#csweekcontest2015

It was only then he realized they held each other, feeling her arm shift against him as it lazily wrapped around his chest. She was on her side, her head nestled into his shoulder as the rest of her body curled to match his form, with one of her legs drifting between his at the ankle. Drew lay on his back, his left arm folding beneath and around May in an instinct to bring her closer. He struggled to remember if they had fallen asleep like this, or if this had been something they had managed to arrange in their sleep to fulfill a subconscious need.

The question vanished from his mind when he heard a light moan which parted the lips of the sleeping beauty beside him.

“Mm… good morning,” her voice was light and groggy, but to him, it was a sound sorely missed.

“Good morning,” he simply replied, laying still. Between the feeling of ease at having her lay at his side, and the stiffness of his body from the last few days, he wasn’t particularly eager to sit up, let alone stand, walk and fly to their next destination.

May seemed to have the same inclinations, snuggling into Drew more tightly rather than make any progress in getting up. Drew smiled at that, bringing her closer with his arm before he fell into an old habit, “We should get up.”

May murmured into his shoulder stubbornly, “Why?”

“You know why,” Drew told her sweetly.

“I don’t wanna get up,” May refused in a playfully obstinate manner, grasping tightly onto Drew’s shirt as she buried her head into his arm.

“You’re not going to help me save the world?”

“Who says I’m the one helping, I’m gonna be the one to save the world and you’ll be the lovely assistant,” May giggled, shifting against him.

“I kind of expected the world’s saviour to have a bit more drive than this,” Drew mocked, finally pulling himself up into a sitting position.

May whined lowly, though it was for show and she sat up, “Fine, we’ll each share the credit. Fifty, fifty. That way I don’t have to do all the work.”

“Very economical,” Drew grunted finally willing himself to stand up, groaning at the soreness still in his legs and arms as he did so.

May, never content with falling behind Drew, finally did the same, bringing herself upright before brushing off her wrinkled clothes. Drew was already rolling up their sleeping bag that they had elected to sleep atop rather than within during the hot Hoenn night that had just passed them by. May turned south as Drew packed it away, standing on the edge of the peninsula that they had occupied just one day before. She hoped she could see the Sky Pillar, but all she saw was shimmering blue waves.

“It’s almost a day’s flight, almost all the way from Pacifidlog Town.” Drew informed her, knowing exactly what she was trying to look for.

May nodded, a worried look coming over her, “But how do we get in? If what Maxie said is true, we won’t even be able to get past the doors of the tower. Not without the ‘Ancient Blooded Guardians of Hoenn’.”

Drew’s lips pressed into a thin hard line, his mind turning over and over until a thought came to him, “Steven Stone. He knows plenty about ancient Hoennish ruins and their history.”

“Steven?” May looked apprehensive, “You remember what he was like the last time we saw him! Once he knows where Zinnia is, he’ll just barge in and steal back his keystone! She needs those! If she’s really the only hope we have, then we can’t let anyone take even one from her!”

Drew’s lip twisted in annoyance. ‘She’s right,’ he thought, continuing to look over the ocean as he pondered. Yet, nothing came to him, “But I don’t know what else we can do. We need his help to get to Zinnia. She says she wants us there, and she never would never say that unless it was crucial somehow.”

May’s eyes fell for a moment, but trained back on Drew moments later, “You’re right.” Her face gained back its resolved form and she pulled out her Pokenav, “I’m calling Steven. I’m going to ask him to meet us there.”

The grass-haired coordinator nodded firmly while May dialed the champion, drawing out the pokeball that contained one of his faithful partners. Flygon materialized in a flash of light, happily cooing before her trainer.

Drew smiled at his dragon-ground type before the happy emotion drained from his face, looking remorseful, “Flygon, I know you’ve carried us a lot these past two days, but I need your help one last time. After that, I swear you’ll have a nice long rest and I won’t ask you to ferry myself or May for a long time.”

The desert spirit gave Drew a comforting look and leaned down to nuzzle her trainer, yipping lightly.

“I knew I could count on you,” Drew praised, patting the Mystic Pokemon atop its smooth green head.

“It’s done!” May informed Drew, folding her pokenav and slipping it back into her pack, “Steven will meet us there. He seemed pretty eager to hear where Zinnia was.”

“I knew he would,” Drew affirmed, his hand slipping from Flygon, “We just have to hope that Steven will listen to reason.”

-             -            -

Where they had left the peninsula overlooking Lilycove at sunrise, sunset marked their arrival. There had been one rocky isle where Flygon had the opportunity to set down to rest during the early afternoon. The dragon was exhausted, but determination filled her with vigour enough to carry them the rest of the way. Truthfully, May and Drew had been thankful for the respite as well during their hour of rest. It didn’t compare to the strain on Flygon, but holding on tightly to the desert spirit (or hanging onto Drew in May’s case), such that they didn’t fall into the ocean below, was certainly not the most relaxing of experiences.

Their landing came roughly as Flygon practically collapsed in a heap, her breaths coming heavily and her eyes drooping as sleep overcame her. Drew gave a soft, reassuring pat to the dragon-ground type, telling her what a great job she had done and thanked her almost reverently, returning her to her capsule to rest for a good long while.

The two coordinators themselves needed some time to rest as well, taking a few moments to let themselves be properly reacquainted with the ground before they turned their eyes skyward.

And what a sight it was. The Sky Pillar. The massive tower pierced into the few clouds above, vanishing into the crimson hues of the sunset sky. Its stone was a sandy amber, pot-marked by narrow slits that barely qualified as windows along its height. It was triangular in shape from base to peak. Drawings that reminded them of the ones in Granite Cave and Meteor Falls found their places at random intervals up the tower. Most of them depicted curved lines that seemed to cross an entire side of the building. At the base, was a huge sealed double door hewn of the same stone, but seemed far more ornate and intricate than the rest of the building. As Drew approached and gazed upon the designs, he recognized many shapes from the previous murals. The circle with the serpent, Groudon and Kyogre, the great circles that were wreathed in flames. But there were people carved into it as well, all gathered around a great massive icon that resembled a tall, sharp gem. ‘The Megalith?’ Drew wondered.

“You don’t suppose they have an elevator in there?” May groaned, “Otherwise this will be worse than the twenty-two floors at Devon Corp.”

Drew didn’t envy the prospect either, but he had other concerns, “We won’t have to worry about that if we can’t get in.”

“And that is why I am here.”

The soft, smooth voice that Drew instantly recognized caused him to spin on his heel, with May matching him a moment later. Drew raised a surprised eyebrow, “Wallace?”

The gym leader, Contest Master, and former champion, greeted them with a light bow, the trailing ribbon-like lengths of silken fabric hanging from his shoulders moving gently in the breeze. The man’s taste in fashion was extravagant, if a little strange, with a short purple top exposing a wide midriff beneath a white half-vest that covered more of his back than his front. Green straps crossed his trim belly, meeting just above his waistline where they seemed to hold up his smooth white dress pants that dipped to the sides of his hips. Yet, as always, his full turquoise hair was capped by his signature beret, the one thing that he would never change about his style.

‘If he’s really related to Harley, it’s no wonder he has this sort of fashion sense,’ Drew reflected.

May, while surprised, seemed very excited to see the host of the prestigious Wallace Cup before her, “Wallace! It’s so good to see you again!”

“Likewise, Ms. Maple,” Wallace spoke gently, looking to Drew, “And good day to you as well, Mr. Hayden. I am glad to see you return from Unova, though I certainly wish the circumstances of your presence were far less dire.”

Drew’s brow shot up in surprise, “You know what’s happening?”

The Sootopolitan nodded gesturing to the, now, bright asteroid in the skies above them, “For one with an eye for detail such as eye, it is hard to miss…” a supple grin painted his lips and he added, “…And Steven trusts me as a confidante in all things. He even trusted me to hold his champion seat for a time. He has told me all of what has transpired in the past few days.”

“So you came to help us?” Drew asked, perplexed.

“I was summoned here,” Wallace answered, gesturing to the sky to the east. As if on cue, a massive metallic screech pieced the quiet island air. May and Drew looked to the source, seeing a metallic glint growing larger as the moments passed by. Soon, they recognized the shape, and the shape atop it.

“Steven,” May breathed, “Steven asked you here?” May turned her attention back to Wallace with her question.

“He did indeed,” Wallace answered in his pleasant voice, “He knows I am somewhat of an expert with the ancient peoples and traditions of Hoenn, especially those of the islands surrounding it.”

Another short screech marked the arrival of Steven Stone atop his Skarmory, which landed on the dirt packed ground with a harsh scrap of metal against ground. Steven dismounted quickly, giving his steel-flying type a word of praise before returning it to his pokeball. He looked to Wallace with some surprise, though his voice remained as rigid as May and Drew had last heard it at Mossdeep, “I’m surprised you got here first, Wallace.”

The Contest Master offered Steven a wry smile, “Some fish swim faster than any bird could fly. Especially ones burdened with a coat of metal rather than feathers.”

“True enough,” Steven conceded, looking to the massive stone doors of the tower next, “Why isn’t it open yet?”

“I haven’t opened them,” Wallace spoke plainly.

“Why not?” Steven pressed.

“Because I am not going to.”

Steven’s stony demeanour flashed with both surprise and anger for a moment before he composed himself, “You mean you can’t or you won’t?”

A coy smile took over Wallace’s features, “Oh, I could very well do so! I am the appointed Guardian of the Cave of Origin that lies within Sootopolis, and my bloodline runs back to the first who settled that great crater. But I will not open it.”

“Why?” Steven’s voice grew an edge that Drew didn’t care for.

“Because they will,” Wallace stated matter-of-factly, motioning to May and Drew.

Steven sighed, “Normally, I indulge your riddles and so called ‘mystique’, Wallace. But today’s not the day for it.”

“It’s simple,” Wallace stated, “Lorekeeper Zinnia has invited these two, and them alone. Only they should be permitted within that hallowed tower.”

May’s face was written in confusion, “How do you know that Zinnia invited us… or that she’s a Lorekeeper?”

Wallace turned to May, speaking in pleasant tones, “The Sootopolitans and the Draconids are both ancient peoples that have co-existed for millennia. We are allies in our cause to protect the world. Her line is the one that calls upon Rayquaza, should any calamity threaten the world. My line protects the secrets of the Cave of Origins, ensuring that no one gains power or the means to threaten the balance between land and sea.”

“And you knew of her invitation, how?” Drew reiterated May’s first question.

“Oh!” Wallace gave a light laugh at how his explanation had sidetracked him, “I have known Zinnia a great many years, and she, in turn, has known for a long time that you two would play a key role in the events unfolding today. She told me as such.”

Drew’s eyes trailed to the tower’s peak above, the pink skies growing a dark violet as the sun continued to sink beyond the horizon. He wondered just how Zinnia could see and know all this.

“Wallace,” Steven cut in, “She has my keystone. I have endured many slights from that young woman: her rude critiques of my company, my father, myself. I harbour no ill will against her for those, though it does not endear me to her. However, she has stolen my property, and worse, a piece of the connection I hold dear to my partner, Metagross. I will not abide her committing crimes against both the people of Hoenn,” Steven pointed to May and Drew, “or me!”

“Are you so worried that you’ll never have it returned to you?” Wallace asked plainly.

“Zinnia is not a person whom I can trust to do anything moral. She practically sentenced the world to burn at the hands of that!” Steven jabbed a finger to the sky, the meteor glowing brightly as the sky grew darker.

“If there is one person I would trust with the fate of the world. It is Zinnia,” Wallace spoke, his words spinning comfort as they passed his lips, “As I understand it, your plan entailed some morally dubious details, if what you told me is true. Zinnia is one of the most morally guided people I have ever known. She speaks with a fiery tongue, but her heart is as kind as they come. She will not risk the life of any man, woman, child, pokemon; any life at all that does not need to be put in harm’s way.”

“So it’s morally righteous to steal keystones?” Steven threw back.

“I think she believes she borrowing them more than anything,” Wallace grinned, “You’ll have your keystone back in due time, I assure you.”

“How do you know?” Steven argued.

“Because,” Wallace smiled nonchalantly, “Mine was the first keystone she took. And she asked. With the promise of its return.”

