Author Notes: Chapter 40 has arrived! I'd love to wish Happy Holidays to everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

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Chapter 40 — Royalty of the Sky

"Hey, you've been tossing and turning a lot, everything alright?"

Latios awoke to the sight of an immense eye with a golden pupil almost as big as his entire head looking down on him with concern. He let out an exhausted sigh and shuffled slightly in place. "Yeah, I think so," he answered after a moment's thought.

Skailyn's expression slowly shifted to one of slight amusement. "Do you need me to lecture you again?"

Latios rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No. I still remember everything you said earlier."

"Good." Skailyn's head rose from her coils and allowed bright sunlight to shine over the younger dragon. "Time to get up."

Latios blinked a couple of times to adjust to the shift in the luminosity of his environment. "Thank you, though. I feel a lot better now that I've rested somewhat and thought about the whole thing with a cooler head."

Skailyn smiled down at him and uncoiled her body further, being careful not to move around too harshly for his comfort, as he still rested on her side. Her thick tail rose out of the spring and its fanned tip came to rest on top of Latios, tenderly caressing his neck and back in a comforting manner. "That's good. I care a lot about you, and I much prefer to see you up and in good spirits."

Latios let out a relaxed sigh, closed his eyes, and melted into the black Rayquaza's tender caresses. "You know, it's odd you care so much for me and my sister. We only just met you today," he commented. "I'm not complaining, though. You're quite friendly."

Skailyn hummed in thought and carefully considered her reply. Instead of responding, she instead looked up and to the side. "Oh, by the way, my dad's here," she announced.

"Oh?" Latios levitated off Skailyn and abruptly stopped in place, completely taken aback at the shadow suddenly cast over him. Where empty air resided not a second ago now hovered a fearsome and enormous dragon whose pristine emerald-green scales glistened stunningly under the sunlight.

Immediately, a powerful force crashed against Latios' senses and threatened to overwhelm them. He sensed a near-limitless aura that commanded an immense and unwavering sense of power and strength, a presence that felt even stronger than either Skailyn or Ho-Oh. Though, much to Latios' surprise and confusion, an odd sense of familiarity underlined his impressions.

Latios levitated a couple of feet back in reflex as the sky god's near-instant arrival didn't disturb the air around him nor the water below them. His eyes locked with Rayquaza's golden eyes out of curiosity and interest, immediately noting that the dragon's gaze carried a natural weight of respect, age, and power that he had only previously seen in Ho-Oh's eyes. Latios remained frozen in place, unsure of how to react, and instead waited for the elder dragon to move first.

Rayquaza looked at the pair for a moment, let out a breath that made the air ripple across the spring's water in tandem with his relaxed exhales, and reached down to them. His eyes softened as he nuzzled Skailyn's head affectionately. "How are you feeling?" he asked in a gentle and concerned voice.

Latios blinked, rather surprised. "Huh."

Skailyn closed her eyes and pressed to the touch while letting out a soft rumble. "I've been better. I can definitively say the Jade Orb is still as bad as we remember it."

Rayquaza pressed his head against Skailyn's forehead, gently rubbing his jaw against her to guide her head into the underside of his neck. "How hurt are you?"

Skailyn let out a soft sigh. "I was minutes away from ending up like Kyurem. It almost split my death powers away from me." She opened her eyes and let out a rumbling growl while pulling back. "In hindsight, had Phaedra not stopped it and allowed the Jade Orb to rip me in half, I could've captured Azrael without fail."

Rayquaza eyed her up and down. "Tempting, but not worth it if it means you'll go through Kyurem's suffering. Don't risk yourself for that." He paused to let that sink in. "Can you assess the damage you took yourself? Or should we get your mother to look you over?"

Skailyn shook her head. "Already did that myself. It's nothing I can't heal on my own with enough time. I'll be fine." She made a face. "I doubt mom would be alright with it, though. Ho-Oh wasn't, that's for sure."

Rayquaza flew closer to her, wrapped his midsection against hers, and gently pulled her into the firm hold of his larger coils. "Then rest and take as much time as you need. You did well, despite what happened and the Jade Orb's involvement," he reassured calmly. "I'm proud of you."

