The group stands arrayed around the burning pyre, paying their final respects on the mountain plateau to a dear friend. Off to the side, a yellow fairy vulpine stands beside an oversized red tyrannosaurus. “There’s something to be said for having a hostile relationship with your Actor…” She began, her fluffy tail waving in the gentle breeze. “It doesn’t hurt as much as having a positive bond go sour.”

  “Not all things end poorly. Surely you have had one Story stay positive until the end?” Her stoic accompaniment offered, keeping his deep rumble of a voice low. She nodded, as he caught the motion in the corner of his eye. “Then focus on those, the Stories where you succeed.”

  “Thanks,” she responded weakly, watching as the fire began to die down; running low on fuel. “Was it my mistake? Not interfering with things?”

  “That depends on what you define as the mistake. Could you have done more? Certainly. Should you have done more? Who can say; but what I think you’re asking is ‘Could I have saved him?’. And the response to that is entirely up to you.”

  The two watched as with the final fading embers, Dragonite stepped forward. “Noibat was one of ours, a dragon who followed his heart, but leveraged his mind. He put himself in harm’s way for others– for us. And those gutless humans used him for their sick fantasies, disrespecting his sacrifice for the world.”

  “Tomorrow, we will be attacking their base of operations in Lumiose City. After that, we will be purging their secret base in Geosenge Town. Anyone who dresses like or claims affiliation with Team Flare shall be crushed and silenced. And that includes any pokemon who defend them.”

  There was a loud roaring cheer from the group in support, barring two individuals on the fringe who remained quiet. Dragonite then led a call and response of battling roars, the sounds echoing off the mountain. With the third round of shouts, each and every dragon was bathed in the white light of evolution, ascending into their final forms of raw power.

  “Get some rest everyone. Tomorrow, our war ends.” Dragonite declared, as each of the freshly evolved dragons moved to find a spot to sleep. Haxorus gave her new red axes a test swing, slicing through the air with a swish. Salamance flexed his new wings, showing off to Dragalge who had gained the ability to float in the air with her tendrils. Garchomp flexed his new muscles, as Hydreigon’s three heads chittered about their favorite new aspects of themself.

  “That would be my cue to leave,” the fox mentioned, pulling a metal gorget from somewhere about her person and stringing it around the giant dinosaur’s thick neck. “Here, as a parting gift. I have a feeling you’ll be needing that stone in the battle to come.”

  Gaston, withdrawing the mega stone hidden within his mane, slotted the orb into the socket. As if in heavenly confirmation, the orb pulsed a short glow, with a pleasant sound signifying something mystical. “If only I had someone who believed in me to activate it.” He reminded himself with a sigh, looking south east across Kalos.

  “I think you underestimate just how strong of a bond you have.” She teased, as the orb flashed once in concert. “When you need it, the stone will activate.” She clarified, moving towards the plateau’s edge. Gaston grumbled something about ‘fairy magic’ before stomping off to find his own resting spot.

  Dragonite, with a necklace of pokeballs, took note of The Lady when she stopped next to them, both looking out at the fading sunset to the west. “Will this be goodbye?” They asked the mysterious woman.

  “Yes,” was all she said, letting silence fill in the rest. Both were unhappy, visibly upset over how their time together was coming to an end.

  “Do you have any regrets with how your story ended up?”

  “I always do, it comes with the job.” She clarified with a somber tone. “Just don’t— I know you two will be happy together, if you just give it a chance.”

  “If we had been together, from the beginning… would everything still have gone down the same?” Dragonite asked, almost hopeful.

  She giggled, outright laughed at the idea, drawing the powerful dragon’s attention her way. “Not even close. The two of you would’ve just opened a ranch-slash-bed and breakfast in Vaniville. No journey, no battle with Team Flare, just a quiet life in the countryside.”

  Dragonite smiled, genuinely amused at the thought, before watching the final rays of sunlight vanish across the horizon. “We probably would’ve called it ‘Double Dragon Bed and Breakfast’. Well, there's no reason we can’t still make that happen. But first, I need you to help me get in contact with a certain dragon…”

  “-junia was happily reunited with her lost Jumpluff and thanks the citizens of Lumiose City for all of their-…”

  “Breaking news, Lysandre Cafe is under attack by unknown assailants! A golden dragon pokemon was sighted by eye-witnesses entering the famous Lumiose City cafe during business hours, before it tore down a china cabinet to reveal a hidden door in the back of the establishment. We go live to our reporter on the ground, Lili.”