“You’re far too trusting! I prefer to ensure that these things happen myself, rather than waiting on the tendencies of others,” Steven faced the door once more, “Wallace, if our friendship means anything to you, you’ll open this door for me.”

Wallace shook his head, “It’s because our friendship means everything to me that I won’t open it.”

“How does that make you my friend?” Steven finally let his voice surrender to anger.

“Because it saves you from actions you will regret,” Wallace spoke, approaching Steven and laying a hand on his shoulder, “I know you are not a man of faith, Steven. You never have been, and I know it. Yours is a mind that values reason, science and logic. But take it from someone who faith has served well in the past.” The Gym Leader spoke quietly now, his voice thick with feeling, “Trust me, as you always have. You trusted me with the champion seat. Now trust me with the world. Trust me with your bond to Metagross. Trust my faith in her.”

Steven locked eyes with Wallace, steel-blue meeting turquoise as a silence enveloped them. Steven chanced a glance at the door then let his stare trail up the height of the immense tower.

“You had better be right,” Steven spoke, his voice robbed of the anger it once held. He broke away from Wallace circling around May and Drew and making his way down the rocky slope onto the beach below.

“Is he going to be ok?” May asked concernedly.

“He’ll be fine,” Wallace waved a dismissive hand towards Steven, “He just hates not being in control. He rules his own life with a fist as heavy in iron as his pokemon.”

A short silence hung between the group before Drew voiced a question, “What did you mean when you said that we will be the ones to open the door?”

Wallace’s face lit up and a broad smile wrote itself between his slender cheeks, “Exactly as I said. You will open the door, both of you.”

Drew and May each approached the doorway, laying a hand on either side. They each pressed, but found the stone unyielding to their touch. Drew turned back to Wallace, indignant, “If that was a joke, it wasn’t very funny.”

“Ah, I never said you could open the door now. But you will be able to,” Wallace explained in his silky tones.

“How?” May piped up, walking towards him.

“Indeed, only people connected to the ancient world can open these doors. But there is more to it than that…” Wallace gestured to the great tower before them, “The tower knows if you are worthy to walk its great halls, to stand atop the peak and to bequeath your prayers to Rayquaza. You can prove in the sight of it that you are worthy, just the same.”

Drew scoffed, “If you’re about to say that someone has to beat you in a pokemon battle to be worthy, everyone who has ever earned the Rain Badge is technically worthy. May, call Ash Ketchum.”

May looked disgruntled at that last line, but she was forced to concede to Drew’s earlier point, “Ash never won against Wallace. He was champion at the time and Juan was leader. Still…” she looked to the Contest Master, “… I feel like he’s right. Anyone who’s beaten you should be able to open this door.”

Wallace let out a thoroughly amused laugh, “First, please remember. Someone must defeat me within the sight of this great tower. And secondly,” the water specialist grinned, “They must defeat me at my greatest! I hold back a great deal at my gym. After all, we do like to have some competitors at the Evergrande Conference. I assure you, I will not restrain myself here.”

Drew scrutinized the champion’s face before nodding, “Fine. Your terms of battle?”

Wallace seemed to be delighted, “A double-battle, given that you both need to enter! I’ll send out two, and you each use one. No substitutions and no pokemon after another has been knocked out!”

May stepped forward eagerly, “I’ve always wanted to battle you, Wallace! You’re the greatest coordinator the world has ever known! I’m ready to show you everything we have!”

“That’s the spirit!” Wallace praised, “And you, Drew?”

“I’m always ready for a battle, and it will be my honour to face your full power,” Drew spoke, enlarging a pokeball.

“Then let us begin!” Wallace announced, a great gust of wind sweeping around the sunset wreathed tower in reply. Wallace stood at one end of the rock-circled pitch while May and Drew took the other. They coordinating duo looked to each other, giving challenging smiles and nodding to one another.

“Roserade! You’re up!” Drew called powerfully.

“Blaziken, take the stage!” May shouted in tandem.

Drew looked at her incredulously, “May! He’s a water type specialist!”

She gave Drew a knowing smile, “I thought you of all people would appreciate the notion that type advantage doesn’t mean everything. Remember the Johto Grand Festival?”

He did. That day was forever ingrained into his mind as one of the most vivid memories knew he had. The final round was May and her Blaziken and Vespiquen versus his contenders, Roserade and Scyther. Both bug types were knocked out minutes before the end of the five minute time limit. Blaziken and Roserade battled each other to a standstill, leaving them with equal points once the clock hit zero. The rarely invoked sixth minute tie-breaker round gave them each one more chance to make it to the top. Drew and his Roserade had barely come out on top, winning him and his team’s first Grand Festival.

He looked to May, then her determined Blaziken, his wrists flaring with determination that matched May’s own clenched fists. Drew nodded, accepting her strange decision.

“Then I believe I shall choose my two best companions! Gyarados and Milotic! Please show our strength and grace!”

The two serpentine pokemon formed from the flash of their pokeballs, each fixing their gazes on their opponents across the field.

“You may start, if you wish,” Wallace offered.

Drew hummed in annoyance, liking to take the second move instead, but May jumped in eagerly.

“Blaziken, blaze kick on Gyarados!”

May’s command caused Blaziken’s eyes to narrow on the target and the large fire-borne avian leapt into the air, sheathing his outstretched talon-tipped leg in a swath of flame that came barreling down towards the Atrocious Pokemon.

In turn, Drew issued his order, “Roserade, petal dance on Milotic!”

Wallace smiled, closing his eyes as he lifted a demonstrative hand, his order flowing like water from his lips, “Milotic, dodge and counter with hydro pump on Blaziken. Gyarados, use crunch to hold it in place.”

The fire-type steaked towards Gyarados, flames licking the air around it. But the water-type held no fear, its fierce eyes watching the approach. Moments before the strike came, the beast opened its massive jaws, clamping BIaziken’s foot inside its mouth. The water-flying type winced somewhat from the heat in its mouth but Blaziken writhed in much greater pain, a great shout lifting up from the island from the avian’s beak.

Milotic was as graceful as water itself, slipping around the torrent of petals that barrelled towards it before unleashing a thick torrent of a hydro pump. The blast hit Blaziken so hard, it was thrown from the iron grip of Gyarados’ jaw, smashing the fire-type into the rocks at the edge of their makeshift area.

“Blaziken,” May gasped in worry, tempted to run over to it. She took a single step, but halted herself, watching the steam rising off the furious fire-fighting type as it stood.

“Impressive stamina,” Wallace applauded, “We’ll see how long that can last though. Milotic, shift to Roserade and use blizzard! Gyarados, waterfall on Blaziken!”

The large, bestial sea serpent that was Gyarados let out a terrible roar before enveloping itself in a sheath of rushing water, launching towards May’s ailing contender. Milotic, as different from Gyarados as night was from day, shifted smoothly before unleashing a terrible winter storm from her small mouth.

“May, we have to help each other!” Drew reminded her, “You take one, I’ll take the other!”

“Right!” May agreed, pointing to her new target, “Blaziken! Use blaze kick to burn right through that blizzard!”

“Roserade! Petal dance again thought that waterfall!”

The counters came simultaneously. Blaziken burst into the air with a mightly leap that his species was known for, while Roserade unleashed another torrent of petals from her bouquets, not bothering to move from her position as the chilled mass of ice and snow sped towards her.

Gyarados crashed into the rocks, smashing them in a flurry of gravel and rain as the waterfall missed its mark. The recoil against the stony side of their battlefield left just enough time for the petal dance to make a direct hit, smashing into the side of Gyarados’ already infuriated face.

Blaziken’s half of the maneuver happened just as quickly. The blaze kick bore a red hot flame that cut through the blizzard before it had even a hope of getting close to Roserade. Another roundhouse kick with his other leg, now bursting into flame as well, cleaved through the ice-type attack, smashing Wallace’s pride and joy in the face with a loud smash sent Milotic sliding back to its trainer.

“Excellent form. I should expect nothing less from two talented coordinators,” Wallace complimented, “But you are not just fighting a gym leader, a Contest Master, nor a Sootopolitan,” Wallace’s expression grew stern, “You are fighting an ex-champion!”

At his words, Gyarados and Milotic composed themselves, glaring at the opponents, “Gyarados! Stone edge! Milotic! Recover!”

Milotic shimmered in a rainbow coloured light, a hauntingly beautiful cry of her name ringing out throughout the island and beyond. A silver-haired man on the shore took note of the cry and looked to the tower. He looked to the vast sea beyond for a moment, his hand rising to his lapel to feel the pin that wasn’t there. His fist tightened for a moment before his arm feel slack at his side. Considering his choices, the steel type specialist gave a weary sigh before he decided to stride back through the sand towards the ensuing battle.

Meanwhile, Gyarados let out a roar that seemed to mirror the beauty of Milotic’s with a twisted horror to it. Stone pillars erupted from the stony field, a mass of stone obstacles blocking May and Drew’s paths towards their opponents.

“Get up top and jump between them!” May called to her contender, “Stop Milotic from recovering with a blaze kick!”

The fire-fighting type easily leapt atop the pillars, using them as stepping stones to cross the field with speed that surprised even Wallace.

Drew clenched his teeth. Roserade was not nearly as fast as Blaziken, and favoured distance attacks. These pillars essentially cut him out of the match momentarily. His lips pressed into a thin line and he realized what he had to do, “Roserade! Solar beam! Clear a path through to our opponents!”

“Rose…” Roserade began to accrue the solar power in her bouquets, the process going much slower than it had when he had faced Matt in Petalburg. The sun had almost vanished behind the waters of the horizon, and the move was slow to charge.

“Gyarados, crunch!” Wallace ordered, quickly reacting to May’s inventive solution.

The water-flying type lunged upwards, coming between Blaziken and the still glowing Milotic. The serpent’s teeth bared and ready to take on the avian once again.

“Not falling for that twice!” May shouted vibrantly, “Blaziken! Sky uppercut!”

The last minute change in moves had Blaziken swing his fire clad foot back, drawing one of his talon-clad fists forward as it glowed. Gyarados couldn’t do a thing as it was committed with its momentum, allowing Blaziken to launch a swift and powerful fist beneath the beast’s chin. Gyarados reeled back, crying in agony as it blitzed backwards into the ground beside Milotic, who at last, stopped glowing. The Tender Pokemon was restored to its pristine appearance, much to Wallace’s satisfaction.

“Hydro Pump!” Wallace instructed. Milotic thrust her head forward, letting another massive surge of water burst from her mouth. Blaziken, only just landing from his attack on Gyarados, could not avoid the super-effective move, taking a second powerful hit that blew him through one of the pillars, and pinned him against the one behind it before the move was even finished.

Blaziken seemed to creak under his own weight, still conscious, but barely able to stand.

“Gyarados, finish this one off-”

“-RADE!”

The pitched cry of Drew’s grass-poison type rang out over the island and a blast of white searing energy carved a path through the stone edge pillars, carrying bright light and the seared rocks it blasted through in its course. Gyarados’ neck snapped towards the incoming attack and its eyes grew wide before it was enveloped by the beam of rock-trodden solar power. Wallace outright gasped as his fearsome serpent was carried into the wall with a mighty crash. The smoke cleared from the field and Drew and his contender could be seen through the plowed path between the jutting rocks, glaring daggers at Wallace. Roserade’s bouquets almost seemed to be smoking from the discharge.

“Gyarados,” Wallace whispered, his voice distraught. The beast groaned but did not get up. Wallace let his gaze fall the ground beneath him before returning Gyarados, laying a gentle hand upon the capsule, “You did magnificently.”

“Blaziken, are you alright?” May called to her battler. Blaziken wobbled unsteadily, but caught himself. He gave what could pass for a thumbs up, given that the avian technically didn’t have thumbs.

“You have exceeded my expectations,” Wallace smiled to his opponents, “But this battle is soon to be even!” He let a hand fly forward towards May’s pokemon, “Milotic! Use hydro pump on Blaziken!”

“May! Get Blaziken out of there!” Drew urged.

“I have a plan!” May replied, looking to Drew, “You’ll know what to do!”

Drew had no idea what she was doing, but he trusted her. He watched her turn her attention back to the battlefield as she issued a final command, “Sunny day!”

