Emerald's POV

A disguise? How was I supposed to get a disguise? I was on a beach. What was I gonna do, smear sand in my face and adorn myself with tiny sea creatures? I was about to ask Strider, but I heard him snoring. I nudged him, and he woke up with a start.

"Ready to go?" He asked, looking me up and down. "It's your funeral."

"Where am I supposed to get a disguise?" I demanded.

"Don't know, don't care." Strider said, and closed his eyes once more.

"But there's NOTHING AROUND!" I shook him. The guy was asking a weird impossible task of me. Turns out that was a mistake, because he swiped at me, got me pretty good in the stomach, and I fell back. This guy packed a punch.

"Magic, princess, use magic. You can't be that incompetent. You got this guy to come to you." Strider said, a mocking bite to his tone, he gestured over to Ray. I sighed internally. Yes, I had raw magic potential, now, but had no idea how to shape it into anything useful.

"I didn't learn how to do that." I muttered under my breath. Seems Strider heard me, because his eyes narrowed, and then he sighed.

"Can't really survive well in this world without knowing how to do some magic. Unless you're real good at fighting and work-arounds. How about that, princess? Did you learn how to do that?" He looked at me like he knew the answer I was going to give, and of course, he did know the answer. I had learned nothing like that, either. There was a reason we were supposed to stay within the walls.

"No…" I trailed off.

"I know how, but I'm severely lacking power at the moment." Ray added, with a sharp glance towards me. It was my fault he couldn't really fight or do much of anything anymore. I had to find a way to grow my magic, but without Lilly.

"Well, then, time to find you a teacher, and it's going to have to be in a much seedier part of the world if you can't disguise yourselves. I require a modest finder's fee, of course." Strider said, picking himself back up off the ground.

"Of course." I frowned. This was a very money driven sort of guy. What did he need so much money for, it seemed like he had just about everything he and his Flygon could possibly need. At least, he acted like it. He acted like he didn't need the money, he just wanted it. If I wasn't able to get home, I wasn't sure how I would get the cash, I wasn't sure how I would survive long without some kind of guide or protector, though. Someone who knew about the outside world, who knew how things worked here and could help me along while I learned about it. I couldn't afford to be cheap about this. If it was going to take money to make this happen, then I would find a way.

"Well, then, get on your Rayquaza and follow me." Strider said, a mischievous smile seemingly permanently attached to his face. I looked at Ray for confirmation, he was staring me down. Right, just because he flew me somewhere to save his own skin, didn't mean he would be willing to let me ride on his back whenever I wanted.

"Actually, if I could ride with you, that would probably be best, since you're my bodyguard and all. Can't be a good bodyguard without a body, you know?" I smiled sheepishly and Strider raised an eyebrow, but then patted his Flygon on the neck.

"What do you say, buddy, can you handle one more?" Strider asked, the Flygon made a sort of grunt. "He says sure. Hop on. It's a little strange your Rayquaza over there won't let you ride him, though."

"Who I have on my back is my business." Ray interjected.

"Ah." Was Strider's only reply, as he looked back and forth between us, briefly. "I see." What in the world was that supposed to mean, huh? Was he making some sort of judgement about our relationship? Judging us, perhaps, for not having a strong enough bond? Well screw that, and screw him for judging. He didn't know the story. Although, if we were to be traveling together, it might have helped if we knew each other's stories. I wasn't sure he was the type to give up his own story so easily, though.

I somewhat awkwardly climbed onto Flygon. He was beautiful, a nice soft, close cropped coat. He had thick, strong muscles that easily held up my weight. There was room for me, but I had to press up near Strider to fit. I didn't really like being this up close to him. I didn't exactly trust him, but if Ray wasn't going to let me ride on his back, this was about the only viable option.

"Ready?" Strider asked me.

"Ready." I said.

"Ready?" He asked his Flygon. It nodded in response. He patted the Flygon's neck again and we took off, speeded into the sky. I looked back as we rocketed upward. The island we were on was rather large, and there was actually what looked like some civilization further inland. So he hadn't been lying about that, at least. I looked ahead, into the wild blue yonder. The clouds were coming at me at an alarming rate. I braced myself, ready to finally take my place in the sky among the clouds, on the back of a Flygon, a very handsome Flygon, and a very handsome guy sitting in front of me. I didn't like his attitude, but I could not deny he was a good looking guy.

