EPISODE 90: The Middle! (Fifth out of the Fifth)*

Because of the harsh storm, it was hard to navigate through the rain but for a Pokemon like Noivern who can both navigate through echolocation and eyes, it would be a breeze for me. as for Charizard and Altaria, their flight and safety of their trainers depend on their skills.

Even with its eyes close, Noivern glided through the sky, past through water-sprouts and tornadoes amidst the thousand of eyes of thousand of storms. I am completely soaked with water because of the harsh rain and I for one know that I am up for a fever after this. I can feel the coldness just succumbing to my mind, biting my skin.

"I'm gonna have a hell of a fever out of this." I teased while our journey to sky pillar continued.

"Well, you're not the only one who is out in the rain. The whole region is up for a fever frenzy after this." Zeal teased.

With Zinnia leading the way, we reached an island far from the mainland. The island is quite small but steep. Its slopes destroy tsunamis and waves. Atop the island is a tall tower, swaying because of the wind. At first glance, it seems less stable. The way it shakes can give one some goosebumps.

"I usually stay atop the tower since I do not have access to the doors. It was only know when I realized I could've kicked the door down though in return, its former beauty would be damaged." Zinnia had to yell because of the violent weather as she unmounted from her Altaria and sent it back to its Pokeball.

Meanwhile, I returned Noivern to Zinnia, and Zeal gave Charizard a little pat and in response, it was snobbish to its trainer. "I'll talk about your attitude problem later." Zeal said sarcastically as she sent Charizard back to its Pokeball.

A kick with the foot was unable to knock down the door so we decided to switch things up a bit and used our Pokemon to knock down the door instead. It was so dusty inside. I gave a cough for it irritated my nostrils.

"Luna, wear your mask." Zeal reminded.

"Does your friend have any breathing problems?" Zinnia asked.

"She is asthmatic." Zeal replied.

Wearing my mask, we face a little problem, the long staircase up. And since I have asthma, I had to rest at times, affecting everyone and forcing them to adjust. I counted everything, it took us one hundred steps to reach the last floor before the top. I could feel my body swaying due to the movement of the wind, somehow huffing and puffing, trying its best until this tower collapses.

Like they say, a house built with bricks like this one is hard to be blown away. I feel like a Tepig from the classic novella, "The Three Little Tepigs". At the last floor was Rayquaza covered with stone. It was lifeless, more like a monument displayed in museums and synagogues.

"Rayquaza is said to have lived for hundreds of millions of years in the earth's ozone layer, above the clouds. Its existence had been completely unknown because it lived so high in the sky. A Pokémon that flies endlessly in the ozone layer. It is said it would descend to the ground if Kyogre and Groudon were to fight.

Though one day, it decided to rest in this tower for more than a century. As draconids, it is our duty to tell the story of Rayquaza who somehow transformed into something far terrible but stunning." Zinnia told us as the three of us walked closer to the stoned beast.

"What do you mean it changed? Are you saying Rayquaza can change its form?"

"Of course. The legend says a stone of brilliance once illuminated the Pokemon. It possessed Rayquaza, and I believe the historians of Kalos are wrong. It is Rayquaza who first used the mega evolution process, not Lucario." answered, Zinnia.

"So, how do we awaken it?" I asked.

"As Lore Keeper, I once had a bell that can awaken the Pokemon but for some reason it disappeared. I think Aster ate it."

<Mum?> Aster, confused about what her trainer just said, stared into her eyes.

"I'm just kidding." chuckled, Zinnia as she picked up her Aster and cuddled it closely.

"So, aside from the bell, what other ways to awaken it?" Zeal inquired.

"Let's see, um... I know!" an idea popped into Zinnia's mind as she went closer to the dragon, touching and rubbing its head. Soon, the Pokemon began to glow in a gold vibrant hue as the stones shrouding its body dispersed.

Rayquaza is a large, green, serpentine creature. It has red-tipped, rudder-like wings on its shoulders and down its body, and similarly patterned fins on the tip of its tail. Yellow ring-like symbols run across the length of Rayquaza's body and it has an additional yellow ring on top of its head.

Rayquaza has two limbs with three-clawed hands, and two long, flat, horn-like structures on its head, with two shorter horns along its jawline. It has small, yellow eyes with black pupils, prominent pink gums, and two discernible fangs in its upper jaw.

In front of our very own eyes, the dragon woke up, surprising us. It was majestic, I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my body, longing to touch its body and perhaps ride on its back. Upon awakening it shrieked loudly that we had to cover our ears.

"Prayers from generation, long gone. Hold up the world as it threatens to die. Now we hold the faith of Earth, our duty as those with the power to stop the end. And as the sky starts to fall, we reach for the stars, it is time for the weight of the world!

On the winds of hope we will ride. It's time to show us the dragon's power you can hold. We turn our eyes to the sky, and for the people we love, we will fly. Show me your resolve and prove to me that you possess the will that you need to take off to the stars that shine above, the DRAGON ASCENT!" Zinnia chanted loudly, with a message for Rayquaza to quench the fight just like what it did years ago...