Drew and Wallace both gaped in disbelief. No dodge nor counter attack was called… but a weather move instead.

Then it clicked for Drew and he could only let a wide grin cross his lips, ‘May. You’re a genius.’

“Roserade! You know what to do!” Drew told his starter.

The hydro pump hurtled towards the fire-fighting type. The avian summoned his last vestiges of strength before he let a loud cry of defiance into the sky. Light erupted from his beak and the sky was suddenly as bright as day once again.

“Solar Beam!”

Wallace face quivered with dismay as the hydro pump smashed into Blaziken, only for a solar beam to blast down the corridor that the previous had made, striking true against the Milotic who only just ceased its water type move. Milotic crashed back against the wall, from the force of the move, shaking from the impact.

May clutched her heart as she saw Blaziken slump to the ground, eyes closing in unconsciousness. She spoke kindly to her starter as she returned it to her pokeball, “Thank you, Blaziken. You were perfect out there.”

The battle went on, however and Wallace was not one to delay. “Quick! Recover!” Wallace urged.

Once more, rainbow light enveloped Milotic.

“Stun spore!” Drew’s reflexes and Roserade’s were in sync, and the grass-type rained the gold powder down on the serpentine pokemon. It shuddered, and the light faded, cringing, its wounds not fully healed.

“Solar beam!” Drew commanded once more. The light of day still pervaded the island, allowing for a near-zero charge time for Roserade as she sent yet another round of the powerful grass-type move towards Milotic.

“Dragon pulse! Push it back!”

Milotic, though haggard in appearance and its reflexes dulled from stun spore, still had presence enough to obey. It let the powerful purple blast of draconic energy surge forth to meet the grass move. For a moment, the beam clash of both moves seemed to be dead even. But the dragon pulse, dominating in type over grass, began a slow crawl towards Roserade.

“Stay strong, Roserade!” Drew encouraged. The grass-poison type nodded and put all her power into the move.

“This is our last chance, Milotic! Don’t give in!” Wallace did the same, giving his pokemon support as they fought tooth and nail.

The beam seemed to inch closer and closer to Roserade. Drew and May both grew anxious, Milotic’s glare was as strong as it was when the battle started. At least it was, until it trembled.

“Milotic!” Wallace cried. It was no use. The water type’s stream of draconic energy began to cut in and out as she winced, the amber powder on her body sparking lightly.

“The paralysis…” May breathed.

“Now’s our shot!” Drew pressed, “Roserade, do it!”

A high pitched cry of Roserade’s name erupted from Drew’s contender. The solar beam pushed back the dragon pulse, every pause in the purple beam’s otherwise continuous flow allowing the grass-type move to jump just a bit closer to Milotic. Soon, the water type’s strength faltered and the dragon pulse faded entirely, and the solar beam overwhelmed washed over it.

The light of the solar beam and the light of Blaziken’s sunny day fled, bringing the new night back to the island. Milotic was slumped in the corner unconscious, and Roserade was heaving breaths as Drew ran over and hugged her.

“I knew you had it in you,” Drew praised.

Roserade replied back in her own language, embracing Drew in turn. The grass-haired coordinator gasped in surprise as he felt May hugging him in kind.

“You two make a most excellent team.”

Drew and May both looked up at the sound of the Contest Master’s voice to see him standing over them, a proud and impressed look painting his features, “Yours is a connection and passion that I rarely have the pleasure of seeing. Displays of graceful beauty, stunning cool features, cute charms, clever maneuvers and a rough and tough stamina that can’t be beat! Everything I could hope for from coordinators and pokemon alike!”

The two coordinators stood, smiling broadly at the praise from this celebrity icon, “I can say, with little uncertainty, that this tower will find you most worthy to climb its steps.”

“Thank you,” May and Drew jointly told him, bowing lightly.

“And you seem to have a growing curiosity, my old friend,” Wallace shouted, looking over his shoulder cheekily.

Steven stood at the edge of the field, where the slope to the beach began.

“An incredible battle,” Steven spoke, his voice neutral, “They have remarkable talent, and the fact is…” he looked to May and Drew, his expression softening, “…I trust them. I trust them to know what is right. No one who could battle like that, and who has done all that they have for me, could have faith in someone who would be so false.”

The champion looked up to the peak of the tower, “I don’t know if I can ever trust her. But I trust you. I trust that you know what she is doing is right. That you believe it will save the world.”

Wallace grinned broadly, walking over to Steven and hugging him without any warning, causing the champion to reach out awkwardly around him, finally acquiescing to the gesture and letting his arms close around the gym leader, “I’m proud of you, Steven! Come on! Let’s go! I want to talk with you! Besides, these two need to make good on their invitation!”

Wallace shot a confident look back to the coordinators, “You’re in for quite a show, I hear. I wish I had the privilege of witnessing it! But if nothing else, I know you earned it!”

Wallace pulled the weary champion along, “Come, Steve! Let’s chat!”

“Steven,” the champion firmly corrected.

“And I had hoped you might’ve softened up for me, old friend!”

The two men strode down towards the beach, their voices fading into the wind as May and Drew watched.

May could only let out a light laugh and turned to Drew, “We did it! We can go inside now!”

Despite having fought so hard against Wallace for the ‘idea’ that this would somehow work, he still found himself skeptical, “Let’s hope. Otherwise, we’ll have to jog to catch up to Wallace to tell him his little prophecy didn’t work.”

May scoffed, “After all we’ve seen, are you really going to try and play the realist right now?”

“I’m always a realist May, it’s why you like me. You need someone to keep your head out of the clouds,” Drew drawled.

“Stop ruining this really cool moment!” May chastised, pulling Drew to the door. She looked to him, grinning, with her hand hovering in front of the door, “On three.”

Drew nodded in affirmation, “On three.”

She began, “One.”

He continued, “Two.”

Together, “Three.”

Both coordinators lay a hand on their side of the huge, thick-set double doors.

It did not budge.

“Hmm… maybe there’s a password?” May spoke nervously.

“Maybe we should just knock-”

Drew’s jape was cut short and they both leapt back from the door way as the grinding of stone on stone thundered before them. The great portals swung inward, a low rumble shaking the ground around them as May and Drew held onto each other for support. Soon, the doors halted and the rumbling ceased.

“It’s old stuff. Automatic doors have come a long way since ancient times.”

May just looked at him with a deadpanned expression and pulled him into the interior. The doors began to pull shut as they crossed the threshold, but within the tower, the shaking seemed almost non-existent. They gazed upwards through the tower as the grinding of stone creaked behind them. As the exterior suggested, the interior was triangular. One huge gaping room made up the entirety of the tower, going up as far as the eye could see. The word, ‘ruin’, could certainly apply to the place. Floors that might’ve once existed left evidence of their passing by way of the rubble underfoot, and the pieces still lingering aloft as they jutted from walls. The first stairwell leading up was already in complete disrepair, though a far more recent wooden ladder took its place on the adjoining platform, leading to the next floor up.

What caught their eye most was a dominating mural that most certainly was Draconid in origin. Matching exactly the ones in Granite Cave and Meteor Falls in its style, this one was far more intricate and grand. It stretched up an entire wall from the base of the tower to the top where they could barely see it.

“You came!”

Zinnia’s voice echoed from above, leaving May and Drew having a difficult time discerning where it came from as her voice bounced from wall to wall in the hollowness of the Sky Pillar. Yet, the Draconid decided to reveal herself as she poked her head from one of the still stable pieces of floor above them, “This is great! Wonderful even!” She made a leap that made May gasp in fright. Yet Zinnia was confident and fluid in her motions, grasping onto a wooden beam in mid-air and using her momentum to flip herself up onto the narrow platform, jumping once more onto a column that let her slide down. She still remained on the second floor above them, but now she had a better view, as did Drew and May.

“Are you going to break your neck before you can try and save the world,” Drew shouted up, tension in his voice. He too had been rattled by her reckless display.

“Please, I’ve been navigating the Sky Pillar top to bottom since I was a kid!” Zinnia waved a dismissive hand towards Drew’s comments, “But I’m not going to be telling you about my history. I’m going to tell you about the history of my people! The history of the Draconids, and in turn, the world!”

She cocked her head and give a crooked smile, “But you have to keep up if you want to hear it! Also, you’ll want to keep up if you want to be able to reach the top! Kinda gets a little confusing once you hit the roof! You won’t know how to get up top!”

“This isn’t usually how a host treats their guests,” Drew countered.

“My house, my rules!” Zinnia shot back, dashing up another set of stairs and then flinging herself across a gap to catch a rope that let her cross to another ledge. She taunted them in a singsong voice, “You’re already falling behind…”

“I can’t do any of that, Drew!” May trembled at the sight of Zinnia’s acrobatics.

Drew shook his head, “Don’t worry, we won’t have to. She’s just doing to it try and impress us, or lord herself over us…” Drew motioned to the ladder, “Up the ladder, and then those stairs! We’ll be able to follow a more conventional route.”

May nodded, turning from him to climb the ladder. Drew fell in behind, keep a vigilant eye on May in case she slipped. The ladder was older than it looked he soon came to realize as he set foot on it.

They clambered onto the platform and made for the stairs, while Zinnia’s voice rang out from above, “Look at those paintings that cover that wall! That’s the true history of humanity, right there! And of pokemon and nature itself!”

Drew and May stepped carefully on the stone steps as Zinnia went on, in awe of her own tale, “They’re the tales that have been passed down by the Draconids, going back thousands of years! It begins in the primal age, when the world was overflowing with natural energy! Coveting it, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre fought over than energy endlessly, their clashes causing great destruction in their wake. People could only watch helplessly as disaster after disaster swept over them. And that wasn’t all! Great meteors from beyond even the highest heavens of our world fell upon us, sowing terror and despair.”

Drew and May reached the end of the stairway, the rest of it having crumbled away long ago. They looked for another way up, while Zinnia watched, her story continuing, “One of these meteors fell upon our ancient tribe. They were simply dragon users in that time, but they stood in curiosity of this small, strange, but beautiful stone that had fallen from the heavens. It shone with the brilliance of colour that eclipsed the most beautiful anyone had ever known. But that wonder was not the only one they came to know that day. A great emerald hue descended from the heavens, parting the clouds as it split the heavens for its arrival. It was none other than the Great Rayquaza. He came upon this, shining stone that had fallen in our midst, and it granted him the power to banish away the endlessly battling Groudon and Kyogre, bringing a peace to the world that lasted ages.”

May spied a ladder behind a column, she beckoned Drew and they ascended further. The coordinating duo could see Zinnia just across the width of the tower now. She gave them a teasing smile and began to scale the inside wall of the tower, gripping the ridges of the inlaid bricks like she’d been born to do so. Even as Zinnia performed the feat that both May and Drew might quail in fear of, the Draconid continued her tale, “Getting closer! Better keep up! The story doesn’t end there! No, no! The story never ends because the cycle always repeats! Case in point… Sootopolis,” she grasped onto a fallen pillar and heaved herself up, talking a moment before she strode across it with perfect balance above her listeners, “Another great storm of meteors came. Rayquaza banished away the greatest of them, one tore past him, impacting in the seas east of Hoenn. A great white crater grew around it, the one you now know as Sootopolis.”

As Zinnia dismounted the fallen column, Drew and May looked to their own progress, crossing a shoddily assembled brace of wooden planks that led them back to the stairwell they had been forced to abandon earlier. Zinnia observed, leaning against the wall in an almost mocking manner, “Great power was unleashed from that impact. And a massive piece of it survived. Like the one that visited our tribe, it sparkled with the colours of the entire spectrum, glittering with both light and power.”

“The Megalith?” Drew questioned, pausing on the stairs.

“Smart boy!” Zinnia remarked, clambering up the wooden framework of the wall around her before she shimmied along a narrow ledge that ran along the length of the wall, passing by one of the narrow windows, “As before, with a source of great power, the avatars of land and sea were awoken once more, reverting to their primal forms, their trail of destruction wreaking havoc on man, pokemon, and the lands they shared. The ancient Sootopolitans prayed gathered around the Megalith in fear, hoping it would protect them from the beasts who came for them. Little were they aware that the very object they hoped would protect them drew Groudon and Kyogre in. But the great power of the Megalith summoned another as well. The Great Rayquaza descended from the heavens as he once did. He bathed in the rays of the power emanating from the space born meteor, growing powerful. But it was not enough. Among these Sootopolitans was one of my people, who had carried the legends of the past with them. They offered up a prayer to the great dragon, holding in their hands, a small but potent gem.”