Skailyn leaned further into her father's touch and crooned. "Thanks."

Latios looked at the two gods with mild surprise at their interaction. He idly noted that Rayquaza appeared larger than Skailyn did and that he could catch numerous differences along their bodies aside from their striking contrast in coloration. He levitated backward to give the two enormous dragons ample space and glanced to the side when he sensed Latias leisurely approaching them. "Hey, Latias. I thought you'd be asleep."

"You say that as if any of us could've gotten any good sleep after last night," Latias grumbled.

Latios grimaced. "Yeah."

"By the way, you didn't return to the camp like you said you would," Latias added expectantly. "Why?"

Latios gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry. I had a lot in my head and wanted to be alone for a moment."

"We all do, Latios, we all do," Latias said softly. "But it's fine. I understand." Latias shifted her attention to the pair of sky deities in front of her. She tilted her head as her empathy immediately picked up on the acute care and concern radiating from Rayquaza, and the comfort and relaxation radiating off of Skailyn. Despite the two dragons' fearsome appearance, it made her feel at ease.

Rayquaza lifted his head from his daughter and turned to face Latios and Latias, giving them a heartfelt smile. "Latios, Latias. It's a pleasure to meet you at last."

Latias blinked in surprise, completely flabbergasted. She could feel immense joy and excitement radiating off Rayquaza, which only added to the twinkle of delight she could clearly see behind the striking intensity of his golden irises. And, above all, it all felt so genuine to her empathy. Her gaze shifted briefly to Skailyn. Even though she focused on calming them down the night prior, Latias still remembered the same joy and love that radiated off her the moment she met them. "It's a bit odd… We've never met any of you, yet you all seem to care a lot about us. More than just us being fellow Legendaries."

Skailyn opened her eyes, moved away from her father's coils, and gave them a saddened look. "You have no idea."

Rayquaza gradually coiled his serpentine body around himself to lower his height and be closer to eye level with the eon twins. He gently rested his head against Latios' side and lovingly nuzzled him. "You're one of us." He shifted to Latias and nuzzled her equally. "You're one of our children," Rayquaza added while pulling back. "You're right, Latias. It's more than just being a fellow Legendary Pokémon. Far more."

Latios smiled. "Thank you, Ray—" He paused and gave him a nervous glance. "Uh, do we have to be formal with you?" he asked insecurely.

Rayquaza let out a brief laugh and looked at him with an amused expression. "I heard you used to call Ho-Oh 'Lady Ho-Oh' until—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Latios interrupted with a cringe.

"Then you know the answer already," Rayquaza responded. "You're a god, a Legendary, as much as I am. And, above all, you're like our family." His gaze softened to the point Latias and Latios could see a clear reflection of care and longing within his sharp eyes. "For many decades, I've looked forward to the day I could host you on Sky Pillar and meet you in person. I'm overjoyed that day is finally here. I'd have preferred it to be in better circumstances, however."

"I'm curious about something…" Latias frowned. "Well, I'm glad we've gotten such a welcome reception here, but it would've been nice to meet you earlier if you like us so much. I don't mean it in a bad way, it's just… a thought."

"Well, it's not easy for someone my size to enter Alto Mare freely without disturbing the locals," Rayquaza answered. "But, how about this? I know there are a lot of questions you two have. But, save them for the next time we see each other. Then we can talk freely and without restraint. You'll soon come to understand what I mean."

Latios rolled his eyes and groaned. "Let me guess, you're part of the 'we can't answer that' crew much like Skailyn is? I swear you're all just as cryptic as Ho-Oh can be."

Skailyn chuckled and poked him in the chest with the tip of her tail. "You're learning."

"I swear if Ho-Oh gives us the same treatment," Latias muttered. "I'm gonna scream. Like, scream. Anyway, she's here, right? Ash said so, but I'd like to confirm as she could've left."

Rayquaza glanced to the side and listened to the whispers of the wind. "She is, and I agree. You should go and speak with her."

"We will. There's a lot we want to ask her," Latios answered. "And hopefully she can tell us more than you two can."

"Well, seeing as you say it'd be better if we talk to her first before having a deeper conversation with you, should we go do that now?" Latias wondered.

