Return to you

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokémon.

Chapter 27: Unnoticed Connections

I quickly got back to my feet with Toro's help. And immediately, I directed my attention towards Lapis. He was in trouble. The Lugia was closing in with its head reared and its wings spread apart to prevent escape. But even under that circumstance, Lapis wasn't doing anything. What is he doing? Does he have another crazy scheme in mind?

More than wondering what was going through his head, I needed to worry about the situation at hand. I had to do something and fast. The legendary pokemon lunged for him. Reacting on instinct, I called out to my pokemon but I was cut halfway when I heard Lapis laugh.

"Gila, you overgrown Togetic, get off me." Lapis nudged the Lugia's head away but it was persistent to stay and continue nuzzling him to the ground.

I was dumbfounded and speechless. The Lugia looked more like playful little Skitty. It sounded like one too with its purr-like cooing. It was really different from those blood-curling shrieks that its kind cried out earlier. Its tail was even wagging to the point that I could feel small tremors beneath my feet while the wings were laid on the damp ground, curving around Lapis.

After a few attempts, Lapis freed himself and stood up. Smiling, he patted the Lugia's head, then turned to me. "Well? Here's our ticket to Cianwood City."

Seeing that Lapis had the pokemon under control, I gestured my team to back down and cautiously approached. But when I did, the diving pokemon looked at me, baring its jaws as its eyes shaped into slits. Trusting my instincts, I stopped abruptly and remained motionless while Toro and the others dashed to my side and stood by me, protectively.

Lapis quickly clamped the Lugia's jaw shut and calmed it down. "It's okay, Gila. They're my friends."

Because of Lapis' reassurance, the Lugia's eyes shifted from hostile to docile. It moved its beak away from the boy's grip and little by little, came closer while tilting from left to right. I remained still yet alert. It didn't look aggressive. Rather it looked curious. Either way, I have to be on guard.

"Giaa…" It cooed and stared at me expectantly with its deep green eyes.

"Gila seems to like you." Lapis walked over, brushing his hand along the diving pokemon's long and slender neck. He stopped just beside the Lugia's head. "That's good. Normally, Lugias don't like humans since they tend to live deep under the sea where they remain hidden."

"Why's this one different?" I asked as I reached my hand out to touch the Lugia's head. The creature nestled gently against my palm. Underneath that large and intimidating appearance, it was pretty much a softie. I continued stroking it. The beak area was hard but I could feel some very fine feathers that made it soft to touch.

Looking at the gentle and docile Lugia made me wonder how Lapis came across such a legendary pokemon. Maybe in his travels? He did come to the Whirl Islands once. But unless I hear it from the source, I'll never know for sure. It just goes to show how he is still much of a mystery to me.

"Let's set up camp first. Then I'll tell you all about it," Lapis suggested as he yawned. "I'm pretty tired from all the walking…"

It was only when he said that I realized how beat I was. The adrenaline and rush of events must have kept me from noticing it as well as the frigid conditions. Judging from the increasing coldness of the atmosphere, I figured that night was upon us. It would be better to find a place to settle down before it could get any worse, now that I lost Lapis' cloak that I used to wrap myself with.

We decided that the clearing we were in was good enough. I sat down with the Lugia, referred by Lapis as Gila, while the others looked for any driftwood to make a fire. It would be hard but lighting it's possible now that Toro was around.

Gila was lying on its belly with its wings folded and tail curved around the open space. I leaned against its side as I listened to the drip drop sounds in an almost silent cave. Low echoing screeches resonated above. The air was still but chilly. I hugged my knees closer and clutched the green shirt that Lapis lent me. It wasn't enough to fully fend off the cold, still it was better than just wearing what I had underneath my pink coat.

The frigid atmosphere was getting to me. I could be coming down with something. I huffed and saw my breath come out like a cloud of vapor. Then a wave of drowsiness began to take me. I told myself that shouldn't fall asleep but it was hard.

Coldness

Silence

Darkness

I felt like the strange dreams that I've been having, were blending in with reality.

"Sapph! We're back!"

I jolted out of my drowsy state and raised my head. I saw light shining in the shadows, gradually glowing brighter and closer. I knew it was coming from Moro's tail. Then Lapis and my team came into view. Rilo and Toro were carrying piles of driftwood. Some still had seaweed dangling on them.

I wanted to greet them but my energy felt sapped. Instead, I forced a smile. "Took ya long enough…"

"Sapph? Are you okay?" Lapis came over with a concerned look on his face. He placed a hand on my forehead.