I had never had anyone court me at home, and I had never courted anyone else. Nobody wanted to have any sort of romantic relations with me. I was the dud, I was the screw up. Why would anyone want to associate in that way with me? Now that I had my colors, had my legend, had a name and an identity, now I probably could go after romance, if I wanted to. Well, I couldn't right now, being on the run and everything. Not unless I wanted to lower my standards to this guy. I had not seen any other humans so far. I had only been outside for a short while, though. There would be time. Now, we were going to find a teacher.

We broke through the clouds it felt cold and refreshing, it felt free. I felt free, I was being chased, there was a wanted sign for me and a bounty on my head, but I was free. I was seeing the ocean, I was taking to the skies. Well, now I couldn't see the ocean anymore. We had gone through the cloud layer, so now all I could see below was a carpet of fluffy whiteness. I looked over the side of the Flygon, whose name I still did not know. I must have leaned too far, because suddenly I was watching Flygon get further and further away. It took me a second to realize that was happening because I was free falling off Flygon and plummeting towards the sea. If I hadn't been screaming, I would have been sighing. I was so done with my own nonsense. I was so sick of messing up. I promised I wasn't doing it on purpose. I guessed I just… wasn't always as aware of my surroundings as I should have been. More than just my lack of magic landed me my nickname, and now I was embarrassing myself in front of this guy and my dream Pokemon… With Ray, it was too late. He already knew what I was like. I had been trying to make a better first impression this time, but now that was ruined.

I fell back through the cloud layer, and this time I could see the space where my body had fallen through the cloud. And then I landed on something. I couldn't tell what it was, at first, but I felt something solid, so I held on for dear life.

"Stop choking me!" Ray said and I heard some gagging noises. I loosened my grip a little, sensing that I would not fall. I reoriented myself and realized Ray had caught me. Ray… caught me? It must have been another thing where he needed me to be ok. For a moment I thought he might have actually wanted to save me, but then I remembered the tether. Ray caught me so he himself would not plummet into the ocean. Whatever the reason, I was willing to take it if it meant I didn't have to drown.

"You really have to learn not to fall like that, I'm not always going to catch you. Eventually this tether won't be so tight, and when that happens."

"You'll still save me. You need me alive." He looked back at me, death in his eyes, and I looked cooly back, calling his bluff. I wanted to get along with him, but even if he didn't want to, I still had the upper hand. I had something he needed, a way back. As long as he thought I could send him back, and that, in fact, I was the only thing that could send him back, I would be safe. He might rough me up, or treat me bad, but he would make sure I was alive at the end of the day. In the background, I could hear Strider chuckling. At least, I was pretty sure that's what I was hearing. Wind rushed through my ears so loudly that it was a little difficult to hear anything else, but I managed.

We rose, once again, above the clouds. This time I was on Ray. It was strange, he had a much different sort of flying style, He more… snaked his way through the sky, making twists and turns, probably catching the wind on the various perpendicular scales on his body which probably worked something like sails upon the water. We had little boats in the kingdom to get across the lake, for those not adept at swimming, or those who simply didn't feel like swimming. There were also some gifted with the powers of wind that made little sails with sticks and cloth. For those whose magic was not strong enough that they could get the wind to carry them on their own, they would create these gliders and guide the wind into them. That way they could still fly. I often would look out the window at all those with gliders in jealousy, out and flying, free and alive, while I was still locked in the library, trying desperately to learn some magic so I could go out and be like them.

If only those kids could see me now, flying high and free over the endless sea. If only the other kids with deficient magic could see me, and come with me. Ray probably wouldn't be fond of a bunch of kids tagging along, he didn't seem like the type to enjoy that sort of thing. I wouldn't wish them this fate, either, running away from their own family…but if only they could see what I saw right now. If only I could lead them on this most fantastic adventure…

Hope y'all have a good day!