6

To be on the safe side, I didn't leave Murcott Island until the next day.

Instead, I had Winter fly me back to the Pokémon Center, where I then returned him and handed him and Arakh to Nurse Joy for a look over. Even though I'd been living with one of her cousins for months at this point, my Joy barely had any customers, and I wasn't certain on the procedure for recent captures with questionable loyalties.

So, I let her know that Arakh was a newly caught Scyther, a straggler from the swarm that I got the better of. She thanked me profusely for the information, going so far as to inform me of the proper procedure with regards to newly caught Pokémon.

It essentially came down to three factors: the Pokémon itself, the way it was caught, and the level of damage it sustained. Certain Pokémon were more submissive by nature than others, Caterpie and its evolutionary line for example, and if I had caught one of those then Joy would have no problem healing it. But I caught a Scyther, so the other two factors were scrutinized more closely.

In this case, I beat Scyther down effectively and without mercy. This actually helped me out, since the stubborn nature of his species made it necessary that dominance be established before capture. Because I caught him so easily, he would have little to no issues following my commands, which checked off box number two on Nurse Joy's list.

Finally, since he was barely conscious upon capture, she could work in a safer manner without having to sedate him further, neatly checking off the third box.

So, to sum it all up, Joy would heal my Scyther. But, in the event that I caught a Pokémon that was even more aggressive than Arakh was, no Nurse Joy or Pokémon Center would heal it up until I obtained its loyalty.

That, ah… That could be an issue. The future isn't set in stone or anything, but some of my plans involved Pokémon that were way beyond me at the moment. Soon enough I would be able to handle them, but for now…

Well, I had my work cut out for me in training Arakh. One thing at a time.

So, conversation ended, Joy took my Pokémon and I took a room for the rest of the afternoon and night.

.

I awoke to my alarm once again, 7:00 on the dot. The sun was already overcast Murcott, soon to be full blast. With a billow of my sheets and a flair for the dramatics, I escaped my bunk and made my way to the shower systems. They weren't private by any stretch of the word, cameras littered the corners and the system was comprised of public shower stalls reminiscent of what you'd expect in a high school gymnasium. The Pokéverse was a melting pot of cultures all loosely based with traditions predominantly found in Japan, and it was expected that public bathing be a simple affair. It was jarring, to be certain, but not horrible. Luckily, I was the only one in here; the lackadaisical lifestyle of the Archipelago and its trainers meant that there would be a slow trickle of people in this room for the next few hours.

I dropped my clothes off in the washer-dryer, locked the main doors and turned on the shower.

Ten minutes later, a clean ginger kid walked out of the room in fresh clothes. I shimmied up to the lobby, where a small breakfast platter of berries and granola was available, bottles of water and moo-moo milk cartons to its side.

I grabbed a Sitrus berry and a glass of milk and took a seat, Nurse Joy timing her return from the sickbay perfectly to greet me just a moment later.

"Mr. Snow?" She queried, and I nodded. She smiled at me. "Hello Jon, how was your sleep?"

I had some berry in my mouth, so I washed it down with milk. "It was pretty great Nurse Joy! Thanks for asking." I blinked, belatedly remembering that she had my Pokémon. "Actually, now that you're here – are my Pokémon ready to go? I need to get back to Shamouti, train a bit and see if there's any more work to be done."

Her smile turned slightly strained. "Your Pokémon are just fine, though I overestimated how simple it would be to care for your Scyther. He was a difficult one, threated myself and Chansey a time or two with his scythes. Luckily, your Pidgeot was able to keep him well in hand, so it wasn't anything serious. I would recommend you train his reaction to new people, however."

My ears were probably as red as my hair. Well, that was decidedly embarrassing. The Pokémon of a trainer reflected on the trainer itself, regardless of it being a recent capture or not. Scyther being a pain meant I was a pain, and you never want to be a pain to the saints that are the Joy's.

I apologized profusely, but she just waved me off. Instead she reached around the back of her desk and withdrew a small plate with my Poké Balls.

It was then I came across a conundrum.

I didn't know which one housed what.

One would think this is an obvious problem to sort out, but not me. I hadn't even though of it once. I mean, Winter had been my only Pokémon for the past couple months, and I hadn't caught anything else since yesterday. This was an issue that never even occurred to me. I would normally separate my spare Poké Balls with Winters Poké Ball by putting them on opposite sides of my ball belt: Winter on the left and the spares on the right. It was an easy enough system that removed any confusion I might have held.

