The girl giggled as she and her Mega Dragonite soared through the skies, the two reveling in the empowering sensation of seamless unity.

  The pair of backfins, or stunted bat wings, on Nitey’s back served as the perfect handhold for Nina while the feathers of a pair of angelic wings, newly sprouted from his head, tickled at her nose. Each flap of Nitey’s earwings scattered water from his damp feathers, resulting in a trail of illusory rainbow in their wake.

  It was all kind of silly, honestly; eschewing wings on his back in favor of regaining his earwings felt more like a regression than an Evolution. But Nitey did not mind. In fact, Nina could feel his unbridled joy at finally having his tail back. She only wished he hadn’t gone and chased it around like a silly little puppy, as endearing a sight as it was.

  Or more precisely, he had always had a tail. But now, in his Mega Evolved Form, it once again regained its long and slender grace. Not quite the same length as a Dragonair’s, but long enough that he could now feasibly go back to using his signature tail attacks. Combined with the hardy jewel adorning its tip, the Dragonite’s tail might as well be a bludgeoning instrument in disguise.

  Nina’s silly orange oaf was already thinking about rushing off to find his girlfriend to brag. Only to be admonished by his partner who guaranteed him that Sapphire would NOT, in fact, be happy that he pulled ahead of her once again. Especially considering the rarity of a Dragoninite. In fact, Nina wasn’t entirely sure that hers wasn’t the only one in the world.

  “But well… They did say that Mega Stones can be replicated so long as there was an existing template. Not to the point of commercial availability of course. But if there was a sponsor willing to commit then it was possible to get an extra copy. Or at least, that was how the Great Clans like to go about doing things. But for now, let’s keep it a secret from Lilian and Sapphire. I would prefer to surprise them in the Conference.”

  Nitey laughed in tandem, perfectly in sync with his partner’s mischief. Just the thought of the pair’s shocked expression was enough to fill the two with endless amusement.

  It was an uncanny sensation, being able to communicate with Nitey without the need for words, but it also felt natural at the same time. They had always been able to read each other before, to a certain extent. But now, it was complete, like their souls were fused as one. Total synchronicity.

  Nina was in tune with Nitey’s train of thought just like how he was in tune with hers. It felt intimate, more so than even the Psychic link they often shared with Espy.

  But more than that, they could also feel what the other felt, breath in the exact same rhythm. Even their hearts were beating in sync. Or at least it felt like it. Nina imagined the biological incongruity of such a feat would be fairly disastrous.

  However, right as she thought that, Nitey responded with the carefree notion that Nina was overthinking things as usual. And suffused by her partner’s urging, Nina relaxed and simply allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

  The two continued to glide, high above the sea of clouds, fully immersing themselves in each other’s existence.

  Whatever the future may hold, whatever difficulties they may face, none of that mattered in the moment. Because they had each other, and that was more than enough.

  ***

  “NIIITE!”

  The moment that Nina thought about using Hyper Beam as a barometer for Nitey’s newly gained power, he obliged. But not in the usual manner.

  With a whip of his long slender tail, his iridescent tail orb glowed with an influx of Type Energy. Then, with an incandescent light, an incinerating ray erupted from the orb, striking at the empty ocean bed below and parting the waters in a devastating blast.

  The sea bubbled, steam escaping into the skies. And Nina could feel a drain on her life force, one that compounded the longer that Nitey held his Hyper Beam.

  The girl could feel the entire process, she now knew how to manipulate Type Energy and execute the move, were her body equipped to do so.

  With another thought, Nitey whipped his tail around, to test the maneuverability of the tail-emitted Hyper Beam. And the results were incredible. By surrendering to Nina’s control, Nitey was able to draw out Aquarium Girl’s signature with uncanny precision, even capable of temporarily halting his beam to separate the strokes.

  The pair only relented once they felt that Nina’s endurance would not hold. The strain of a Mega Evolution was not borne only by the Pokemon but the trainer as well.

  “I should work on my stamina. It’s easy to see how some Pokemon lost control. And why Kerry demanded that I do this under supervision. But speaking of which…”

  Nitey looked back at the direction from which they came. Brucey was still tailing them from a distance and Sir Clodington was in the ocean down below, a healthy distance away from Nitey’s whirlpool of destruction, beady eyes glistening in awe at his liege’s newfound divinity. Nina could see them — actually see through her Dragonite’s eyes — through a distance that would normally be impossible for a regular human being.

  And even further back, Espy was fuming with a severe pout. It seemed that they had drifted too far away from their predetermined zone. Because both Nina and Nitey immediately felt an imminent sense of dread creeping up on them, one emanating from their fuzzy pink princess. So they immediately doubled back to the beach island they departed from.

