Chapter 26! Koa has repaired his relationship with Scrapper, but more trouble awaits...
Koa lay awake, listening to the sounds of wild pokemon in the night. Two days of training had passed since his encounter with Fossie, but the memory still lingered - not because of Fossie himself, but what he'd said. How many more people probably agreed or were starting to agree that legendaries were dangerous? Did legendary pokemon also dislike humanity then? His thoughts swirled, dancing around others he tried to avoid.
Time slipped by, but sleep never quite came, and at some point he realized he'd been lying awake for some time. With a sigh, he sat up. His tent was empty tonight, since his pokemon had all opted to return to their pokeballs for the night, save for Hazard, surprisingly. Koa poked his head out of the tent and glanced around. The camp was quiet, and the campfire had long since died out. Pulling on his boots and jacket, he slipped out, past Hazard, and headed out of the cave.
A few minutes later he found himself hiking upwards away from camp and through the hills, enjoying the peace and quiet. He spotted a few Murkrow darting through the skies, and the occasional Geodude or Sandshrew hanging around. As he walked, he kept his eyes on the ground. The moon was full, giving him plenty of light to see by, and he kept hoping he might see another Zeraora print.
The mystery of it still baffled him. Why was a Zeraora on Iron Island? It couldn't have always lived here, someone would have to have seen it. Maybe it was just... sightseeing? Did legendaries do that? Or was it somehow connected to everything else going on...? Unless... Unless it was another fake. But the pawprint had been real. Unlike Celestic. Maybe he'd missed it but there hadn't been any prints there, right?
Minutes ticked by as Koa wandered ever further, always keeping track but not heading in any real direction otherwise. A distant rumble filled the sky. Koa looked up, and realized for the first time that darkness had fallen over the area. He could still spot the moon, but pitch black clouds now obscured much of the stars. Blue lightning tore across the sky, blinding him, just as a deafening thunderclap shook the air.
Drops of rain splattered his head and shoulders. Koa's brow knit as he blinked to clear his vision. The weather report for tonight had said it would be clear. Was this somehow connected to Zeraora? He couldn't help but think of Fossie again. "Legendaries and humans aren't meant to mix". A frustrated sigh escaped Koa. Too many mysteries, not enough answers. Not enough time. He shook his head and turned around. Might as well head back to camp.
Another flash of lightning and clap of thunder shattered the air and Koa jumped. The rain abruptly shifted from 'friendly drizzle' to 'downpour'. Muttering angrily, he hastened his pace, though in a minute, he was already plenty soaked. Again, he thought wryly to himself. He really did have a knack for getting caught in rainstorms.
Still muttering, he picked his way through a slight valley between two hills, scanning the area for any caves he could duck into. And then there was another flash of lightning and all of his annoyance vanished in an instant as the light illuminated a figure standing just yards away.
Zeraora.
Koa's mouth dropped open.
It faced away from him in a low crouch, studying the area, its yellow and black fur glistening in the darkness.
Koa's mind reeled and his heart surged. He stifled a cry of excitement. A familiar tingling filled him, almost like when he'd seen Ho-Oh. This felt real. Not at all like Entei or Raikou.
Zeraora might not have been as awe-inspiring like Dialga or Xerneas or the like, but it was still a legend in its own way. And it was standing right there. Almost close enough to walk over and touch.
Now's your chance.
He blinked as the thought ran through his mind. Time stretched and in a daze, he realized he still had a spare ball in his jacket pocket. His heart raced as the sound of the rain fell away. Fossie's words echoed through his mind again. Legendaries and humans don't mix.
Koa's jaw tightened. He was wrong. Legendary pokemon and humans could be friends. He believed it with all his heart.
Then prove him wrong.
Zeraora was still standing there, back to him.
Koa's heart thundered in his ears as rain soaked his hair. Taking the ball from his pocket; he primed it. Then he threw it.
The moment the pokeball left his hand, a pit of guilt and regret opened inside him.
In slow motion, he watched the ball arc through the air. Lightning lit the sky like daylight. Zeraora turned, eyes glowing in the night, and caught the ball in one paw. Then it squeezed, shattering it effortlessly.
For one second, Koa met its eyes, and every hair on his body stood on end. Pure unbridled rage burned in its blue irises.
Yellow blurred toward him, an impact against his chest, then pain in his back, and throbbing in his head. His vision spun. Rain splattered on his face, mingling with tears as he laid on his back - when had he ended up on his back? A terrible yowl filled the air, though it somehow sounded close and far off all at once. Darkness encroached on his hazy thoughts.
A great weight landed on his chest and then a thousand pinpricks of white hot pain pierced his shoulders, his whole body on fire, couldn't move couldn't think couldn't breathe-
Zeraora on top of him, pinning him. Stunning black and yellow and eyes like lightning incarnate filled his vision, burning with such vitriolic anger that pierced his soul. The pain receded from his shoulders for a moment and he gasped—
One of Zeraora's paws slapped down on his throat, squeezing. The other it raised, claws glistening in the rain. Koa thrashed. He grabbed feebly at its paw, vaguely aware of his mouth moving, pleading, but no sound coming out, searching Zeraora's eyes desperately for mercy or compassion and goodness. He found only anger.