Obviously, I'd need to rethink this in the future.

Ah well, no harm done. I just took the balls, signed out of the center – making sure to give it a five-star review – and walked out. I released a Poké Ball and watched as Arakh appeared. Before he could even open his eyes, I returned him and released Winter in his place. I put Winters ball and Arakh on the left of the ball belt, Arakh at the edge and Winters ball by him, and thus the problem was solved.

Climbing on Winters back, we took off for Shamouti.

.

Six hours later and Shamouti was in sight. The flight between Murcott and Shamouti normally wouldn't take that long, but we decided to take a couple detours by cutting through Gold and Kinnow Islands. Gold Island was a- a weird place, with its peoples dedicated to worshipping Meowth in hopes of getting free money. Kinnow was a more easy-going place, a small town dedicated to entertainment. They tried to get Winter to do a number with their own Pokémon, but I put my foot down on that. No way in hell would I let Winter do that. Plus, knowing him, he'd sooner drop me in the water if I tried.

I did get lunch there though. Tauros steak is pretty good, tender but chewy and surprisingly sweet. So far its been my favorite food. Well worth the 10 it cost.

Winter circled above Shamouti, screeching his return, and we landed right in front of the Brinks family home. I returned him then and knocked on the door.

A few moments passed, and just as I was able to knock once more, Melody, Carols younger sister, opened the door. She was, I admitted, a cute girl, or at least would become a looker when she was the appropriate age. Looking to be about a year younger than me, her wild red-brown locks were splayed all about, barely held down by a bandana.

She recognized me though. We'd met once before, or at least briefly saw one another. She was looking through the window when Carol explained what being a courier entailed and knew my job.

So, quiet as a mouse, she opened the door further and let me inside, closing it behind me. With a wave of her hand she shooed me to her grandfather's office, and then disappeared further inside the house.

His office door was open by a crack, so I popped my head inside. "Is now a bad time?"

Tobias had been slowly typing away on his computer, going one finger at a time with his tongue stuck out, when I spoke. He craned his neck over to me, and his serious look melted into joy as he beckoned me inside.

"Ah! Jon, m'boy. You came quicker than I anticipated, I thought you were going to hunt for a new Pokémon or see the Archipelago; we weren't expecting you for another day at least. Come in, come in!"

I took his chair and got comfortable, "I actually did all of those things. I caught a Scyther and was able to check out Kumquat Island, Cleopatra Island, Moro Island, Murcott Island, the Grapefruit Islands, Gold Isle and Kinnow Island."

He blinked, slowly. "Well, that's quite a bit. And congratulations on the Scyther! Are you sure you can handle it, though? I thought they were tricky little blighters to raise."

I shrugged, "I think I'll be fine, and if he's too much for me… I dunno, I'll figure something out. I'm not worried though, if that's what you mean."

"It is indeed what I meant," he smiled. "Now, what news do you have for me?"

So, with that the business began. I broke down the responses I received, as well as the lack of response on Danny's part, which Tobias said was no trouble. Danny had already informed him through email what was going on with his end of things. Danny gave Tobias 150 for my service, of which I received 120. I understood that Tobias, being my employer, got a cut of my work, and all things considered it was only 20% of my earnings on a single job, it could have been a hell-of a lot worse.

But that didn't mean I didn't like it. Those people that paid me in cash were best, yessir they were.

It was then that we discussed other jobs, as well as financial detailing's that needed to be dealt with. Since I was now earning a decent wage and was a Pokémon owner, I needed to invest in a trainers' license. They not only functioned as identification, they also functioned as a debit cards, letting me save, spend and transfer my money easily and without hassle.

Sadly, I wasn't ten. The rule was that I needed to either be ten years old or sponsored by a regional executive – a professor or a gym leader or a breeder – before I could get an early ID. For now, I would just have to be careful with my money, put it in a safe space and use it sparingly, but soon enough I would need the ID.

The other jobs we discussed were invitations. Now that I'd proven my speed and willingness to deliver, Tobias told me that the big job I needed to do now was go throughout the Archipelago and hand deliver invitations to the festival.

Shamouti was an island of older peoples, and they liked to do things the old-fashioned way. Messaging inquiries online might have been easier, but the human element of delivering letters was unique and special.