It was unusually warm, almost unbelievable given the cold. How can he be unaffected by it? At that moment, I recalled when I grabbed his hand before, just when we got on the Lugia's back. His injury wasn't healed. My eyes shot open and I clasped his hand. He flinched in surprise and withdrew his hand.

"Why'd ya lie about your injury?" I complained.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't that serious and only hurts when I strain my arm," Lapis reasoned out while rubbing the sleeve on his forearm.

"Still. Ya could've trusted me…" I sulked as another cold wave blew. I shuddered and drew back.

Lapis came closer and sat next to me. Then he pulled over Gila's wing to act like a shield over us. Toro was still drying the wood while Moro and Rilo sat by, watching.

"I do trust you. More than you know," Lapis trailed off as he gazed at the embers beginning to appear of the pile of wood.

"Trust me enough ta tell me what's up?" I asked in a joking tone to keep my spirits up and keep my mind off the cold.

Lapis was quiet. I shifted my eyes sideways and saw hesitation in his eyes. As the flames of the campfire grew, I almost saw his eyes turn red, but it was more like vivid orange because of the light of the fire. Even then, having him so close to me made me restless in a way that I was also at ease. It was like Ruby was near me yet I believe it's nothing but an illusion.

"So where should I start? I mean about the Lugia…" Lapis questioned, obviously evading the subject by shifting the conversation.

I gave up. The fire was helping but I wasn't in the condition to argue or complain further. I'll try and bring it up later. Hopefully by then, he would say something. "I guess where ya met."

"Gila is its name," Lapis started as he petted the diving pokemon on its side. "And this particular Lugia is from the Sevii Islands. You can tell by the shade of the eyes. The Whirl Island Lugias have blue while the Sevii Island variants have green."

Now, that he mentioned it, I realized that they were. That must have been the reason why Lapis had a hard time looking for Gila when all of them were asleep. But speaking of Sevii Islands, the place sounded familiar. I recalled Lapis mentioning that he traveled there before. Personally, I've never been there. I think it's south of the Kanto region so that's really far compared to here. "Then how come it's in the Whirl Islands?"

"…That's because I was the one that took it here," Lapis replied.

Then he took out something from his bag. It was some sort of talisman with two feathers attached. That was the first time he showed it to me. The talisman itself looked like a thin rocky slate with ring-like carvings. Under the fire's glow, parts of it glimmered with emerald green. The feathers also glistened in the light but contrary to the talisman and each other. One was thick and silver with a split in the middle portion of the tip while the other was thin and colored in a spectrum of colors.

"The rainbow one belongs to a Ho-oh whom I encountered on top of Naval Rock. Too bad, I didn't get the chance to take a picture before it flew off. Though it did leave a feather for me as a souvenir…" Lapis smiled optimistically as he reminisced on his journey. "As for the silver feather, it belongs to Gila whom I met at the lower levels of the same island."

The Lugia curled its neck around Lapis and laid its head unto his lap. It also seemed to enjoy listening to the story. Lapis stroked its head with a kind smile but that smile soon faded as his eyes began to flicker with sorrow.

"Our meeting though was not in the best circumstances." Lapis lowered his gaze unto the Lugia that lay peacefully on his lap. "Gila was only an egg. There were no other Lugias in the area. I had no idea what happened to its parents but I assumed the worst… I've heard rumors that a lot of poachers visited the islands looking for legendary pokemons. Knowing that, I couldn't leave it alone. After it hatched, I raised it until it was strong enough to fend for itself. Then I took it here, knowing that there would be other Lugias and that it was safe with its own kind."

I admired Lapis for his act. It was really kind of him to look after an orphaned pokemon, let a legendary one. He also made a tough decision in setting it free to live with its own kind rather than keep it. But one thing still bugged me. Sevii Island is really far. "How'd ya manage to get it here? Don't tell me ya flew all the way,"

"I had Celebi help me out," Lapis answered.

I flinched at the mere mention of the time-travelling pokemon. Lapis was already journeying with Celebi when he came to the Sevii Islands. It was either he had that pokemon with him all along just like how Ruby kept it up to aftermath of Groudon and Kyogre where he used Celebi to reclaim the orbs from Maxie and Archie, or visiting the islands was part of the secret task that he and Ruby are having.

"I know that look…" Lapis spoke up, startling me out of my thoughts. Then he held up the Talisman with the two feathers dangling beside it. "The visit to the Sevii Islands was the first destination in order to find these two feathers."