His lips moved in a silent plea. Please.
The rain battered down endlessly. Koa felt his struggles weakening. His vision pulsed and throbbed. Maybe this was what he deserved...
Rain soaked through his jacket. He stared dully up at Zeraora. The sky darkened and his limbs grew slack. His eyelids started to drift shut... Zeraora's searing gaze burned into in his mind, behind his eyelids—
The pressure withdrew.
Koa sucked in heaving breaths, coughs wracking him, hard rock biting into his upper arm as he lay awkwardly on his side, shivering and wet and gasping. He coughed again, the movement awakening fresh pain in his shoulders. Jumbled thoughts rattled through his mind as he tried to gather himself.
Through blurred vision, he looked up to see Zeraora standing a few feet away, another small yellow shape in front of it. His heart skipped a beat. "Hazard!" His cry came as a garbled cough. What was Hazard doing here? Dazed, he stared at the scene before him, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
Hazard stood defiantly between him and Zeraora, his fur fluffed to twice its usual size. Tiny sparks kept shooting from his body to Zeraora; followed by flashes of blue electricity connecting harmlessly to Hazard.
Curiosity superseded fear. Hadn't he seen this before...? A long time ago, at Rowan's lab. A Raichu and an Electabuzz, communicating through electricity. Was Hazard talking to Zeraora?
The light show seemed to stretch on, and for a moment he caught a hateful look from Zeraora, directed towards him, its eyes burning with disdain. A spark of fear tickled the back of his mind, but he couldn't summon the will to move or do anything except watch.
Finally, with a last crackling blue spark from Zeraora, it seemed some kind of resolution was reached. Hazard's fur settled and his stance relaxed, and Zeraora shifted, standing taller and more at ease. Then he turned, glaring at Koa. Koa swallowed and winced, inching backwards.
"One."
Stunned, Koa managed to croak out a response. He hadn't even realized Zeraora could speak human. Or had he imagined it? "O-one?"
Its' voice sounded again, in Koa's mind. Firm and piercing. "One mercy. Stay away, human."
Hot, blinding light filled Koa's vision, followed by a thunderous crash. When he could finally see again, Zeraora was gone, leaving only a charred, smoking crater where it'd been standing. The rain ceased unnervingly abruptly, blanketing Koa in eerie silence.
xxx
Koa sat huddled in his tent, still shivering. He'd managed to slip back into camp without Kitto waking, then dried himself off and changed out of his wet clothes. Then he'd sat in his tent, arms wrapped around his knees, Hazard tucked into his chest, staring vacantly at his wet jacket. Hazard must have sensed Zeraora, he reflected. Normally he would have been fascinated by the idea, but the light of rage in Zeraora's blotted out all his thoughts. The silence dragged on until he couldn't bear it any more.
"Why... why was Zeraora here?" he rasped.
Hazard gave an uncertain chirp.
"It didn't say?" He looked down at the Joltik.
Hazard shook his head.
Koa stared at his jacket again, digging his fingers into his kneecap. "This is an island. Why is Zeraora out here? It's not right." Why did it attack him? Why was it so angry? What did I do wrong?
Hazard clicked his mandibles together and crawled down Koa's arm to nudge his hand.
"It attacked me because I tried to capture it, didn't it."
A soft churr and a single click. Yes.
He knew. From the moment he'd thrown that stupid ball he'd known it was wrong. No. He knew before that. Unconsciously, Koa rubbed his neck, memories still bouncing through his head. Stupid... How many times had he pictured the scene in his head? Battling a legendary. Doing it the right way. But as soon as you had the chance you took it. He shivered again. What kind of person does that make you?
Still in a daze, he picked up a mirror from his bag, running his hands through his stiff hair as he examined himself. He blinked dully at the image that greeted him in the mirror.
Dark circles had formed under his eyes and he could see a slight bruise on his neck. His shoulders still stung, but when he'd checked them out earlier he'd realized Zeraora's claws never dug very deep and only barely drew blood.
But they could have. In his mind he could see it, he could feel Zeraora giving him what he deserved, claws slicing easily into his flesh, the pain- Had Fossie been right? Were legendaries dangerous? No. There was more to this. Legendaries might be dangerous but they weren't cruel. Something else had Zeraora angry already. Yes he'd upset it but that didn't make legendaries killers.
With a weary sigh, he tossed the mirror aside and ducked out of his tent. By the campfire, he spotted Kitto.
Kitto's back was to him as he stirred a pot of some kind of stew. "Well look who finally decided to wake up."
Koa opened his mouth to snark out a reply but drew nothing.
"Delcatty got your tongue?" As Kitto stood and turned, his words faded as he took in Koa. "Lugia below, What happened to you?"
The image of Zeraora's hateful eyes flashed through his thoughts. He saw himself throwing the pokeball, like an idiot and felt sick to his stomach. What had he been thinking? No battle, no challenge he'd just...