The festival was on April 29th, which meant I had just under six weeks to get all of the letters settled. On top of that, more courier services would be required of me; the berries that I delivered to the Joy on Kumquat were apparently serviceable, and Shamouti needed more batches delivered to other Pokémon Centers and distilleries to begin the trading process of this year.

Essentially, I had a pretty heavy schedule lined up. Letters and traveling and training and preparing, there wasn't going to be that much time available.

But I could handle it.

…Probably.

.

Forty days flew by, much faster than I anticipated.

Originally, I just began with training. I wanted to curb Arakh's attitude as quickly as possible, ensuring that he worked well with others. It took a bit to get him willing to listen to me, requiring Winter to take him down a few pegs in mock battles before he did as I asked, but we got there. He naturally focused on harder hitting meele attacks supplemented by his agility, opposing my desire to have him speedily fly around a battlefield. He needed to realize that staying his distance was a good thing, that getting up and close was fine when he could get away with it, but there were other options.

Basically, I gave him Winters old weights.

Scyther are built for speed, not muscle. The weights weren't necessarily heavy, but they were noticeable, and as time passed, he slowed down more and more, eventually taking a more cautious approach to combat. He hated it quite a bit. Winter and I shared a bonding moment in the form of sadism.

Such was the life.

Curiously, after having a sit down with him, he took to other people without any trouble. I think in Nurse Joy's case, he just didn't know what to expect. But when I introduced him to people on my own, he was fine. He even let Carol command him for a few mock battles!

There were more moves being learned too, I should say. Winter knew Steel Wing, and I wanted Arakh to learn Metal Claw. Since Winter knew how to access the Steel type energy required to use the technique, I had him try to show Arakh the way of things. He was a quick study too, learning the attack over the course of a week to a devastating effect.

With Arakh as a partner, Winter also grew in power. Having a sparring partner made the difference, as we knew from when he was a Pidgeotto. Winter didn't pick up any new moves, but his general strength grew and his battling capabilities refined themselves.

Workwise, we made bank. Being a courier was easy money. Our first trip involved delivering a letter to Valencia, which once delivered involved a return trip that required Winter to carry a pair of supply boxes strapped to the Riders Seat back to Shamouti.

That job took a full day. The boxes were heavy, awkward, and Winter required a few breaks to finish the job, taking a whole day, but it was worth it in the end. I received 620 for the trouble, which I later learned wasn't even a full percentage worth of what was delivered.

Then the letter ferrying services took off. Not only did I deliver multiple letters to each and every populated island of the Archipelago, I also had more return and specialty notice jobs. The letters were 25 a delivery, and with a range of five to twenty letters per island, my wallet grew exponentially, to a whopping 12875. And I was taking my time!

I have more money in my bank now than I've ever had in my savings account on Earth.

I don't know if that can be considered sad or not, but at least I was being productive.

Now, I couldn't save all of that, obviously. I had to pay for food and supplies, including some more Poké Balls. But in these past forty days I only spent 280 on those things, leaving me with 12595.

But just as all things must come to an end, so too did this have to finish. With the last of the letter's delivery three days prior, the festival was upon us.

It was time.

. . .

Y'know, the movie didn't do the festival justice.

In the Power of One, Ash just waltzed up to Shamouti and, since he was a trainer, they made him the Chosen One for the year. Now, I know that this is a real problem. It's a big event and a lot of the time, people only become Pokémon trainers because they liked Pokémon, not because they wanted attention. Becoming the Chosen One was a very attention heavy task, and since it could only be performed by somebody once in their lifetime, and since advertising wasn't easy, we didn't have that many people join up.

Consequently, that meant that the festival in the movie wasn't shown to its fullest. We saw Ash and Brock and Misty basically rushed through the event, the islanders only real goal being the retrieval of the orbs.

However, I was not some random trainer that Tobias got at the last minute. I was prepared and had been for weeks, studying the lines that were required and even going through a few practice rounds for the real thing.

And now that it was time for the festival to begin, the nerves were hitting me hard. I was sat in front of a makeup chair, Carol and another woman I didn't know painting on my face.

"It's been a while since we got to do this, right?" The woman asked Carol, peppering something on my eyelids.

"Three- no, four years I think." Carol agreed, humming.

I made to talk but choked as a powdery substance got in my mouth.

"Hey!" Carol groaned, wiping at my mouth with a towel. "Don't move Jon, we're almost done. I know, it's weird, but just let us finish our job and then you can go."