  “Sylvie, customers have been evacuating the cafe, but we can confirm everyone is safely out. Many have chosen to stick around the building, waiting to see what happens. After the golden dragon appeared, two more dragons were released inside the cafe, confirming that a trainer is involved in this situation. Witnesses have described the two new arrivals as a four-legged blue dragon with a white underbelly and bright red wings, and as a floating collection of seaweed.”

  “Lili, have the pokemon attacked anyone or started any battles?”

  “No, Sylvie; from what I have seen, the situation is tense but stable. We have heard what sound like distant explosions coming from the unveiled hidden door, and felt the occasional shake beneath our feet. But so far, the china cabinet is the only damage that has occurred here.”

  “Thank you, Lili; please keep us updated as things change on-location. Here in the studio we have just confirmed that Gym Leader Clemont is organizing a response team with a group of Ace Trainers. We are currently working to identify these pokemon, as well as drafting safety tips for our citizens who may be in, or need to travel through, the affected area–”

  I could hear the alarms blaring their klaxons in my skull, thankful the screens still worked under the emergency red lighting that lit up the room. The progress bar on the screen steadily crept upwards, deleting years upon years of hard work and research. Lysandre had already run off for our emergency base with a backup, but we couldn’t risk this data being exposed.

  “Section A2 has been breached, I’ve lost contact with Lyle–!” An admin called out, who was also working to delete data from her workbench.

  “I’ve lost visual in Section C1–” Another admin sounded out, as their pokemon hurried to incinerate a bin of shredded papers.

  “Raphael is engaging target designated ‘Red Axe’ in section B4–” A third admin announced, as I took a breather to stand upright and assess the state of my team. Four admins and I working to purge the databases and all research documents, with two grunts posted by the only door in or out.

  The fourth Admin, fingers on her earpiece, ran up to me with a worried face. She didn’t even wait for my permission to speak, though given the situation that was warranted. “Aliana, Xerosic has just confirmed that Escape Ropes do not work. He theorizes that something is interfering with the spatial-warping properties.”

  “And?” I demanded, watching the progress bar tick up another five percent. Internally, I was cursing; the Escape Rope was our best shot at escaping this place when we were done. What kind of idiot designs a secret base with no emergency exit?!

  There was a loud ‘boom’ from the right, from an adjacent chamber. “He’s detonating the research devices per protocol, and desires for all scientists to regroup at point Clefairy.”

  “Section A3 has been breached–!” / “Confirmed visual on target ‘Trinity’ in D1–!” / “Raphael is down! Oh Arceus they’re really–!”

  “Does anyone have eyes on their leader?!” I shouted, silencing the three idiots, leaving nothing but the blaring alarm, the whirr of a paper shredder…

  And the ‘thud, thud, thud’ of three solid knocks at the thick metal door.

  Malamar shook their head no, and it took all I had to not fillet the useless floating calamari. “Fine, focus on detection; I don’t want to be surprised.” I grumbled, choosing to focus on finding a safe way to the exit. I could barely hear the alarms over the draconic roars of rage and defiance, thankful I had included a low-light setting for my eyewear.

  There aren’t any psychic type dragons anywhere on record, so how are they blanket-blocking teleportation attempts..?

  A grunt nearly ran into me before throwing himself backwards into a salute, “Xerosic, sir!” I immediately covered his loud mouth, shushing him like a child.

  “Go find Bryony and Celosia, help them escape.” I ordered, as the grunt nodded and took off deeper into the base. Hopefully he’ll distract the invaders long enough…

  Following the left wall, I eventually came to the door to my personal office, finding it closed and thankfully locked. A swipe of my keycard set the little light to green, allowing me access and possibly safety in the short term. “Grab anything valuable you can,” I whispered to the squid, moving to my desk to withdraw my papers.

  This may be the end of Team Flare, but I could still get my work published once the dust settles.

  The emergency lights went out, as did the blaring alarms. They must’ve gotten to the emergency power. Thankfully, my pocket torch still had enough charge to at least verify the titles of the documents as I stuffed the briefcase.

  That was when I heard a weird ‘squish’ in the center of the room. Aiming the beam of light upwards, I eventually found an odd puddle of black ink on the floor.

