel?"
This question was met by a calm and patient nod.
April had to repeat herself several times, as she kept tripping over her words, but she finally managed to say her intro, "Hello everyone, and welcome to Life with Lavender. Before us stands Arceus. According to the mythology of the Pokemon world, he – sorry, they were born before any other Pokemon and created the rest of them. I never thought in a million years I'd be quoting a higher power, but may I repeat your words for the camera, sir?"
"There is no need," Arceus informed them, "We have already modified your equipment so that it may capture our words."
Gary watched the fold-out screen of the camera fill with static for a moment. Then, through his headphones, from the camera audio output, he heard those same words repeated. He spoke under his breath, "Yep, that's a thing that just happened."
With a deep breath, April asked, "W-was it you who called us out here in our dreams to find an artifact called the Origin Stone?"
"Indeed," Arceus answered, "However, it would seem that we are already too late."
April pressed on, asking Gary to sweep the camera around the canyon, "So, I noticed that all of the color is gone down here and all of the plants are withered. Over there in the creek," April pointed and Gary panned and zoomed, "Is a deceased Ekans. This is very similar to the disturbing 'zones of death' which have been popping up in remote areas all along the west coast. Um, does this relate to the vague threat we were warned of?"
"A trail of destruction in a desperate search for the Stone of Origin," Arceus informed her, "Have either of you determined the name of our adversary?"
Gary spoke from behind the camera in a somber, respectful tone which April had rarely heard from him, "Yeah, I think so. Yveltal, right?"
"Verily. As our counterpart awakens from a slumber of aeons, their power grows."
April asked in a tone of confusion, "How could this have happened? And, if it's asleep, how did it cross to our world?"
Arceus, in response, "We are not infallible. We have erred, and the penalty for our negligence shall be the end of all life on Earth if we do not intervene."
April gulped and Gary nearly dropped the camera. Arceus spoke in a different voice, the voice of an old man which seemed to stutter in its eagerness to explain events,
"The concept of sleep does not apply to Yveltal in the way that you know it. They yet remain lucid and hold a limited tangible control. The Stone of Origin may hasten their awakening, and so, we hid it in another world – your world, far out of reach. We did not consider that it may serve as a lure."
Arceus resumed their primary voice, the voice of an impeccable narrator, "If Yveltal has, indeed, crossed over to thine world, it is imperative that their location be made known. We have enlisted the help of many Pokemon whom you consider to be legendary in this regard. Should our worst nightmares be realized, it shall take a considerable effort to subdue Yveltal and return them to stasis, within our world."
April pondered this information, then asked, "What is our role in all of these cosmic affairs?"
"The assistance of Calyrex, who is nature and renewal incarnate, shall be essential during the inevitable confrontation. Calyrex, having fulfilled its assigned role in your world, has cut itself off from us. We need you to locate and inform this being while we search for the whereabouts of Yveltal."
Gary seemed taken aback, "Even you can't find Calyrex?"
"Perhaps the true Arceus could, in their own world where they hold greater power, but we are merely an image of Arceus and this endeavor eludes us. All we know for certain is that it departed for a region called 'Hawaii'."
Gary blurted out, "Hey, we actually know someone in Hawaii! April, did that weirdo Draco give you his number?"
Before April could respond, Arceus spoke in their primary voice, "Indeed, he did. We have sent him a text message on your behalf."
Arceus fell silent, as did April and Gary out of respect. In the cold and dead canyon, the only sounds were the wind and the ripple of the soft-flowing creek.
When Arceus spoke again, it was in a tone of stunned disbelief, "With a Dragonite?"
Arceus shook this off and bid April and Gary the best of luck on their journey, and said that once Calyrex restored its psychic link they would meet once more to discuss the next steps.
A brilliant ball of white light ensconced Arceus. When it faded, Arceus had vanished. Gary picked up his bike and followed April on the steep and grueling trail uphill back to the Jeep.