I grew restless as I gazed at the shimmering items that came from the two legendary beings of Johto. Was there something special about those feathers?

Before I could inquire why, Lapis continued. "Time-travelling is no game. Without the proper requisites, it can be very dangerous. The time stream can rip you apart or drag you further until you'll be forever lost. The feathers have the power to prevent that."

"So does Ruby have them as well?" I know that Ruby is also time-travelling with Celebi. He must also carry with him the same feathers.

"Yeah. He does have them," Lapis answered.

There was a sudden pause, making the air heavy. I wondered if I should bring up the subject again but then Lapis sent out Azura so she could warm up around the fire as well. He also took out a small ration of berries for her and my team who accepted it with gratitude. Gila had some as well but I doubted it could fill her tummy. I watched my team sitting together around the fire. Momo, Rara, Nyro and Xylo were still out there. I hoped they were alright.

"You should eat as well. You need your strength." Lapis dropped some berries on my hands and took out a canteen of water. He took a few sips and handed the rest to me.

After munching a couple of berries, I felt my throat yearn for water. I gulped it down without a second thought. Food, water, and the warmth from the fire was just what I needed. I felt some of my energy come back to me. I handed the empty canteen back to Lapis who smiled, making me feel suspicious.

"What's so funny?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing. It's just that it was an indirect kiss. That's all…" Lapis said as he tucked the water container away.

"A-A WHAT?!" I immediately back away as I felt the heat rush to my head. Was it anger? Or was I really flustered by what he said? The mere mention of the word kiss made me utterly speechless. My heart thumped wildly.

Meanwhile, Lapis didn't reply or speak up at all. He kept his back turned and avoided facing me.

Seriously, what is going through his head? Was he also affected by that so called indirect kiss? I flinched at the thought. Why am I even asking myself that question? There is nothing between him and me! I mentally facepalmed myself. Why would I even think there could have been? I placed my hand close to my chest and felt my heart beat rapidly. I was restless. I didn't know what to do at that point.

Suddenly, the vortex of emotions in my mind was hit by a dose of nausea. For a second, my vision swayed. I leaned my head against Gila in an attempt to become stable. I moaned hoarsely as my body felt heavier.

"Sapph?" I heard Lapis' voice, echoing and slowly fading.

The familiar sound almost made me think it was Ruby instead, but I know that it wasn't. I tried to keep my eyes open but my eyelids were giving up. All of a sudden, I felt his hand cup my face. The sensation was almost like when I was rescued from drowning; warm and gentle.

"Rest for now…"

Everything faded into the dark as I felt the Lugia's large wing drape around me like a blanket. I slowly drifted to sleep. All I could hear was the sizzle of the fire and the rhythmic melody of the droplets falling from the ceiling.

Normal POV

September 13

The storm had passed for the meantime. The raging seas quieted down but the ever present whirlpools continued to swirl all around the Whirl Islands. Above, the skies were clearer but many storm clouds still loomed as the blushing dawn shone over the blue horizon.

Sapphire stirred in her sleep as falling droplets endlessly resonated throughout the cave. It was a peaceful sound to wake up to. That night, her dreams were pleasant unlike the ones she had for some time. But she couldn't recall what her good dreams were about. All she knew was that the shadow beneath the dark ocean didn't haunt her. She gradually opened her eyes, easing away the lightness in her head. Her body still didn't move the way she wanted it to but it was better than before, now that she had some rest. She tried moving around little by little. Then she noticed her hand was holding something and that there was something on top of it as well.

Her vision grew clearer and she saw Lapis sleeping soundly next to her, under the Lugia's wing that acted as a blanket for both of them. His hand was on top of hers as she held on to the talisman that Lapis showed her last night. Maybe that was the reason her strange dreams stopped. Sapphire carefully inched her hand away but Lapis squeezed her hand, surprising her for a moment. The grip was weak considering he was asleep but it was enough halt the girl's actions.

Sapphire turned her attention to Lapis. With his eyes closed, he looked exactly like Ruby. She tried to tell herself that he wasn't and that if she did feel something for him, it was only because he resembled Ruby so much. But was it just his appearance? He was always looking out for her in …an annoying way, but he was patient and gentle towards her as well as their pokemon. Lapis was there more than she realized and it was because of that, her journey was not so lonely.