You saw the opportunity and you took it. You're no better than every criminal out there, no better than-
"Koa?"
He felt a firm pressure on his shoulders. Kitto was standing in front of him, hands gripping him.
"Yeah sorry. Lost in thought," he muttered, voice still raspy. "I-"
I tried to catch a legendary when I shouldn't have when I should have battled and done it the right way? I...
You what? You showed your true nature? You proved what you are?
His words choked him and he stared anywhere but at Kitto's face. He was sure he could feel Kitto's gaze boring into him, accusing him, demanding answers. He knew what was coming. Kitto would tell him how stupid he'd been, how reckless, how wrong and bad-
Strong arms grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.
Koa blinked, face pressed against Kitto's chest. His chest tightened and for a moment, he stood there, unable to move. Then hesitantly, he returned the hug.
"So what happened?" Kitto finally asked some moments later, as he stepped away. Casual and collected, as if everything were ordinary. Koa found himself appreciating it. He did his best to recount what had happened with Zeraora the night before.
"Something's not right, Kitto. Zeraora shouldn't be here at all. Sure, they roam around but it wouldn't be on some island way off the coast of Sinnoh for sightseeing. And... and I wasn't thinking when I threw that ball to try and catch it but..." He shifted his weight from side to side. "It was angry. Really angry about something. There's something bad going on."
Or maybe that's what you want to believe. If only he could take it back.
"That seems pretty likely," Kitto said with a frown. "But we haven't seen anything on this island yet. The most recent attack was at Snowpoint Temple, right?"
Koa nodded. "Exactly. I mean as far as I know there isn't even anything happening around here. Unless an attack is going to happen? Could Zeraora have found out and come here to stop it?"
"For now that seems the most likely, although we can't rule out other possibilities," Kitto mused. "Tell you what, we can explore the island later today while we train. I'm sure there's some trainers around to challenge, and it's a good chance for our teams to put into practice everything they're been working on. And while we train, we keep an eye out for anything weird, okay?"
"Sounds like a plan."
xxx
Shortly after breakfast, they put out their fire completely, packed their camp, and ventured deeper into Iron Island. As they walked, Koa kept Echo out with him. An idea had come to him while breaking down camp and he wanted to test it out.
"Okay, remember Echo, focus on how it felt to be a Golbat."
Echo twitched his ears in acknowledgement and flew up a little higher before narrowing his eyes. His rear wings grew still and he began to beat frantically with his forewings. A moment later he began to spiral out of control before going into a nosedive. Koa lunged forward, catching him before he could hit the ground.
"That was a good try," he said. "Want to go again?" Echo nodded.
"What're you working on?" Kitto asked as he scrambled over a small rise.
"Well, I had an idea earlier. If something ever happens to Echo in battle, I figured it could be good if he could learn to fly a little with just two wings." He glanced upward as Echo took up a spot in the air just above Koa and and once again tried to glide without using his rear wings. He managed for all of one second before pitching forward and instinctively righting himself with his rear wings.
Kitto hummed in thought. "The old 'less is more' principle."
Koa nodded. "I'm not sure if it can actually work though... Usually when a pokemon evolves their body instinctively adapts to their new form pretty quickly. I don't even know if he could fly with just two wings again."
"I know what you could try," Kitto said. There was a tone to his voice, almost mischievous. Koa cast him a wary look.
"What is it," he asked slowly. Something told him it probably wouldn't be fun.
A grin crossed Kitto's face. As he walked, he unslung his backpack and fished out a length of rope.
"Oh no," Koa muttered under his breath, without real malice.
"Oh yes," Kitto said.
A few minutes later, Koa found himself bound, his arms tied to his sides with rope and only his legs free. It was unnerving, he realized. And weirdly hard to balance.
Kitto folded his arms and nodded, clearly proud of himself. "The best way to help your pokemon learn something is to try and do it yourself. That's how Jackie and I get so strong."
For what felt like the better part of the next hour, Koa hiked along the trails winding through Iron Island, arms pinned to his sides, while Echo tried his best to control his flight with only his forewings. At first, nothing felt any different. Mostly, Koa kept stumbling and staggering across the terrain. Twice he would have fallen face first if not for Kitto grabbing him once, and Echo the second time.
His annoyance started to rise. A shrill call from Echo broke through his thoughts. He looked up to see the Crobat flashing a grin at him. Don't give up. Koa nodded. Maybe there was a trick to this he could figure out. Pausing for a moment, he studied the landscape, then looked up at Echo, who seemed to be pondering as well. Then Echo's eyes widened and he gave an excited screech.
"What is it?" Koa asked.
Echo swooped down and began dancing around Koa and giving a series of soft squeaks, bumping Koa before pointedly closing his eyes and swiveling his ears.
Koa frowned, steadying himself on the gravel. "What, I don't get-" And then he remembered. Battling Gardenia, and Echo getting blinded, guiding him by hearing alone. But what did that have to do with what was happening now? It was hardly like flying blind would work here. Echo stared at him imploringly. Taking a deep breath, Koa closed his eyes and listened.