“A keystone!” May recognized. Her excitement nearly made her slip, but Drew caught her, watching the pebbles from her motion fall hundreds of meters below.

“That’s right!” Zinnia cheered, “A keystone, a great megalith to feed power into Rayquaza, and an intangible, but important wish! All of it leads to one thing!” Zinnia dismounted the narrow ledge, stepping causally onto a remnant of floor above their heads, “A transformation that allowed Rayquaza to, once more, banish the two feuding legends. Mega evolution!”

She gestured to the mural that ran up the side of the building. At the base of the tower, depictions of tumultuous earth, rain, meteors, and Kyogre and Groudon dominated the stone. However, higher up, about level to where May and Drew were now, a great stone, a small stone, and a person on their knees were depicted. Higher up yet, they couldn’t see, but they saw the tail end of something from their vantage point. It only served to keep Drew and May moving, as did Zinnia, who took a set of stairs herself on the opposite end of the building from May and Drew before launching herself to a ladder who’s bottom half had broken away due to age.

“And through it all,” Zinnia continued, “a great wind came and banished the torrential rains that Kyogre summoned! It brought shade and much needed rain to where Groudon’s droughts had taken hold! With the guardians of land and sea sealed away once again, and balance restored, Rayquaza gave up his great empowered form and departed for the heavens once more. Witnesses gave their accounts, spreading the legend across the land, but none so thrilling as the one of a man who towered over others like a giant,” she paused, looking to May and Drew as they crossed a set of rope bound planks to another ladder, “And I mean giant! Like, even bigger than that Aqua meathead!” She chuckled at her own joke and kept on with the story, “He claimed to be of a land far, far away. He called Rayquaza: The Delta, born of the great disturbances that wracked the world thousands of years earlier. He prophesized that when the world was awash in plagues and disaster, one would need only make a prayer with a stone in hand, and another greater one before them to calm the troubles and bring peace again.”

Drew and May were on equal footing for Zinnia for mere seconds before she scurried up the wall to another ledge, grabbing hold of a wood support beneath the next floor before flipping backwards onto it, grinning mischievously, “Gonna need to be a lot faster than that!”

As Drew and May traversed a narrow piece of floor that looked like it could give out from under them at any second, Zinnia progressed her story, “My tribe, hearing of this great event once again, built the Sky Pillar – yes, the very building you are in now – to try and get closer to this great being! They wrote story of his legend on these very walls!”

Drew and May found another ladder at the end of the treacherous stone bridge. When they reached the top, they found they could see the rest of the great mural that Zinnia had been describing. The tail from beneath grew into a long serpentine form. The illustration certainly resembled Rayquaza, but it was different in a few subtle and non-subtle ways.

“Is that what its mega-evolved form looks like?” May inquired, pointing to the great image before them.

“You’ll just have to wait and see for yourself!” Zinnia tutted. May and Drew looked up to see Zinnia atop a ladder that led to a trapdoor that led outside. She smiled challengingly and told them, “You’re almost there! You actually seem to actually be doing pretty well! You beat my record from when I was eight!”

Drew and May rounded the last floor of the tower before the exit. There was actually more floor here than on the rest, but it was broken in a spiral like pattern, causing the duo to have to run in ever shrinking circles before they could reach the ladder in the center. As they did, Zinnia finished her story, “So you see, we’ve always known that more calamities and crises and disasters and what have you would always strike! In particular, these asteroid above us…” motioned above them, “… We knew about it long before the first telescope was invented! We were ready though! We had the megalith, a keystone, and of course, me! The one to offer the prayer! Rayquaza would come, destroy the meteor, and the earth would go on spinning!”

Her expression fell, “At least until the Megalith was lost to us. I had to go through all that trouble with Team Aqua and Magma to try and get the big land and sea snobs together for a showdown, and they managed to mess that up. Take two: Three years later, the Megalith is found, but the Lion snatches it from under my nose. So… I had to get a little creative! I needed a massive collection of keystones to approximate the power of the Megalith! I still have everything else! I have my wish! And I have my keystone!” She lifted her heel and tapped the keystone on the end of her anklet for good measure.

Where Zinnia’s anklet went up, May’s went down. The path of the spiral had grown treacherously narrow and May’s foot had caught the edge, causing her to slip. Zinnia lunged forward on the ledge, horror paining her face as she saw it happen.

May let out a shrill scream, but it was cut short. A strong grip wrapped itself around her wrist and May tore her gaze from the dizzying fall below to see her companion’s strained face, “Drew!”

“Other hand!” Drew grunted, trying to pull her up. May brought it up, trying to reach Drew’s second. Her hand slid against his, the initial clasp not quite making it. Drew and May’s heart’s jointly jolted before the dangling coordinator made a second attempt.

This time, the hands met and stayed. Slowly, but surely, Drew pulled the young woman up. She crawled onto the suspended platform, breathing heavily, staring back down the long fall that nearly claimed her. The thought of what could’ve happened frightened her and she held Drew tightly, her rapid paced inhales and exhales loud in his ear.

“It’s ok, I got you,” Drew soothed, rubbing her back as she clung onto him to the point where it nearly hurt.

Zinnia let a sigh of relief claim her and she let herself slide into a prone position. “Alright guys, she said wearily, “get on up here already. The best part’s yet to come!” Her voice regained its fervor on her parting sentence as she climbed through the trap door that led her out of the tower’s interior.

Drew pulled his head away from May’s shoulder for a moment, letting a hand caress her cheek, “Ok, are you ready? I’ll make sure to keep you close, ok?”

May nodded, and both she and Drew stood slowly and carefully. Drew led her through the last curve before they came across the ladder which led to the small platform that Zinnia had occupied. Drew followed her up the ladder with assurances he would catch her. She pulled Drew up over the edge after his feet passed the last rungs. They looked to the emerald coloured wooden door. With one last push, they tasted fresh air again.

They first thing they noticed on emerging to the roof was the blustering wind that surrounded the tower. Wisps of cloud and fog carried around the edges of the building’s perimeter before they were whisked away in whatever direction their tangent led them. Second was the height. Drew chanced a glance over the edge and physically gulped in apprehension. The island was a speck below them. The third was the great altar at the pinnacle of the triangle opposite from where they ascended to the rooftop.

Zinnia looked skywards, her deep crimson eyes shimmering in the starlight. She wore a wistful smile and spoke to Aster as though she didn’t know May and Drew were there.

“See that Aster,” she pointed to a shooting star that crossed the sky, “That’s the start!” The little pink whismur bounded in excitement. “You always wanted to watch them, didn’t you? The Litleonids! There they are!”

May and Drew craned their heads high, their faces taking on an astonished expression. A flurry of shooting stars, a meteor shower great than the one they had seen on Mt. Chimney years earlier, lit the great black void in a cacophony of white streaks. It was entrancing to bear witness to. May’s hand bumped against Drew’s softly and he took the hint, letting his fingers draw around hers and fold between them softly. There open mouthed gazes vanished, and smiles overtook them, glancing to one another just once before returning their eyes to the great spectacle above.

“My sweet little girl,” Zinnia spoke, “You finally got to see them. After all these years. My little Aster…” She lay a gentle hand atop the Whismur, stroking her folded ears with the utmost delicacy.

“A million glittering stars falling from the sky. A show unlike any other… besides the one that’s about to start…” Zinnia’s voice was soft, gentler than either May or Drew had ever heard.

Zinnia stood, her back still facing them. She raised her arm to her face for a moment, taking a deep breath. She turned back to face her guests, “Ever since I was a little girl, I have always turned my eyes up to the sky. When I was so full of uncertainty, when I was unsure of my purpose in life. When…” she glanced to Aster, who still gazed in awe at the last vestiges of the Litleonid Meteor Shower, “…yeah. There was a time, where grief ruled my heart, and crushed it. Where I wanted nothing, said nothing, did nothing. Tears would threaten to come, but…” she raised her gaze to the sky once more, “… but I looked to the sky and saw them. The stars, every one of them twinkling, each one a new hope for life. A new hope for purpose.”

Zinnia let her stare level back down to May and Drew, “Have… have you ever felt that before. That… comfort that comes from the night sky.”

Drew nodded silently, memories of someone long lost to him flooding his memory.

“Mother…” he let slip his tongue in a whisper that even May beside him couldn’t hear.

May too, nodded, reminiscing about the millennium comet, and her wish.

“The wish came true,” May spoke in a tone equally as quiet, her eye trailing to Drew as a wisp of a smile blossomed upon her lips.

Zinnia gave them a warm smile, probably one of first few sincere ones she ever wore for them, “I knew you would.” Zinnia turned back to the last of the shooting stars, letting her own, nearly-silent voice come over her, “I’ll see you again. I know it.”

Zinnia stepped down from her perch next to the raised stone altar and grinned, her voice taking on its usual vigour, “So, this is it! This is Dragonhark Altar! The place that once housed the great Megalith of Rayquaza himself!”

Drew shifted his gaze. The meteor shower had ended, but one great light still lit the sky. The asteroid.

“Should we get started?” Drew asked.

“Good initiative!” Zinnia praised, stepping back up to the altar. She dragged the sack of jangling keystones and dumped them onto basin in the great stone formation. She meticulously arranged them so they formed an even pile. She spun around, “Ready!” She hopped backwards, keeping her place on the raised platform as Aster toddled near her.

“Oh, Aster, my sweet girl…” Zinnia spoke caringly, “I need you to go with my good friends. You see them! You’ve met them, right? They’re silly beyond belief, but they’re nice! Go ahead!”

Aster gave an odd look, but obeyed, hopping down the steps and leaping into May’s arms.

“Aster?” May asked confusedly.

“Just…” Zinnia hesitated, “In case… something doesn’t go right… or very right… depending on how you look at it…” Her lip twisted a tad, “Take care of her, ok.”

May was about to protest, but Drew answered, “We will. We promise.”

The brunette was shocked, not just by his acceptance of the burden, but how he said we. It made her momentarily forget about where they were.

Yet, Zinnia’s voice brought her right back, and she looked up to the Draconid, with Drew huddling close to her as he did the same.

“Ok… here I go,” the dragon-user muttered lowly. Her words came in great shouts afterwards, “With the jewel bright, and the borrowed might from the spirits of the departed; through sacred rite, in thy great sight, my life as well I offer!”

Zinnia took a deep breath and finished the prayer, “I summon thee to aid this fight and save us from disaster; realize them upon this world; for this I do summon thee!”

And with a final, bellow that put all before it to shame she cried out into the heavens, “Rayquaza!”

At first, nothing but the winds whipping around the tower gave an answer to her prayers.

Then came a massive roaring screech that split the heavens.

Green light glinted in the distance. The light grew in length, form, and ferocity as it drew closer. Drew put his arms around May as he saw it, any doubts and disbeliefs vanishing as he realized that every word Zinnia had spoken had been true.

Zinnia looked completely astounded, but soon grew joyous, a tear falling from her eye as she saw the majesty of her saviour sweeping through the sky before her, “Rayquaza…”

“It really worked…” May felt a mix of both fear and relief, and held Drew tighter in turn while Aster shrank back further into the brunette’s arms.

“I did it…” Zinnia whispered in disbelief as the dragon reared up and soared over the tower, circling it thrice against the winds that coursed wildly about the structure. The gales ceased and Rayquaza took his place above the altar, floating and waiting expectantly.

“Now, the world will be saved!” Zinnia cried in relief, “Aster! Aster! At long last!”

Zinnia at last, composed herself, as the dragon growled. Zinnia cleared her throat, preparing to give her wish properly, “Great Rayquaza! Hear my wish! Achieve your mega evolution! Take hold of your true power! Show me your true face! The Rayquaza that will save this planet!”

The sky guardian merely floated, and had no reaction. Zinnia’s eyes grew wide with worry and looked down to the mega stone on her anklet. Drew and May looked on curiously, wondering if this was going to be a repeat of the door downstairs. Just a delayed reaction.