Grumbling, I did as was bade. Yeah, I won't lie. When I agreed to be the Chosen One, I was thinking it'd be like what Ash went through. A small feast, a fun ceremony, collecting some artefacts, the works. I hadn't realized there was an entire production involved until a few days ago, and by then I was committed. A little bit of effort never killed a guy, and this was minor.

It was just weird.

"There!" Carol said, dabbing thrice on my forehead. "We're done. Open your eyes and tell me what you think."

Slowly, I peeled my eyelids open, and stared at the mirror.

By Mew. What have they done to me?!

I looked so- so… weird! I mean, I didn't look bad, which was a blessing in it of itself, but jeebs. My eyes were smoky and black, my cheeks covered in white war paint, on my brow sat three dots, in red, blue and yellow, signifying the order of the islands, a green dot situated on the hump of my nose for Shamouti.

"Alright Jon, go grab a mask from the rack next to the door and enjoy the festival. You remember the phrase I say when we start the event, right?"

I cut my eyes to the rack she mentioned, where tribal masks were glaring at us.

"Yeah, I got it." Plus, now I could enjoy what there was to offer.

"Mkay, go ahead," Carol waved me off. "I've got to get ready for my part too."

Without needing to be told twice, I bolted for a mask, the one I picked was made of wood with thick eye sockets and a mane of brown fur, and left the room immediately after. Putting the mask on took a bit of an adjustment, seeing as how it was bigger than my head was, but I made do.

The festival was just as I hoped it would be, however. Colorful and full of people, the streets of Shamouti were packed. Shops of various foods and games were lined on cobblestone pathways, more kids than I'd ever seen in this world running up and down the corners. There was a line of people in a Gyarados costume, dancing up the path to the enthusiastic cheers of the visitors. Even I joined in, because this was just too cool.

I ended up just losing myself in the festival, forgetting how I looked. I played games with some other kids, tried and failed to flirt with some older women, got into an eating contest, the works. I had a blast and was really glad I decided to stick around.

But the main event had to begin, and there was no stopping it.

As I was stuffing my face with a meat bun pastry, a gong sounded. I blanched, looking up. There, at the center of the festival, surrounding the totem-pole dedicated to the Legendary Birds that was landmark, stood an ensemble of peoples, all wearing masks similar to mine.

Queue given, I hastily made my way over, just as I could hear Tobias finishing his speech.

"-or Ice! For Lightning! He has come to save us, the Chosen One!"

His entourage broke into dance, forming a path that I slowly walked through. They were touching me, my arms and legs, my back and chest. It was a strange tradition, where the peoples of Shamouti would try and take in the essence of the Chosen One.

Tobias and I had a stare down, where I then bowed, my hands clasped together at my front. He mimicked the movement, and the group lifted me, turning me so that I was facing the crowd. There was, like, almost a thousand people staring at me.

Kinda intimidating.

Drums began to do their thing, and Carol and her crew came up next. They were dancing to us, all of them, Carol being the youngest though not nearly the most flexible. They were doing things with their bodies that I thought only a few could do.

Genetics man. Gotta love em.

Twirling about, Carol came to me. Sat on the shoulders of a pair of kneeling men, we were eye level to one another. She removed my mask, my face bare to the world, and she took advantage. He hands snaked up my shoulders to my chin, tilting me so that our lips touched. In practice she only allowed kisses to the cheek, and I was expecting such. Clearly that wasn't to be.

Not that I minded, of course. Carol is hot, and I already have a body that can't do a lot of what I'd like it to be able to. Not yet, at least. So, I'll take a kiss and raise her one with it.

I slipped her some tongue.

She shot her head back, eyes wide and cheeks flushed in surprise. I smirked at her, and she narrowed her eyes. They were playfully narrowed though, so I knew I had escaped her wrath.

Carol turned to the crowd, lifted her hands and roared, a sound that was echoed with cheers and wolf whistles.

"Here we have our Chosen One! He came to us a boy, and now he comes before you, a man of Shamouti, a keeper of the balance!" The girls she had come with started a slow, sensuous dance around her, livening her speech up. "He will go to the isles of Fire, Ice and Lightning to retrieve the treasures of the great beasts and return them to our shrine! Upon his return, I, as the Festival Maiden, will play the Beasts Hymn in hopes that the great beasts are quelled for their respective seasons! Fire for Summer, Lightning for Fall, and Ice for Winter!"

She twisted one last time, falling on her knees, arms raised towards me. "Will you, O' Chose One, do this deed for us?"