February 2nd, 2027
Kauai Island, Hawaii
Objectively, Gary had complained about the handling of potentially dangerous Pokemon by commercial airlines six times during the flight. Subjectively, it felt like the one thousandth time to April, who once again reminded him that none of these common sense safety rules mattered as they were on a private chartered jet.
April harangued him, "Can you just be grateful we're going on a Hawaian vacation, all expenses paid?"
Gary, exasperated, said that of course he was grateful, and that their latest argument had nothing to do with gratitude. "Pokemon are super smart and some of them are considered people," Gary argued, "They should never be stuffed in the cargo hold. No one is putting Smokey in a metal cage."
"That's right, Gary. No one put Smokey in a cage, we're onboard a luxurious private plane and all he has to do is wear his tail cone. So stop complaining already."
Gary looked out the window at the beautiful green of the tropical ocean water below. Arms crossed he muttered that it still just wasn't right.
On approach as the small plane was cleared for landing, April asked Gary what the alternative was. Commercial airline security was serious business. They couldn't just let a living flamethrower onboard a plane. Like any other dangerous cargo, it needed to stay in the cargo hold in a safe and proper container.
April agreed that, no, Smokey the Charmeleon had not caused any issues during their oceanic flight and that he had been well behaved. That yes, Terra had sneezed and gotten stun spore on the attendant, for which April had apologized. As the jet approached one of the two runways of Lihue Airport, April finished her lecture by saying it wasn't a competition and they should all be grateful for the chartered flight purchased for them by World Champion Draco Wolfe.
The rugged imperfect circle of green forest and white sand became a detailed, three-dimensional landscape of tropical foliage, breakers crashing on the beach, and a small town as the jet descended to Kauai, the fourth largest of the main islands.
With towering mountains rising in the center of the island and an expanse of protected state park so far remote that there was no vehicular access, Kauai was a splendid location for a team of dangerous and terrifying dragons to vacation.
A minivan shuttle met them outside the airport. The driver followed paved roads as far north as they would take him, then dirt roads after that to a campground on the northwest part of the island.
The tropical landscape that rolled by outside as the driver cruised with the windows down was an entirely new experience for everyone in April's party. For the driver, it was an average Monday.
After a long and arduous stretch of gravel road which rose and fell and curved through the wooded foothills, they passed a sign which read 'Na Pali Coast State Park' and, shortly after that, reached the terminus of the access road where a campground was.
It was fairly normal as far as tourist-oriented campgrounds go. There was a broad dirt lot full of rental cars. An office building with attached gift shop. A semicircle of cabins that had a traditional tropical look going for them. RV trailers in neat rows. And two massive dragons who sat in the dappled sunlight, enjoying the weather.
Seated next to Aether the Dragonite at the base of a palm tree – holding hands with her – was a tall and wild looking man whose unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and swimming trunks did little to offset his rugged, mountain-man appearance.
The man, who had changed his name to Draco, wore aviators on his sunburnt face and a safari hat over his long, messy, dark brown tangle of hair. His mustache joined a long beard which seemed to have forgotten what a razor is.
As for Aether the Dragonite, she did not wear clothing over her orange and white scales which nature had given her, but she did wear a messenger bag and a pair of goggles raised to her forehead.
Draco and the dragon got up and stretched. Draco placed his bare feet in a nearby pair of flip-flops and walked over to say hello.
Gary shook his hand and asked him, as casually as though he were talking about the pleasant weather, "Hey Draco, how's the honeymoon going?"
April, mortified, pretended to look at a colorful flock of birds so the others wouldn't see her florid face. Vibrant bird Pokemon called Chatot perched on a palm frond overhead, looking rather similar to parrots. This fit in nicely with the tropical landscape.
Beneath this tree, sleeping on his back like a tired dog, was a blue-scaled dragon who was, measured from nose to tail, almost as long as the private plane. The blue dragon had a longer wingspan than the plane. This did not fit in and was most certainly not normal and okay.
April took a picture of the Salamence whom she conceded was cute. He was even doing the curled-up front paw thing that dogs did as he snored.
Draco informed her that Zephyr loved belly rubs. April raised her hands in the air, fervently shook her head 'no', and stepped back. Gary brazenly walked right over and pet the belly of the dragon. Zephyr kicked a hind leg when Gary found an itchy spot.
