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Kyrene turned her head upon hearing the Sceptile's question. "Eterna City," she replied. "Just head north and make a sharp turn east when you reach the Old Chateau. The gym leader of that town, Gardenia, is a friend of mine. She'll direct us to the nearest Pokémon Center if anything should come up." She then looked down and over and the Mightyena, the small vial still clutched safely in his jaws. A fog was drifting from its mouth, and she realized the contained sample appeared to be in good enough condition for carrying around. Quickly sliding off from the Lugia's back, she skittered over to the Mightyena and retrieved the frozen vial from it. "Thank you," she said quietly.

After returning to her initial spot on the back of the Lugia, her mouth opened to speak, but suddenly, a deafeningly loud clap of thunder roared overhead, making some of the other Pokémon quiver. Clearing her throat, she spoke louder, addressing all the other Pokémon that seemed to have joined the cause. "All of you... thank you for helping out. If all goes well, we'll meet up again in Eterna City."

Tucking the freezing vial safely in her pocket, she then wrapped her arms around the Lugia's neck once more. All was ready. She just hoped the ride would go as smoothly as she hoped.

They were all weary and Razza knew it. Somehow, he'd been spotted, despite his efforts to remain hidden in the clouds. Outraged, the mighty Rayquaza bellowed out a sonorous roar that elicited a clap of thunder all around him. And then he began to swirl amidst the sky, ravaging t up the clouds into a furious storm that soon began a drenching down pour of rain. Razza gave a satisfied grunt as the winds began to kick up. He was certain the storm would provide a big enough distraction to cover him up, and his comfort radiated with a soft yellow tinge of his stripes. Indeed, although it normally ran against the Pokémon's nature, he was so smug, that just to show that the fools below were now treading in his territory, he sent a bellowing Thunder attack cascading down to reduce a tree nearby the group into a pile of charred sticks that quickly smoldered in the rain and blew away.

Razza had direct orders to attack the group. But the Rayquaza was following them to his own measure; he had no intention of battling with the group. As inept as they were, he was too severely outnumbered... and with the addition of a Lugia and Latias, outmatched. Instead, Razza liked to see how much trouble he'd be able to cause for the group. Let them try to get to the next city... he just didn't plan to make it easy for them. After all, Razza thought as his stripes glowed brighter, the pleasure of a hunt is in the chase.




Kyrene's scream was almost as loud as the thunderclap that temporarily deafened their ears as the splitting whiplash of lightning reduced a nearby tree into rubble. She threw herself onto the Lugia's neck as she felt the rain start to soak into her clothes. "We have to hurry," she yelled at no one and everyone in particular.

Bayblade had turned to face Thomas after he had asked if anyone wished to ride on his back instead of flying. He seemed flattered by the offer but insisted that his group were perfectly capable of running the whole way. The young Lugia never had a doubt in his mind that they weren't able to fend for themselves, he was just a generous Legendary. Thomas nodded his head, acknowledging Bayblade's decision before he, too, turned back towards another individual, the young human. He listened intenly to her words, taking mental notes of the directions she had given. Before long she had hopped off of the Lugia's back to retrieve the vile from the Mightyena and then towards the new Pokemon whom had willingly joined their expodition. The young Legendary's dark voilet eyes glared approvingly at every single individual that was present, before his attention was stolen by the young human whom had returned to her position on his back, her arms and legs wrapped securly around his neck.

Before he set off, Thomas looked towards Bayblade as he spoke to the male Pikachu. He couldn't hear what information they were exchanging, but by reading their lips he could manage to make out the name "Rayquaza". 'So that's what's been stalking us.' He looked up towards the sky without inclining his head, making it look like he was still looking at Bayblade. 'It must be responsible for this storm too.' Thomas pondered to himself before he caught a glimpse of yellow hurtling towards him from the side. His mighty head turned slightly just in time to see the female Pikachu hop onto his back. A faint smile creased his jaws before he then looked at the Latias, his smile widening slightly.