  Then it rippled, as a droplet fell into it.

  Slowly, I traced the beam upwards, until it illuminated a navy blue head with a black spikey cover. The head appeared to be chewing on something soft, with dangling purple tentacles.

  But how–?!

  The cowl split and lifted into several blood red spikes, revealing a glowing purple eye that bore into my soul.

  The corner of the nightmare’s lips curled upwards, as it revealed an armory of sharp teeth.

  Bisharp and Manectric in the lead, I dragged my sorry teammate Celosia by the hand through the dark. “This can’t be just because we captured their friend, is it?” She whined, thankfully her voice low enough as to not give us away.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “No, this is all Mable’s fault. I never trusted that bitch; she always had a screw loose and had no sense of ethics if she could justify something as ‘science’.” I replied, careful not to step in and slide on the mystery puddles on the floor.

  My Bisharp threw up a blade, and per his signal we all stopped and crouched immediately. Manectric turned off their illumination, leaving us with just the strobing red lights, as we waited for the all-clear to keep moving.

  Up ahead on the right, the staff barracks door burst open as a dozen grunts– all barely dressed– ran towards the entrance of the facility. As the last one cleared the door, I watched as something leapt from out of the ground, the red light reflecting off its sharp knife-like teeth that were slung below a glowing golden eye, and disappeared around the corner.

  Then there were the screams, blood-curdling screams.

  “We need to find a different way…” I whispered, as I felt Celosia go limp in my hand. I could hear her struggling not to wail or cry and divulge our hiding spot. We turned, heading for a different hallway away from whatever that was, when the alarms and lights finally went out. Manectric, in response, turned their light back on, providing a soft yellow glow enough for me to trace the outlines of where the hallway met the walls.

  It was quiet, completely quiet, as we did our best not to make a sound with a single step. But that was when I heard it… a ‘plop’ as a droplet of some liquid hit the floor ahead of us.

  Bisharp again signaled for a stop, but this time they took up a battle stance beside Manectric. That was when I saw them, the glowing pair of red eyes in the dark.

  “Hax~ or~...” It seemed to chirp, as a pair of red glowing blades seemed to appear beneath the eyes.

  “--now return to our reporter on the ground for an update; Lili?”

  “Thanks, Sylvie. Just moments ago, we believe the incident ongoing here at Lysandre Cafe has come to a resolution, as the golden dragon pokemon from before– which experts have identified as a Dragonite– walked out from the cafe and took off without further action.”

  “Lili, what is the League’s current take on the situation?”

  “A League representative has cordoned off the cafe while their personnel investigate the scene. Currently they offer no comment on the assailant, other than that they were last seen flying west from the city. Additionally, several eyewitnesses on-site have collaborated on two previously rumored pieces of information. The first being that the Dragonite did not appear to have a human trainer at the scene, and the second being a wrist-strap on the Dragonite which had six pokeballs attached.”

  “Thank you, Lili. Please let us know if the situation changes. Continuing our discussion on the mysterious assailant is Professor Sycamore; thank you for joining us today.”

  “Thank you for inviting me, Sylvie.”

  “Now, based on the three pokemon spotted, your lab believes they might have a lead on who this Dragonite belongs to?”

  “Yes, potentially. Dragon pokemon are very rare and difficult to train; the number of trainers who have more than one are even rarer. While the League is combing the trainer registry for a match, one of my lab assistants noted that this particular trio showed up at another major incident a while back. Do you recall the major police bust at Glittering Cave?”

  “That was the fossil traffickers, correct?”

  “Correct. My assistant noticed that the police report mentioned the operation being dismantled by a single trainer whose reported team at the time included a Dratini, a Skrelp, and a Bagon; the unevolved forms of the dragons from today’s event.”

  “Wow, sounds like someone deserves a raise, eh Professor?”

  “Hahah, at the very least a reward from the League. But– and this is pure speculation at this point– but, if this is the same trainer, it might imply that Lysandre Cafe was potentially involved in illegal activity.”

  “Wow, what a bombshell. When we return–”

  Dragonite studied the town from afar, attempting to burn the mysterious flower-shaped sculpture with their glare. Geosenge Town was a quiet place, but faint figures in red could be seen hustling about. Beside them, a man stepped forward, dressed in a ratty black sweatshirt, worn blue jeans, a loved seafoam green wool scarf, a fraying scarlet beanie, and an untamed wild mane of long white hair. “You carry the weight of one who has lost and cannot move on,” he commented.

