Chapter summary: Cecilia and Arven take on the Open Sky Titan and learn about the secrets they have kept.

This is a big chapter—the longest I have written so far—and one where a lot happens. The first divergence from the game happens in this chapter. Can you spot it? You may also need a tissue.

There are some references to things across the Pokemon media in the story. Can you found them?

Pokemon is not mine and never will be.

The first Pokemon center north of Cortondo didn't have a league challenge, which Cecilia didn't mind. However, she learned that the next center did have one. She needed to determine the task before taking on the nearby star base. But first, she had to deal with the flying-type Titan. She was curious to find out if it had a secondary type or a unique ability, as not knowing would make defeating it all the more challenging.

"What abilities do you think this titan possesses?" Cecilia asked as they walked along the cliff path. They could not use Koraidon to climb the cliffs.

'You're asking a Pokémon with just one known ability?' Agravain asked, glancing sideways at his trainer. 'I never understood the whole thing with abilities anyway.'

"It is the more complex aspect of Pokémon training. When you first catch a Pokémon, you don't know whether its ability will be useful or harmful in battle or outside of it," Cecilia explained. "Additionally, there are hidden abilities. How do they work? I bet there's a professor out there studying their secrets."

Before Agravain could respond, a deafening crash echoed ahead of them. The two ran until they reached a picnic table by a river, where they witnessed boulders the size of houses tumbling down a dirt path in front of them. They stopped to watch something gigantic descend, grasping distant rocks before soaring back up. The enormous Pokémon was white with some black markings and most likely the Titan they were searching for.

"That is one big bird." Cecilia said after a minute, "And I believe a Paldean one at that."

'We've been encountering native ones a lot lately,' Agravain said, blinking as he heard something approaching. Cecilia felt a surge of terror before they saw what was coming. Arven bolted away like Giratina was chasing him, sprinting past Cecilia and her Pokémon without glancing at them.

"We'll see him after he runs out of breath," Cecilia said casually as if someone running for their life was normal. They spotted him a few minutes later after Cecilia gathered some items from a nearby picnicker.

"Never thought I'd be running from a Pokemon again within a year." Arven gasped out as he tried to regain his breath. "Never try to outrun a Cetitan without a flute or a way to play one."

'And where does one find Cetitan?' Agravain asked while Cecilia translated as she was curious as well.

After a sip of water, Arven replied, "Glaseado Mountain. It is impressive, though not titan-sized. I visited about a year ago but wasn't looking for the Herba Mystica then; I only learned about those in the last few months." He avoided sharing the real reason for his trip to the mountain. "Alright, here are some titan facts: from what I've gathered, that was the Open Sky Titan, and this is its mountain. It tends to drop those massive boulders." Just then, two boulders collided nearby.

"It won't be easy to reach the titan's location, which could be near its lair," Cecilia said, watching the boulders tumble down the mountainside. "One of us must create a distraction while the other moves in once the boulders stop falling." She had begun to notice a pattern in the timing of the boulders' descent and when they were picked up.

"It has to be you, Cecilia," Arven said seriously, looking at her. "I'm sure you can ride that beast. It must be fast enough to navigate past those boulders without being sent flying."

"While Koraidon is fast enough to get around falling boulders, she can't keep it up to the top." Cecilia explained, "Plus, the boulders won't stop until the battle starts." she pointed out the flaws in Arven's plan.

Arven sighed and crossed his arms to think. "Let me guess, it's still difficult for you to discern the difference in nature with your aura."

"Yup." She didn't deny what Arven said. "Alright, Agravain, since you haven't seen any action in a few weeks. I want you to break any boulders that I can't dodge." The last time Argravain had seen action was with the Houndoom on the first day of class.

'Are you sure that's what you want to do, and there is no other way?' Agravain asked, seeing that strategy as reckless. Cecilia nodded. 'Fine.' he agreed before starting to stretch his limbs.

'I'm lucky he didn't know how close I was to climbing up the windmill in Artazon.' Cecilia thought, sending out Koraidon and climbing on. "Arven, start climbing once the boulders stop, and we'll get the next herb."