Slowly, I looked at her, then I turned my head to the crowd. They stared, some with their cameras out, some in awe, some realizing the level of cheesiness that is happening. Regardless, I had to say my line.

I made to stand, the guys I'm standing on adjusting to allow me the movement and extended my arms for the whole world. "It will be done!"

The crowd roared, cheering and clapping and hooting, but I only had the capacity to pay attention to one thing.

My damned voice cracked!

I seriously hate being so young.

The party began anew as Carol breathed deeply and smiled at me, returning her speech to normal. "Sorry about that, but this is my last your as Festival Maiden, so I wanted to go a little over the top."

I snickered. It wasn't a full-blown laugh, but definitely was funny. "Well, as far as first kisses went, I think that's as good way for it to go as any."

She shot me a stink eye. "Glad you approve," she drolled, shaking her head. "What would my boyfriend say if he saw that?"

"Nothing, since he doesn't exist."

Her glare gained some heat. "Ow."

We swapped insults and joked around a little bit longer, before she shooed me to the islands. I shrugged, releasing Winter. He'd already gotten to eat, Arakh as well, and so was not interested in the food available, or at least not enough for him to do anything about it. Rather than risking it, I just mounted him.

"The time has come!" Carol shouted, catching the last of the crowds' attention. "The Chosen One is off, let us send him away with many thanks, for he may not return!"

A lie: big, bold, and brass. If I didn't come back the festival would probably be discontinued. As a just in case, I've got a teleportation beacon at the ready, where a native that owns a Kadabra could reach me. Incidentally, this native was a former Chosen One, having participated in the festival seventeen years prior.

The crowd roared and Winter, knowing his part and enjoying being a showboat, extended his wings and cried out.

A few women came forward, lining up next to Carol, Melody forced to be with them. Carol spoke.

"We maidens of the past," she motioned to the older women, ranging from being blatantly elderly to being only a little older than Carol, "the present," she stood forth," and the future," Melody actually had to be pushed forward, she was not a happy camper, "send you off."

As one, they spoke; mumbled in Melody's case. "Keep the balance, O' Chosen One."

Memo received, I tugged at Winters scalp, and we were off, the roar of the crowd in our wake.

Fire Island was first. Not only was it farther away, but it also was the easiest to navigate.

"Winter," I said. Even though I could barely hear myself, I know he could hear me. "Stay low. We don't know what might come to us, and if Moltres is there I don't feel like provoking it." I mean, even though this was an island made for a movie, and this was another universe, the Birds might not be here. Legendary Pokémon were super rare, and even though I wanted the movies to be real, it's entirely possible for Fire Island to be home to nothing of importance.

We circled the island a few times, noting a dip in the large cliff-face. The dip was home to a small temple, facing Shamouti on the eastern side of the island. A stone monument stood in a lonely vigil, a glass sphere with living fire in its mouth. Winter landed, and I grabbed the item, stuffing it in a thick cloth inside my backpack. As we left the island, I noted a few Pokémon staring at us, the most notable of which being a Ninetails, its head cocked in what appeared to be confusion.

Cute.

Next on the list was Ice Island, its thin mountain intimidating. The trip was simple enough, it only took like a minute to go between the two islands. We circled Ice Island, just as we did Fire Island. There was no shrine to be found.

Confused, we circled the island three more times. We found no shrine. However, on the fourth, Winter screeched and dove, taking us to a small divit in the mountainside, a stairwell of stone lit by white fire torches.

Without being prompted, Winter entered the shrine. He flew low and slow, but still fast enough to give me a heart attack, which ended up not needed to happen. A blur or red waddled in our path, and with a cascade of bodies we fell to the floor, the ice forcing us to slide.

I groaned as I stood, my arm leaking red. Luckily, nothing seemed to be hurt, just a bruise that turned bleeder. Winter was shuffling about as well, and we both turned to the creature that caused us to fall.

A plump looking bird with a red body and a head and chest plumed with white feathers stood before us. Brown eyes surrounded with black markings glared at us, a large tail shaped like a sack twitching irritably.

Holy crap. That's a Delibird.

I've run into plenty of Pokémon during my courier services, a few Flying types as well. Butterfree, Spearow, Fearow, even a Mantine. But none of those Pokémon caught my attention like this Pokémon did. Delibird was a rarity, the only Flying type that was also an Ice type outside of Articuno in the game. In the world, if the games hadn't updated over time.