Rayquaza nodded in agreement. "It'd be for the best. You should go. Head north from here and you'll no doubt sense her presence not long after."

Latios' ears perked up. "Oh, before we leave, there's something we wanted to talk to you about, Rayquaza. That's why we tried to find Sky Pillar on our own earlier."

"Go on," Rayquaza encouraged.

"My friends and I are traveling through Hoenn. While doing so, we ran into a pair of extremely dangerous human organizations. They almost killed us along with thousands of others, and should their end goal be successful, they could kill millions. I wanted to warn you about them," Latios elaborated. "And, hopefully, maybe you could do something about them?"

"Latios, it's not the role of Legendaries to deal with humanity's problems or save them from themselves," Rayquaza answered. "We don't intervene in their affairs. So, even as dangerous as you claim them to be, it's up to humans themselves to deal with them."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Skailyn told me about that already," Latios protested. "But the reason I bring it up and think it may interest you is that they plan to take control of Groudon and Kyogre. They could cause serious damage to nature and kill millions by terraforming the world through their power. That means this goes beyond just humanity."

Rayquaza shook his head. "I doubt humans can force Groudon and Kyogre to do their bidding and carry on those plans, unless somehow—"

"They use the Red and Blue Orbs?" Latios finished.

Rayquaza stopped in place, frowned, and looked at the smaller dragon in surprise. "How do you know about those?"

"Because Team Aqua and Team Magma know about them, and I know through them," Latios answered. "They're not after Groudon and Kyogre themselves first. They're after the Red and Blue Orbs, then they'll use those things to control them." He paused and chuckled nervously. "Uh, do they work… to begin with?"

"I hope they don't. It'd be rather hilarious if after all this trouble they discover the orbs don't actually do anything, but knowing our luck…" Latias mumbled.

"They do work," Skailyn said bitterly. "My injuries came from the Jade Orb. That'd be the third orb designed for my dad. As you can see, it also affects me."

"I didn't know about that one," Latios commented with a perplexed expression. "Which means neither do Team Aqua or Magma."

"That's quite the development, I'll admit," Rayquaza murmured, deep in thought.

"So, what will you do about them?" Latios asked eagerly. "I read the minds of some of their leaders. I know about both in depth. Where they're located, how much they know, their ideology, their power, what progress they have…"

"You may go into detail," Rayquaza said abruptly. "You're right, this does warrant further attention."

Latias looked at him curiously. "Okay, I have to ask, what's the deal with those orbs? They must be special if they made you change your mind so quickly about the whole thing."

"Well, the Jade Orb took control of me and nearly ripped me in half," Skailyn commented. "Groudon, Kyogre, and my dad have been under their control before. It's not pretty." She growled and looked at her father. "By the way. Phaedra made a stunning discovery during our battle. We finally know where the Sky Plate is."

Rayquaza narrowed his eyes. "So, that's how the Jade Orb works. That explains much. Well then, recovering the orbs just became an absolute priority. We find the orbs, we find some of the missing plates."

"So, uh, where do I start?" Latios asked undecidedly. "This will take a while to go over."

"You don't have to. You're a psychic. Just connect to my mind and feed the information to me directly," Rayquaza suggested. "I'll allow it."

"Same here," Skailyn added. "I'm fairly interested. Just a bit of a heads up, don't try to pull anything out of our minds or go into them. You'll face a pretty brutal backlash if you do so."

Latios looked at her in alarm. "You mean you'd attack me over it!?"

Skailyn rolled her eyes. "No, you dummy. We're gods of a much higher order than you. I meant that your mind will face an intense sensory backlash from us given the size and power of our minds. Just stay on the surface and you'll be fine."

"Oh! That. Yeah, sure…" Latios murmured with uncertainty. His eyes glowed with blue light as he hesitantly reached out with his mind and telepathically brushed against Rayquaza and Skailyn's minds to form a connection with them. He immediately widened his eyes in surprise at the sheer vastness of the two gods' minds that he could see ahead of his psychic reach and the intense power each radiated, with Rayquaza's feeling far larger and deeper. "Oh, so that's what you meant. I don't even know where to start."

