Chapter 50: Delta Stream
Summary:
First, a bit of morning fun with Lexie. Then, later on, the team makes the trip to the Sky Pillar, and their first meeting with Rayquaza.
Notes:
And so, we finally reach something I've been waiting for- meeting Rayquaza. Though, this is only the first of many, it was one of the big events on my list. It's certainly not the biggest of the events tied to Rayquaza though, but we won't truly see how those play out until Hoenn.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
As I blinked my eyes open on yet another morning, a low mix of a growl and a purr, left my throat. It wasn't intentional, and I know what to blame it on. The scent in the air that I picked up on. I believe my prediction from the night before was correct. Lexie was already up, shifting uncomfortably with her legs pressed together.
"Morning, Z-zer. I, ah…really could use some help." She said softly. I cast the anthrofy spell, and watchced her form as it shifted. She moved, settling herself on top of me, grabbing my hands with hers. "That medicine worked yesterday, but…it must've worn off last night. 'Cause when I woke up, it hit me way harder. I don't think it'll work again, not safely anyway."
"I understand. It's likely best if we don't do penetration, to be safe." I felt Lexie begin to move her hips, purring softly as, even with her anthro form's shorts in the way, I could feel her grinding against myself.
"Heat's not…that easy to…relieve, sorry." Lexie said, between low moans of her own. Her hands already moving as to strip herself down. I didn't need to cast the privacy spell, at least, since my room, if you could call it that, was already set up so nobody would hear us, anyway. "Well…not when it gets so strong. Yesterday, it would've…worked fine."
She lifted herself up as my cock revealed itself, settling back down and continuing her movements. A low moan escaping as she rubbed herself against me. I began to match her moans with soft purring. She felt warmer than usual, but that was a side-effect of being in heat.
"I need you, big boy. Really, really need you." Lexie lifted herself up again, grabbing my cock with one hand in order to line it up before guiding it in, moaning loudly as she felt it. I let out a low moan of my own, to match with hers.
"You sure that riding is going to be enough? Wouldn't you rather let me do the work?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"We'll…just have to…see, won't we?" Lexie's' colors shifted as she changed types. She started slow, before quickly picking up the pace. Her movements accented by short moans as she began to use Bounce in order to add to what she was doing. And because of heat, the pheromones she was putting off were starting to get to me. A low growl rumbled from my throat as I grabbed her by the hips, taking control with thrusts of my own.
Because the position didn't work, I stopped for a moment, causing her to let out a whimper. It wouldn't be long, before Lexie found herself on all fours, held down while I took charge.
"Oooh fuck!" She moaned, loudly, when I had started to thrust. An audible smacking sound meeting our ears as I put everything into it, spurred on by the scent in the air. Of a female in heat. Though I wasn't in season, myself, this is a pretty good indication of what that might be like. Lexie certainly wasn't complaining, either, just from how loud she's being.
"Harder!" Her voice cracked slightly when she called out. I gave her what she wanted, feeling her position shift in order to take it better. "Yesss~" she moaned,"it…it feels…feels so good. Don't…don't stop! Put…some Aura…into it!"
I grinned, and, just like she commanded, began to channel some into the muscles in my lower body. My thrusts increased in strength, and speed. Lexie let out a squeal, not expecting me to actually do it. That sound turned into a loud, lewd moan. I started to feel the throbbing warning that I was drawing close.
"Fuuuck…" I growled. "Gonna…cum." My pace increased even more, much to Lexie's delight. I didn't think I'd draw close this fast, but between Lexie's pheromones from her being in heat, and everything I'm putting into my movements. Well, I can't really say I'm surprised. Not like one round is going to be enough, either.
"Yes! Cum…inside me!" She squeaked. "Breed me…like a…needy little…bitch!" Her moans grew even louder, turning into a scream as she reached her climax first. Her muscles clamped down on my cock, and I matched her cry with a rumbling growl as I came. Each squeeze of her muscles demanding more seed. More, which she certainly got. I didn't go for the knot, not wanting to get stuck and mess up the second round I knew she was going to want.