Wind whistled across the rocks, waves crashed against the distortion shore. A Starly sung its song, and he heard the faint clatter of rocks from some burrowing pokemon emerging. The faint flutter of Echo's wingbeats came from overhead.
What am I supposed to listen for? He thought, annoyedly. He shifted, and felt the rock under his boots move as well. And then it clicked. His eyes shot open and he grinned.
With a surety of step, he began to move across the trail, focusing less on the loss of his arms and more on what else he could use. What angle he was walking at, the shift of the ground underfoot, the way he could move with the terrain instead of fighting it. Overhead, he could almost sense Echo, even without looking. Echo had understood it too - to fly as a Golbat again, it wasn't about what he'd lost, but what he'd gained.
Echo's irregular flight was beginning to even out, just a little. He still dipped awkwardly and struggled to control himself, but as he learned to guide himself through the air, Koa could see he was improving, slowly but surely.
The next hour or two dragged by. Despite his revelation, Koa found progress after it to be painfully slow, though at least it was steady now. Kitto would occasionally call out advice, but otherwise they mostly traveled in companionable silence.
By the time the sun had passed the halfway point in the sky, and Koa's legs were thoroughly aching, Echo had managed to reach a place where he could perform basic flight without relying on his hindwings at all. It would never be as proficient as actually using all four wings, but it would be helpful in battle anyway.
After a brief break for lunch, Koa resumed training, this time without ropes, so he could keep an eye out for trainers to challenge. As it turned out, it wasn't long before he spotted someone. A figure in the distance, picking their way among the rocky hills. Perhaps it was another trainer?
"Hey there!" Koa called out, waving.
The figure waved back, and Koa hiked up the hill. As he got closer, he quickly evaluated them, like Kitto had taught him to do. A girl, around his age. Her yellow hair had been woven into a neat braid. She wore sturdy dirt-stained boots, and a rugged vest, worn but well-cared for. Five pokeballs hung from her belt, and she carried herself with her head held high.
A fellow explorer, if he had to guess.
Echo fluttered into the air and squeaked a greeting.
When she saw Echo, her eyes lit up. "Oh that must be a real Crobat, yeah?"
"Uh, yeah," Koa said, cocking his head. She spoke with an odd lilt to her voice, but he was sure he had heard it before...
She held out her hand, and Echo butted against it, shreeing in delight. "Zubat are actually rare back home in Galar. They only live on this one particular island. So seeing a Crobat is really rare."
"You're from Galar?" That explained the accent he'd picked up on. Seeing anyone from Galar was rare, considering how far it was from Sinnoh.
"Gal-er," she corrected. "And I sure am. Parents moved me there when I was younger. I came out here to catch myself some different pokemon and to train. Name's Joan by the way."
Koa narrowed his eyes. The pronunciation definitely sounded off to him...
Before he could say anything, Kitto walked up. "Found a trainer?" he asked Koa. Turning to Joan, he smiled amiably and held out his hand. "My name is Kitto."
"Koa." He held out his hand as well.
"Joan. Good to meet ya."
"So where did you say you're from?" Kitto asked, once they'd shook hands. "Galar?"
She laughed awkwardly. "It's Gal-er..."
Koa frowned. "Pretty sure it's Ga-lar."
Joan narrowed her eyes. "Gal-er."
"Galar," Koa and Kitto said, speaking in unison.
Silence fell. Tension grew. Joan glared at Koa, and he glared back. "Fight me," she growled.
Koa stepped forward. "Gladly."
Joan's hand dropped to her belt and she selected a pink and cream colored ball from her belt.
Before she could throw it, Kitto held up his hand. "Perhaps we ought to move to a better spot?" he gestured further up the slope where the ground flattened into a small outcropping.
Koa shot Joan one last look, then scrambled up the slope, scattering pebbles as he climbed. Joan glared back with equal ferocity and began climbing, moving quicker to keep pace with him. By the time Koa reached the top, he was winded, but triumphant. He'd beat Joan up by a full two seconds.
All his exercise with Kitto was paying off.
She snorted in displeasure as she stood, dusting her hands off. "Not bad, for a pampered Sinnoh trainer, I guess." She smoothed her braids, frowning. "But you'd never last in the wilds in Galar," As she said the word, she enunciated it slowly, shooting him a smirk.
"You can run home crying to Galar when I'm done beating you."
Joan snatched the ball from her belt and tossed it into the air. Light burst out and took the shape of one of the strangest pokemon Koa had ever seen. The top of its body looked almost like a fluffy blue nightcap, worn by a diminutive little pink creature crouched underneath.
Echo shrieked and flew forward as Koa stepped back, making room for the pokemon to battle. As the two pokemon faced off, Koa took the opportunity to scan his opponent with his pokedex.
"Hattrem. The Serene Pokemon." He skimmed the information about it. Hattrem were native to Galar, which explained why he'd never heard of it. Galarian pokemon were nearly impossible to see in the wild outside of their home region. Psychic-type, apparently. A bit tricky, but not a huge issue. Echo had fought at a type-disadvantage before.