Draco explained how they would get to his isolated beachfront campsite, "Wyvern will be here soon, I'll buckle a couple child seats to a safety harness for Smokey and Terra. Zephyr can handle flying both of you over. Aether and I will be along soon, she can't fly me that far in one trip."
April, alarmed, admitted, "Um, I'm afraid of heights. Is there any other way to the camp?"
Draco thought about it, then asked Aether to go intercept the shuttle and ask the driver to come back and pick up April. Aether placed her legs akimbo, lowered the goggles over her eyes, extended her vast wings, and took off along the road in a burst of wind and sand.
April watched the seven foot tall dragon go, an impossible creature who should only exist in the realm of fantasy, each flap of her wings disturbing the vegetation and stirring up a puff of dust from the gravel road.
Without thinking about it, April spoke aloud, "So, this is just normal now."
The shuttle driver soon returned. He cast frequent glances into his side mirror at the orange dragon who followed him, dark tinted sunglasses obscuring the fear in his eyes.
Aether landed nearby with practiced grace. April got in the front passenger seat of the van, Terra hopping into her lap before she closed the door.
Draco rubbed his beard and said, "Alright, there's a place where you can rent a donkey or a Pokemon to get you through the forest quickly, they also have guides."
April, "I haven't ridden a horse since I was a kid! Oh, I am going to be so rusty."
April's shuttle van took off in a cloud of dust. Gary and Smokey waved at her as she left.
Draco nodded and informed them, "This makes things easier, actually. Zephyr," the Salamence rolled over onto his side and looked at him, "You can fly me and Gary. Wyvern, take Smokey with you. Aether, can you handle the supplies?"
Aether considered it, picked up the suitcases to feel the weight, then crouched down to write in the sand with a claw, 'Too heavy, split it.'
Aether took April and Gary's luggage, affixed to her back with a cargo net, while Wyvern the Hydreigon took Smokey along in a child seat and carried foodstuff and camping supplies using the harness he wore.
Zephyr the Salamence had the most equippage of the three dragons: His tightly buckled down harness held a saddle and reins, a battery pack, radio equipment, and two five-gallon water jugs, one on each side. There was a windscreen, like the kind seen on touring motorcycles, attached to the front of the saddle.
Draco adjusted a CB antenna and checked on the various buckles that held the harness secure. He put on a safety harness of his own and dug a spare out of a saddlebag for Gary. Both harnesses had neon-orange, heavy duty straps that buckled them onto the saddle.
Gary seemed enthusiastic as he put on the biker gear that Draco had advised bringing with him. Even though the ground level was still a warm seventy-five degrees on Kauai Island, the air temperature higher up, at speed, would become far chillier.
Gary wore his armored winter motorcycle jacket while Draco wore a fur-lined leather coat over his tropical ensemble.
Draco wore shorts, aviator shades with an elastic band holding them on, and no helmet. He had removed and stowed away his flip-flops so they wouldn't be lost in flight. Gary wore light blue jeans and a full motorcycle helmet with a tinted visor as he awkwardly fumbled with the stirrups and shuffled back to the hind seat of the saddle.
Draco expertly straddled the back of the four-foot tall Pokemon (Salamence were surprisingly short), which for him, being over six feet tall, was not a difficult maneuver.
Gary ran a hand along the blue dragon's side as he buckled his safety tether into the saddle. He spoke in wonder, "Rough, sandpaper scales. I can feel his breathing. And his body heat. He's warm blooded?"
A nod from Draco, who sat in front of Gary smelling strongly of salt water and wood smoke, "Most dragon types are, they have to be to survive the cold at high altitudes. Well, are you ready?"
Gary said he was ready as he would ever be and hoped that Draco couldn't feel his intense heartbeat.
Zephyr the Salamence extended his massive wings which tapered to a narrow joint where it connected at the shoulders, just a few inches in front of Draco's shins. The blue frame and red membranes of the wings extended to either side like the papery wings of an old bi-plane.