  Dragonite squeezed their eyes shut, relaxing as they exhaled firmly through their nose. “Yea… And the way to undo it is right in front of me.” They averted their gaze of the prize, to the hobo they had rescued from the base. “Is it wrong to want someone to have another chance?”

  “While I cannot grasp your words, I have understood your pain.” The man placed a supportive hand against the dragon’s shoulder, as both shared in the pain of loss. “But, as one who succeeded in reviving a friend, only to lose them again due to the decision… It is better to mourn the lost, rather than sacrifice the living to claw them back.”

  The golden dragon, accepting the advice from the man whose shoes they now stand in, relaxed and let go. A strong gust of wind swept through the two of them, carrying away any tears from the griever’s eyes before they could fall. “Thank you,” Dragonite returned their gaze to the weapon. “And now, we need to destroy it.”

  We moved out as soon as the tip came in; someone saw a gold flying pokemon north west of town. Real or hoax, we weren’t taking chances; the League may have a strong information blackout for the public, but I saw the files, the photos. The eggheads were still combing through what research hadn’t been destroyed, but it was evident whatever went on behind that cafe was so far beyond illegal we didn’t even have laws against it.

  Our local squad of Gogoats weren’t the fastest, but they’d get us there faster than had we simply run. But what we saw first wasn’t the target; it was the town’s famous stone flower, a sculpture from ancient Kalos that somehow survived the ages.

  And it was moving.

  “Look!” Agnes shouted, as I followed the point of her finger to– a massive red pokemon that stood between us and the flower. “What are the odds they’re just a wild pokemon?”

  Jerome lowered his spyglass, grimacing. “Almost zero; it’s wearing something metal around its neck.” Each of us unlocked our pokeballs, unsure of the threat level we were facing.

  Would the four of us be enough, if it came to a fight?

  As we approached, our Gogoats slowed down; everyone was weary and on-guard. Dismounting, I strode forward as the squad leader, our representative. Getting a closer look, this red dragon seemed young in appearance, with almost no scars marking their face. But the way they stood implied age and experience; ready to fight at a moment’s notice, but without the tell-tale signals of aggression. A closer look at the metal gorget revealed a beautiful jewel inlaid in the metal, one that lightly pulsed with energy.

  Why hasn’t it attacked yet?

  I felt the ground vibrate, as the sound of an explosion carried up the stairs behind the dragon, stairs leading down into the ground near the spinning flower. “Margot,” I heard from behind me, as Blaise and Jerome took up my right side. “We need to get inside,” Jerome urged, careful not to touch his pokeballs.

  “What we need to do is keep them from leaving until backup arrives.” I reminded him, the large two-legged pokemon seeming content with my response.

  “No!” Blaise shouted, as he ripped a pokeball from his belt and tossed it. “I’m not losing any more friends to these beasts today!” I watched as Jerome mirrored him, throwing out a pokeball of his own. That was when I noticed just how many pokeballs were on their belts, way more than the two that were registered in their profiles.

  Friends?! Then that means–

  A wall of stone leapt up, separating Agnes and I from Blaise and Jerome, the sudden appearance causing her and I to fall backwards. Surprisingly, a stone bench had somehow appeared behind the two of us, preventing an undignified appointment with the dirt. Stranger still, was how I felt the bench then shift, as it glided across the open ground to pull the two of us back and away from what was clearly going to be a battle.

  By the time the bench stopped moving, Jerome and Blaise had called out two pokemon each, beginning their attack while palming a third and fourth ball. The red dragon let loose a roar, as every incoming attack was seemingly blocked by a massive rock. Rocks jutting up from the earth, floating through the air… “Margot, what do we do?” Agnes asked, terrified and uncertain just as I was.

  I thought I saw the dragon stare at me with its right eye for a second, before returning their focus to the battle at hand. A look, and I understood what they wanted as I pulled out my personal Holo Caster. “We witness and record everything; especially if Blaise and Jerome are involved with Lysandre.”

  "His/Story" by Takanori Nishikawa

  Thunderbolt Fantasy was/is one of my favorite series, especially for the effort and detail that went into physical puppetry. This single fight scene, while inspired by it, doesn't do the series justice, and I highly recommend it.