"Yes, exactly. But you're doing fine, Latios. Keep going," Rayquaza encouraged while visibly relaxing and giving the younger dragon a reassuring nod.

Latios took a few deep breaths to gather his thoughts and slowly sort through everything important he knew about Team Aqua and Team Magma from Shelly and Tabitha's minds. His eyes glowed with a higher intensity as he pushed all that information, memory by memory and scene by scene, into the minds of the two Rayquaza without straying too far. His eyes dimmed the moment he disconnected. "There we go. That should be it."

Rayquaza remained silent and adopted a thoughtful expression as he went over the details.

"So, what will you do about them?" Latios asked curiously after a couple of silent minutes. "Destroy them, hopefully? That'd be a relief."

Skailyn snorted. "Destroying and killing isn't always the only pathway to deal with your enemies, Latios. We don't need to be so drastic." She glanced at her father. "So, what's your plan?"

"We'll use them," Rayquaza announced.

Skailyn nodded. "I figured you'd do that."

Latios and Latias looked at him incredulously.

"Wait, wait, use them? Like, not deal with them? Or fight them?" Latios asked in shock.

"The true danger here is the orbs, Latios. You said so yourself, the orbs are their primary target. Without them, they'd be hopeless to do anything against Groudon or Kyogre. But, here's the thing, we're also after the orbs," Rayquaza explained. "If we can obtain the orbs through these humans, I consider it a win."

Latios' jaw dropped. "I… did not see that one coming."

Skailyn laughed. "What, you thought dad would happily go and kill them?"

Latios looked at her apologetically. "Yeah, kinda."

Latias threw her brother an exasperated look. "Your predisposition for violence is sometimes troubling."

Latios scoffed. "Sometimes I'm justified, okay?"

"Latios." Latias gave him a knowing look.

Latios looked away. "Fine." He turned his attention to the two Rayquaza. "So, how are you going to get them to do your bidding?" he asked. He hummed at the many scenarios that crossed his mind at the thought of how that could play out. "Uh, I doubt you can just show up and ask them to do it, even with the threat of death."

"I know I can't," Rayquaza admitted. He smirked. "But Groudon and Kyogre can."

Latios and Latias looked at each other in surprise. "They do worship them," Latias realized. "Quite zealously, if I recall."

Latios gasped. "Wait, so you mean you'll—"

"I'll summon Groudon and Kyogre to Sky Pillar and have them do it, yes," Rayquaza confirmed.

"Fair. Do you need me for anything?" Skailyn asked while throwing a glance at her father.

"Not now. And, you're injured. I'll discuss the matter with Ho-Oh once she's available along with Groudon and Kyogre," Rayquaza answered. "But if you wish to be updated, I'll let you know."

Skailyn nodded slowly. "Thought so. Thanks."

"And, what if, even if they order them around, Aqua and Magma still refuse to comply?" Latias asked. "I mean, considering their fanaticism over them, I doubt it, but it's still good to consider that, just in case."

"They will fall in line and do as they're told," Rayquaza answered with narrowed eyes. "If they don't and fight back, then I'll leave that decision up to Groudon and Kyogre. Their worshippers, their issue, but I'll let them know a solution will be in order."

"Do you think they'll even be of any help getting the Red and Blue Orbs, though?" Latios asked.

"The creator of the orbs is quite adept at hiding from us Legendaries." Rayquaza growled. "However, he used to be human. He won't expect other humans to come after the orbs, nor would he expect us to command humans to do it. In addition, humans ultimately see and do things differently than we do. Maybe they'll look at this problem from an angle we Legendaries aren't considering."

Latios nodded along. "I guess that makes sense." He motioned to his sister with his claws. "Do you need our help in some way?"

Rayquaza shook his head. "You've done enough. Stay out of trouble and out of danger. We'll deal with this."

"Okay, we'll leave it to you guys, then. At least, if you end up using them, can you make sure they don't cause more trouble?" Latios asked.

Rayquaza nodded. "I'll bring that up to Groudon and Kyogre."

Latias frowned. "Anyway, if that's settled, there's something that's bothering me."

Rayquaza focused on her. "Do tell."