Zephyr took off at a gallop, jostling Gary in his seat. Gary held on to Draco's shoulders, relying on the only similar experience his brain had to adapt to this exotic situation, that of having been a motorcycle passenger before.
Aether was ahead of them, the green translucent flesh of her wings broader in span than the length of the average sedan, arms to the side in a Naruto run which Gary was too distracted to laugh at. He made certain to laugh at it later.
Zephyr ran along beside them in the clearing, a bipedal charge north towards the coast, towards a steep hillside that dropped out to the forest below. His transparent wings were spread wide, the skeletal structure visible through them, Smokey buckled safely in his booster seat with his front paws in the air and a big smile on his face.
The three dragons took a powerful running leap from the hillside into open air, hundreds of feet above the tropical forest below.
Gary made the sort of noises one would expect from roller coaster patrons. Draco pulled back on the reins, his yellow teeth exposed in a smile within the birds nest of his mustache and beard, sunglasses doing an adequate job of keeping the wind out of his eyes, nothing keeping the wind from whipping his long hair against the tinted visor of Gary's helmet.
With each powerful flap of the vast wings which Gary watched in his peripheral vision as he leaned close to Draco, holding on for dear life, the bulky blue dragon called a Salamence gained elevation until the campground was a scale model beneath them.
The air grew colder until Gary wished he had brought his winter gloves and long johns. Shivering beneath his jeans, Gary exclaimed, "Woo!" as the dragon took a sudden dive, catching a tropical current of wind and picking up speed.
Circling around the dragons like a tumbleweed caught in the wind was Luna the Haunter, who had stowed away in the luggage hold of the plane. While he had no hope of keeping up with a private jet, he was able to maintain pace and elevation with the dragon team, although the effort seemed strenuous.
After ten minutes of flight, Gary found the confidence to look down at the island beneath them. He looked around, at the Pacific where sunlight glittered and a few scattered boats floated. He leaned out, the pressure of the wind fierce against his helmet, and admired the graceful, effortless flight of Aether ahead of them.
The orange Dragonite had extended her arms and tucked her legs in as though she were diving into a pool. Her long tail served as a rudder so that the expanse of her wings could focus on lift and speed.
On the left flew Wyvern, at a healthy distance from Zephyr. All three dragons gave each other ample space to fly, although they could and had flown in much closer quarters.
Gary waved at Smokey who returned the gesture. The rich green canopy of palms blurred by beneath.
Draco spoke into a sound-canceling headset that was working overtime as he pointed out a ragged green ridge which extended into the ocean, "That's Aether's favorite… on the island. Sunset… amazing."
Gary heard the words over his bluetooth headset and asked, "Where's your favorite place?"
"Anywhere Aether is," Draco shouted back over the wind.
"Aww," intoned Gary.
The three dragon Pokemon left the island behind and sailed out over the open ocean, gliding in a tight spiral as they descended, their delta formation broken up into single file. The movement seemed to be an often practiced one. Luna the Haunter mimicked their descent, then took off into the woods to explore the island.
Along the insular northwest coast was a long, narrow expanse of level sandy beach. This served very well as a gentle and accessible landing strip for the dragons, each of whom carried extra weight.
The salty ocean wind blew through Gary's hair as he took his helmet off and dismounted the dragon, excusing himself to 'give a palm tree some water'.
Draco rode on Zephyr's back, feet almost brushing the ground, and walked the dragon to a primitive campsite back in a forest clearing, nearby a crystal clear freshwater lake. Aether and Wyvern followed them.
A shiny Goodra named Sally was the only individual at camp. She lie on a beach towel in the sun, wearing sunglasses, a radio playing music softly next to an alcoholic beverage. Droplets of water along her slimy, sandy body indicated a recent swim in the ocean.
A big military-surplus square tent had been setup, flanked on either side by slanted tarp canopies over palm frond bedding for Zephyr and Wyvern, both of whom were too bulky to fit in a tent and who were not comfortable in one.