Kitto moved away to give him space, and Koa stepped towards Echo. "Ready buddy?" he asked in a low voice. Echo nodded, and Koa withdrew a soft, durable band from his backpack and wrapped it around Echo's rear wings. When he was done, his wings had been secured in such a way that they were rendered safely immobile.
Echo shrieked determinedly and rose into the air once more, this time with only the power of his two forewings.
"Ready?" Joan called out. Her Hattrem let out a low trill and tensed.
"First move's all yours!" Koa called back. He let his senses fall away, fixing his gaze only on the opponent.
Joan's voice carried across the battlefield, her tone even. "Calm Mind."
Hattrem raised its hands and shut its eyes as a pink glow began to envelope her body.
"Confuse Ray!" Koa snapped out the command. Echo flew forwards, his movements still a bit awkward, and fired a series of golden orbs at Hattrem.
To Koa's surprise, Hattrem didn't move or make any attempt to dodge. The orbs struck her body, then bounced back, straight at Echo.
"Dodge!" Koa yelled. Echo started to move, but was moments too slow. The orbs struck him in the face. His eyes glazed over and he fluttered slowly to the ground, looking dazed and, well, confused.
Koa muttered angrily under his breath. Hattrem must have had some kind of ability that could bounce attacks back.
"Now, Brutal Swing!" A Dark aura formed around Hattrem's head. It lunged forward, and before Echo could gather himself, spun and smashed her head into Echo, sending him tumbling across the ground.
"Echo! Come on, you can do this! Snap out of it!"
"Psychic, Hattrem."
A blue glow flashed around Hattrem's eyes and Echo's body. Slowly, Echo rose into the air. With a loud cry, Hattrem raised her hands and brought Echo crashing back down again, belly first. At the same moment, Koa felt a strange sensation in his mind, almost like shivers down his spine.
An idea flashed through his mind. If Echo moved just right, he could-
"Echo, Poison Fang!"
Fangs bared, Echo drove his forewings into the ground, launched himself forward and crashed into Hattrem. The impact bowled the both of them over, and he heard Hattrem yelp. Echo had gotten a good hit. With a triumphant cry, Echo rose into the air again, his movements much more confident. Hattrem lay on the ground, still stunned.
Koa could feel his own confidence rising. Echo had understood his precise intentions. "Now Echo, Air Slash!"
Echo whipped his wings forward and hurled blades of wind at Hattrem, pummeling her. Hattrem recovered and shook herself, then charged forward again, head glowing with dark energy.
"Dodge, use Steel Wing!" Just as Hattrem swung at Echo, he twisted his body to the side, letting her sweep past him, then spun and drove his wing into her back.
She crashed to the ground and fired a ball of pink energy in retaliation, hitting Echo and knocking him through the air. He flared his wings and managed to catch himself, just as Hattrem fired another blast.
"Steel Wing." Echo's sliced through the orb with his glowing wings. "Now, Poison Fang!"
Echo continued his dive and bit Hattrem's head. She yelped and staggered, her skin taking on a purple sheen.
"Psychic!" Joan called.
Flinching and mustering up her remaining strength, Hattrem's eyes glowed and she shoved Echo back, although with much less force than before. She was growing weaker. He glanced up at Echo for a moment. Despite his determination, he could see by the beat of Echo's wings he was weakening as well.
Joan frowned. "Hattrem, let's end this. Give it your all! One last Brutal Swing!" Hattrem gave a loud cry, the familiar dark aura flaring around its head, this time even larger than before.
Koa shared a quick glance with Echo, then nodded. "Echo, you too! Steel Wing!"
The two pokemon surged towards each other with loud cries, colliding in the middle of the battlefield. A wave of energy exploded outwards and the two pokemon skidded back.
Hattrem growled, panting, and Echo let out a low cry. He hovered a few feet off the ground, eyes narrowed.
Before either of them could give another command, both pokemon collapsed. The tension left Koa's body and he let out a long sigh. A tie. Not exactly the outcome he'd hoped for, but that didn't matter.
Striding across the ground, Koa knelt next to Echo. The Crobat's eyes fluttered open and he squeaked sadly. "You did great," Koa said, smiling. "And you're really getting the hang of flying like that now!"
Echo perked up and squeaked happily. Koa gently scooped him up and then took out his pokeball. "Take a rest, ok?" Echo nodded, and a moment later was withdrawn into his ball. Koa stood, eyeing Joan. "So..."
Joan eyed him back. "A tie." The silence lingered. "Not bad," she said finally. Her serious expression shifted into a grin. "Anyways, good luck with that trick you're trying to teach your Crobat, yeah?"
Koa stared a moment longer before slipping into a smile. "Good luck to you too."
xxx
They encountered a few more trainers throughout their hike. He saw Kitto's Pidgey defeat a wily Prinplup, and Flurry managed to take down a tough young Onix. Their walk had seemingly taken them through a tunnel and to a somewhat more deserted section of the island, closer to the north side. Koa squeezed between a narrow gap and down a short slope.