"Skailyn said the Jade Orb was used and it injured her." Latias sighed and cast a downward glance. "We learned our attacker is the same person who killed our father. If our attacker used the orbs, are we talking about the same person here?"

Rayquaza nodded once. "Yes. He's been a nuisance to us Legendaries for a long time. One that's survived the test of time quite well."

"However," Skailyn began, prompting Latios and Latias to look at her. "Remember my father isn't the one to give you answers either. You'll get the same responses as you did from me if you ask him for more detail than that."

Latias scoffed. "I figured. But it looks like our attacker is a wider problem than just what happened to us."

Skailyn sighed unhappily. "Yes, he is."

"If you guys find him, please let me know," Latias requested. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "He killed our father. He killed Ash. I want to make him pay for both. This is personal."

Rayquaza smiled, rather impressed. "You will in due time, little one, of that I have no doubt."

Latios blinked and levitated ever so slightly away from her in surprise. 'I've never seen her so determined. It's like Alto Mare all over again…'

Skailyn leisurely rose from the lake and made a strong gust of wind pass by, swiftly drying off her black scales. "Well, if all matters are settled, I'll leave for now." She nodded at Latios and Latias. "I very much look forward to our next conversation. Goodbye." She flew to the side, affectionately nuzzled her father as she passed by, and took off into the sky.

Latios looked on as the black dragoness swiftly disappeared into the distance. "Will she be alright?"

"She will," Rayquaza answered proudly. He turned and flew toward the lake's shoreline. "I trust her judgment of herself."

Latios and Latias followed him at his pace. The air around the trio of dragons blew for a moment and, not an instant later, a ghostly dragon materialized at Rayquaza's side in a dazzling burst of green draconic embers. "You called?" the dragon asked politely.

"I did, Savannah," Rayquaza replied with a nod. "Thank you for coming."

Latias glanced at the newcomer and eyed her with interest. The dragon appeared about as big as her brother. "I don't quite recognize your species. What are you?"

Savannah turned to them and bowed respectfully. "I'm a Dragapult." She lifted her head and grinned. "Thrilled to meet you, been looking forward to it."

Latios blinked. "It feels like everyone's looking forward to meeting us here."

"Because we are," Savannah answered with a smile.

Latios curiously eyed the Dragapult as she flew along with them. Her ethereal body occasionally let sunlight pass through it, giving it flashes of translucence. The deep red edges of her sharp and triangular face, along with the four currently-empty indentations in her head and the intensity of her glare, gave her a menacing appearance. Latios let his eyes trail along her body, taking a keen interest in the emerald-green runic markings that ran down her back to the tip of her thick tail and along the sides of her head, which bore a striking resemblance to Rayquaza's markings and emanated an energy that felt indiscernible from Rayquaza's aura.

Rayquaza stopped above the group's camp and glanced down at the humans. "I welcome you to Sky Pillar," he said while giving them an acknowledging nod.

Brock looked at the emerald dragon with keen interest and dropped his partly-folded sleeping bag. The dragon's thundering voice and growl-like Pokéspeech that seemed to make the air all around vibrate with every spoken tune sounded astoundingly different from any of the others he heard so far, which only furthered his curiosity to hear what other types of Pokéspeech would sound like.

Ash's jaw dropped slightly. "Whoa, he's a lot bigger than Lugia up close."

Rayquaza chuckled. "I'm aware of that."

Pikachu rolled his eyes and jumped onto Ash's shoulder. "You meet a Legendary and that's the first thing you say?"

"What? It's true!" Ash protested. "I guess I should've just said hello instead?"

Latios and Latias calmly flew over to the group's side. "We're, uh, not sure what's next. But after all that happened, I guess we'd like to wind down for a bit and take it easy. Plus, Latias and I want to go and speak with Ho-Oh," Latios started indecisively. "Can our friends stay here in the meantime, Rayquaza?"

"I hope we're not a bother," Bianca added. "Since I think humans aren't usually allowed here?"

"As Latios and Latias' humans, you're welcome here and may stay for as long as you need or wish." Rayquaza's attention shifted to the two smaller dragons. "As I'm sure Skailyn or Phaedra mentioned already, no harm will come to them and no action will be done about them unless explicitly approved by either of you two."