Yeah, no. This Chosen One bullshit? Nah, doesn't matter. All that matters right now is that I am going to catch this bird.

"Winter, Steel Wing. Twister if you miss."

Needing no further prompting, Winter shot off at the momentarily stunned Pokémon with his wings lit up like polished metal in the sun. Delibird caught wind that it was being attacked, and made to escape, but Winter had momentum and speed besides, catching up without issue and slamming Delibird in the back with Steel Wing. The Ice type went flying into the wall of the tunnel, looking stunned.

Winter was a good boy. He took further advantage of Delibird's being stunned and shot a Twister at it. With a waddled scramble, Delibird dodged, throwing a Present from its tail at Winter, the item exploding, flinging Winter into the other wall. Winter wasn't done, however. He fired another Twister at Delibird, this time reaching its target.

Delibird looked very tired, struggling to move. Winter fired another Twister. There was no more struggle, Delibird was just KO'd.

I took that moment to throw a Poké Ball at its downed form, the sphere shaking violently.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleve-click.

There it was! I caught a Delibird.

Plucking my newfound Pokémon's Poké Ball from the ground and stashing it on my ball belt, I looked to Winter. He was injured, that much was obvious, but outside of that he looked ready to go, adrenaline coursing through him. To be safe, I grabbed a Super Potion and sprayed over where Present hit him. The liquid stung something fierce, but he was healing before my eyes.

I mounted him then, and we returned to the search.

.

To be on the safe side, we chose to fly more sedately through the tunnels. One could go so far as to say we weren't really even flying, just gliding. We didn't want any more Pokémon to get pissy, especially since Delibird was likely the only one on Ice Island, aside from Articuno of course, that would catch my attention.

The monument was close by. Glowing lightly, the white-blue sphere was on display in the same way as on Fire Island. I grabbed the treasure, stuffing it next to the treasure of fire in my bag, and mounted Winter once more. The ceiling was sealed by a thick layer of ice, so that meant we'd have to return the way we came.

Winter needed to fly around the temple room a bit to gather his bearings, and as he gathered momentum a flash of red from near the ceiling caught my attention.

Peering up, I found myself looking at a pair of rubies muddled by a heavy mist. No, wait – not rubies. They were moving, trailing me.

They were eyes.

As I adjusted my own eyes towards the pair of red eyes staring down at me, Winter began his return to the island proper. I was only just able to catch a glimpse of the outline of the body that those eyes belonged to, and my heart drummed a heavy beat inside my chest. Curled up on a small slab of stone near the top of the temple, the silhouette of Articuno tracked our return.

I didn't get to see Articuno in its full, true glory, but I knew.

It would be mine. My worry from earlier today, the thought that these birds might not even exist, was erased. Eventually, I'd come back. I knew where it roosted, where to find it. I'd challenge Articuno, again and again and again if I had to. I'd be a nuisance, pestering it continuously, never letting up.

But I would have it.

Winter knew what to expect from the tunnel this time around, and there was no fall. We escaped the temple without further preamble, and left Ice Island in short order.

Lightning Island was next, and last. At this point, I was already in a deliriously happy mood. I'd caught a Delibird and witnessed Articuno. Milestones had been achieved today, the minor embarrassment I'd felt from the festival had already washed itself away.

The pedestal holding the treasure was plain to see. Sat in the middle of a stone amphitheater smack dab in the middle of the island, there was no way I would have missed it.

Winter approached, and I reached down. We didn't even land, just swooped down and took the treasure right out of the statues mouth. Winter took a moment to hover in place while I stuffed the treasure next to its fellows. The trio were bright, the energies inside of the spheres seemingly dancing in concert with one another, brightening and quickening now that they were united.

I tugged on Winters scalp and we were off. A low, keening sort of noise echoed from behind us. I craned my neck curiously, trying to understand the raw sound. And promptly, I turned whiter than snow, so scared was I.

A titanic form of black and yellow rose from the tree-lines behind the temple of Lightning Island, great arcs of electricity dancing over its form whilst a spear-like beak spun in bloodlust. Red beady eyes stared me down, and in an instant, a blast of lightning arced towards me.

It was luck that we dodged. My flight or fight instincts kicked in hard and I flinched like a motherfucker, tugging Winters scalp feathers to the side in a flail of motion. He cried out in confusion as he did a barrel-roll, the confusion silencing itself quickly as lightning barely missed him, the boom of thunder echoing seconds later, deafening us.