Slowly, I pulled out, some of my seed leaking back out as I went. Lexie collapsed onto her side, panting loudly, with a blush on her face. She shot me a grin, even making the motion of blowing me a kiss, which I returned.
"Heh…boy, Aura makes the pounding so much better. You've gotta try that with the other girls." Lexie said, once she caught her breath. She used one of my hands to pull herself up. Reaching for her shorts, which she folded under her left arm.
"Feel better?" I asked her.
"Mm-hmm. Much better, but you know that one round's not enough. Shower?" She asked. When I nodded, she let out a giggle before quickly hopping up and pulling me along. Down the stairs to the living room first. Where Suicune was lying on the couch. As she started to look to see who it was, a blush formed on her cheeks as she quickly turned to look away.
I was going to say something, but Lexie pulled me into the bathroom before I could. As soon as the door was shut and locked, with my privacy spell up, she stripped off the rest of her current form's outfit. Then, after setting the water up, we climbed in together. Where Lexie immediately spread her legs into a wider stance, before bending forward against one of the shower walls.
"I didn't think anyone else was up." Lexie said with a giggle. "Don't need to worry, even if things are a little awkward later. Funny, isn't it? The last time you had a morning round with someone, I walked in on it. And now, someone's gotten an unexpected free glimpse, while I'm the one involved."
"Heh…yeah, odd how that works, huh?" I said, as I turned her around to face me, before placing my hands on her ass in order to lift her up. I felt her legs wrap around my waist as she pressed herself closer, minding the spike that was on my chest. It was the same position as the last time we had sex in the shower, in fact. "Hope you didn't leave a trail behind."
"Oh, no, I'm sure I didn't. Whatever was gonna leak, we already left in the bed." Lexie kissed the right side of my neck, and I began to move slowly, earning a soft moan as we started to rub together once again. "If you'd gone for the other hole, though, then it's likely that I would've left a trail, for sure. Speaking of which, I wanna try that, one night."
"Gotcha, I'll keep it in mind. For now though," I lined myself up, sliding back in with ease. I felt Lexie tighten the embrace as I began to thrust, a low moan escaping from her as I did. "Let's just enjoy this, the way we have before." I moved forward, pinning her against the shower wall, shifting my hands to hold her thighs up so they wouldn't get tired.
Green light flickered across my legs as I began to use my Aura, once again. Lexie let out a happy squeal in response, before capturing my lips with hers in a very passionate kiss. One which I returned, and our tongues quickly got involved. Lexie pulled away when she needed air, panting softly as she did.
As soon as she'd caught her breath, she leaned back in for another. At the same time, I had started to steadily increase my pace, once again. I felt her legs beginning to squeeze tighter the longer I continued. I didn't have to speed up as much, or go as hard for that matter. Her heat seemed to have settled surprisingly fast. I wasn't being spurred on like when we were upstairs.
"Faster, big boy." Lexie spoke up. "Wanna…wrap this…up. So we can…clean ourselves…off, and go…make some…breakfast. We can skip…the run…today."
"Heh, yeah…I believe so." I began to put more Aura into my muscles, making my thrusts harder. Lexie squeezed tighter in return, her moans nearing the same volume as earlier. We continued for another couple minutes, focused only on what we were feeling. Our moans and growls growing in frequency until we reached our limit, sharing a second morning climax. Before nearly collapsing onto the shower floor, stopped only by leaning against the wall.
I slowly allowed Lexie's legs down, but continued to support her while she panted, loudly. She soon managed to catch her breath, before sharing another kiss with me. Then she went for the soap bottle and started to help me with scrubbing down.
"My heat seems to have settled now." Lexie said softly. "I'll let you know if it flares up again, though. It most likely will, but I guess we'll see. I just hope that…uh…" A blush began to form on her face.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The…the spell. You forgot to cast it." She mimicked the motion of casting the contraceptive spell. Ah, shit…well, I…guess we'll see if anything comes of that. "Hopefully, you not being in rut was enough to keep anything from happening. But…I dunno if it will."