"Got it; once there are breaks in the rock fall, I'll start up after you." Arven summarized, though he got it somewhat wrong, and Cecilia didn't correct him.

"See you at the top, High Ho Koraidon," Cecilia said, calling out a line from an older Unovan movie she had watched when she was five. The dragon jogged toward the rocky area, ready to pick up speed. Then, the deadly game of dodgeball-boulder version-began. Koraidon weaved in and out, taking moments to rest behind stalagmites that dotted the path before charging to the next one. Agravain shattered a few too-close-to-call boulders with a powerful Hammer Arm. The vanguard moved past the boulders and approached the Titan. It resembled a white stork featuring black wings, a feathery apron, pink legs, a pink beak, and narrowed eyes.

'Who's that Pokemon?' Agravain asked, looking at the bird hovering above them.

"Who knows? Just be ready to stop any boulders from rolling down the slope," Cecilia said as she dismounted Koraidon. She recalled her and sent out one of the Pokémon she planned to use. "Go, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt on that bird!" Pikachu is a mid-sized Pokémon resembling a rodent. It has a chubby yellow body, a lightning bolt for a tail, red cheeks, and black eyes. Cecilia quickly commands her Pokémon, and the lightning bolt shoots up toward the bird, hitting it despite its attempts to swerve in the sky.

The bird cawed loudly just before rocks were thrown at the mouse. Thankfully, Pikachu managed to dodge them, as small targets are often harder to hit. However, the stones hit the ground much harder than usual, shattering into pieces instead of simply breaking apart.

'I know that some Pokemon learn moves naturally or through TMs that allow them to have an advantage, but that was more powerful than normal.' Agravain said, then glared up at the now laughing bird. 'You think that's funny?' he snarled.

"Why do I get the feeling this Pokemon is part dark type? Plus, it enjoyed that way too much." Cecilia, also glaring, said, "Thundershock." She was going for the chance to paralyze the Titan, as that might help. The lightning bolt hit the duel-type bird, and to Cecilia's delight, static coursed over the Pokemon.

Despite the static, the bird dove with glowing wings, sending Pikachu flying backward. Thankfully, Agravain caught the mouse before it got too far.

'Dam bird. Next Pokemon you use better either be a fairy type or have a fairy type move in its arsenal.' Agravain grunted, then tosed Pikachu into the air and towards their opponent.

"Plan on doing that! Use Iron Tail!" Cecilia called. Her Pokémon soared through the air, its tail gaining a metallic sheen. Mid-flight, it somersaulted and slammed its tail onto the stork's head, sending both spiraling to the ground. 'Arven, I hope you're on your way; this is getting difficult,' Cecilia thought, her mouth open as she shouted, "You've got to be kidding me, again?" The Titan had risen, flown to the cliffside, and smashed the wall open.

"Cecilia, you've somehow made it to the Titan," Arven said as he arrived. He glanced at the Titan that was feeding. "That's a Bombirdier. No wonder we had to deal with falling boulders. They enjoy dropping objects on others for fun and are part Dark type."

Cecilia nodded, so the Pokémon was called Bombirdier and was a Flying/Dark type. 'Good to know,' she thought. "Hopefully, the normal-sized ones drop rocks instead of boulders." She recalled Pikachu and pulled out another Poké Ball for her next Pokémon. While Dark types were her favorite, Bombirdier ranked low on her list.

"Thanks to you. You kept the Titan's attention so I could get up here; you're clever, buddy." Arven said as he took out a Poke ball. "Looks like it's trying to power itself up with the Herb, so we'd better get ready to go all out."

"I can get behind that. Go, Morgana!" Cecilia's new Pokémon was a pink, human-like creature with a large head, stubby feet, and silver eyes. Its white growth, resembling a ponytail, was accented by a lighter pink zigzag at the bottom. Light pink circles adorned its cheeks, and it held a sizable segmented hammer in its hand.

"Go, Nacli." Arven sent out the tiny rock type. "Dropping boulders on or near people is dangerous, so let's give it a taste of defeat."

At that moment, the Titan Bombirdier fished its food and turned to face them, admitting a glow like the Klawf.