Latias smiled. "Thank you. That's reassuring."

Bianca gently petted Latios' neck. "Yeah, don't worry about us. So far, everyone's treated us well."

"That's a relief," Latios mumbled. "Great after our recent streak of bad luck, at least."

Rayquaza chuckled. "It's not the Legendaries you have to worry about."

Latias sighed. "Yeah, we'd know dragons alright. And this place is full of them."

"Well, about that…" Rayquaza took a deep breath and exhaled a gentle gust of wind that rushed past Ash's group, causing their clothes and hair to wave along with it.

Brock glanced around with slight confusion. "Uh, what was that?" he asked curiously.

"I left a minimal scent mark on you three," Rayquaza replied. "Few of Sky Pillar's residents have seen humans before. It'll help all locals know, despite any uncertainty, that you're personally approved by me and will let them know right away they should be mindful of you."

"So, can we now go to any part of the island and not just stay here? Even if Skailyn is gone?" Bianca asked.

"You can," Rayquaza confirmed. "All I ask is that you're mindful of the locals in turn. Ghosts are naturally finicky and Dragons can be immensely territorial. The local population goes beyond just those two groups."

"You're Pokémon trainers, are you not?" Savannah asked with mild curiosity while her tail swayed lazily behind her.

"We are," Brock confirmed. "Why? Is that an issue? I hope not…"

Savannah chuckled and glanced at Rayquaza. "How long until they get into a fight with a dragon?"

Rayquaza shook his head in amusement. "I wouldn't be surprised."

Ash crossed his arms. "Well, I'm always up for a good battle. It's great practice."

Pikachu hit his face with a paw. "I'm glad the same old Ash is back. But you need to rest more first before picking a fight, you know?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "A few days to wind down would do us wonders."

"Well," Rayquaza spoke up to catch their attention. "If nothing else is needed, I'll leave, then. Enjoy your stay."

"Hey! Before you go, uh, about our friends… They'll be safe here while we're gone, right?" Latios asked with a frown. "We don't know how long we'll be with Ho-Oh."

Latias' ears perked up. "Yeah, it's not like we're questioning your word about Sky Pillar. I'm sure it's safe, dragons aside. It's just, we've been through some difficult moments as of late. I hope you understand."

"They will be. Sky Pillar is very safe. Though, if it'd help to ease your concern because of recent incidents…" Rayquaza glanced at the Dragapult levitating at his side. "Savannah, assign each of them a powerful ghost guard to stay with them throughout their stay on Sky Pillar. And, on top of that, personally keep tabs on them until they leave," he instructed.

Savannah nodded. "Will do."

Rayquaza turned his attention back to Ash's group. "For any of your needs, you can trust your guards or Savannah to see to them being satisfied, even without a Legendary's presence." He smiled at Latios and Latias. "I hope that'll suffice, and that your conversation with Ho-Oh goes well." He flew into the sky and rocketed away, swiftly disappearing into the distance.

"You know, he seems rather chill compared to what the stories we've heard say of him," Brock commented. "He's said in many legends to be able to quell Groudon and Kyogre."

Savannah smirked and flew closer to the group. "Oh, he very much can." She chuckled. "I'm fairly curious to hear what else humanity has to say about him."

Latios rolled his eyes. "It's very wacky. It's the complete opposite of what Ho-Oh's told me at times, from what I've seen. We can talk about it sometime later."

"We'll see. Anyway…" Savannah closed her eyes. Her body let out an ethereal purple gleam that made the air around her distort and shimmer. "Volna, Ozul, Kaidra." She opened her eyes and patiently waited for a moment.

The air next to the group flickered and distorted visibly, out of which came out a dragon that looked stunningly like Savannah, albeit smaller and with some clear differences. Unlike the Dragapult, however, a tiny Pokémon that resembled both rested atop her head. "Heya, you called?" she asked.

Savannah nodded. "I did, Kaidra. Thank you for coming."

"Huh, that reminds me…" Ash muttered. He took out his Pokédex and pointed it at Savannah.

The machine beeped and said, "Pokémon unknown. No information available."

Ash sighed. "Bummer." He shifted it to the newcomer.