"We'll have to wait and see, that's the best we can do, really. Melanie should be able to check for sure." I just have to hope that our luck actually stops it, for once. Like I said before, we weren't ready for this, but…if it ends up happening well…I guess…I'll just have to learn how to handle it.
"Let's not worry for right now. I don't blame you, either. I was in heat, and you were subjected to the full effect of it. We likely weren't thinking clearly." Lexie continued what she was doing, washing my back.
[Break]
Following our morning shower, and once Lexie was back to normal, we started on breakfast for the day. Suicune got flustered again when she saw us, which lead to having to explain what happened, to Melanie, who thought it was pretty funny. Lexie also chose to reveal what might've happened earlier. Melanie told both of us that it'd be OK, and we'd have to wait at least a day to know for sure. Since, if anything did happen, then…we'd know based on changes in Lexie's appetite.
From what Melanie said, eggs can develop within about a week, if they're naturally spawned and not one of the "magic" ones. And she said that if we did spawn one, Lexie's diet will get more demanding as her body needs the nutrients for one. However, she'd also mentioned that if Lexie's heat settled down early, then that's a good indication on its own. I'm not scared of the possibility, not at all. Worried, sure, but I know we'll figure things out.
Having overheard our talk, I caught a look from Kaorah. Not jealous, surprisingly, but hopeful. I guess because, if it works with Lexie, then Kaorah will want to be the next one, for sure. We'd decided for now, to not reveal it to the others. Following breakfast, Camilla and her siblings departed, after making sure that we wouldn't remember them when we got back to our time.
Since Camilla didn't want to say anything, there was no way of knowing what would be the result of this morning. And…none of us have even the first idea about being parents, either. When we know for sure what'll happen, I'll ask my parents. 'Cause I know they'll be able to explain it, better than anyone else I could ask. Speaking of which, I decided to break off from the group, seeking out my mother.
"Hey ma, uh…could we…talk for a bit?" I managed to ask.
"Go on ahead, hon. We'll catch up when we can." Ma sent dad on ahead, then started to walk away with me. "Zeryph, what is it?"
"So…Lexie went into heat yesterday morning. Just a few hours ago, I ended up having to help her with it. And, uh…in the moment, I might've forgotten a contraceptive spell I learned." Admitting that was something I felt like I should get out of the way, early. "The reason why I say that is, 'cause if something comes from it then, well…I don't have the first clue about…anything related to being a parent."
"Thought you would've waited a couple more years at least." Ma smiled softly. "It's OK. You were likely under the effects of a pheromone haze, so you wouldn't have been thinking clearly at the time." She said, and she's right, I definitely was not. "Now, whether or not anything comes out of it, you should still be as ready as you possibly can. Even if raising Pokemon is quite different to raising a human child. I'll teach you what I can, either way. And I'll make sure to teach your lovers, too." She smiled. "Especially Melanie, since she's team healer."
"Thanks, Ma. Although, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask Liz, as well." I can only begin to guess at how Liz is gonna react when we get home, and she finds out we've gone and spawned an egg. I'm pretty sure she'd be happy, that's for sure.
"She's a Pokemon nurse, not…" Ma stopped, thinking for a moment, before she spoke up again. "Actually, you're right, that wouldn't be a bad idea. Like I said, humans raise young very differently to how different species of Pokemon do. Still, I'll teach you what I can. Then, you can learn the rest from Liz. And…if you ever need some help, don't be afraid to ask. In fact, since Dialga has outright said we can go back with you, I think we definitely will, now."
"I'm glad to hear it, Ma." I said, smiling. "I know for a fact that Delia and Ash are gonna be very surprised to see you two. Same for your old team, for that matter. Gonna be real interesting explaining how my parents were turned into Pokemon." We both shared a quick laugh. "Still, thanks, for being willing to help me with…ya know."
"You couldn't have asked a better person." She smiled. "Just be glad it wasn't Kaorah first. A Gible would've been way harder to handle than a Scorbunny will be, I'm sure." Ma's right. Kaorah wasn't newly hatched when my parents found her. Still, as a kid, even while she was a Gible, she was a real menace. Especially when we both got up to whatever antics we could. Speaking of the younger Kaorah, if I remember right, her parents were aware of where she was. And were fine with my parents having caught her for me.