Sapphire withdrew her hand away from the boy's hold, leaving the talisman in his grasp. For a few moments, she stared at his slumbering face. The airy feeling in her mind was playing tricks. Memories of Ruby's face overlapped with Lapis. Unconsciously, Sapphire reached her hand out and touched the boy's face. He moved slightly but remained asleep. Sapphire's eyes trailed his features from his tranquil expression to the signature headband that he wouldn't usually take off. By the time she realized what she was doing; her mind was occupied with other thoughts.

There was a voice nagging at the back of her head to take it off. Sapphire questioned herself as to the importance of that headband. When they first met, Lapis wouldn't allow her to remove it. He has persistent and all throughout their times together, Lapis always hid the spot where Ruby's scars were supposed to be, be it with a headband or a mask like in the night of the Ho-oh Festival. That is if he was Ruby which up to now still raised a question in her thoughts. Now, it was a chance to find out.

Sapphire cautiously moved her hand towards the green headband and tucked a couple of fingers between his locks before she carefully pulled away the leaf-colored band. But before she could fully take it off, the boy opened his eyes and made Sapphire freeze.

Lapis stared back with wonder at the surprised girl. Then he noticed what she was trying to do. He quickly grabbed his headband and jerked away. He didn't spout any arguments or say a single word. He just adjusted the green headgear back to its proper position. Then he picked up the talisman that fell to the ground and placed it inside his backpack.

Sapphire knew he was hiding something. That was the part of him that always irritated her. Why was he hiding so much from her? Without saying a word, Lapis stood up followed by Sapphire. Then their pokemon started emerging from their slumber as well, accompanied by stretches and yawns, Gila's being the loudest.

They soon prepared themselves to search for the rest of their companions so they could head on to Cianwood City. During that time, an awkward silence formed between the two trainers. Lapis continued to ignore what Sapphire did while the latter didn't explain as to why she did it. She just felt that she had to but she couldn't say that to him. It wasn't much of a reason and Lapis would probably deny it anyway.

Since most of their pokemon's capsules were lost in the storm, Sapphire had to give Toro and Moro new ones using the custom-made pokeballs that were still in Lapis' possession. Now all that remained was Gila, who was still a wild Lugia. For the time-being, Lapis needed to keep Gila in a pokeball since it would be difficult to travel through the tunnels with a pokemon that size. But like all wild pokemon especially legendary ones, they weren't easily caught.

Gila was not used to pokeballs and ended up breaking out of each one or catching the capsules like they were a toy ball, thinking that it was a game. Lapis tried over and over to coax it but Gila merely cocked its head to the side, not understanding what the boy was implying. A battle was out of the question since Azura needed her strength for the exploration ahead and Gila was not the type to fight against them. After a while and a whole lot of throwing pokeballs, the Lugia was caught.

Several minutes later, after Lapis caught his breath, they moved on, led by Rilo and Azura who were good at tracking by the use of either auras or emotions. Sapphire had finally changed back to her pink coat which dried up in front of the fire. And her caramel hair was now back to its usual style though the seawater made it extremely unruly. If Ruby was there, he would have freaked out.

The group passed through more sections of the tunnels until they came across a lake once again but this time there was something different. The lake was frozen. The weather was not that cold to completely ice the water so there was only one explanation, Rara.

Sapphire called out to her and heard a voice reply back in an angelic tone that made an aurora shine above. It was a pretty sight. The light spectacle made the rocky stalactites gleam and glitter with a spectrum of colors.

Then the scene was drowned by a deep howl echoed in the dark regions of the cave. Moro extended the range of her light and saw a bone-armored canine dash towards them. It was Nyro. He used his claws to grip the ice, preventing him from slipping. The Houndoom came over and barked at them as a form of greeting. Then he cocked his head back, gesturing to middle of the icy lake.

"Good job, Nyro," Lapis complimented as he patted the Houndoom's head. The boy understood how tough it must have been for his pokemon to be on its own especially in an unknown place. For the time being, he instructed his pokemon to stay behind. "We'll take it from here. Get some rest."

Nyro did as he was told and settled down beside some rocks. Lapis and Sapphire stepped forward into the frozen lake. The moment that they did, they lost their footing and unexpectedly held on to each for support. Their eyes met but they quickly averted them. Azura and Rilo followed and held on to their respective trainers. They too had trouble walking but it was better holding on to someone rather than walking alone. And by the looks of things, the two trainers weren't planning on using each other for support. Toro and Moro remained with Nyro on solid ground to stand guard as well as to not add any more weight to the fragile floor which visibly was not frozen all the way through.