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  A barrage of pebbles sends the Golbat crashing out of the sky, falling unconscious in the dirt. Another boulder shifts to intercept a bolt of electricity. Two large stones converge to intercept the path of a speeding pokemon before they can make contact. One versus two is a challenge, one versus four is difficult; but with two more pokemon forming near their trainers, one versus six was potentially the tipping point.

  Gaston’s determination flared with draconic energy, as a boulder he flung towards another of his assailants was pulverized with a well-placed punch by the fighting type. It was a small miracle the two humans were too out of their element to issue commands.

  He heard an impact behind him, as one of his orbital defenses luckily swung around to intercept an attack from the rear. A tickle in the air led him to duck as a lightning bolt shot through where his head had been seconds before. A massive stone shot up on his left, intercepting a gush of flames before they could so much as singe his mane. Mightyena, using darkness to slip past the defenses, found their sneak attack rebuffed by the swing of a thick scaled tail. A floating slab swung down just in time to block a glob of sizzling purple gunk that flew in a slow arc through the air.

  “Insolent whelps, so eager to destroy your rightful ruler you would dismantle your very homeland in your efforts. Allow mine august self to educate thee on why thine remain members of the peasantry!” The Emperor declared, his gorget flaring with a vibrant white glow which grew to encapsulate him fully.

  His golden head crest inverted, flipping around to have the five points give the facsimile of a crown. His stubby beard grew, blending together into a soft mid-length point that dangled beneath his chin. The spiky white mane extended backwards, billowing in the wind and merging together, creating a tattered cape that reached nearly the tip of his tail. His rough skin smoothed out, going from rough and rugged to polished and shiny. As a final touch, the golds and orange highlights of his hide shifted to a glowing, vibrant silver. His sheer presence gave the other combatants pause, power and authority absolutely radiating from his new form.

  “What are you doing? Keep attacking!” Jerome shouted, ordering his Toxicroak, Leopard, and Houndoom out of their stupor.

  “Stay spread, alternate your attacks!” Blaise added, returning his feinted Golbat while supplementing his Mightyena and Manectric with a newly-called Scraggy.

  As Gaston observed the six spreading around him, his brilliant white eyes flared for a second before every rock and boulder around him split with a loud chorus of cracks. The sound was enough for all six foes to flinch, observing as a silvery metal blade emerged from each rock, floating over to orbit their liege. “Arms of the Kingsguard,” he whispered as the first attacker threw down their challenge, clashing with a high-pitched screech as the steel held back their ki-covered fist.

  The floodgates opened, as one by one the six challengers entered the fray, testing his defenses and working to slip past the floating defenders. Gaston held firm, his faith in his ‘knights’ unwavering as he stared down the two humans, daring them to make their next move. Meanwhile, all around him steel clashed with fang, fist, and electricity.

  Blaise, eyes wandering, noticed that Margot was recording him, recording Jerome, recording the whole fight. “Damn bitch,” he grunted, releasing his own Leopard. “Kill her before she exposes us!” The purple feline didn’t hesitate, immediately rushing towards the onlookers.

  Gaston frowned, immediately moving towards his temporary wards at a run, gaining on the smaller cat while his thunderous steps shook the earth with fear. Ahead of him, a large metal object began to grow from the ground, with a suspiciously jaw-sized handle protruding from the top. Behind him, the other six continued to give chase, doing their utmost to bypass the floating knights.

  Without stopping, Gaston gripped the handle in his jaws, unearthing the massive blade almost the length of his torso, before being catapulted into the air with a ‘whumpf’ from a sudden jut of stone beneath his feet. Tucking into a roll, the oversized dinosaur spun, gleaming like a blender as he bore down on the speeding feline.

  The Leopard, their claws brimming with pitch black energy, leapt for Margot, as the police officer tried to call out her pokemon in time. But just as the cat was about to cross the threshold of her ‘viewing box’, a flash of white bisected the cat vertically, their malicious expression faltering. Margot’s expression went pale white, as each half of her attacker flew past her, revealing a scarlet divinity wielding an ornate greatsword decorated with sparkling silver filigree and inlays.