I still want to meet them, even now. We just haven't really had the time to go and visit. They're gonna love to hear that their girl has grown up into a champion-level Garchomp, I'm sure. Mom and I continued to talk for a while, with her starting me on the first lessons right away. Firstly, preparation, just in case Lexie does happen to spawn. It meant going back to the base to set up a new room, but I didn't mind the detour. Once that was out of the way, we started to head for the village. Well, I did, while Ma went off to find wherever Dad went to.
[Break]
As we got to the village, we started to go to work, the same as always. Lexie's squad decided to stay in the village for now, just to be safe. I decided I'd just help out with the restaurant for today. She didn't mind, since having someone help her focus was what she needed for now. Even if it was me that was doing it. I could sense how worried she was, as well, but deep down, I could feel a shining spark of joy, just waiting to find its way out.
The locals caught a hint that something was up, but none so much as Aunt Kangaskhan, as everyone calls her. She picked up on it right away when she visited during break, even asking Lexie to step outside to talk for a bit. The warm smile she gave me as well, was reassuring. It told me that she didn't have any ill intent, she just wanted to talk for a bit.
I felt Kaorah's arms wrap around my waist from behind. I leaned back against her, and felt when she nuzzled the side of my neck.
"Hey Z. Feeling OK?" She asked quietly.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't get mad over this whole thing." I said.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. I wanted to be the first, after all. But, I totally understand, don't worry. Believe me, I know how hard it is to think clearly when I'm in season. And the same can be said for anyone under that effect. Or the effect it has on our mate. Like in your case, this morning." Kaorah nuzzled me again. "Just make sure that I'm the next one, no matter what."
"I will, don't worry." I scrached the right side of her neck, softly. "Well, still, ma and I talked for a little bit. She's already decided that she would start us on preparing for what could happen in the near future." I heard the sounds of frantic footsteps approaching. My parents, and it sounded like they were suddenly in a rush.
"Zeryph!" My mother called out. Her and dad both slid to a stop just past the door. "Xatu! It's urgent! Get your team together, we need to go! Right now!"
"Go time. Go get Mewtwo, meet us by the office." I sent Kaorah on her way, then moved to follow my parents. "Ma, what's going on?" I asked.
"Xatu has called us to the Hill of Ancients, it's an emergency. That's why we're suddenly in a rush." My parents ran ahead, while I hurried to follow them. Mewtwo and Kaorah met us by the office building. I saw Solais, looking up towards the sky. Her body language, and emotions told me that she was terrified. Worse than the tornado from a while back. I wrapped her up in a hug, which she returned. She was trembling, and I felt her heart pounding in her chest.
As soon as we were all grouped together, Mewtwo grabbed us with his powers, then the world blurred as we teleported. Because I was holding onto Solais, she was pulled along with us.
"My friends, sorry to disturb you." I could sense the fear in Xatu's voice. "However, I had little choice. Look to the skies." As we looked up, I felt as my heart sank. It was distant for now, but I could still make out the shape of the meteorite.
"That's…not good." I was the first to speak up. "Rayquaza! We need to find him, now!"
"Yes, I am aware. I wish you had your full team for this, but I suppose your three strongest will do." Xatu held out a teleport gem for us. "This will take you to the Sky Tower. But you'll all be on your own. Please, hurry. Time is short."
"Solais, do you want to go with us?" I asked her.
"No…with that meteor in the air, I won't be able to focus." She pulled away after nuzzling my cheek. "Go, save the world. I'll see you back at the village."
[BGM Suggestion]
[Zame- Sky Tower (Remastered)]
Kaorah, Mewtwo, and I, all reached for the gem at once. It flashed, and next we knew, we were standing on clouds. If not for our suddenly urgent situation, I'd take time to talk about how amazing these clouds feel. The three of us shifted into full power right away, and began our run through the Sky Tower. I was hoping for a few more days, maybe even a week. And on a day with such a wonderful morning too, 'cause why wouldn't it be?