"It might have a status boost like the Klawf, though I'm not sure if it's the same one. Its rock moves seem to be more powerful, so be careful." Cecilia cautioned; she then called for her first attack. "Use Fairy Wind!" Her Pokémon spun her hammer around, creating a surge of pink energy before swinging it toward the bird. However, the bird quickly dodged, avoiding the wind-like move. "Damn it, I think its speed has increased!"

"That's not good. Thanks for the heads-up. Use Smack Down. "Arven said as a rock was thrown into the air while the Bombirdier moved around. The rock struck the bird on its wing instead of its head, causing it to drop a few feet. "It will be hard to get a good hit in, but that doesn't mean we'll give up, right, Cecilia?"

"Got that right. Quick, Before it can recover, Morgana, use slam to get that Bombirdier out of the air," Cecilia orders her Pokemon, who holds her hammer as she runs, jumps, and then brings the heavy weapon to the bird's head.

"Nacli use Rock Throw and hit the bird on the way down," Arven said. His Pokémon threw a rock up-the two attacks connected, sending the Bombirdier to the ground while it flapped to regain stability.

"Astonish!" Cecilia acted quickly. Morgana yelled, her voice echoing as the Titan jumped in surprise. Now follow that up with a Brutal Swing!" Dark energy enveloped the hammer as she swung it towards the Bombirdier. Unfortunately, the Titan managed to dodge just in time, having regained its balance from the first move.

The Bombirdier retaliated by using Rock Throw aimed at Nacli. Morgana moved to intercept the enormous rock with her hammer, and the force of the move sent both back.

"Nacli, are you okay? Some attacks hit, others don't." Arven checked on his Pokémon, then looked at the Titan with irritation. "We need a way to reduce its speed if we're going to finish this.

"Or better yet, let's increase our own speed," Cecilia said, recalling Morgana, the Pokémon who had been hurt the most in the last attack. "Go, Pikachu! Use Agility and keep that bird's attention focused on you." The yellow rodent dashed so quickly that it became a blur.

"Right, Nacli, use Rock Polish," Arven answered as his Pokemon started to shine. "Now Smack Down once more." this time, due to its speed and Bombirdier being distracted, the rock hit the titan on its head.

"Thunderbolt straight up," Cecilia ordered as her Pokemon let loose the lightning hitting the Titan. "I would've tried Thunder Shock, but it didn't work before; why risk it again?" she explained to Arven, questioning look.

"Yeah, I wouldn't either; Nacli use Rock throw." Arven agreed before ordering his Pokemon to attack, only for the bird to smack the rock down with its wing. "Why are most dark types like this?" Arven griped

'Why did he say that? I know he has Normal, Rock, and Water types. Does this mean he has or had a Dark type in the past?' Cecilia should have been focused on the battle, but as the owner of a Dark type, she found herself curious. She also understood that different Pokémon of the same species can have varying personalities; some may be cruel, while others are not. "That's typical behavior for a Dark type. They don't play fair. Most dark type moves are underhanded or sneaky while fighting types attacks are direct and can be high-risk, depending on the move."

"What are you an expert in both?" Arven asked, also distracted.

"My Grandpa was an expert in fighting types. I grew up with a primarily Dark type from birth." Cecilia explained, pointing to Agravain directing their Pokemon and getting a hit every three tries. "To beat a Dark type, you must think like a Dark type. I have a plan, but you have to trust me."

Arven gave her an odd look before speaking. "What do we have to lose? Nothing else; we use your Zarude," he said. "What's the plan?" Cecilia stood close and whispered the plan.

"Pikachu run around Nacli while using Volt Tackle." Pikachu began to run around the rock type as dark smoke started to rise from the ground, flying up towards the Bombirdier. "Now jump over, Nacli." Cecilia used her aura to get the timing right and signaled Arven for his part.

"Nacli used Rock Throw to launch Pikachu into the sky." Arven thought the plan was crazy, but catching the titan off guard was the only accurate way to get hits in, other than overwhelming it.