Gary appraised the camp, then turned to appraise the view. An ocean breeze rustled through the palms. Seagulls and Wingulls cried as they flew along overhead, looking for food scraps from camp.
Gary, hands on his hips, complimented the campsite, "Dude, this is nice. I could get used to this."
With another cheesy grin beneath his shades, Draco made the aside, "Between the winnings, the contract payout, and the sponsor slots, I'm making over three times what I did as an accountant."
Gary whistled. Draco's smile faded as he continued,
"Funny thing is, I don't want anything anymore. This vacation is the most money I've bothered spending in years. I have everything I need, Gary."
Gary kept his gaze fixed on the infinite ocean, staring out where it met the horizon. With a nod, he commented, "You're a lucky man, Draco."
Aether mimicked a bicep curl. Draco said it was all hard work, not luck, and informed Gary that they were still training and working out during the vacation.
April and Terra arrived at sunset, with a local guide who asked if she could put up a tent and stay the night, which was perfectly fine with everyone. She set up camp about a hundred yards away and mostly kept to herself.
While the guide rode on the back of a terrestrial donkey, April had a ground-type horse Pokemon called a Mudsdale as her mount. Both agrarian creatures were festooned with saddlebags and loaded down with supplies.
The most beautiful sunset Gary and April had ever seen in their lives kissed the ocean and the beach, illuminating the sparse clouds far above. April got it all on video, and kept filming as darkness fell, interviewing everyone present.
Smokey was delighted to light the campfire, tiki torches, and the gas camp stove. Terra helped out with setting up the tents using her dexterous vines.
April and Draco sat in folding chairs by the firepit on the beach while Gary and Aether set about cooking dinner. Smokey, Terra, Wyvern and Zephyr all swam and splashed and played in the ocean waves.
April interviewed Draco, who had all manner of apparel and equipment laid out on beach towels nearby as he discussed safety gear and flying on Pokemon. He didn't wear the heavy, insulated motorcycle gear and a full helmet unless the flight was long, at a high elevation, or in a populated area.
He discussed the various radio frequencies which he had Zephyr kit out for – CB, shortwave, ham, the official FAA channels – and the required light aircraft lighting which the battery pack also ran.
He introduced an electric-charged flying squirrel Pokemon named Berry – Emolga absolutely love berries – who typically perched on his shoulder and charged Zephyr's battery pack out in the wild.
The Emolga found it the peak of comedy to give April a smart zap while being pet.
Draco smirked in the firelight and said, "Watch this."
He held the Emolga gently like a paper airplane and then tossed her through the air. She made an ecstatic chittering chirp and circled back around to Draco, who caught her and tossed her again.
During dinner at a picnic table – this, a trash can, and a manual pump well were the extent of the luxuries available at the campsite – April and Gary brought up the 'important matter' they needed to 'urgently discuss in person', as April had unintentionally said in a text message.
Draco furrowed his brow and said that, no, he had not seen or heard of Calyrex being in the Hawaii archipelago, but he could certainly ask around.
April asked Draco to please keep what she said next private, as it could probably cause a panic if it became public knowledge. Intrigued, Draco and Aether leaned in to listen.
April and Gary told Draco everything. From the dreams that led them to finding Smokey and Terra inside Pokeballs, to a shared dream that led them to Professor Cedar, to their most recent vision that brought them before Arceus.
Draco nodded slowly, his bushy eyebrows set in a grim expression, as April asked if he was familiar with a kind of Pokemon called Yveltal.
When they were finished talking, Draco spent some time in thought. He put an arm around Aether's shoulders and said, "Tomorrow, I'll ask if anyone has seen Calyrex on the island. Or, on the other islands."
The conversation from here drifted to more mundane topics in a feeble attempt to keep distance from a phrase as terrifying as, 'the end of all life on Earth'. Dinner was finished, dishes were cleaned in a folding camp sink, the dirty sink water was used to extinguish the camp fire.
Everyone retired to their tents for the night. Early the next morning, the weather a chilly sixty-five that was just cold enough to make Gary reluctant to leave the comfort of his sleeping bag, the collective awoke and planned out the day.