“No… no, no, no, no, no, no, no! How can this be! I gathered all the keystones I needed that would be able to withstand you and grant you great power! It’s as good as the Megalith! I swear! It summoned you! How can it not let you mega-evolve!”

She stamped her mega-anklet food and then stooped over to rub it and flick her finger at it, “Why!? Come on!” she stood back up and shouted at Rayquaza and shouted angrily, “Come on! Do it! Mega-evolve! Why? Why won’t you?”

Rayquaza let out a short series of low, guttural growls ending a high shriek. May and Drew couldn’t make heads or tails of it. At the sound of the high wail that came at the end, Drew and May stepped backwards, fearing the worst.

Zinnia, however, slumped to her knees in despair, crying out in a feeble, pained voice, “It can’t be… you… you Rayquaza… are the one without the power…”

The beast growled again, the clicked in the back of his throat seeming to bear a reply, Zinnia spoke, trying to interpret, for herself more than anyone else, “The meteorites that you’ve consumed… the source of your power. They very thing that allow you to absorb energy to achieve mega-evolution. After aeons… they’re capacity to change you has diminished after these thousands of years…”

Her hands came down to the harsh stones of the tower next. Zinnia whispered in a hoarse voice, “We are lost.” She managed to turn herself to May and Drew, but it was her Whismur companion she lay her eyes upon, “Aster… everything I’ve done until now… I – I can’t take it anymore. I’m so sorry…”

Whismur bounced out of May’s arms, waddling over to Zinnia at the top of the steps. May made to go and retrieve the small pink pokemon, breaking from Drew in the process.

“May!” the top coordinator gasped running after her.

The dragon-flying type suddenly fixed its intense stare on May and roared with such ferocity that May stilled in her steps entirely. Drew stepped in front of her, acting as a shield, “I’m not letting you hurt her!” Drew declared, eyeing the dragon with a stare that the sky guardian reciprocated ten-fold.

“Aster…” The Draconid eagerly embraced the small normal type, at the base of the steps, clutching her tightly. She found herself drifting away from this world, simply just accepting that Aster was all that was left of hers now.

Then the dragon shrieked again, brushing past the altar and hovering over them all.

“What?” Zinnia was suddenly brought back from despair, looking up to her saviour, “What are you talking about?”

Another loud, ear-splitting roar, followed by a growl was the dragon’s response.

“Wait? What? That meteorite? What meteo-” Zinnia’s deep red eyes flashed realization, “May! Your meteorite shard! That really cool one you have in your pocket! The one with that really neat vibes!”

May let a hand fly to her mouth before her hand sunk into the pocket of her white shorts. She pulled it out, the rainbow gleam of the meteorite casting a glow, even when it only had starlight to reflect.

The dragon descended gently to the roof where May and Drew stood, Zinnia crossing behind the emerald guardian to meet with them, “It’s… it’s just like one of the stones that Rayquaza uses to store energy to mega-evolve! Kind of like its own version of a mega stone!

Drew furrowed his brow, while May stepped forward, eagerly inquiring to the Draconid, “You said that all those stones were in its body, right?”

“Yeah?” Zinnia answered, not sure where she was going with it.

“Then maybe he should eat it!” May proposed determinedly.

Drew’s jaw dropped, “Are you insane?”

“What are you-?” Zinnia began.

May turned to Drew for a moment, a look of apology overcoming her features, “I’m sorry, Drew…” May dashed ahead, directly before the Dragon’s glare. “Rayquaza!” May shouted, gaining the beast’s full attention, “Here’s a snack!”

“May!” Drew cried in disbelief. Before he could grab her arm, May lobbed the shining stone, a moment of regret passing through her whole body as she saw the gift that had been a piece of Drew she kept with her, even when Drew had not been her side, flying out of her hand. All the feelings that came with it, the part of him that, even after they broke up, she kept with her as a symbol of hope surged through her in that one fleeting moment where the stone left her fingers.

The dragon watched the stone with hungry eyes, before lunging forward and devouring it with a single snap of his jaws.

“Arceus… I hope you were right,” Drew spoke, grave concern gripping his voice.

The great dragon pitched his neck back and swallowed, letting a monstrous roar out that shook the entire tower.

“You… have to be kidding me. That worked?!” Zinnia exclaimed incredulously.

May shrugged, “Well, I’d be hungry if I spent a few years in space without food.”

The dragon swirled around, racing around the tower, once, twice, thrice, before letting out another sky rending roar. He bent down to May, tilting his head, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

“I… don’t have anymore…” May told it uncertainly.

“No!” Zinnia was on her feet and excited again, “He’s getting his energy back! He’s drawing power! He’s going to mega-evolve! But he wants to battle you and Drew!”

“Me and Drew?”

“May and I?”

Both questions came simultaneously.

“Yes!” Zinnia was giddy, “Drew because he knows you found the stone, and May because she gave it to him! He wants to build up energy to mega-evolve, and wants to do that through a battle!”

“Shouldn’t we be more worried about the asteroid than a battle?” May looked up apprehensively.

“We need to be able to not only have him mega-evolve, but we might need to give him a little direction!” Zinnia countered, motioning to Rayquaza, “You two need to master him! Show him humanity’s worth!”

“We can’t defeat a legendary pokemon,” Drew spoke harshly, “We don’t have the means! Especially for one as powerful as Rayquaza!”

Zinnia scowled at him, “Where’s your sense of adventure, Drew! If I had the chance to fight the great Rayquaza, I would! But he’s not challenging me, he’s challenging you two!” She saw Drew’s unimpressed look, “Besides, he’s not expecting you to defeat him! He’s looking for a warm up, and for someone to prove themselves to him! He’s just as vain as I am!”

The dragon let out an annoyed growl that was directed at Zinnia.

“Fine! You’re more vain than I am! Sheesh!” Zinnia waved a dismissive hand.

Drew let an annoyed hum undertake his breath, “Fine! Did Rayquaza have any terms?”

As if responding, the dragon swung itself around, flying back up to the altar where all the keystones were assembled. It let a short, fierce roar shake the keystones in their basin.

“Wow… that’s a twist…” Zinnia ran up to the altar and dug through the pile of rainbow gems, finally uncovering the two she was looking for, “Catch!”

Zinnia lobbed the two keystones towards their respective owners, Drew and May. Both caught them, with May nearly stumbling to catch hers.

“He wants to fight your mega-evolutions!” Zinnia spoke excitedly.

“But Blaziken is still recovering from our battle with Wallace!” May bemoaned, her hand thumbing the avian’s capsule.

“It’s his terms,” Zinnia spoke sternly, “Besides, I’m sure he’s aware. You have to make the best of it!”

Drew withdrew his absol’s mega stone along with his pokeball from his pocket, “I’ll go first May. I’ll buy Blaziken some more time to get recover.”

“Drew!”

“It’s fine, May, I know what I’m doing,” he have her a reassuring smile. “I have a plan. You’ll know what to do.”

May was surprised to have her words echoed from the battle with Wallace, and her features grew from uncertain to confident, “Right. I’ll know.”

Drew released his Absol, hanging the megastone necklace around his white-collared neck, “This will be a rough fight. But I know you have it in you to show Rayquaza that we’re more than capable.”

Absol nodded curtly turning towards the massive beast before him. Drew picked up the keystone. It wasn’t in the brooch that was once pinned to his tie, but it felt familiar, nonetheless. “It really is mine…’

Drew grasped the keystone in the palm of his hand and held it up high, “Absol! Show everyone what we can do! Mega-evolve!”

Light engulfed Drew’s hand and the white tendrils of energy that emerged surged between him and the megastone laced around Absol’s neck. Blinding white light encased the Disaster Pokemon, and the beast howled as it changed. Great, white, wing-like mounts of fur grew from his back. Tufts grew on his chest and behind his paws, and his horn thickened immensely until it resembled more a blade than the scythe it once was. The light was expelled from Drew’s contender and another great, longing howl rang through the night.

“Awesome!” Zinnia nodded to Aster, who bounced excitedly beside her.

Rayquaza let out a challenging shriek in reply, lunging forward to try and intimidate his mega evolved foe. Absol did not flinch.

“Let’s go!” Drew announced, “Night slash!”

A dark sheen grew over Absol’s enlarged horn, and he dashed to meet his foe.

Rayquaza bided his time, waiting for the attack. Drew grew tense, wondering what this ploy was.

Drew said nothing, letting Absol lunge into the attack once he was close.

Nothing.

The attack struck open air as the great dragon blurred away, only to strike Absol from behind with unnatural speed.

“Extreme-speed!” Zinnia giggled, “Oh man! I knew Rayquaza was amazing!”

Drew hummed in annoyance, “Let’s try a different approach! Night slash again!”

Absol, even with suspicions of a repeat performance creating doubts in his mind, obeyed Drew, lunging towards the dragon.

Again, the dragon bided its time.

“Wait… wait…”

Absol made a final leap, horn beared and dripping dark energy.

“Flash!”

Rayquaza was about to move when a blinding white light blasted his eyes. The dragon shuddered away, and the subsequent night slash drove the dragon further back yet as it connected with the legendary’s jaw.

May, predicting the maneuver, uncovered her eyes, and saw the result, “Drew! Amazing!”

The dragon shook his head in disorientation and pain, before fixating on the source of his less than pleasant encounter. Another bellowing screech went up and Rayqauza took to the air, spinning and slithering about the sky, growing faster, and his demeanour far less restrained.

“A dragon dance…” Zinnia marvelled, “Majestic…”

Drew grit his teeth. His foe would be that much harder to deal with now.

“Absol! Get closer and come in with another night slash!”

The dragon was high in the air, but not unreachable. Absol leaped past Zinnia, bounded up the steps, past the altar, atop the draconic statues that flanked it, and then pounced up to meet the sky guardian.

The dragon ceased its dance, baring teeth on the approaching intruder to his sphere. A great orange glow overcame him before he tipped his body upwards, shooting a massive glowing red sphere into the sky.

“Draco meteor!” May cried in panic.

The time it took Rayquaza to launch the move gave Absol his opening, laying another sharp night slash, this time across the beast’s lengthy abdomen. Absol descended back to earth, only to find a rain of fire following him.

“Night slash your way through them!”

Drew command brought a glint to Absol’s eyes and he responded with startlingly fast reflexes. Every meteor that caught up to Absol in his fall was cut to shreds. Once the dark type landed, the lithe pokemon ducked and weaved between the explosions, cutting through another two that couldn’t be evaded.

Sadly, the same could not be said for the next extreme-speed attack that took advantage of the distraction that draco meteor provided. Absol was knocked off its feet, but quickly regained his footing. Rayquaza vanished again with another extreme-speed.

“Double-team!”

Absol split into four copies, infuriating the dragon. The monstrous beast swung its tail haphazardly, destroying the copies in short order.

“Was that a dragon tail?” May asked Zinnia apprehensively.

“No,” Zinnia answered falling into her trance as she observed Rayquaza, the same trance that she had seemingly succumbed to during her battle in the Granite Cave, “That was just his anger flaring up. You’d know if it were a real attack.”

The last copy vanished and the thrashing tail came for the last remaining Absol: The real one.

“Double-team again!”

The tail smashed another copy instead. The dragon grew rabid and swept its tail all around the tower, trying to destroy all the fakes in one fell swoop.

“Flash!”

Every Absol shone with a radiant white light, overwhelming the dragon. When Rayquaza regained his sight, he pummeled all the copies of the dark type he could find.

“Night slash!”

Drew’s command was followed by a searing pain cutting atop the dome of Rayquaza’s head, the guardian screeching in utter dismay. The pain triggered a great fury in the dragon that caused him to shake violently, flinging Absol off against the stones of the tower.

Rayquaza gave a bellowing roar and vanished high into the sky, an emerald light shimmering in the distance to mark his departure.

“Did… Rayquaza just abandon us?” May asked in disbelief, “What a drama queen! He shouldn’t have asked to battle if he couldn’t-”

Zinnia hushed her, a faint grin growing on her lips, “It’s coming…”

May raised an eyebrow, “What’s coming?”

Zinnia’s low voice spoke two words that sent a chill down her spine, “Dragon Ascent.”