"Why do I get the sense that every time something big happens, it's the same day as a morning where you have-"
"Not now, please. We need to focus." Mewtwo interrupted what Kaorah was going to say, earning a snort.
"What? It's true. The morning Zeryph got a blow from Melanie, it was something big. Although that was a gym battle. Plus, meeting the Creation Trio. Or at least, Giratina. And now, he and Lexie go a round…and suddenly, we're up here in the sky on our way to save the world." Kaorah's words caused me to blush, and threw off my focus enough that I almost got hit by one of our random opponents. We had found ourself in combat the moment we arrived.
"Kaorah!" Mewtwo barked, only getting another snort in response. "Get your mind out of the damn gutter. We're in combat right now, not at home. You can talk about that, later!"
"Fine, spoilsport." Kaorah huffed. "Try to lighten the mood, and I nearly get my head bit off. I see how it is."
"Now really isn't the time, dear." I said, agreeing with Mewtwo. "Focus on battle, not on our bedroom habits, please." I heard Mewtwo sigh, audibly.
"FOCUS!" He pushed power into his voice when he shouted at both of us. "Ahem…that…was out of line, sorry." Mewtwo shook his head. "Come on. We've got a world to save." With our minds back on the battle, we continued our steady fight up the Sky Tower. The enemies here were much tougher than the Magma Cave, by a longshot. It felt like we were really going into the gauntlet on this one.
As we went however, more of the team began to arrive through rifts until we were almost at full strength. Lexie and Solais were the only ones to not come along, as Lexie wanted to be safe. And, Solais, because her senses wouldn't allow her to focus on battle.
My senses had already begun to spike, as we drew closer to Rayquaza with each passing minute. Our battles were near constant, with Pokemon tougher than any we'd faced before, not counting bosses or those on Ash's team. Or…Libra, for that matter. And I thought Groudon was tough. I guess living in the same home as one of the strongest to ever live, tends to make you strong, yourself.
Even at nearly full strength, our team was having trouble. But it was nice, I'll admit, to have a proper challenge. What surprised me most was a Scizor wanting to join up with us. At least to help us out, once he figured out why we were here. He didn't want to outright join the team, unfortunately, but he was still going to help us as best he could.
And as we fought our way to the top, he was right there with us. He'd met us on the nineteenth floor, and went with us up to the rest point where it rolled over into Sky Tower Summit. We stopped for what time we could in order to rest. The meteor having grown closer in that time. It appeared larger now, but was still far enough that we still had time. My sensory range isn't high enough, or strong enough, to tell me if there's a Deoxys on board or not.
"You guys and gals are incredible." Scizor's metallic voice drew my attention. "Where did you all come from, anyway?"
"That's a long story, bud." I said. "A really long story. I wish we had the time to tell you, but truthfully, we don't. Maybe after the meteor is dealt with, we might be able to sit down for a while."
"I hope so. I'd love to learn about that power of yours. I've never seen anything like it." Scizor was one of the few to sit down. He happily accepted the snack I'd offered him. Even if it was just a simple ham and cheese. I made some for everybody, of course. Especially since it's quick and easy to do.
We had all worked up a sweat, even having to drop our weights and fight harder. Scizor warned us that the summit was going to be even harder. I suppose, it is the final story-related dungeon, so it's supposed to be difficult.
[Break]
After our break was over, we continued on our climb to the top of the tower. Scizor was right, the difficulty spiked as we entered the final set of floors. Alex had to bow out, becoming too exhausted to continue. He just didn't have the same endurance as the rest of us. Even though we'd started him on training.
He still stuck with us, though, but made it clear he wasn't going to try to fight anymore. It wasn't long until the Eon twins joined him in that. Much like Alex, they couldn't keep up with the rest of us, after a point. And before long, Scizor was too tired, himself. Yet the rest of us kept going. He was awed by our display of endurance.
And after many long minutes of near constant battle, it all suddenly…stopped. We stepped onto a cloudy platform, high in the sky. Higher than I'd ever flown with Latias. The air was surprisingly warm, but was thinner up here. Not enough to pose a danger to us, of course. The sunlight was much brighter, without any clouds in the way.