  Watching as her captor-turned-guardian swung around, the tables quickly turned as the six attackers pivoted to defense. The dancing swords poked and prodded, forcing each into disadvantageous positions as one by one the giant dinosaur cleaved the remaining six pokemon with a single swing each. Margot’s brain began to catch up with her mouth, as she whispered to Agnes: “That’s the Durandal…” She quickly re-oriented her Holo Caster to capture the visage of the iconic blade as it swept around in the sunlight.

  With the assailants down, the floating blades resumed their orbital vigil around their liege. Spotting the two humans fleeting for the base entrance, Gaston simply walked towards them, the very stone beneath their feet laughing alongside him. “For crimes against your countrymen, for the indignity of your assault on the crown, and for the greater good of Kalos, I sentence thee to nourish the earth you have defiled and plundered for personal gain!” Gaston declared, as Blaise and Jerome were swiftly grasped by a pair of giant stone hands.

  The two shouted and struggled, slamming their fists against the firm stone, unable to reach their remaining pokeballs. “May your eternal rest enlighten thee of thine follies.” Gaston recited, the two humans screaming and shouting profanities as they were dragged deep into the earth.

  Silence returned upon the sleepy field once more, the winds carrying their thanks as the flora danced in celebration. Satisfied his duties were complete, Gaston released the evolution, returning to his normal form as the floating blades immediately rusted and fell to the earth, disintegrating into mere dirt and rocks once more. The Emperor softly smiled, his faithful companion now returned and still gleaming in the sunlight. Taking notice of his temporary ward’s approach, he gently slid the tip of the blade into the earth before facing them once more.

  Behind him, there was a ‘whum’ and shudder, as the massive flower petals began to fall to the ground, the device powering down to become a mere monument to history. “It appears we have finally won,” he stated, relief flooding his expression.

  Before Margot could say a word, Agnes forced her forward into a deep bow. “We apologize for our former coworker’s behavior!” She shouted with gusto, visibly keeping both hands away from any pokeballs. The two held the defferential posture until the large dragon emitted a sound suspiciously similar to ‘rise’. “Are you affiliated with the Dragonite who was seen in Lumiose City earlier today?” The woman continued, as Margot lifted her Holo Caster and continued to record imagery and footage of the gleaming sword protruding from the earth.

  “Loosely; I required power, and they required followers.” He clarified as the human waited but received no answer she could comprehend. “But with our success today, that affiliation shall come to an end,” he continued, as with perfect timing the remaining squad emerged from the staircase leading deeper into the facility. With Hydreigon leading the group, followed by an animatedly-chatting pair of Dragalge and Salamence, then Garchomp, Haxorus, and finally Dragonite.

  As the group strode over, bruised but victorious, Dragonite signaled to Gaston. The large tyrannosaur nodded, stomping once as the passageway began to collapse and fill in, burying the hidden facility once more. “New friends?” Dragonite inquired, surveying the scarred fields.

  “No, mere civilians who were caught in the crossfire. I believe they work with the local human authorities.” Gaston elaborated with a frown, studying the golden dragon as they hefted his birthright. “While I am proud to wield the symbol of my authority again, regrettably I have no means of ferrying such a weapon with me.”

  Margot, recognizing the bracelet of pokeballs, stiffened up and raised her voice. “Excuse me! As representatives of the Kalosian Pokemon League, we require that you either accompany us or remain here until an interpreter can take your statement!” She declared, catching the eyes of every dragon who stood before her. She faltered, “Uhm, that is to say…”

  “I can handle that, if you do not mind.” Approaching from the south was an old man, wearing a ratty outfit and a satisfied smile. “They were only acting on my behalf, after all.”

  Dragonite nodded, returning each member of the squad one by one until only Gaston remained. “If you want to keep it, I can just carry it until we get you a scabbard or something?” They offered, but Gaston was fully focused on the newcomer.

  “Sir, I am afraid I will need more than that to approve such a–” Margot began, interrupted by a fingerless-glove covered hand.

  “My name is AZ, and I was held hostage by Lysandre of Team Flare for months while they worked to uncover the secrets of the Ultimate Weapon.” He explained, as the officer chewed on her lip before signaling to the dragons they were free to leave. The old man and emperor shared a respectful bow, before one vanished in the red light of the pokeball.

  Dragonite gripped the massive greatsword, testing its weight and balance as they experimented with flight. Confident, they shot AZ a thumbs-up before zooming off into the skies. AZ himself smiled in appreciation, as the massive weight lifted from his shoulders.