Drew managed to hear Zinnia’s words and realized this was the final stroke. Absol stood, panting as he struggled to get up off the stones and Drew heard the telltale sound of sonic booms in the distance. A looming green light appeared on the horizon, approaching at speeds he could barely comprehend.

“Absol,” Drew spoke, a proud smile wrote its way onto Drew’s face as he looked to his mega-evolved companion, “Future sight.”

Absol nodded, grinning as the dragon made his last move. It was a good battle.

The dark type howled, long and proud, into the air, a pink glow enveloping him before the light seeped upwards and vanished into a portal high above them.

A moment later, a gust of wind and an emerald arrow of energy burst past them. Absol stood there, utterly still, until he simply fell over, shrinking back into his original form.

Drew walked over to his companion, bending down to pet the weary dark type.“No one could’ve done better than you just did,” Drew soft expression rained down on his battler as who barely registered it in his lingering consciousness, “Take a good rest.” Drew returned the pokemon back to his capsule and stood, striding back over to May and Zinnia. He nodded to his fellow coordinator and told her with a voice that carried great expectations, “Your move.”

“Thanks,” she told him, her voice soft, but just as eager. Her hand brushed his as they passed one another, May taking her place in front of the battle hungry Rayquaza, who returned from the aftermath of the dragon ascent seconds before.

She pulled out the armband that held her companion’s megastone in one hand whilst the other held her starter’s pokeball. She unleashed the fire-fighting type, who, while bruised, seemed eager.

“Blaziken,” she spoke softly to him, “You can say no if you want. I’ll never force you. But we need you to battle Rayquaza. He won’t mega-evolve unless we prove ourselves to him… I think…” May set her uncertainty aside and spoke further, “I know you’re tired, and I asked a lot of you in the last battle, but if you feel you can give just a little bit more, I’ll be truly grateful.”

Blaziken looked thoughtful for a moment before he put his talons gently on her shoulder and nodded, uttering one syllable of his name in confirmation.

May broke into a wide smile, hugging her fire-fighting type, “You’re the best! You never let me down! You’re all the partner I could ever ask for!”

Blaziken nodded, clenching his fists and facing his opponent challengingly, shouting towards him. The dragon looked down on this bird and tilted his head.

“Here,” May spoke gently, fastening the megastone armband around Blaziken’s left arm, “We’ll be fighting this battle together, truly.”

May stepped back behind her partner a fair distance, closed her eyes, composed herself, and opened them again. Her face was the one that Drew had always seen in battle, and he knew that May was truly ready for this.

May held the keystone in her hand in front of her, before bending it back so it lay over her bosom, “Time to take the stage in a great new way, Blaziken! Mega-evolve!”

The same process that gripped Absol before now washed over Blaziken. The white glow came and went in all its majesty, and the new Mega-Blaziken emerged, fierce, poised more intent to battle than ever. His wrist flames trailed behind him as long ribbons of fire. The feathers atop his head grew higher and more dominating, while a fierce red spike grew out between them. Some of his feathers were now tinted a deep black where yellow once lay, ash pouring off them as he moved.

“Alright, let’s show this dragon! Start with sunny day to power us up!” May directed.

Blaziken threw his beak up, screeching loudly as great light burst from inside him, streaking up to the heavens. Yet, after the move ended, the night was still as dark as ever. Rayquaza merely glared.

“Huh?” Drew leaned forward, “How did it have no effect!”

Zinnia chuckled, “It’s Air Lock. It’s Rayquaza’s ability. It prevents any changes in the weather… rain or shine…”

Drew grit his teeth anxiously, ‘Of course… that’s Rayquaza’s role! Surely it has an ability to match!’

May recovered from her mistake quickly, “Fine! We’ll just do this the hard way! Use blaze kick!”

Blaziken, despite his earlier injuries, seemed to move like it was in pristine condition. He leapt higher than he ever had before, and came down with a meteor-like leg sheathed in flame.

Rayquaza lunged upward in response, an orange glow surging up from deep within it.

“Draco Meteor again!” Drew cried out.

“Keep going!” May ordered. Her face was sheer steel at this point.

The draco meteor emerged from Rayquaza’s gaping maw, the massive blast fired up towards the descending mega evolution.

“Spin around and put all your momentum into a sky uppercut to send it back!”

“May!?” Drew gasped. He’d never seen her so reckless before.

The blaze kick vanished behind the avian as he flipped mid-air, building up speed and he plunged down towards the oncoming draconic attack. Finally, Blaziken unfurled, bringing a high octane fist, enhanced by gravity and spinning momentum to bear on Rayquaza’s counter.

The blast was sensation, sending the avian skyward in a way that his own legs could never achieve, while the draco meteor exploded far too soon, the whole cluster of fireballs raining onto the distraught dragon.

“She turned it back!” Zinnia marvelled, “Aster! That’s the greatest maneuver I’ve ever seen!”

But May wasn’t done, “Brave bird!”

The dragon writhed as it shook off the smoldering heat of the super-effective attack of his own creation. The dragon didn’t even think to consider to look upwards until it was far too late.

Blaziken surged down like a meteor himself, sheathed a bright blue coat of burning power. The avian seemed to grow only faster and faster as he descended until he crashed into the hapless dragon type. Clouds of dust were kicked up and the tower shook. Drew briefly wondered if the old structure would survive such a combination, but the shaking stopped. From the dust cloud, Blaziken backflipped in excellent form. He was a tad dirty, and was breathing heavily, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

“Blaziken! That was incred-”

A vicious cry interrupted May’s praise, and the emerald guardian burst from the dust, which scattered to the wind at his movement.

The sky guardian blurred and vanished.

“It’s extreme-speed!” Drew called out to May.

“D-” May began to shout her instruction for Blaziken to dodge, but the fire-fighting type could very see his own peril. As his speed increased, so did his perception, and he saw the lightning fast dragon rounding on him with the move that had hampered Drew for the first half of his bout with the legendary. Blaziken tracked the dragon with his steady eyes, hearing the first part of May’s command ringing in his ears. He flipped to the side, dodging the dragon as the wind that was the dragon’s wake ruffled his feathers.

“Did… Blaziken just dodge that?” Zinnia asked in complete shock.

Drew smiled, his eyes never leaving May, “May’s lasted in the battle long enough in the battle now that her mega-evolutions ability is paying off now. Speed boost.”

Zinnia raised an eyebrow, “Incredible. But you know Rayquaza has one recourse…”

Drew knew too well what she meant, “I know.” He wasn’t sure how May, brilliant battler as she was, would overcome that move.

Again and again, Rayquaza zipped by using extreme-speed. Every time, Blaziken dodged stylishly. A duck, a flip, a backflip. Rayquaza had to stop, snorting in fury as he realized he wasn’t going to hit Blaziken, who was steadily growing even faster. The heavenly guardian climbed higher in the sky, circling and weaving as he went.

“A dragon dance? That’s not going to be enough,” Drew mused.

“Not enough to catch up…” Zinnia spoke warily.

“Now’s our opening! Jump and use blaze kick!” May commanded.

The avian bounded up, the mega-evolution allowing his legs to power him to greater heights than his normal form could ever hope to achieve.

“… but enough to catch him! It’s a trap!” Zinnia realized.

Drew was about to warn May, but the bait was already taken. As Blaziken reached the apex of his jump, he slowed due to gravity. Rayquaza seized the opportunity, coiling his body around Blaziken from the waist down. Blaziken struggled to free himself, but the dragon-flying type simply loomed closer mockingly. An orange light formed in his throat.

“May! That’s point blank! You need to do something!” Drew yelled, seeing the telltale sign of the forming Draco meteor.

May saw the danger too and fretted. She had no idea what to do. He couldn’t move. His body, his legs, his arms!

A look of realization grew in May’s eyes and she grinned mischievously, “Sky uppercut, right in the mouth!”

The same devilish glint appeared in Blaziken’s eyes and a bright glow formed around his fist. Rayquaza was so intent on making a point blank shot to avoid any chance of dodging, he was within arm’s reach. The fist slammed into Rayquaza’s chin, shutting his mouth, loosening the tight trip that the dragon had, and causing the draco meteor to fizzle.

Blaziken landed on the tower below, assuming a combative pose, shouting a taunt back up to the emerald guardian.

“He’s going to do it again,” Zinnia spoke, her voice low.

Drew could see it in Rayquaza’s eyes as well. That move was coming.

Rayquaza vanished into the heavens, appearing as a shimmering green star in the distance. But that distance narrowed very quickly. The steak of pure green flying type energy careened towards Blaziken, sonic booms echoing on his path.

Drew recalled how he had resigned himself to the fact that this was an attack he could not overcome. Rayquaza was a legendary pokemon, and immensely powerful, even among their scale. He looked to May, seeing how she was faring. She had just brought her gaze back down from the sky, presumably from following Rayquaza’s course. He saw her raw determination, her will not to lose.

“She’s planning something,” Drew muttered to himself. He tried to ponder it, but he was left with no time to think on it as Rayquaza’s thundering approach came upon them.

“Get away from the center!” May called to her battler.

Her ever trusting Blaziken heeded her command, flipping back towards the side of the tower. Drew didn’t see how that would change anything, nor how it could help May at this point.

And just like Rayquaza, he didn’t see the future sight until it pounded into the dragon’s battered head.

Drew’s eyes leapt up to the sky, seeing the pink portal vanishing as the delayed discharge of the psychic type attack faded.

The attack didn’t stop Rayquaza from smashing into Blaziken, who was slammed against the steps leading up to the altar. But it did caused the dragon to screech into the ground, at a velocity that Drew was sure would rip the roof straight off the tower. The dragon tumbled headlong off the tower, his momentum too much for the friction to keep him atop the small area it possessed.

“May…” Drew whispered in utter disbelief.

May didn’t even hear him, running over to Blaziken, who lay limp on the stony stairs, shrinking back into his battle-worn normal form.

“Are you ok?” May pressed, lifting the fire-fighting type’s head and cradling it in her arms. Blaziken gave a weary chirp of his name and lifted a shaky thumbs up, or what could count for one, as before.

“You… you were brilliant out there, Blaziken! You… you made me so proud!” Tears pricked May’s eyes as she hugged her starter, her words comforting the worn out avian.

“I can’t believe you pulled it off…” Zinnia spoke, almost speechless, “You… did you really plan that?”

May looked to Drew, a cheeky smile growing on her face, “It was our plan.”

Drew shook his head, “You executed it in a way that was better than I could’ve ever hoped. All the credit goes to you!”

May blushed slightly, giggling before all their attention was stolen by a familiar screech. Rushing over the edge of the tower, before stopping and hovering before them, was Rayquaza. The dragon uttered a low growl, following by a short bow of his head.

“Think it’s safe to say that, Rayquaza is impressed with you!” Zinnia remarked in her jolly voice. The great emerald serpent descended until his body touched the ground, lowering its head to May and Drew, looking between them and letting a low, throaty rumble out into the air.

Zinnia stood, confused, “Wait… you want them to both do it?”

A low growl followed by a higher pitched roar was Zinnia’s reply, before he turned back to Drew and May expectantly.

“Uh… he wants you to both Mega-evolve him,” Zinnia translated, her face a complete mess of confusion.

“Both?” Drew repeated, just as perplexed, “Is that even possible?”

May put a thoughtful finger to her chin, before putting forward her opinion, “Well… mega-evolution occurs when both pokemon and humans connect their hearts as one…” She looked to Drew, a soft look coming over her features, “Maybe if two hearts act one, you can connect both to a pokemon’s.”

The implications of May’s strange, yet seemingly wise words left his mind blank for a few moments before he realized May was holding his hand again. An equally adoring expression found its way onto Drew’s face, and he linked his free hand with her own empty one.

“This will be a first,” Drew spoke. He wanted to try and be witty, but he found is voice coming out in tones that he knew betrayed his feelings. Yet, he realized he didn’t really have a problem with that.

“The first double-mega-evolution,” May told him, her voice giddy with anticipation.

“Two keystones?” Drew asked pertinently.

May, despite having no real evidence, shook her head as though she were certain of the answer, “One heart, one pokemon, one keystone.”

Drew let his keystone fall to the ground, where it was promptly retrieved by Aster for safekeeping. Zinnia watched with a strange fascination, wondering if such a thing really were possible. She knew she would see it now, if it were.