My senses spiked, and a massive shadow cut off the sunlight abruptly. I felt his aura, and it was incredible. A bright, emerald blaze, much brighter than my own. I sensed as he flew circles around the tower, before coiling above the clouds, just ahead. Staring down at us in silence, a huge green serpentine dragon. Yellow lines ran down the length of his body, and red tipped the fins that stuck out from his shoulder blades, and along his tail. Four large horns extended from his head, and a black "Y" shape marked his chest.
"How dare you trespass here." Rayquaza growled, flexing his power. For the first time in a long time, I felt genuine fear. Rayquaza being one of few on the list I've mentioned before, who actually scares me. And for very good reason. "I'll make this quick. Prepare yourselves." He attacked right away, using Hurricane to force us to scatter.
[BGM Suggestion]
[Zame- Defy The Legends (Remix)]
A brilliant emerald light lit up the sky as Rayquaza underwent Mega Evolution, shifting into his Mega Form as his power skyrocketed. He let out a deafening roar that seemed to shake the sky itself. The wind around us whipping up violently into a swirling storm of violent winds. So strong in fact that our fliers had to work to adjust to it. The howling of the Delta Stream would make communicating out loud, nearly impossible.
Mewtwo shifted into Phase Two, right away, and Kalina popped a seed, undergoing her own transformation. They engaged right away, with Kalina adapting to focus on targeting a Dragon Type, as Flying, currently, had no weaknesses. And as my team faced off with Rayquaza, my eyes turned skyward, towards the meteor. We didn't have much time, so I made the signal for everyone to fight at full power, no matter what.
Green light ran across Rayquaza's form, and he began to shoot upwards into the air. Mewtwo mirrored my alarmed reaction, recognizing the beginning of Dragon Ascent for what it was.
"SCATTER!" I called over the howling wind, and we all dove for cover just as Rayquaza brought the power crashing down to the arena. Scizor wasn't as fortunate as the rest of us, being blown clear by the force of the blast. Sure we'd been knocked off our feet, but he was totally gone. I shook off the worry I felt for him, there wasn't time to focus on that right now.
Alex was the next to be knocked out, with the twins following shortly after, and Cerise after them. Most of Rayquaza's focus was on Kalina and Melanie, having decided that they're the biggest threats. From the way he glanced my way, I can tell that he knows I'm the Chosen. But right now, he seems more focused on testing us.
One of his attacks landed very close by, and I was thrown off my feet once again, landing hard on the clouds with a grunt. The fluffy surface absorbed the impact, at least, so we have that. I watched Melanie just narrowly avoid an attack, and Rayquaza let out a surprised grunt as he took a hit to the chin from Kaorah, with Dragon Tail. Even in the clouds, dig still seemed to work. She just had to be a bit more careful than usual.
Mewtwo then struck from above with a fully charged Psystrike, hitting the top of Rayquaza's head as hard as he possibly could. Rayquaza responded with a grunt, pulling his head away then whipping his body around for a massive tail strike. I winced, when my ears caught the sound of something cracking. Mewtwo hit one of the arena walls, then dropped to the floor in base form. Before slowly rolling over and clutching his chest with his hands. He seemed winded, so it must've been a pretty bad hit.
I got back up, forming a new staff in my hands, just in time to catch a strike meant for me. Just barely deflecting Rayquaza's charge to the side, then narrowly ducking under his tail as he tried to follow up. It didn't stop the gust of wind though, which caused me to slide back with a grunt.
"Rayquaza, wait!" I called out, hoping that he'd hear me over the wind from this close, but it was no use. He was too focused on the fight, and we were down our strongest fighter. Things had gotten even worse as I began to catch the signs of Dragon Dance, further showing just how much trouble we were in. A warning that Rayquaza was fully intent on preparing for another Dragon Ascent.
He banked upwards just as Kaorah made to swipe at him, shooting off into the air cloaked in green light as he prepared to use his signature once again.