Using the momentum from both moves-the speed from Volt Tackle and the force from Rock Throw-the electric Pokémon shot up through the black cloud and into the Bombirdier's stomach, causing both to fall to the ground. Meanwhile, the titan began to shrink in size.

"Agravain grab Pikachu," Cecilia said, pulling out a Poke ball and throwing it at the bombardier; by the time it dinged, Agravain had caught the electric type out of the air. "Now, why were your rock type move more powerful than normal." she pulled out her phone while Arven healed their Pokemon.

"Yes, way to go, Cecilia. Your insane plan worked." Arven yelled happily. "We never have to worry about boulders falling on anyone again."

"That's a plus. The Rocky Payload ability must be something exclusive to Bombirdier." Cecilia said, then put her phone away and took out her flashlight.

"There has to be more of the herba mystica it was eating," Arven said, hoping it didn't eat all it might have had. "Did you catch that titan for a contest or class?"

"We need to investigate further to see if there are more. The first time, we were fortunate to find some." Cecilia had a philosophy about chance: one instance was random, two was a coincidence, and three or more indicated a pattern. "No, not this time. It's more for our class and completing the Pokédex than for a contest."

Though he didn't understand, Arven nodded and led their group into the titan's lair. "Overachiever," he muttered, only to be hit in the side by Cecilia.

—

"If we're lucky, there should be an herb around here," Arven said as they walked into the cave until they noticed a glow. They spotted a plant with a similar leaf shape but a different color. "I knew it's here; it's one of the herba mystica. Thanks, Cecilia," he chirped from his crouched position by the plant.

'That's strange.' Cecilia felt overwhelmed by the discovery of another herb. "You're welcome. Which one is this?" she asked, recovering from her shock.

"Let's see what the book says; this is the bitter herba mystica." Arven got up, took out his two-toned book, and opened it to the herb page. "Great for blood circulation, gets it going, it warms you up nice and toasty, and boosts one immune system... that's what it says." he sounded skeptical.

'Can something bitter do that?' Agravain asked. Cecilia could only shrug. She could explain the lore of rare and powerful Pokémon, not the functions of medicinal herbs.

"If I get this into a sandwich and get him to eat some... well, what are we waiting for? It's time to dig in. I'll get something down, and you will have a sandwich this time." Arven said quietly before starting to get out ingredients and gave Cecilia a look.

"So long as there's no peanut butter, we're fine," Cecilia chuckled, noticing that Arven's expression wasn't as intimidating as he thought. 'Did the first one not work out, or does he need more before the effects kick in?' She had taken a leaf, hoping to replicate the success of the first herb she kept a planter.

"Thanks for the reminder," Arven said, blushing as he put away the item and continued preparing food for the group. "And there you have it! Here is a whimsical, herb-filled super sandwich and a Titan badge as a token of my gratitude." He finished and handed Cecilia a badge featuring the flying symbol.

'So where is the bouquet of gracidea flowers?' Agravain snarked while eating half of his sandwich; then, he got kicked in the shin.

"This is good; you're quite skilled at making food," Cecilia said, not looking at her Pokémon as she ate half of the sandwich. A whole sandwich rested on a napkin in her lap. At that moment, Koraidon decided to pop out for some food. "And you need a reward for earlier."

"Oh, come on, you, again," Arven grumbled.

Cecilia snorted before giving the whole sandwich to the dragon, who snatched it up and ate it in one go before belching and letting out a happy bark.

"Hmph, say thanks or something," Arven griped before sighing. It's a good thing I made extra, and that wasn't because I knew you would feed one to Koraidon." The lie was so apparent that Cecilia and Agravain snorted and smirked.

"Whatever you say, Arven. If you're willing, I'd like to understand why you seek the herbs." She took a deep breath before continuing. "However, before you do, two people I once trusted betrayed me by keeping significant secrets." Cecilia was taking a considerable risk by sharing this part of her past.

Arven blinked at her. He seemed to be thinking about it, but Koraidon glowed again. "Did it grow stronger?"

"More than likely." Cecilia sighed. She doubted Arven was going to tell her now.

"Wow, those Herba mystica pack a punch," Arven exclaimed as he jumped up and down. "They better, or else I'm in trouble," he muttered.