“Ready?” Drew asked, linking his left hand with her right, clasping fingers as both their palms held the keystone firmly.

“Always,” May answered. The look on her face told Drew she was never surer of anything in her life.

They raised their held hands, shouting to the heavens with a united voice, “Rayquaza, respond to our heart, and mega evolve!”

The gleam that radiated from their hand was extraordinary. Yet, through it, Drew could see how angelic May looked its light. He never felt so close to her as he did now.

The swirls of energy billowed from their united hand, a similarly brilliant light streaming from within Rayquaza. The energies met and spread through one another. Warmth spread through all three. Drew could feel it all. Rayquaza’s sense of duty, his power, his fury, his calm. But what intrigued him the most was what he felt from May. Her joy, her radiance, her passion, her determination, her love.

Drew closed his eyes and felt it all, letting it course through him. When the light faded and Drew opened his eyes, he saw how Rayquaza had changed. He was longer, his fin-like appendages along his serpentine body had grown sharp, amber-like gems glistened between them, he had grown tusk like razors on the edges of his mouth, and great golden filaments trailed from his dorsal head-fins and from the new tusks.

He was every bit as majestic as Zinnia described.

Said woman was staring in muted awe, her red eyes shimmering with tears of joy.

“I can’t believe it… you did it!” She practically tripped over herself trying to get a better view, “Oh! He’s breathtaking! I want… I want to see him… touch him, witness him…”

She turned to Drew and May, “You two… I … I never realized how important you were to this undertaking. I knew you were a big part of saving the world but…” she trailed off, “… Your role was even greater than mine!”

Zinnia turned back to the magnificence that was Lord Rayquaza in his mega-evolved form, “He’s yours to command… I can see that. I won’t be the one to save the world,” she let a golden filament slide across her hand. It was warm to the touch, “That will be your task.”

Zinnia looked to Aster, who gave her a kindly expression.

“I… I just want to ask one thing of you…”

She turned back to May and Drew, “Allow me the honour, as a Lorekeeper and Draconid, of battling you and Mega Rayquaza! Let me taste the power I’ve been working so hard to unlock!”

May and Drew looked to each other. They exchanged determined glances and nodded. May spoke first, “We accept! We couldn’t say no to you!”

Drew wore a smug smirk, “Don’t think we’re going to go easy on you, just because we have him on our side.” Drew motioned towards the great emerald beast behind them.

“I want nothing less! Oh! Oh!” Zinnia clenched her fists and her head drooped down as though she were cringing into herself. May wondered for a moment if she was in pain, but Drew knew better, rolling his eyes, “Oh! I can feel it! My pulse is racing, my heart is beating so fast!”

May jumped back startled when Zinnia practically exploded towards her in excitement, “I’m feeling totally pumped! Haaaaah! This is it!”

She unleashed her fiercest pokemon in a flash. Salamence immediately took the skies letting a great roar shake the air around them, which blew with a strong, straight wind.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Zinnia dashed up to the altar, Aster following excitedly. She flung a mega stone into the air, which Salamence swooped in and caught deftly in his jaws.

“Ready for a real challenge, big guy!” Zinnia shouted to her ace. The blue and red terror yelled back proudly, “Then let’s show them what a real Draconid is about!”

Zinnia’s keystone on her anklet arched its energies towards Salamence, as his flew back to her. Moments later, Salamence broke into his new mega-evolved form. Crescent, razor sharp wings carried the dragon through the air as the beast tucked in his legs into his body. Never had Drew seen something so fast, besides the legendary he now controlled.

“Together,” Drew told her.

“Together!” May shouted in reply, cheering.

“Rayquaza! Extreme-speed!” May called. Drew grinned in approval. A good start.

Faster than ever before, Rayquaza took off in a blur. Before Zinnia even knew what happened, Salamence was struck and began falling out of the sky.

“Get your bearings and use dragon claw!” Zinnia ordered, her voice a mixture of intensity and utter rapturous joy.

“Draco Meteor!” Drew called next.

“Claw through it!”

Zinnia’s contender ducked through the air as the draco meteor showered over him. His movements were barely blinks of an eye. And what he couldn’t dodge, he cleaved in twain.

“Extreme-speed,” May called again, the thrill coursing through her.

“Grab it with thunder fang!” Zinnia ordered in reply.

The extreme-speed hit Salamence once more, but this time, it managed to catch the passing tail with charged jaws. Electricity coursed through Rayquaza, causing the dragon to screech.

“Dragon dance out of it!” Drew commanded, inspiration striking him.

The sharp movements of the dragon dance bolstered Rayquaza’s speed, and seemed to make the beast even more ferocious. More importantly, it managed to serve its true purpose and fling the great blue and red terror away.

“Dragon breath!” Zinnia called instinctively, falling into her trance.

Drew and May made the call together, “Dragon ascent!”

Zinnia’s eyes grew wide in surprise, then narrowed with spurred determination, “Meet it head on with dragon claw!”

Rayquaza vanished into the nether, only to come tearing back with a vengeance, while the slower, but still considerably swift Salamence bared its glowing green claws.

Emerald met pale green and a massive explosion took place over the great tower.

From the great cloud of smoke, Salamence fell limp, shifting back to his natural form before he crashed into the tower with a dull thud.

Zinnia hopped down from her perch and went to Salamence’s side. The beast was breathing, but that was just about all it could do it at the moment.

“We never stood a chance…” Zinnia spoke caringly to her battler, “But that’s half the fun. Taking on challenges that no one will ever think you’ll be able to accomplish…” Her eyes raised to Drew and May, “Kind of like you two, and what you have to do now.”

May and Drew looked to their massive mega-evolution and back to Zinnia. “So… do we just tell it to go to space and destroy the asteroid?” May inquired curiously.

“You could… or…” she struck out the word ‘or’ as she pulled out a pair of red and blue eco-suits from behind a pillar, “You could go with him!”

“To space?” Drew murmured flatly.

“Yes!” Zinnia answered, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You’re serious?” Drew pressed.

“Absolutely!” Zinnia reiterated, “Besides, it’s your responsibility!”

“How?” Drew asked, “I didn’t sign up to be an astronaut!”

Zinnia shook her head, “If a single person mega-evolved him, then maybe you wouldn’t. But this little triad you’ve formed could be pretty fragile! You want to stay close so he can keep his mega-evolved form! Or else he won’t be able to stop the asteroid!”

Drew sighed in exasperation. That was certainly not a risk he was willing to take.

“Where did you get those?” May asked, pointing to the suits.

“Oh!” she jabbed a thumb back to the ecosuits on which Aster was playing happily, “I saw them sitting in that base the Magmas and Aquas were sharing! I didn’t care for them, but Aster likes them, and I can’t help but spoil her!”

“I see…” May spoke, taking a moment to think, “Well, I guess we should suit up, Drew!”

Drew let out a hum of agreement, “I guess I should. Besides, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go to space on your own.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” May groused.

“It means I’m not putting any distance between us anymore,” Drew told her, a soft expression washing over him as he set down the ecosuit, “If you think Unova’s far, what makes you think I’m letting you go outside of our planet’s gravitational pull.”

May stared dumbfounded for a moment before his words sank in. “You mean you’re…”

“I don’t care what Contesta says to me. I’m coming home… to you…”

Drew’s words rendered her frozen for a time. The first thing to thaw was her legs that carried him towards him. Then her arms as she reached around him. Then her neck as she craned it up to see his face. Then her lips as she kissed him deeply. He responding in kind, and her mind finally caught up with what she was doing, though it couldn’t find it in herself to change what was happening.

She pulled away, breathless, “Drew…” Her eyes said it all, and so did his. The silence hung in the air, a good silence. One that told them everything they needed to know.

“Let’s go save the world, May.”

Minutes later, Drew found himself encased in the blue ecosuit, and May in the red. Zinnia wore her sly grin as she watched them climb onto Rayquaza’s back. She shouted up to them, “Remember! It’s the big rock! You can’t miss it! If you hit the moon, you’ve gone too far!”

Drew waved at Zinnia dismissively with his bulky suit before hanging on to May. This time, May was at the lead with her arms clinging for dear life on their new, emerald ship to the stars.

“Ready?” Drew asked, his question echoing inside his suit.

She heard him through the built-in radio that connected their suits together communcations-wise.

“I’m ready! If there was ever a co-piloted I wanted, it’d be you!” May told him cheerfully, trying to disguise her nerves at the impending launch.

“Still not too late to let me take the driver’s seat,” Drew teased.

“Please, we all know that the driver gets to save the world!” May shot back, letting out a short gleeful laugh.

Drew couldn’t find a response to that, simply laughing along with her, “Well, the longer we wait…”

“Yeah…” May leaned forward to Rayquaza and asked him softly, “Let’s go! I’m ready to see the world… literally!”

Drew was about to voice another witty retort when the dragon cast off, burning into the dark, starry sky.

All that was left of their presence from atop the tower was an emerald streak.

Zinnia smiled as they departed, “If ever there were a worthy Loremaster. It were those two.”

-          -    -

Space came a lot faster than either of the expected. Breaking through miles of atmosphere faster than any rocket was a rougher ride than they expected. But when they were free of the cradle of the world beneath them, it seemed so peaceful. It was calm up there. Humbling. Drew looked down to the world below, recalling how he felt when he rode on Flygon above Hoenn.

‘This makes everything seem so much less important.’ He looked ahead to May who glanced back, a look of complete wonder and awe on her face, ‘Then there are things that simply don’t change, no matter how high up you are…’

The mood shifted as they approached the asteroid. Rayquaza himself seemed to know what he was doing, but May whispered small pieces of encouragement to him. Whether the dragon could even hear it, or even appreciated it, was anyone’s guess. Their emerald rocket hurtled towards the rock, a glow of immense heated green energy forming around them.

“Uh… is he just going to… crash into it?” Drew’s uncertain voice came.

May let out a noise of cluelessness the beast streamed headlong towards the massive space rock.

“May… tell him to use an attack or something…”

“Uh… Rayquaza… could you use Draco Meteor…”

Drew realized what was happening as the emerald glow around them intensified, “Dragon Ascent…”

“Drew! I can’t stop it!”

“May! We need to-”

“Hold on!” May cried out desperately, ducking down and gripping onto Rayquaza with all her might. Drew did the same, huddling onto May’s back and gripping her tightly. They closed their eyes and hoped for the best.

When the opened them again, there was no space rock. Just a field of floating debris with the world floating safe and sound on the other side. Rocks big and small floated aimlessly.

“We’re… ok…” May breathed for the first time in what felt like forever.

“Remind me to never let either of us go to space again,” Drew heaved out, sighing in exasperation.

“That’s odd…”

“Hmm?” Drew heard May’s comment and looked to where she pointed.

“That one’s moving differently,” she explained.

Drew saw it. A strangely perfect triangular rock floated about erratically, bumping against the other debris.

“Rayquaza, let’s check it out…” May tapped the back of the sky guardian.

This time, the dragon listened and they drifted forward, until Rayquaza suddenly pulled back in revulsion.

“What? What is it?” May asked in alarm, though her answer came soon enough.

Strange tentacles began to wave in and out of the triangular rock, duckin in and out, until. They were black as pitch until colour suddenly filled them, turning them orange and blue.

“May!”

“It can’t be…” the brunette told herself, “It’s…”

The rock shattered, and the being revealed itself, glaring angrily at Rayquaza and his passengers.

“… Deoxys!” Drew finished.

The DNA Pokemon suddenly swooped around, wrapping its tentacles around the asteroid’s debris and began forced them in earths direction.

“What is it doing?” May cried in horror.

“Finishing what it started,” Drew grit, leaning down to Rayquaza, “Extreme-speed! Stop it!”

Quick as a bullet, Rayquaza blitzed towards Deoxys, striking it with a devastating attack that sheared half its body mass.

On the return though, Deoxys merely stared at them as it began to reform.

“It’s using recover!” Drew realized, “We can’t stop attacking!”

“Use draco meteor! Take it and that whole field out!” May ordered, pointing a gloved hand towards their antagonist.

The attack burst through the vacuum, exploding further into a hail of fire fizzled out as space robbed them of their fuel, oxygen. Nevertheless, the hail of new stones caused Deoxys problems. It grew slimmer, and more agile as it dived between every attack. The stones that missed either passed through the debris field, or devastated larger rocks.