The four pushed on, slowly but surely. Then they saw a blue dino lying on the ice with its legs beneath the frozen layer. Looking up and seeing her friends, Rara smiled gleefully as she attempted to get up in order to go to them, but she was stuck.

Lapis and Azura were quickly advancing unlike Sapphire and Rilo who here lagging behind. The blue-eyed girl was making her way over but the closer she got, the more the cold air accumulated around her. Feeling the weakening state of Sapphire, Rilo stopped and looked at his trainer with worry.

"What's the matter, Rilo?" Sapphire turned to her pokemon with wonder but inside she knew that her pokemon sensed her condition.

The Lucario shook his head as if he was trying to tell her not to go any further.

Lapis shifted his attention to the two who were a short distance away. He also noticed that Sapphire was not herself. "You two stay where you are. We'll get Rara free."

Sapphire didn't want to be left out but she had no choice but to agree. Lapis sighed in relief, seeing that the girl didn't protest. But it was no time to rest, there was still the problem of how they were going to get Rara out.

It would be easier to use a pokeball but it was hard to get close and they feared that if Rara was sent inside a capsule, she'd stopped releasing anymore cold air that was needed in maintaining the frozen lake. Azura and Rilo could melt the ice away with Fire Punch but they didn't know whether the flames would hurt Rara or worse, break the whole ice structure that was supporting all of them. That could have been the reason why Nyro didn't manage to free the Amaura in the first place. The Houndoom must have known how delicate the ice floor was.

What they needed to do was to only break the potion trapping Rara. Sapphire looked at Lapis who was still devising a plan. Then she stared at Azura who was beside the boy and Rilo who was standing by her side. It was then she thought of something.

Using Azura's accurate Magical Leaf attack, they lined the area surrounding the Amaura's feet, weakening those certain places. Then leaving his trainer for the meantime, Rilo delivered a weak Force Palm near each of the Amaura's feet. The ice shattered but only around Rara, freeing her. Everyone smiled at the success of their plan especially the Amaura who shook off the icicles on her toes and stretched her legs, happily and relieved. But once, she got all four of her feet unto the smooth icy floor, it began to break.

*crack*

The frozen layer was disturbed by the additional weight of the blue dino and began to give way. All of them remained completely still and tried to find a way of their predicament. Azura could use teleport but the only one within range was Lapis. Everyone else was out of reach and the more they moved, the bigger the cracks formed.

On safe ground, Toro, Moro and Nyro were calling out to them. They too, were worried as to what was going to happen but rushing in blindly was just going to make things worse.

Rara tried to reinforce the ice but the remainder of her power was only enough to thicken the floor below her and slow down the breaking. The situation looked dim. If they stayed there any longer, they would likely plunge into the cold water and that made Lapis worry about Sapphire who was in no condition to go through that.

*crack* *crack*

Time was running. Lapis reached unto his belt and tossed over Gila's pokeball to Sapphire. It was the only option he could think of, but releasing the pokemon would completely shatter the floor and send the rest of them down.

"Azura, get to Rara and Rilo. Teleport yourselves on my cue," Lapis instructed. Out of all of them, the Kirlia was by far the lightest and the Amaura would have a hard time trying to swim if the ice would crumble beneath it.

Reluctant, Azura followed her trainer and made her way towards the tundra pokemon who was staying beside Sapphire's Lucario. With the pokemon trio together, Azura glanced back at her trainer, worrying about what was going to happen to him.

"Alright, Sapph, you can let Gila out."

Sapphire stared at the Lugia inside the pokeball and then turned to Lapis. She felt the boy didn't have a plan to save himself but he still knew the consequences. The waters during the storm were bad enough but a frigid lake is out of the question. In the girl's head, she predicted the impending scenario which she didn't want to happen. No matter how annoying Lapis was to her, she couldn't bring herself to let him get hurt.

*crack*

The breaks were spreading and Rara didn't have any more power to slow it down. Sapphire clutched the pokeball and murmured, "We're countin' on ya, Gila…"

She opened the pokeball and the red matter materialized into a large silver creature that threw its wings apart in thunderous beat. The cracks surged like lightning strikes across the ice, shattering an onslaught in its wake. Lapis hurriedly gave the signal and Azura teleported herself and her other two companions unto the diving pokemon's back while Sapphire got on the next moment when Gila swooped in for her. Rilo had to extend an arm to help her up, knowing that the girl was not feeling that well.