"Pokémon unknown. No information available," the Pokédex repeated.

Ash rolled his eyes and pocketed the machine. "I will never see the point of region locking a Pokédex."

"Hey, her species is your pre-evolution, I assume?" Latios asked curiously.

Kaidra looked at Savannah and then back at Latios. "Yep. I'm a Drakloak." She glanced up. "And this little guy here is my pre-evolution. He's a Dreepy." The Dreepy grinned and waved at them with his stumpy forearms.

Two flickers of purple energy burst to life around them, out of which a Mismagius and a Gengar exited. The Mismagius looked at the humans with a stunned expression on her face. She violently turned to the large Dragapult and blinked in stunned confusion. "This is a joke, right? I'm seeing things?"

The Gengar also turned to face Savannah and noted, based on the Dragapult's calm demeanor, that everything was perfectly normal and nothing was wrong. "Humans, here? That's a new one for me. What happened?"

Savannah nodded and gave the pair a no-nonsense look, focusing on the Mismagius. "Yes. Humans are very much here. They're guests of Latios and Latias, and by extension, guests of Rayquaza, and will be treated as such."

Ozul shrugged. "Alright. If our king approves of it, fair enough."

"So, why call us?" Kaidra asked curiously. "What's that got to do with us?"

"Please, each of you stay with one of the humans during their time here and watch over them," Savannah instructed. "You may watch from a distance or be with them, it's up to you. If anything comes up, let me know and I'll be here in a moment to sort it out. But make sure they're safe."

Ozul bowed respectfully. "Of course."

"Will do," Kaidra answered with a nod. "I'm interested. Never gotten to interact at length with a human before. They're quite mysterious and honestly kinda cool with all their tricks and things they make."

Volna made a face and groaned. "Really? You called us just to babysit a bunch of humans around?"

Savannah gave the Mismagius a pointed look. "Yes, I did. Rayquaza requested they be watched by a powerful ghost, and you're one of the few available at the moment."

Volna sighed. "Fine. If it's King Rayquaza's order, guess I'll have to do it."

Kaidra rolled her eyes. "You're being too dramatic, Volna. This won't be that bad. It'll probably be fun, even." She turned and eyed each member of Ash's group individually. She flew over to Brock and looped once around him. "I'll pick this one. He's kinda cute."

Brock chuckled and gave her a respectful smile. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Brock."

"He's polite, too. I think I like you already," Kaidra added with a grin. "We'll probably get along just fine."

"Me too!" the Dreepy on top of Kaidra's head agreed with excited and energetic nods. He wiggled above Kaidra's head, took aim, and jumped onto Brock's head. "Hm, he's comfortable."

Kaidra scoffed. "Hey, take it easy. Don't want to frighten him. Yet."

Brock laughed, reached up, and gently scratched the Dreepy's chin, which earned him a pleased croon from the tiny dragon. "It's okay. He seems like a friendly little guy."

Ozul, meanwhile, looked over at the Mismagius. "Got any preferences?"

"No, just get it over with," Volna replied flatly.

Ozul looked between Ash and Bianca, thought for a moment, and then levitated closer to Ash. "Guess I'm with you."

Ash extended a hand in a friendly manner. "Hey, I'm Ash from Pallet Town."

Ozul tapped his hand briefly. "Ozul from… eh, you wouldn't know the place. Pleased to be your…" He looked at Savannah. "Guard? Guide? Supervisor?"

Savannah shrugged. "Whichever you prefer to call it."

Volna gave Bianca an annoyed look. "Looks like I got you. Don't really care about your name. Just behave and don't do anything stupid while you're here, got it?"

Savannah gave the Mismagius a knowing look. "Volna."

Volna froze for a moment. "Fine." She fizzled out in a shower of purple cinders and disappeared.

Bianca glanced at Brock and giggled. "Looks like you got by far the better deal here."

Brock laughed and petted the Dreepy on top of his head again. "Looks like it." The Dreepy playfully growled at his finger and lunged at it, which Brock barely managed to pull back in time. "Bites aside, that is."

Volna abruptly rematerialized in front of Bianca and narrowed her eyes at her. "Excuse me, I hope you realize I'm still watching you." She vanished again.