The local guide joined them for coffee and rehydrated breakfast, confirmed that April would be camping out for one week, then took her donkey back down the trail.
Berry the Emolga swooped in and tried to steal April's toast and jam several times. Failing at this, the Emolga harassed Smokey instead. Agitated, Smokey ushered Berry over to the beach for a battle. One that he lost to temporary paralysis.
Gary ran over with a paralyze heal while Berry strut about, performing aerial acrobatics. Trying to rescue Smokey from embarrassment, Gary reminded the Charmeleon, "You have a pretty good record, little dude. That's only your second loss, and Berry probably had some training. You won against every wild Pokemon so far."
Smokey looked up at him while rubbing down his tingling arms and legs and made a soft cooing noise.
Crouched by the fire pit, warming their hands around a small fire, April asked Draco if he had been to any of the more remote outlying islands.
He nodded, "Aether and I have been as far out as Laysan, where we were betrothed."
April didn't want to or need to know that.
"We didn't see anything strange out that way. I'd have to find a psychic interpreter to ask everyone else."
"Well then," said April in a huff as she got to her feet, "We better start looking."
The bulky horse Pokemon called Mudsdale paused by a stream, drinking water, as April scanned the forest through a pair of borrowed binoculars. April's phone rang, startling her enough that she fumbled the binoculars and had to retrieve them from a bush. She answered the call.
"We're in Princetown," Gary said, "Good news and bad news. Good news, they have seen Calyrex before. Bad news, Calyrex didn't stick around. They don't know which island it went to, but it ain't on Kauai."
This meant April's trek into the wilderness was unnecessary. She rode the Mudsdale back to camp and gave the horse Pokemon some feed and oats. Zephyr and Gary alighted on the beach, evoking a startled whinny from the Mudsdale. A few hours later, Draco and Aether thunked down on the beach with much less grace than the previous evening.
With a simple camp meal eaten next to the fire, April asked how they would ever find Calyrex on such a broad expanse of islands.
Unseen in the darkness of the forest, a pale white horse observed and listened as it had done the previous night. It considered everything that the group of campers had said. It turned and bolted, moving at a gallop but with such swiftness that, to a casual observer, it may as well have teleported. Ice cold air followed it as it ran, chilling the forest around.
Terra the Bulbasaur hopped away from the fire and stared into the woods, growling. April and Draco looked over. After a moment, seeing nothing, Terra returned to them.
Early the next morning, as Draco saddled up Zephyr and prepared for a long flight over the ocean to Oahu with Gary as a passenger, a white blur out on the ocean speeding towards them commanded their attention.
April looked over from where she sat cross-legged by the campfire, squinting against the smoke, and asked, "Is that a boat?"
Gary turned his gaze from his DS, raised a hand over his forehead against the glare of the morning sun, and said, "No, it has to be a Pokemon. I see ice on the water, some kinda ice type."
April, bemused, "You don't suppose that Lapras met us all the way out here? How far do you suppose they swim?"
Aether was already in flight, observing the anomaly. She landed by the campfire and quickly scrawled on her tablet, "It's a horse Pokemon I have never seen before, with Calyrex riding on its back."
Draco had his binoculars raised to his eyes. He watched as the white horse Pokemon, whose head and hooves were covered in ice, froze the surface of the ocean as it ran, melting ice sheet flotsam forming a trail behind them.
He lowered the binoculars, frowned, and adjusted them. He looked up and stumbled back a step. It wasn't a trick of the light, the Pokemon really was moving that fast. A moment ago it had been several miles out to sea; now, the white horse took a flying leap over the breakers and landed with a splash in the shallows, the tide ebbing and flowing around their hooves, water freezing on contact.
April and co. beheld a pale horse, and on its back was Calyrex.
Stunned silence fell over the campsite. The white horse breathed frost into the air.
Gary spoke under his breath, "Glastrier? You're real?"
April consulted her memory for the Pokemon on the horse's back. She recalled it from two places: A news headline in the real world, and her recent playthrough of Pokemon Shield version.