During all this, Koraidon sniffed around and walked to the table, where a spare plate with a sandwich was on the table. Agravain noticed this and quickly grabbed the dragon to pull her back.

"DON'T you DARE touch that. That is not for you." Arven yelled loudly, startling the others with the volume before realizing how he acted. "Oh, uh, sorry, I shouldn't have shouted like that."

"It's okay. You set that out for someone," Cecilia said, trying to calm her heart. 'it's not like when you were younger.'

Agravain, while ensuring Koraidon stayed away from the last sandwich, sat beside his trainer, wrapping his vines around her right arm to comfort her and ground her in the present. 'It's not okay, and you know it.'

"As an apology, I will tell you both the full story. Come out, Bud," Arven sighed, addressing Cecilia's question. He pulled out a Poké Ball and released his Pokémon. "This is my partner, or, more accurately, my brother, Mobosstiff."

The Pokémon on the floor resembled a canine, with gray fur and a darker, blackish-gray back and face. Light gray fur along its spine resembled slicked-back hair—more fashionable than Clavell's wig—to its tail. Mobosstiff's head, with no visible neck, appeared seamlessly connected to its body. Light gray markings surrounded its eyes, which seemed closed. Lastly, it had a triangular orange nose.

The dog Pokémon was breathing slowly, the only visible indication of life. Although Cecilia could sense its life aura, it alarmingly appeared low for its size.

Cecilia stared in barely concealed horror. Whatever had happened to the Pokémon was beyond anything she had ever seen or felt. She was sure the reason it was still alive had nothing to do with the herbs.

Koraidon also looked at the dog Pokemon but with curious confusion. She wondered why he was sleeping and had yet to get up.

Arven ignored the others as he walked over to the table. He took the sandwich, broke it into small pieces, and placed them in front of his Pokémon. "Here you go, Bud. Eat this; it should help you feel better. Take it slowly," Arven said tenderly. To Cecilia's amazement, Mobosstiff ate the food little by little. "Take your time; small bites are fine."

'He must be hanging on for you, kid because if he succumbed to whatever is wrong with him, he'd be leaving you alone.' Agravain realized he felt the same way about Cecilia, not wanting to leave her.

"My buddy was hurt pretty badly some time ago, real bad in fact, and never recovered," Arven said, clearly trying not to cry.

"And nothing you've tried before this worked?" Cecilia asked, not moving from her spot, unsure if she could. "not even the gym building medical center?"

"That was the first place I tried. No potions or anything worked. They told me it was beyond anything they had seen before." Arven clenched his fists at the memory. "Mobosstiff means the world to me. It's the only being I truly care about. I promised I would heal him, no matter what it takes."

Cecilia prayed to Arceus that the herbs would work because Arven acted too similarly to how her grandmother described AZ before he built his machine.

Arven continued as if it seemed to come right out, and he might have subconsciously wanted to tell someone. "I searched online, read books, anywhere there could be a cure or remedy, and even tried the ones I could get my hands on." He took out the book he had shown her and was using. "I'd almost given up, then I found this and the Herba Mystica."

"I can assume that we learned about that book in history class, but what can you tell me about it?" Cecilia had looked through the school's but only got some of it, seeing it full of made-up or out-of-date things.

"I found this in my dad's lab," Arven explained as he opened the book. "It's filled with crazy stories, legends, and things that most people wouldn't believe, but I do. It claims that eating all five herbs can heal you of anything. Just look at Mobosstiff-his paws were cold as ice before he had the last herb, and now they're warming up a bit. I'm convinced it works." After putting the book away, Arven looked at Cecilia, almost daring her to disagree with him.

Cecilia wasn't sure what to say about the book and its contents, but she could tell that Mobosstiff was improving. "If you believe they're working, we'll find the rest. I want to see how far their power can go for both of us," she promised. "But first, there's more to my search for the herbs, which relates to your Father."

Arven's cheerful mood turns sour. "What about him?" the tone was ice cold.