“Now he doesn’t have any ammunition to fire at earth!” Drew noted, “The rest of those will just burn up on re-entry!”

“Good! We can focus on-”

May meant to say Deoxys, but their foe reached them first, tentacles forming a large, black shere which crashed into Rayquaza, enraging him further.

“Extreme-speed!” Drew instructed once more.

Even in its more agile form, Deoxys couldn’t outmaneuver the super-quick attacks. Rayquaza attacked from all three dimensions, frustrating the creature until it hardened into a bulkier form,

“It’s slow now!” May noted as Rayquaza continued to assault it. It continued to recover its damage as fast as the dealt it, but they were consistently able to keep it from restoring itself completely.

Drew saw, and grinned, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

May looked back and smiled in that way she always did during battle.

They both said it at once.

“Dragon ascent!”

Rayquaza vanished into the depths of space. The two coordinators held on for dear life, travelling faster than even May imagined the fictional characters in Max’s old sci-fi cartoons did. Their world was a distant marble, but it came back into view and grew larger than either one of them could comprehend.

They met with a black beam that poured around the stark, emerald glow of the dragon ascent attack. They could see Deoxys in the distance. Drew instantly recognized the hyper beam that poured from the gem-like core of the space-borne intruder. He had changed forms again. It looked sharper, and more determined than ever.

But even with this newfound strength, Rayquaza powered through, plowing through the sheer energy like a wedge. May let a hand slip back to Drew, and he reached forward to take it. He felt her energy though the keystone in the gloved hand of the suit she wore. He could feel her energy, her vigour, her will to never lose.

He added it to his and they both fed it into Rayquaza and the dragon type surged forward. The eyes of the DNA pokemon grew wide as it saw it would not win this encounter.

Rayquaza streaked through, returning to earth. May and Drew looked back, seeing the purple floating core gem of Deoxys floating listlessly into the void of space beyond.

-          -     -

Rayquaza, without prompting, deposited his passengers at the tip of the Sky Pillar. The beast let out a long, tremoring cry that echoed across the sea. It might’ve frightened anyone else, but to Drew and May, it was as warm a farewell as they knew they could get from the guardian of the sky.

The mighty Rayquaza flung itself back into the heights of the sky, the shimmering from of its mega-evolution shed like a molting serpent. The two coordinators waved goodbye to their guardian to which they had bonded so closely and walked hand in hand down the steps of the altar.

“That was incredible, Drew!” May bounded up and down eagerly, “It’s not like I really want to go to space again after that, but it was something that I’ll always remember!”

Drew let a wry grin spread across his lips as he looked north back to mainland Hoenn, “You’re not going to get bored with living on earth now, are you?”

May raised her hands, trying to dismiss the notion, “No, no! Of course not! Besides, I’m ready for things to be quiet for now…”

Drew’s smirk only deepened, “Maybe in a small suburban neighbourhood in Slateport?”

“What gives you that idea?” May teased.

“Well, something about the way you kissed me when I told you I’m not going back to Unova, to start,” the top coordinator drawled.

May slapped his shoulder, “A moment of passion! Don’t get such a big head!”

“That’s your job, if I recall,” Drew pressed his advantage.

“Stop ruining the moment!” May whined. Drew let out a laugh, one he knew to be the first of many that he would share with her in the years to come.

He suddenly leaned in to kiss her, his lips finding a comfort in the ones he’d missed in their short stint as astronauts, and much longer before that.

“What was that for?” May asked, stunned.

“Fixing the moment,” Drew told her playfully.

She had to laugh at that one, playfully wrapping her arms around one of his.

They both sighed in relief as Mauville’s new towers came into view. May wanted to run straight to the boat and just relax for the five day trip to Slateport. Drew would be taking a flight to get to La Rousse from there, and she’d  take a ferry from Mauville to just outside of Petalburg. She was excited to get home, but nervous because she knew her dad wanted to get her ready right away.

Drew sensed her plummeting mood, and steered her straight for the nearest restaurant. When in doubt, food.

They ended up at a small bakery right on the outskirts of town, and sat for a bit. Their ship left in two hours, and they would run if they had to. May hoped they didn’t.

Drew bought them both a sandwich to share, and Drew was surprised by how good it was. May tore into it. She didn’t even leave a piece of crust behind.

Drew bought her another one. 

She blushed when she thanked him, and ate it slower. They both people watched for a bit. Drew noticed a strange girl in a red cape whiz by, a Whismur trailing just behind her. A spiral anklet stood out to Drew, and he could’ve sword he saw a keystone. 

Once May downed the last of her soda, they set off towards the docks. Drew noticed May’s improved mood. Food will always be her number one love, huh? He smiled to himself before asking, “You better now?”

“Much. Thanks Drew!” She pecked him on the cheek and he grinned slyly. He grabbed and spun her before dipping her, planting one right on her lips. A few people cheered. May hit his chest and blushed. “You’re so embarrassing,” she huffed.

He just laughed and pulled her along. The looked at shops for a bit before finally boarding the ship. May has walked straight into their room and crashed. Drew just sat at the small desk in the corner and read a magazine. Of course their liplock on stage was front and center. He found he didn’t really mind it. He had waited a long time to finally be where they were, and he wasn’t thinking about the boat.

When May woke up they were already set off. She pulled a dozing Drew up too the top deck to bask in the mist of the sea. She suddenly remembered Manaphy, and smiled. “You know, this reminds me of the Titanic.”

“Great,” he muttered, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “what a great thing to say while we’re out at sea.”

Rolling her eyes, she pulled our her camera. “This week on May’s Expeditions: the Mauville Sea. Will we make it? Or will the dreaded leviathan Kyogre make an appearance?” Drew groaned and grabbed her camera.

“Are you five or something?” He tried to turn it off, but she grabbed it back from him. She turned the lens on him. “May! Stop it!” He blushed as the ran around the deck. May couldn’t stop laughing as she commentated on her latest episode. When he finally caught her, she just turned the camera around.

“This week on a special episode of May’s Expeditions! Dating Drew: the World’s Toughest Journey!”

 The stage hand to her left gave her a one minute warning and her breathe hitched. Memories of Lisia's pep talk the first day popped into her mind. “Don’t forget what coordinating is all about! Some think it’s all about superficial qualities, but we know they’re wrong! It’s about connecting with your Pokemon and showing that any Pokemon can be special! Remember that you are partners are more than just performers; you’re friends!” Altaria let out joyous cry, prompting Lisia to give her best friend a hug.

All she wanted was for Altaria to take her away. She gripped her pokéballs with fear and anticipation. "This is your last shot, May." Even with the crowd cheering, her voice sounded firm. "Give it all you've got." 

 The stage lights nearly blinded her as she walked calmly to meet Drew in the centre. Her hands shook as she gripped his. His eyes said what his lips couldn't, and suddenly her nerves melted away. This was Drew. She could do this. Maybe. 

 "With five minutes on the clock, the battle for the Hoenn Grand Festival Ribbon Cup of 2015 between May Maple and Drew Hayden begins!" The clock started counting down, and May couldn't have been more excited. 

 "Blaziken, Goodra! Take the stage!" With two flashes of brilliant thunderbolt seals, her two Pokémon appeared with a strong stance. Their eagerness to win could be felt by even the fans watching at home. 

 "Goodra, huh?" Drew chuckled. "Always full of surprises. But that won't help you win May!" He chucked his own pokéballs into the air. Roserade and Flygon were shrouded in pink petals, regal expressions painted across their faces. Goodra was a new addition to the team, raised and bred for this specific moment. She knew Drew would use Flygon. She knew his move sets and team like the back of her hand, but she was still ready for any tricks he may have.

They stared at each other, neither team making a move. With a playful sneer, Drew shot his hand out. "Solar Beam and Sand Storm, go!" Flygon soared above the field. He beat his wings furiously, whipping up a strong wall of wind that blinded May's Pokémon. A bright light seemed to absorb the sand, and blasted the wall apart with a ferocity of a feral Arcanine. Blaziken dodged, but Goodra wasn’t fast enough. Still, she stood up defiantly.

 "Goodra, Rain Dance!" Her plan to counter Solar Beam was in effect. While Blaziken's fire type moves would be hindered, Drew couldn't rely on Solar Beam's sheer power. Gentle drops of rain fell down on the whole room. Judges and audience alike were stunned at the range Goodra’s Rain Dance had. Blaziken’s fists ignited with a mighty cry. "Sky Uppercut!" Blaziken was upon Flygon in the blink of an eye, slamming a fist up at his jaw. Roserade thought ahead, launching a powerful Weather Ball at Blaziken.  

 "Goodra, use Thunder! Blaziken, Mega Kick!" Blaziken's foot grew white as it aimed right for Roserade. Arcs of electricity blasted Weather Ball apart. Blaziken disappeared into the cloud, and came down like a hammer.

"Roserade, Flygon! Dodge and use your Weather Dragon combination!" Roserade leaped onto Flygon’s back, letting Blaziken crash into the ground. At the same moment, both of Drew’s Pokemon let their attacks fly. Goodra waited for May’s command as Dragon Pulse and Weather Ball melded into a blue dragon of energy. It raced down and slammed into Goodra before May could even tell her to use Protect. 

The smoke cleared and Goodra was down. May stood in shock, barely even recalling her poor Pokemon. There was no way one attack can knock her out! May’s thought grew frantic as Drew launched another attack on Blaziken. Blaziken scrambled to dodge, jumping left and right to get away from the onslaught of attacks. “Use Sludge Bomb!”

Blaziken was hit straight in the face. Roserade was laughing triumphantly while Flygon went in for a Steel Wing.

“Blaziken no!’ May watched in horror as her starter was slammed into the ground. She looked to the clock and saw she only had a minute left and barely any points. Drew stood by with a hearthearted smile. This was to easy for him, and he was feeling guilty about how this match was going. Given the circumstances that fell on her after this was over, Drew almost wanted to throw the match.

He never got the chance.

Blaziken stood slowly as a red aura encircled him. His eyes seemed to piece his opponents more than any Intimidate did. May watched in awe as her best friend gave her a small grin, despite everything. Understanding, she nodded. Looking straight into Drew’s eyes, she cried, “This isn’t over, Drew!” Her hand flew up and she rubbed the gem she had found all those months ago. Her father had given Blaziken a matching one. She had spent month’s perfecting this, refusing to let Blaziken down. this was the fruit of all their hard work.

This was their bond.

A soft white light blended with the red as Blaziken let out a mighty cry. When the light dimmed, Drew looked on in amazement as Blaziken stood fully mega evolved. “Unbelievable! Not only did Blaziken activate it’s Blaze ability, May gave us quite the show by mega evolving her Pokemon! Quite the turn of events!” The MC mirrored the excitement that finally bubbled over. Friends and rivals alike watched from their various locations, all smiling at the small girl from Petalburg.

“Now! Mega Kick!” Even faster than before, Baliken slammed Flygon down. He went flying straight into Roserade. They hit the wall with a thud. “Fire Spin!” Drew’s Pokemon were shrouded in blue flames, the heat searing off the little hairs on his arms. 

“Flygon, Sand Storm!” Flygon’s attack never made as Blaziken’s Fire Spin knocked it out cold. Refusing to give up on her trainer, Roserade let a Weather Ball fly in place of Dragon Pulse. Rain Dance was still in effect, and Blaziken got hit hard. The clock struck ten seconds.

“Finish this quick! Use Extrasensory!” Roserade’s eyes flashed blue.

“Stand up! Use Brave Bird!” Despite the power of the Psychic move, Blaziken kicked of the ground. Free falling, his body glowed with pure power. He slammed into Roserade just as the clock struck zero.

A shining white light let May know the mega evolution ended, and she got scared. But when she heard Blaziken roar triumphantly, tears fells from her eyes. She ran and tackled the exhausted Blaze Pokemon. The both laughed and cheered as the crowd erupted in applause. Drew recalled Roserade, smiling thoughtfully. “You were amazing.’ 

He wasn’t even sure if he was talking to his partner, or the girl with tears pouring from her eyes as she laughed. He walked up to her. She tackled him too. She looked up at him, and let her emotions take over.