Gary offered himself as the puppet for Calyrex' limited form of telepathy, which required direct contact and speaking through the mouth of someone who could articulate words.
Calyrex, a strange looking little Pokemon that was similar to a bipedal deer with an enlarged head, spoke through Gary, "It would seem that my tropical sabbatical cannot endure. I would prefer to remain on Kiritimati in peace, but the fate of an entire world does seem like a rather pertinent concern."
April was incredulous, "That's a bit of an understatement, don't you think?"
Calyrex, "I request the full story for myself, from each of you in turn, before I once again allow myself to be reached by the others through telepathy."
April told it everything she could remember, then switched places with Gary. In what seemed like a few seconds later, April found herself standing next to Calyrex after Gary had told his perspective of affairs.
After a few moments of contemplation hovering by the campfire, Calyrex exhaled a tired sigh and reached out for Gary's hand. It spoke,
"Very well then. I do not wish to depart from my abode, but I shall reunite with the others of my kin. You may expect a visit from us when the enemy's location has been ascertained."
Calyrex mounted Glastrier. The horse reared back and neighed, ice cold winter wind washing over the camp. Charging through the breakers, Glastrier galloped across the Pacific, veered to the south, and took off along sheets of ice.
Both April and Gary found it impossible to relax for the next few anxious days. Four gorgeous sunny days and one rainy one elapsed as they camped, with Draco taking Zephyr to town on the third day to restock food and supplies.
Gary, Smokey, and Luna joined the members of Team Dragon Rush in training and exercise to keep their minds off of matters. April and Terra spent time in nature exploring the trails.
The rainy day was spent in Draco's big tent, watching a movie via a compact projector and listening to Draco tell the story of each member of his team before they arrived in our world.
Then, on the fifth day, a beautiful sunny day of swimming, sunning on the beach, and cracking open coconuts for cocktails, the vacation abruptly ended.
April, Gary and Draco sat on beach towels in their swimsuits, sipping a coconut milk mixed drink, a barbecue dinner cooking over an open fire. A series of brilliant lights appeared nearby on the beach, each accompanied by the bang of thunder.
As the luminous spheres faded away, April and co. beheld the following entities standing on the remote beach in the state park on the island of Kauai: Arceus, Mew, Mewtwo, Dialga, Calyrex, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou.
Arceus stepped forth from this gathering of eight legendary Pokemon, having altered itself in size, strength, and durability to frightening proportions. Now, they stood fifteen feet at the shoulder. Biological plates of living metal guarded Arceus' body, and offensive blades of bronze could be seen on each of their four legs.
In height and weight, Arceus now dwarfed every dragon on Draco's team and exceeded the measurements of the vast majority of Pokemon. Emerald green eyes glowed fiercely behind bronze armor about the head that made their head even more in appearance like a medieval helm.
Through crystal clear telepathy in their deep, rumbling, primary voice, Arceus informed April and co. that the worst had come to pass: "We have found Yveltal, in possession of the Stone of Origin, in a remote location within your world. Though no human settlements have yet been affected by their presence, we fear that Yveltal shall soon awaken to their full and terrible power."
April blustered, "How can we possibly help with something like that?"
Arceus explained, "The corruption of Yveltal draws ever closer to a human village. While we engage in battle with our ancient counterpart, the evacuation and defense of the town shall fall upon thine shoulders. Some of those beings who art legendary shall aid you in this endeavor."
Gary, in an uncertain tone, "Um, defend the town from what? How exactly do we fight an encroaching zone of death?"
"Haste is of the essence. Prepare thyself; partake of sustenance, rest until the morrow, gird thyself in such armor as ye may have. We shall meet you again at the break of dawn, and discuss matters along the way."
April asked a sensible and blunt question, "So, where exactly is this Yveltal creature? Where are we going?"
"We possess a shallow depth of knowledge about your cultures. We know only that it has taken refuge in the rainforest of a region known as 'Mexico'. Are you familiar with this location?"
April turned to Draco and Gary and asked, "Does anyone here speak Spanish?"