"Begone, intruders! Crash back to the Earth. This is the price you pay for daring to disturb me!" Rayquaza called out, before rotating and starting his dive from much higher than before. His body shifting into the same formation as in the Delta Episode, the one he wrecked the meteor with.
I dispelled my staff, then began to charge all the power I could manage into my right hand, setting it alight with a similar green flame. I readied myself, preparing for what was going to be one hell of a punch. And as Rayquaza would've struck the ground, I swung. I felt my fist hit something, Rayquaza's eyes momentarily widened in surprise, and then…a blinding flash accompanied by a deafening bang.
I was thrown off my feet, tumbling to a stop, before slowly getting up with a groan of pain. I saw Rayquaza shaking his head, now back in his base form. The Delta Stream had, thankfully, faded. A bruise was already forming where I'd made contact.
"Hmmph! Not bad for a mortal." Rayquaza commented. "That's one hell of a punch you've got, Chosen one. I'm proud to say that you've passed my test."
"That was just a test? There's no way." Kaorah spoke up. She moved over to support me, and I'm pretty sure I'm sporting some injuries after that one. Steel bones or not, that hurt like hell.
"Truthfully, it was. Had I really been intending to kill you, it would've been over in an instant." Rayquaza admitted. "Now, what brings you here? You're late."
"A wizard arrives precisely when he intends to." I said, smiling. "Nevermind. We're here because of what's up there." I pointed towards the sky.
"Huh?" Rayquaza turned his body, so that he could look up towards the sky. "I…see. Honestly, I had no idea of such a thing being on its way. Last time, it was a Deoxys."
"We're here, because you're the only one who can do anything about it." I said. Sure, the Creation Trio could, but their methods aren't quite the same.
"This is true. However, if I am to use Hyperbeam, please understand…you may not be safe…not at this close a distance." Rayquaza warned us.
"Compared to being right next to the Creation Trio as they fire off their signatures, or Dragon Ascent, this won't be as bad. We can handle it, trust me." I said.
"Very well." Rayquaza's power began to spike, as he charged energy, gathering it into his mouth as he prepared to fire. Then, with a flourish, he fired off the strongest Hyperbeam I've ever seen. Splitting the clouds around us as the attack shot into the sky. Blasting through the atmosphere and slamming full force into the meteorite. It cracked under the force, before it began to break apart, turning to dust under the strength of the blast.
We were all blown off our feet by it, and into the cloud walls around the battlefield. Much like before, the clouds handled the impact, but not the pressure wave caused by the backblast from Rayquaza's Hyperbeam. It left most of us with varying injuries, and my ears were ringing from the thunderous boom it caused. I slowly pushed myself back up, using Bone Rush to create something to support myself with. I'm pretty sure I felt my ribs crack, and my breathing came out with a wheeze. My ears were ringing, and my vision had grown very blurry.
"It is done." Rayquaza said quietly, I could barely hear him. "The world is safe. I shall maintain watch, in case a Deoxys was present on the meteorite. Chosen, you and your team…you may return home. I look forward to seeing you again, not to battle, but for a visit. The Lake Guardians should remind my past self of this meeting, too."
The only thing left to do was to head home. We had to take several trips to get everyone, since Mewtwo was incapacitated. The teleport gem had also been damaged in the battle, but we still had Mewtwo in order to get back here, anyway. The twins, Evan, and Alex, took care of transporting all of us. Being especially careful with Mewtwo and myself, given the extent of our injuries.
As we returned to the village, we were greeted with cheers from everyone. They'd all gathered in order to welcome us home. Many of the locals hurried over to help us into our office, following Melanie's instructions in order to set up what would serve as an infirmary, for a little while.
Alex helped me settle onto the cot I was meant to lay on, then he gave me a smile before heading outside. Being one of the fliers, he wasn't injured outside of some bruises, and being deafened by the backblast from Rayquaza's Hyperbeam, but it will pass, in time. Melanie's hands settled softly onto my chest, and I took a slow, deep breath as I felt her magic wash over me. She patched the worst of it, before moving on to Mewtwo. Saving her energy by not fixing the insignificant stuff was smart.