All seemed to be going smoothly so far, and in knowing that Thomas readied himself to take off. He spread his great wings and slightly leaned forward to balance himself before making a running start. It wasn't until he lifted a leg before his concentration was broken by a bloodcurling roar from the sky. He jerked back in an attempt to stay on his feet, and he was lucky to stay on two feet before looking up at the clouds as they began to swirl. Thomas' eyes narrowed as the rain pounded against his scaly body before he noticed a faint source of light beam through the thick clouds. It took mere seconds for him to realize that he'd have to move before he would get struck by lightning, and he wasted no time in leaping out of the way. Everything suddenly lit up in a blinding white light as the bolt of electricity scewered a massive tree before it crumbled into a pile of ash. This Rayzuaza was obviously very powerful, but Thomas figured it wouldn't dare risk itself in front of a mob of Pokemon. Suddenly the young nurse clung even tighter around his neck before raising her voice.

"We have to hurry,"

Thomas grunted in agreement before he resumed his take off. As he began to take a steady pace on the ground, his mighty wings began to flap, gradually bringing him off of the ground and into the air. The wind and rain barely had any effect on his vision or flight pattern, so the ride should be more smooth with the occassional threat of turbulance. The young Lugia sped past Joey, completely unaware that Zippeau had fallen. It would have been the least of his worries, though, since his friends were down below and would most likely come back for him. Thomas' main concern was the bolts of lightning that could, at any random moment, strike at him and his passengers. A few times he had to swerve away from lightning, but it wasn't until a much bigger bolt heralded their way. The young Legendary was about to maneuver away, but his vision suddenly turned yellow as the female Pikachu leaped upon his head to counter attack with Thunder. He smirked, knowing now that the trip towards Eterna City would be slightly easier now that he had a portable defense system with him, and slightly increased his speed towards their destination. It should't be too long now...

Razza's delighted roar was drowned out by the sound of thunder and howling winds as he corkscrewed through the clouds, only about a hundred feet above the Lugia and its party. He'd been content with throwing random lightning bolts in their direction, but upon noticing that the on-board Pikachu was deflecting most of the electric attacks, he quickly switched methods. Already, he had managed to knock off another Pikachu and send it cascading into the dark forest below, where any of its anxious friends could waste hours trying to find it. Giving them something to do meant he could concentrate more on toying with the Lugia's pack. Seeing them struggle gave Razza new energy for a change in attack pattern.

He knew that as the Lugia was the only legendary, it was probably the only one not effected by the low visibility and deafening screams of wind, rain, and thunder. Of course, the Rayquaza knew it would take much more than that to get to another legendary. The girl and the Pikachu, however, were the obvious weak links that needed to be exploited first, and Razza wisely decided to start with the girl. Although he was still unaware why she was so important, he knew the other Pokémon would go through the eye of his storm to protect her... at least for the time being, until she had outlived her usefulness to them. Surely then, Razza could finish her off with a mere flick of his tail.

He dared to come a little closer to the group, and like the looming danger he was, the lightning strikes behind him became more fierce, and for those brief flashes of time, he made himself visible to them. Now that his cover was blown, he wanted them to be sure that he was there, and he wanted them to know above all else, that if he so desired it, he could send them plummeting back down to the ground, like he did to that other Pikachu. Off from where he was, Razza roared as his stripes changed color.




Kyrene didn't expect the ride to be comfortable, but she also didn't expect to run across any sort of trouble. Her grip around the Lugia's neck would tighten every time it swerved to avoid being struck by lightning. Often, they come so close, Kyrene could feel its charge surge through her wet hair. The storm was, in the only word she could put it, un-natural. She bit her lip every time a bolt of lightning flew past her, but was assured by the Pikachu behind her's ability to keep them safe. Just when Kyrene deemed it safe enough to ease her grip around the Lugia, another flash of lightning, and Kyrene let loose a splitting scream as she buried her face in the Lugia's neck and pointed out to the clouds off to her left. Her words were jumbled, but what the other Pokémon were sure she was describing, they had already seen for themselves...


[Couldn't really pick the right words, so I made a 10 min. render to illustrate. ^^]

Razza choked on the mini Aura Sphere as a counter-attacked lightning seemed to shoot out of no where an coarse an electric shock through his body. Falling back through the dense cover of the storm, Razza shook himself off of the damage he had taken as he watched with narrowed eyes as the Lugia and its party attempted to flee.

Not just yet.