Cecilia explained, "He reached out to me through the school and asked me to take care of Koraidon until he can transfer her to me and find a way to restore her Apex build. I'm unsure if she can harness that power yet, but she is receiving builds to help her travel around the region. I completely understand if you prefer to avoid my assistance after this. I'll try to find the remaining herbs independently. There's another book in the school library, and I can photograph the relevant pages." She was rambling but would respect Arven's decision and go her separate way if he wanted.

"You must ramble when you're anxious," Arven remarked after a minute. "I'm glad you're sharing this with me now rather than waiting until after we've collected all five. Even when Mobostiff was in top form, I didn't battle much-mostly in class. With him out of commission, I don't have any powerful Pokémon; they're all still in their first stage. If what we take from the last Titan is true, it will take two trainers to defeat them. We will need each other."

Cecilia blinked at the fact Arven still wanted her around. She wasn't sure if she was blushing, but her face did feel hot after Arven's speech.

"Oh, you finished, Bud?" Arven saw that Mobosstiff was done eating and, to both surprise, was looking around slowly with orange circles in the place where his eyes were. "H-hey, Mobosstiff, your eyes are open. Can you see again?" He sounds amazed and excited.

'Are they his pupils or his eyes?' Agravain asked quietly while Koraidon nosed the dog if it wanted the other Pokemon to get up, only to be grabbed and dragged away again.

"Yes, we did it! It's been so long since he had his eyes open. I was so worried. Oh man, I'm- I'm so happy." Arven cried openly, "Look at him and his fiery orange eyes. It's hard for those unfamiliar with his kind to tell, but I can."

"So the orange is the entire eyeball. "Cecilia realized that if Arven had said true, the eyes would have been much smaller than the body.

"The power of the herbs is incredible. I knew that book was accurate! I'm determined to get Mobosstiff back to full health," Arven exclaimed, turning to Cecilia with a sheepish smile. "So, that's my story. We have three herbs left to find. Which one should we go for next?" he wanted to get them more than ever.

Cecilia recalled Koraidon to keep her out of trouble and took out her phone. 'After the Team Star raid, I want to head back east; what titan is in that direction?' "East Province (Area Three) has one, and I'm heading there next week. I don't think Mobosstiff can fully see everything yet. His life aura has climbed up from where it was, but it is still low. It is best to check what he can see. I can help with that if you want." She'd let Arven determine what to do with his Pokemon. Cecilia would advise but only act if given the okay.

"You want to track how well the herbs work, right?" Arven inquired, receiving a nod in response. "I'm curious about that, too. Let's look at our schedules to find the best time to check Mobosstiff's progress." He retrieved his schedule to find an appropriate time

—-

The light from the setting sun blinded Cecilia and Agravain as they exited the cave. Arven had said she could leave any time, so she packed up the food she'd brought and the table. Cecilia wanted to give Arven some time alone with his Pokemon. Once outside, she counted how long it would take to get a phone call.

"Hola, Cecilia, it is Turo." the answer was a minute. "I have detected that Koraidon has regained some of its original strength; she should now be able to swim in large bodies of water."

'That is useful for finding Pokémon in the ocean. She might have hunted in water and on land; I wonder if she also hunted in the air.' "When testing her abilities, I didn't try to see if she could swim. I focused on testing her for land," Cecilia explained. "How do you think she would swim?"

"The throat sack inflates to create buoyancy in the water like a flotation device; then she uses her legs to propel herself as a dog would," Turo explained. I'm relying on you to take good care of Koraidon." He then hung up.

'His son is less rude.' Agravain said after a minute, 'You're going to test how well she can swim like how you're doing with running.'

"Yeah, back east, as there is a river and the ocean," Cecilia said, yawning as she pulled out Koraidon's Pokeball. "Let's get back to the Center. Team Star can wait until tomorrow."

The references included one for Pokemon Horizons, another for Secrets of the Jungle, one for Paldean wind, and an age-old question.

Yes, Arven calls Mobosstiff his brother. Cecilia views Argravain as her brother, and given how Arven only had his dark-type dog around growing up. Also he reminds me too much of AZ, thankfull nothing to drastic happens.

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Happy Holloween