Pretty soon, the ringing in my ears faded. Not the first time I've had to deal with tinnitus, by any means. It's just a lot worse when it's not human ears that I've got. It wasn't long before something reached my nose, then Lexie appeared. With some help from the others, bringing us all some stuff to eat.
I wanted to sit up, but a pain in my chest stopped that idea. I guess not healing the small stuff means I've still gotta deal with being sore. Lexie sat down with me, helping me to sit up enough so that I could eat, at least.
Melanie had to do the same for Mewtwo, but she didn't mind at all. Although we'd all had a snack when we stopped in the tower, fighting up the summit, as well as facing Rayquaza, had worked up an appetite for all of us. Plus, the trip back took a few hours on its own, mostly because our fliers were all tired, and sporting minor injuries of their own.
Evan and the Twins then went back to search for that Scizor, but they weren't able to find him. I can't help worrying about him, now that the battle is over. I certainly hope that he's OK. Even if he didn't make it, we'll make sure his sacrifice is remembered.
Ya know, at the start of this, I mentioned how there was no need to rush. And, yet, we've already accomplished our mission. But then again, Rescue Team does have post-game stuff for us to do. Rematching the Legends, as well as many other things not present in the main story. Which means, we get to stick around for a while longer. I'm sure a lot of folks will be happy to hear that we'll be staying longer.
Our day was pretty relaxed afterwards, with Melanie slowly working on healing us as to not leave herself exhausted. And as we started to head back to base for the night, I felt into the world's aura again. Only to notice how, even with the meteor gone…how…wrong, it felt. I turned my head to look skyward before entering the portal.
[High Orbit, Asteroid Remains]
Dust and rocks, all that remained of the asteroid. Rayquaza had almost completely annihilated it. Many pieces had fallen into the atmosphere by now, creating a meteor shower for the world below. They were small enough to not be a threat to those below. But what the world didn't know, was that the threat wasn't truly over.
A dim light pulsed from the largest pieces of the asteroid. Blinking in the pattern of a slow heartbeat. Slowly, thin limbs began to extend, pushing the rocks away. Two yellow eyes blinked open, staring hatefully at the planet below. He had failed twice, now…so be it. The asteroid plan didn't work, so he'd do things himself.
[Soon.]
A metallic voice echoed within the creature's mind. He lashed out with his power, shattering the remains of the asteroid, further than they had been before.
[Damn you, beast! Why must you ruin my plans? No matter…if I can't strike from above, then I shall from below. And if not you, then whomever it was that set your sights upon me.]
He wanted nothing more than to have his revenge. How he hated the sky-beast. The damned guardian has always gotten in his way, no matter how many times he has tried in some way to get to the planet below.
But this time, he would wait, bide his time. Strike when the sky-beast was at his weakest. And if not the sky-beast himself, then perhaps…the beings on the ground below it. A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, even though there was no sound in space. Seeking a large piece of the asteroid, he began to settle into the rocks. It was big enough to survive entry, landing, and would ensure that he would, too.
Even if he could regenerate from pretty much nothing. His two yellow eyes continued to stare at the planet, and his senses caught a spark. Not the sky-beast, but someone…else. How very interesting, a tiny light from this high, yet it burned like the light of a distant star. Worth investigating, perhaps. The creature began to nod off, choosing to rest, for now. When he reawakened, it would be on the surface, and he refused to be denied again.
Although, that spark of power did seem familiar. But…he couldn't quite place it. Who knows? Maybe it would genuinely surprise him.
Notes:
First, that bit of fun in the first part of the chapter. I will neither confirm or deny that anything is going to come from that. Not until it comes up, at least. But feel free to assume what the ultimate result is gonna be.
It shows at least that Zeryph didn't heed the warning signs from the three-way with Mewtwo and Kaorah. As in, the pheromone haze. I think Lexie's heat showed just how strong it would really be...for her at least. Kaorah's would've been far stronger.
As for the rest of the chapter, the Rescue Team main story is done. And the mission is accomplished...partially. As that little teaser at the end shows, there's a LOT more to be expected. The meteorite might be gone, but the threat isn't over.