Although Razza seethed at the thought of being engaged, he was now more curious to know what this group was up to, what they were capable of, and more importantly, what he could do to thwart whatever plans they had. Keeping enough distance between them to stay out of the Riolu's aura vision, Razza slithered among the storm clouds, dodging lightning and continuing to close in on them by stealth. Stripes pulsating quick flashes of red, Razza let a deep growl rumble in the depths of his throat as he forced himself to calm, lest his bright stripes give him away. Corkscrewing, looping, and slinking around, his archaic movements invoked more thunder that he effortlessly hurled at the Lugia to keep his cover.

Knowing that the Pikachua was well overwhelmed with the sheer amount of attacks it had to deflect, and the storm raging around them to buffet the Riolu, distracting it from being able to invoke its aura vision again, Razza seized the moment to dart ahead of the Lugia, spin around, and fly directly head-on towards the group.

He had no intention of attacking. If the group was so intent on knowing he was there, then he would make his presence known to them in such a manner they wouldn't forget. Any oncoming attacks from Riolu or Pikachu, he effortlessly dodged. He'd let his guard down by getting too close and feeling smug, and was punished so with an Aura Sphere and Thunder attack. He would not make the same mistake again. This time, he would be weary.

Suddenly, Razza veered sharply to the side, just as the Lugia was flying past. In the short moments they were side-to-side, Razza could see the shock in each of the Pokémon's eyes at having allowed him to get so close. Having let their guard down, like he did. More satisfying, though, was the look on the girl's face as -- for a brief instant of time -- the two locked eyes. Razza sensed an incredible amount of fear in her. But something kindling as well. Something warm and unwaivering. What could it be, Razza wondered. Love? Courage? Hope? Determination?

As quick as the moment itself, their connection broke and Razza roared out at the other Pokémon, snapping his jaws just short of the Pikachu and Riolu as he flew past, disappearing once more into the clouds.




Kyrene was in the state where she was shivering and her mind was barely able to function anymore. She didn't even have enough energy to scream or cry out anymore, as her voice was all spent trying to be heard over the roar of thunder. The dark silhouette of what the other Pokémon were identifying as a Rayquaza seemed all around her, she could've sworn there had been more than one. Her strength being sapped away from her by the storm, she found her grip starting to loosen from the Lugia's neck against her will.

By this time, Kyrene, the Lugia, and the other Pokémon had been flying for about fifteen minutes, but to her, it seemed like hours. Her clothes were drenched and her hair was matted, but for all it was worth, the cold vial was still tucked safely in her pocket.

It was then that the Rayquaza flew past, just a few feet away from them. So close, in fact, that if Kyrene had reached out her arm, it would've brushed along the length of the Pokémon world's renown ozone protector. And for the instant their eyes locked, Kyrene felt a connection made. For that moment, the two beings were open to one another; Kyrene had shown her fearful side to the Rayquaza, allowing it to know that despite her protectors, she was entirely at his mercy. But at the same time, she projected that even if she were outmatched and outwitted, she wouldn't give up her quest for finding the much-researched cure she'd been reading about for anything. She knew the Rayquaza could see this, although how it'd be able to read and understand it all in such a short instance of time was beyond her. All she knew, that in turn, the mysterious connection made the Rayquaza open to her, and she was able to read the Pokémon like a book.

She felt Razza's malevolence. Its will to cause as much trouble for them as it could. She felt that it would go through serious measures to stop them from reaching their goal. But she dug deeper, and briefly glimpsed the motive for his mischief. The motive, she somehow knew, was involuntary. Like the dark legendaries that had attacked her back at the Pokémon Center, no Pokémon would ever harm a human with such a motive as she saw in the Rayquaza. She saw something behind the Rayquaza's fierce eyes, but before she could identify what, the Rayquaza had already past them and flown away, off into the distance. With the connection broken, Kyrene's petrified mind was left to ponder what she'd just seen.

Her mind was numb, but she could see the Rayquaza's burning, yet scrutinizing eyes long after the Pokémon had disappeared back into the clouds. With her strength already nearly gone, and the rest reserved for hanging onto the Lugia, she locked her fingers around its neck, but sincerely doubted she'd be able to hold on for any longer.