He'd only taken a step before an unearthly yowl broke the peace and quiet. Almost immediately it was followed by a second enraged cry. The sounds sent shivers down Koa's spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He recognized it almost instantly. Zeraora. Except unlike its fury filled yowl the night before, this one carried something else - pain.
Koa charged ahead, easily scaling the rocky terrain and zigzagging up the slope towards the noise. From behind, he thought he heard Kitto calling to him, but he pressed on, skidding and scrambling on the terrain. The sounds grew louder as he drew closer, and he could feel faint rumbles in the earth and the sounds of pokemon fighting. He crested a rise and spotted a box valley some distance below, a natural dead end formed by three hills. And there, backed into a corner, stood Zeraora.
An Aerodactyl hovered above it, pestering it with rocks while staying well out of reach of its claws, while an all too familiar Kabutops, Tyrantrum, and Arctozolt hemmed it in on all sides. Anger surged through Koa. Fossie.
As he watched, a spire of stone shot from the earth. Zeraora tried to dodge, only to get berated by a flurry of strikes from Aerodactyl just as more rocks surrounded Zeraora. A second later, Koa spotted the trainer standing several yards behind his team, commanding them.
Even from a distance, Koa could see Zeraora looked worn, even as it did its best to counter attacks. It seemed as if it had been fighting for some time, and sported a nasty looking graze on its forearm where the fur around it had turned purple. Poison. Toxic poison too, no doubt.
Zeraora slammed its paws into the earth, sending a surge of electricity towards Kabutops, only for Dracozolt to lunge into the path of the attack and absorb it. Kabutops moved in a blur of brown, and slashed Zeraora across the chest. It staggered and before it could recover, Tyrantrum roared and summoned a hail of stone down upon it once more. In a blur of yellow, Zeraora weaved through the attack, though several shards of rock still hit home.
Koa winced as he watched the pokemon trade blows. Zeraora was still going strong but how long could it face a team of six before succumbing to that poison? He had to do something. He felt himself take a step, then for a split second, hesitated. The image of Zeraora on top of him flashed through his mind, the air being crushed out of him, the rage in its eyes...
One mercy. Stay away.
What if he shouldn't help? Surely a pokemon like Zeraora could hold its own. And Zeraora's warning had been clear. Stay away from it. Or maybe Fossie is right, they're dangerous.
As soon as the errant thought crossed Koa's mind, he banished it. Zeraora was getting ganged up on, and Koa had no idea what Fossie planned to do, but he couldn't stand by and watch. Not after what Fossie said. Maybe Zeraora would hate him forever for interfering, but he had to help.
With a wild yell, Koa charged down the hill. The skirmish paused for a brief second as Zeraora and Fossie's team both turned towards him, as did Fossie. Koa skidded into the valley just yards away from Fossie, one hand at his belt.
"Back off!" His shout echoed across the walls.
Fossie clenched his fist. "Stay out of this," he growled in a low voice.
"No I don't think I will," Koa snapped. His gaze shifted briefly to Zeraora, who was regarding him with an unreadable look, still in its battle stance. "Whatever you're planning, I'm not letting you get away with it. Let Zeraora go."
Fossie whipped back around to face his team. "Don't stop, keep attacking!" he shouted.
As Fossie's pokemon started to attack again, Koa released his team. They emerged with a cacophony of cries. "Help Zeraora!" he called.
His team leapt into action. Echo picked up Hazard and shot through the air towards Aerdoactyl, while Scrapper fired off several seed bombs to distract Kabutops and Dracozolt. With a roar, Rascal and Anubis jumped Tyrantrum, dodging in and out to pepper it with attacks.
"You stupid—" Fossie began to snarl. "Cobalt, dodge!"
The blue-scaled Tyrantrum jerked back, narrowly missing a blast of water from Flurry, who was launching attacks from the edges of the skirmish.
For seconds that felt like an eternity, Koa watched his team scuffle with Fossie's stronger one. Would it even make a difference? His pokemon were tough but Fossie was a league fighter. A few seconds later relief flooded Koa as the brief distraction turned out to be all Zeraora needed. It zigzagged forward like a bolt of living lightning, slashing and striking as it moved forwards, no longer blocked by Aerodactly from above, who found himself too distracted by Echo's harassment and Hazard clinging to his back to stop the legendary.
With Fossie's team's attention drawn by Koa's pokemon, Zeraora struck back with devastating force against them. A pummeling blow to Dracozolts skull, a bolt of thunderous lightning knocking Kabutops off its feet, and a slash to Tyrantrum's vulnerable belly followed by a bolt that knocked Aerodactyl from the sky. Moments later, a silence had fallen as Fossie's team lay fainted, leaving only a battered but very angry looking Zeraora standing silently amongst them.
Koa's breath caught and he saw Fossie tense. Zeraora looked between Fossie and Koa, narrowing its eyes before glancing at Koa's team. Its gaze seemed to linger on Hazard for a brief second. And then a moment later, with a furious yowl, Zeraora exploded forward in a burst of light and heat, shooting past them and out of the canyon, then vanished.