Gary raised a hand and said that he was fluent. Having been born and raised in Texas, Gary had a lot of Hispanic friends and had known how to speak Spanish since he was a kid.
Arceus spoke in the secondary voice, that of an inquisitive but shaky old man, "We presume that this is a language? Could you offer some examples?"
Gary spoke a few sentences in Spanish. Arceus' eyes widened in understanding. They resumed in the secondary voice, "Ah! Traditional Paldean. We shall assist with informing the town, then."
Arceus departed in a sudden flash of light. Mew and Mewtwo scooped up their legendary kin who were incapable of teleportation and, in a burst of pink and purple light, they were gone.
April and co. heeded the wisdom of Arceus and prepared for what lie ahead. In the morning, as sunrise graced the remote beach of the tropical island, April, Gary and Draco finished breakfast and equipped all of their heavy-duty gear.
Arceus returned, alone, as April was pulling on her helmet and Draco was checking over the equippage of his dragons.
The massive white-furred Pokemon of mythology turned away from the camp to stare out over the ocean, an inscrutable look of contemplation etched into their armored face. They closed their eyes and stood in the shallows in meditation as waves washed past their legs.
In the primary and main voice, Arceus informed all present, "We have never sought arbitration over fate. Make thine own decision: To face the trials ahead, or to refrain, as no mortal ought to experience such desolation."
April, Gary, and Draco agreed to go without hesitation. Through telepathic interpretation, Arceus conveyed the private thoughts of each Pokemon present. All of them, even Terra, were willing to fight and face danger if it meant protecting others from harm.
"Then let us proceed," declared Arceus, as they opened two shimmering portals nearby. One stood on the beach, the other was pinned to the air above, floating out over the ocean.
While the humans present, along with Smokey and Terra, stared in wonder and fear at these two doorways to another distant place, Arceus explained matters, "Teleportation over such a vast distance may be insalubrious to the human physiology. A gateway between time and space, that which modern humanity refers to as a portal, shall be the safest way to expedite thine travel."
April stared into the portal on the beach ahead of her. Around the transparent window was tropical island scenery and a long strip of beach in the bright morning sun. Within the circle was a boreal pine forest ridge at night.
April found that she was perfectly comfortable looking at it. Perhaps it should have evoked fear, fear of the unknown and fear of that which should be impossible. Yet, after all she and Gary had been through, this violation of physics did not bother her. It was, in essence, just a door. But, it seemed like the wrong door.
April gave a voice to her concerns, "Um, Arceus, sir, not to complain but that does not look like Mexico."
Arceus, who had turned to face them, responded, "Due to the nature of spacetime, the direct route would be less efficient than a brief detour through our world."
Now April was speechless.
Arceus continued, "Draco Wolfe, we have a task for thou. Enter the portal o'er the ocean. Dialga, the avatar of time incarnate, shall meet you therein."
A fierce nod from Draco, who was either fearless, insane, or both. He hopped on the back of Zephyr wearing his full high-altitude gear and helmet, buckled into the saddle, and took off into flight along with his other dragons, with Berry the Emolga perched on his shoulder.
There was no slowdown or hesitation whatsoever as the three bulky dragons crossed the threshold and disappeared through the portal, which rippled like water as they passed through.
Sally the Goodra pointed at Arceus, then at April, then herself, then vocalized in her mind, "So, do I go with them, or…"
A patient nod from Arceus, who began walking, taking the lead. Sally stretched her legs and followed April and co. towards the portal on the beach.
Sally spoke via the telepathy of Arceus, "I get the feeling we're going to face a really serious battle soon. Are you guys ready?"
April, "Well, I don't like or condone violence, but if it's in self-defense I'll fight."
Gary, "Little bro and I are ready to kick some ass."
Smokey, "I'm stronger now! I can protect my big bro from anything!"
Terra, "I'm really nervous, but I'll do my best to help."
Arceus walked through the portal which led not just to a distant land, but to another world in another universe. Sally the Goodra cracked her slimy knuckles and strolled across the divide.
April and Gary paused for a moment, took each other's hands, and stepped across to the other side.