Lapis was desperately trying to keep his footing on solid ice but the slippery floor was splitting apart very swiftly. He couldn't keep it up and slid back, almost falling unto the ice but Azura manifested enough psychic energy to levitate him for a few moments, enough for Gila to fly close and for Sapphire to grab hold of him.

"That was stupid…" The girl scolded as she pulled Lapis up but she made sure to avoid gripping his bad arm beforehand. "And ya say that I'm reckless."

"…I trusted you." Lapis smiled as he looked at her with gentleness flickering in his eyes.

Sapphire smiled back in realization that he did.

Seeing her trainer in safe hands, Azura breathed in relief. Exhaustion took its toll and she swayed dizzily but Rilo was there to catch her. Lapis was about to go to his pokemon but then he noticed Sapphire's shallow breathing and cold hands.

The boy placed his forehead against the girl's as his hand cupped her face. It was hot. Sapphire flushed at the sudden closeness but her body was too heavy for her move away. And before she could even try to, Lapis pulled her even closer, making the girl lean against his chest as his arms wrapped around her.

"We need to get to Cianwood City, fast." Lapis declared as Gila landed safely unto the rocky surface. He took out extra pokeballs for Nyro and Rara and sent them inside along with Azura so they could all earn some much needed rest. Moro was also sent back to provide more space on the Lugia's back.

"What …about …Momo …and Xylo?" Sapphire asked as the boy's comforting warmth slowly made her drowsy.

Sensing the aura of their remaining lost companions, Rilo jumped down and volunteered to lead the way. Lapis gently handed Sapphire to Toro who was in a sense warmer, being a fire-type so he could coordinate with Gila to follow Rilo.

They were lead out of the cave. The sound of the whirlpools roared in the air. The sunlight streaming out of the distant clouds, shone down on them. Lapis winced at the brightness but shrugged it off. He dismounted and instructed Gila to stay put while he and Rilo looked for the missing two who were somewhere nearby, according to the Lucario. Meanwhile, Sapphire was now asleep in her Blaziken's arms. The warmth of her pokemon and the fresh sunlight was helping her but without proper medicine, it was not good enough.

"Momo! Xylo!" Lapis called out to them. He walked a couple more steps and found himself panting. It had been some time since he last used Xylo's Aromatherapy and the symptoms of his mysterious condition was beginning to surface. "…Just a little longer."

"Cinccino!" A joyous squeaky voice jolted the boy.

He looked up and saw Momo and Xylo with Rilo beside them. The Cinccino was coated in markings resembling a camouflage pattern, excluding her white fur which was protected by a matching green bandana and a shemagh. She even had eye black marks under her eyes which completed her survivor look. She was riding on Xylo who, on the other hand, was normal except for some seaweed stuck to the leaves of his antlers.

"Thank Arceus…" Lapis murmured as he huffed in relief.

Sensing something amiss, Rilo and Xylo dashed to the boy's side. The Sawsbuck was about to use Aromatherapy but Lapis stopped him. His priority at that moment was to get Sapphire to Cianwood City. He provided a new pokeball for Xylo and let Momo stay on Rilo's shoulder.

They returned to their waiting companions. Momo was shocked by the sight of the Lugia but that didn't matter. She jumped on its back anyway, seeing her trainer unconscious with Toro supporting her. The Cinccino took off her scarf and wrapped it around Sapphire along her own self to help provide more warmth.

Lapis mounted back with Rilo's assistance. His condition was taking its toll on him but he was forcing himself through it. He stared at the silhouette of the island in the west. "Gila, to Cianwood City."

The Lugia spread its wings and took to the skies. Lapis glanced back at Sapphire and made a silent prayer. Rilo approached him and looked at his arm. The boy uncovered it and revealed red markings from his wrist trailing further up his arm. The colors seemed like they were on fire and the pattern seemed similar to the markings on the talisman.

"We're almost there."

End of Chapter 27

Here is one hell of a Cliffhanger. :D
I did the catching part in summary since my chapters range from 4k-6k, roughly.

Next will be "Island of Secrets"
Cianwood City here we come! (Finally!)

Also a quick explanation for the Lugias:
I changed Gila's eye color to give it more distinction
In the Manga, it's just one huge one which in the previous, I depicted as the leader.
In the Anime, they have an undiscovered breeding group and the Lugias are much smaller in size.
So I just combined both things.

I'll write in my spare time (as long as I'm no goofing off from my study books)
I reset the poll to know your final conclusions. ;)

Don't forget to place your final votes on my profile!