There was no need to communicate. Winter and I were on the same page, and he kicked it into gear, flying as quick as he could towards the temple of Shamouti.

Zapdos didn't leave the island. Instead, he fired another bolt of lightning from his perch at his temple. The move was so powerful that when we dodged once more, the bolt streaked past Shamouti, meaning that that singular attack traveled well over three miles in the span of a few seconds.

It was awe-inspiring. Or at least, it would be if such a devastating attack wasn't aimed for me.

We'd just arrived at the Shamouti temple. Carol was there, decked out in her festival regalia, her flute at her side, face awash in horrified bewilderment.

Winter did not land gracefully. No, he dropped down right onto the stonework, the Rider's Seat snapping. I fell from his back in a heap, my bloody arm spurting further, and the cramps from my leg returning with a vengeance. Hissing, I righted myself and made to put the treasures where they belonged.

"Jon, JON!" Carol shouted. She was right next to me, attempting to help me up. But she was also trying to stall me, to keep me in place so that I wouldn't aggravate my injury. That couldn't be allowed, not when we were in such a rush. "What is going on?! What was that beam from before?!"

"Zapdos," I said, cutting her off firmly. "Carol, start playing the hymn. The song might calm it down."

"Zap- What are you talking about?! It's a myth! There is no Zapdos here!"

He took that moment to fire another arc of lightning at us. Now that I wasn't running from it, I could see why Carol thought it was a beam. The bolt was massive, wider than Zapdos himself was large, streaking just over the temple into the forest behind, an explosion of heat buffeting us, the trees alight with fire.

"THERE IS NO TIME!" I snapped at her, shaking her. As if what she had just seen didn't shake her further. "Play. The damned. SONG!"

She didn't need to be told further. Shakily, tears falling freely, she brought her flute to her mouth, and started to play the tune. As she did this, I began to place the treasures where they belonged.

The Fire treasure, facing Fire Island.

The Ice treasure, facing Ice Island.

The Lightning treasure, facing Lightnin- HOLY SHIT.

Zapdos wasn't off in its aim this time. A bolt of lightning, as wide as a house, was aimed directly for my person. Would have probably killed me too, were a sphere of green energy not surrounding the temple. Slowking appeared from behind us, his body lit up in that same energy, Protect used well.

"Do not stop," he bade Carol. Carol had paused her playing, the lightning hitting the shield causing her to scream. Hysteria was building in her, I could see, but she continued her song all the same. She could have a panic attack al she wanted after we were all clear.

Water began to sprout from the upper area of the temple, cascading down the steps of the monument, glowing a green not unlike what would be seen on a fresh grass plain. The pillars that surrounded us lit up with the song, echoing Carols tune for the whole of Shamouti, Ice, Fire and Lightning to hear.

On Lightning Isle, the electricity that was prevalent on Zapdos's form dissipated. Though blurry and far away, its body language was apparent. A loud, echoing screech from its distorted voice caught onto the wind, and one last bolt of lightning raced towards us, small and unassuming though it was when compared to what we'd been dealing with before.

There was no warning. Unlike the other attacks where it was obvious, this time it was subtle. One moment was all it took, and the electricity beamed me right in the head, shattering Slowkings protect like Hollywood glass. It was barely the width of a quarter. I fell back in a heap, screaming as my brow sizzled.

Slowking and Winter rushed over to me. Carol would have as well, had Slowking not commanded for her to continue with the song. Slowking Yawned at me, the cloud of yellow vapor encompassing my face. I could feel my eyes grow heavy, even through the pain.

Before I slept though, I came to a realization. My head was burning, pain and delirium hitting me no doubt. But that wasn't all, there was a message in the mix. Zapdos wouldn't have attacked me in such a precise manner for no reason, not when he could throw the lightning from before like it was nothing. There was a reason for that, a reason I could only fathom.

Zapdos didn't just attack me.

He challenged me.

Winter/Pidgeot – Male

Moves: Tackle, Gust, Sand Attack, Agility, Double Team, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Twister, Fly

Ability: Keen Eye

Arakh/Scyther – Male

Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Slash, Pursuit, False Swipe, Fury Cutter, Metal Claw

Ability: Swarm

?/Delibird – Female

Moves: Present, Icy Wing, Peck, Rest, Attract

Ability: ?

Jon Snow – Male

Date: Apr 29

Badges: N/A

Pokémon: Pidgeot, Scyther, Delibird

Currency: 12595