Fossie whirled upon Koa, storming up to him with clenched fists and fury in his gaze. "You stupid child," he snarled, getting right into Koa's face.
Koa glared back with equal ferocity, separated by just inches. A low, building growl from behind Fossie shattered the stillness. Anubis and Rascal and come up behind him, along with Flurry and Scrapper. Fossie's own team was only just beginning to rise, and looked much worse for wear.
With a final glare, Fossie grabbed the pokeballs off his belt and returned his team one by one. "You got lucky this time, Koa. But one day you're gonna learn. Humans and legends don't mix." And with that he turned and stormed off.
"You did good."
The sound of Kitto's voice from behind him made him jump, and he whipped around. He'd been so focused he'd completely forgotten about him. "Kitto! When'd you get here?"
Kitto surveyed the area for a moment, taking in the setting. "Not long after you actually, but by then it looked like you managed to settle things. That yellow pokemon was a Zeraora, right?"
Koa nodded. "Yeah I... I had to do something. I don't know what Fossie was planning but he was trapping Zeraora and..." he shrugged. "I don't care if Zeraora hates me forever for stepping in. I couldn't abandon him."
"You made the right call," Kitto said, nodding slowly. "Although perhaps Zeraora doesn't hate you for it as much as you think."
A lump formed in Koa's throat again. "I wish I'd had the chance to apologize for last night. I didn't mean... well I did I guess, but I made a mistake." He shook his head, then shrugged.
"You did your best to help it here. That counts for something. And maybe we'll see it again."
Koa nodded absentmindedly. "I hope so..."
xxx
That evening, Koa found himself still stuck running through the events of the past days. No matter how much he thought about it, he still couldn't manage to make headway. Finally, on a whim, Koa pulled out his phone and dialed the number Avis had given him. He hadn't checked in with her in awhile, and maybe talking to someone new could give him perspective.
It rang several times, and Koa was beginning to worry she wouldn't answer at all when the line picked up.
Her cheerful voice crackled from the speaker. "Well well well, I thought you'd never call, Koa! What's up?"
"I'm training at Iron Island for my gym battle against Byron. How's your training going?"
"Great! It's been crazy though. Lots of battling and even more studying. But I'm just happy I'm actually getting to do something more, you know?"
Koa smiled. "Yeah, I get that." A momentary silence fell. No sense beating around the bush with Avis, he decided. "I actually need your help. Something's been bugging me, and I thought maybe you could help."
"Sure, shoot. What's got you so bothered?"
"Everything," he blurted. His frustration surged, but he let it pass. "Team Blackout. And these legendary attacks. You ever feel like you're missing something obvious but you just can't really get it?"
Avis snorted. "All the time, Koa."
Maybe he could glean some useful information... "What do you know about them? Team Blackout I mean?"
There was a pause on the other end for a moment. He almost thought she'd refuse to answer, which he couldn't have blamed her for.
"I can't tell you anything we're working on now. But I'll save you the hassle of combing through news reports and police records. As long as you're not going to run after them alone, are you?"
"No," Koa replied quickly.
"Hmm... Promise me you won't do anything reckless?"
"I promise," Koa said solemnly.
"Good," Avis replied cheerfully. "A lot of it I already told you about. Grunts that escaped from the initial arrests of Team Galactic got together and formed their own group."
Koa gritted his teeth at the mention of the name, grunting in acknowledgement.
"Most likely, without the funding and stability of Galactic they needed something else to fill that void. At first, it looks like it was all about money. If you check the reports that match their MO, its basic things. Jewelry, TM's, money and the occasional mugging or theft, you know. They were a nuisance, but not as dangerous, and the International Police weren't even looking into them, just local Sinnoh authorities."
"But then something changed, right?" Koa asked. "They went after pokemon?"
"Precisely. Just over a year ago, it shifted. Rather abruptly, a string of pokemon abductions and poaching happened. At first, Sinnoh PD didn't even think it was the work of Team Blackout because that wasn't their usual target. But the MO matched and witness reports lined up. Thieves in all black, and using electric type pokemon." Avis paused for a moment. "Here's what's really weird. Almost all the pokemon taken in their initial strikes were fire-types."
Koa's eyes widened. "Like what happened at Professor Rowan's lab?"
"Exactly. Some of the last fire-types taken were from the lab, your pokemon and a Chimchar and a few others. Sure, they nabbed a few other ones, but that seemed to be opportunistic."
Old anger surfaced in Koa at the mention of the robbery. Unconsciously, he began pacing back and forth across camp. Robberies, then poaching, then stealing fire-types. Like Anubis. "But why only one type? Poachers usually target rare pokemon, don't they?"
"Usually, but sometimes certain types get 'hot' on the market... Except as far as we can tell there was nothing to indicate an influx of buyers seeking fire-types."
"And now they've moved on from fire to electric?" A thought began to form in his mind, one he couldn't shake. It was a weak connection, but certainly something.