"Sorry about that." Bianca chuckled nervously.

"I had to ask her because she's one of the few ghosts strong enough to sate Latios and Latias' demands while also being available." Savannah gave the two dragons a reassuring look. "Don't worry, she's very dutiful, even if she's crass at times. Your friend will be fine and safe under her care."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Bianca said while waving dismissively. "Her attitude reminds me of myself at times, actually. So, rather fair I get a taste of my own medicine for once."

Savannah stifled a chuckle. "I'm glad you see it humorously." She turned to Latios and Latias. "Anyway, all three of them should suffice to keep an eye on your friends."

Latios nodded. "Thanks. We appreciate it."

Savannah smiled and looked at the three humans. "If you have any issues or inquiries while here, any of your ghosts can solve them. And, if something major comes up, they can call me and I'll come. When no Legendary is present on Sky Pillar, I'm in charge."

Ash looked over the Dragapult and then looked over the Drakloak, taking note of the absence of any distinctive markings on Kaidra. "Does it have something to do with the marks you have on you? Is it like, whoever is in charge here gets Rayquaza-themed markings on them?"

Savannah laughed. "More or less. Legendaries are busy and can't be here all the time." She angled her body to display her markings better, which rumbled and glowed with a feral shine of draconic power upon her command. "This just means I'm Rayquaza's Marked. That usually leads to the role I have."

"Marked? What's that?" Latias asked curiously.

"It's a very special bond Rayquaza and I share, though any powerful Legendary can create one and not just him. Born out of friendship and trust between us, our spirits are linked. That allows me to feel and talk to him, as well as store and draw upon his power when I need it, no matter where he is or the distance between us, and that manifests in me through my markings," Savannah explained while making her runes flash vibrantly. "That's why we call it 'Marked'."

Bianca hummed and tapped her chin with a finger. "So, it's like having a Legendary on call all day long? That sounds handy. I guess the reverse is true, though."

"That's a way to put it. There's a lot more to it than that but it's a short explanation. Now, how it looks from his perspective is something that another Legendary can better explain, not a mortal such as myself," Savannah replied.

"So, that's why you're in charge when he's not around. You're bonded to him, and your word can be interpreted as his," Brock surmised.

Savannah nodded. "Yep. My word is as much as Rayquaza's and he trusts me to make the right decisions." She flashed Latios and Latias a smile. "In any case, don't worry, your humans will be safe." She bowed at them while vanishing into thin air.

"That's fairly interesting," Latias commented. "I wonder if Ho-Oh has one. She never mentioned it to us."

Latios stared at the spot the Dragapult used to occupy with a thoughtful expression. He glanced at the lake, thinking back to what both Skailyn and Ash said. "Huh."

"Well, stay safe, guys," Latias said as she levitated into the air. "We'll go and talk to Ho-Oh. We should be back sometime later."

"Are you sure you don't want us to tag along with you?" Bianca asked.

Latias shook her head. "There's a lot we have to ask her, a lot of it very personal, and we'd like to talk to her alone."

Bianca smiled. "It's alright. We understand. We'll probably be around here, or we may explore the area for a bit. This place is very intriguing and it's very early in the day."

"You do that. Have fun and take it easy. We'll get in touch later," Latios said. He looked at Latias, nodded at her, and took off.

Latias waved at her friends, turned around, and flew after her brother. "I wonder if we'll get any answers," she muttered as she caught up to him.

"I don't know," Latios admitted. "But I'll lose my mind if Ho-Oh also joins the 'this isn't something for me to say to you' club."

Latias growled. "The worst part is it wouldn't be out of character for her."

Latios snorted and stifled a chuckle. "Yeah, it wouldn't be. But hey, maybe we'll get lucky this time around."

"Perhaps." Latias frowned. "I really hope we get answers, though. The uncertainty and suspense are killing me. Regardless, Ho-Oh's never failed us."

"Yeah." Latios looked on ahead and sped up, prompting his sister to do the same. "We've always known we can count on Ho-Oh. Let's hope that hasn't changed."

Chapter End

Author Notes: Don't forget to leave a Review or Comment with your thoughts! I'd love to hear them!