"Seems that way..." Avis' voice trailed off. "There's another possibility for the strange shift in their MO."
Koa stopped pacing and listened.
"Someone could be paying them. There's no concrete evidence yet, but it would certainly explain why a group of petty thieves would graduate to pokemon poaching. And it could explain the weird type obsession."
Koa's heart twisted and he gripped the phone. "So some sicko is trying to collect a bunch of pokemon of certain types?" he growled under his breath. And what did this have to do with Zeraora? "I don't get it..."
Silence fell for a few moments.
"What are you thinking? She asked finally. "I can practically hear the gears turning."
"You know about Amity Square burning, right? And the attack at Celestic Ruins?"
"...You think this is all connected?"
Now that Avis had said it out loud, it seemed to click. "Yeah, maybe. Think about it, not long after taking a bunch of fire-types, something resembling Entei appears and sets fire to one of Sinnoh's biggest destinations. Then electric-types, and Celestic Ruins are supposedly destroyed by Raikou?" Koa's heart beat a little faster. "I thought this was about luring the beasts here but... What if Team Blackout is trying to take attention away from themselves? I mean, setting up a bunch of fake legendary attacks would be a good distraction, wouldn't it?"
"Fake attacks?"
"It's not Entei," Koa snapped. Almost immediately he regretted his harsh tone. "Sorry. It's just... I was there. I know everyone thinks it was the legendaries but it wasn't."
"Relax, I know. I believe you, remember? But clearly something weird is going on. If it really is all a distraction, that's a lot of effort and damage to do though... but you might be right. If everyone is talking about that they won't be as focused on catching a group of criminals."
Koa found himself rubbing at his neck as he chewed on her words. "There's something else..." he said finally.
Avis said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"I saw a pokemon called Zeraora here, on Iron Island." He grimaced inwardly, wondering how much to share. A prickle of shame still ate at him whenever he thought about what he'd done. "Zeraora is... a mythical pokemon. An electric-type, and supposedly it's a protector, especially of wild pokemon. But the weird part is it's never been known to come to Iron Island."
Avis hummed in thought. "So you're thinking that if it's there that means something is up." The words sounded more like a statement than a question. As if she herself had guessed what he was thinking already.
"I think it's here because of Team Blackout." It was a thought that'd crossed his mind briefly, but he hadn't fully considered until now, talking to Avis. It tracked, though. If Zeraora truly had come to help wild pokemon, perhaps it was enraged because of Team Blackout, not just him.
And you got in its way.
And why it had been determined to flee from Fossie instead of continuing the fight.
"I see..." Avis said slowly. "I'll have to let my superiors know... We've been so busy with what happened in Alola but it might be worth checking out."
Koa blinked and frowned, the memory of the news report from some days ago resurfacing. "Wait, Alola was Team Blackout too?" Just how far was their reach? And what did they want with their research?
A bitter laugh came from Avis. "The Aether Foundation is refusing to cooperate much so technically we don't know anything yet. It's been a hassle and a half... " she gave an exasperated sigh. "Anyways, good luck with your training. I'd better go, I have a class I'm about to be late for and I'll get an earful if I am. I'll pass on what you told me to Looker."
"Alright. Thanks for the help, and good luck to you too."
After he'd hung up with Avis, he turned to Kitto. His mind was still ruminating on their conversation and everything else going on. Fire-types... then electric-types... Now Zeraora.
"So what did you find out?" Kitto asked.
Koa relayed the jist of his conversation with Avis to Kitto. "There's two theories I guess. First, maybe it is about somehow luring the legendary pokemon. Maybe whoever is doing this is trying to catch them. Or this is about something else."
Kitto quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Maybe this isn't about the beasts themselves. It could be that Team Blackout is trying to distract everyone from their actions by stirring up the legendary pokemon. That and Zeraora might be here because Team Blackout is."
"Divert the focus..." Kitto mused out loud. "Could be. If everyone is fixated on when the next attack will happen they won't be watching out for a gang of thieves... but you also said Avis mentioned that they could have someone funding them. If that's true, whoever is paying them might be up to something even worse."
"What do we do then?" Koa asked.
"For now, we stay aware. And keep an eye out. That's all we can do."
Koa managed a nod, but he couldn't help but feel increasingly uneasy.
Would it be enough?
Koa has encountered Zeraora, but in an impulsive act, almost jeopardized himself. Only thanks to Hazard was he seemingly spared. But what made Zeraora so angry in the first place? And what is the truth behind the legendary attacks? Unfortunately there seem to be more questions than answers...
I was really excited to write this, especially the initial scene! The mental image has been in my head for some time. I love the idea that an angered legendary can be a force to be reckoned with, and some legendaries are likely to be less gentle than others.
Also had some fun poking at the pronunciations of Galar. Before the trailers mentioned the name I definitely recall there being some talks about, and even after there were different perspectives. Just thought it would be fun having characters take different sides.
The final chapter of this arc is set to be posted next week... Quite excited to have finished this arc finally! Hope everyone enjoyed! As always, your comments are read, loved and appreciated.