  Espy hissed at them the moment that they landed. Not out of anger, but out of fright. It seemed that Mega Nitey’s Aura was potent enough to be able to affect even the powerful Psychic.

  The two of them wondered what their Aura even felt like. They couldn’t feel it themselves, given they were the source of it. “We can get Espy to recollect the feeling for us later on.”

  But more importantly, given how connected Nina was to Nitey at the moment, she couldn’t help but wonder how empowered she was right now. Because she definitely felt powerful, a steady stream of Infinity Energy coursing through her veins, a pleasant heat suffusing her entire being.

  To answer that question, Nitey gouged out a fist sized piece from a nearby rock and handed it over to Nina who, in turn, crushed it with casual ease.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Holy crud! I’m superhuman now!”

  Nina recalled the sensation of being choked by Noboru back in Celadon City. The asshole was definitely juiced up back then. But in comparison to the current Nina, there was no doubt that were the crime lord to show up in front of her right now, she could handily fold him in half and kick him around like a football.

  The only problem was that Nina’s squishy human body was inherently limited. Which meant that she came out of that demonstration with purple fingers, cuts and bloody scrapes all over her hands, causing Nitey to panic and his Mega Evolution to destabilize.

  Nina urged her overbearing partner to calm down, but to no avail. In the end, with a discordant explosion of light and distressed cries, the two of them were flung onto the sandy beach. Fortunately, a quick save from Espy prevented the pair of idiots from getting hurt.

  “Urgh… that’s something we’re gonna have to work on going forwards.” Battles were a high stress situation. A brawl with unruly criminals even more so. “We can’t have either one of us falling apart every time that the other gets hurt.” Nina remarked as she steadily bandaged her broken hand.

  “Es. Espeon, es! Es!”

  A round of admonishments from Espy ensued, scolding the pair for recklessly breaking their promise. She then telekinetically extracted some foodstuff from Nina’s backpack and forcefully thrust it onto them for immediate consumption, glaring all the while.

  Nina chuckled as she slurped on her nutrient shake. “Thanks Espy. What would we do without you?”

  “Es. Espy es. Espeon es!”

  The girl nuzzled fondly against her nagging Espeon and smothered her in kisses. “You can link back into our minds now, babe. But yes, I remember what Kerry said — recover our strength before continuing with our training right? I gotchu.”

  In all honesty, Nina did not need the reminder because she could feel the aftermath of the Mega Evolution. Even as they spoke, it took every ounce of strength from her jelly-like arms to even lift the bottle containing her nutrient shake.

  “Here’s hoping that it gets easier the more we do it.”

  ***

  “Alright, I think we should wrap it for today and head back to camp, guys.” Nina listlessly gazed out at the setting sun in the distance.

  They had spent the rest of the day on the beach island, supervising Nina and Nitey’s training. In particular, they were testing out the expanded elemental capabilities of a Mega Dragonite.

  And to say that the results were promising was an understatement. With the boost obtained from the Mega process, it was like Nitey had become one with the forces that governed this universe, allowing him an instinctive understanding of Type Energy and unbridled access to the raw untamed powers of Infinity Energy.

  It did not mean that he could make use of all the elements of course. But at least, with his Mega form, Nitey could now establish the Ice domain that he was previously struggling with. And Nina was certain that with enough practice, the same principles could trickle down and apply to his regular form as well.

  “Mega Evolution isn’t just a temporary gimmick. It’s a whole ‘nother threshold that would serve as a permanent power up to Nitey across the board. It’s no wonder why Elite tier Pokemon are so overpowered.”

  “Nair! Dragonair, nair!

  “Nina! Is that you?!”

  The girl was cleaning up the beach, packing up their trash and considering the report that she would write back to her sponsors when she suddenly heard a familiar pair of voices calling out to her.

  With a little jolt, Nina turned around to see the beautiful red-headed figure of Lilian Blackthorn and her Dragonair staring at them.

  “Oh. Hey, Lil! What’s up? Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Nite! Drago-nite. Nite!”

  “Naaaiiiirrr!!!”

  The two Draconic lovers charged forth to embrace each other while Lilian approached with a smile, shoes crunching on sand.

  “That should be my line. I… I heard about what happened. Are you… Okay?” Her eyes quivered as she caught sight of Nina’s bandaged hand.

  Nina laughed and gave herself a pat on the chest. “Of course. Wouldn’t be here otherwise. Unless… I’m a g-g-g-ghooooost~”

  “Pft.” Lilian snorted then broke out into a storm of giggles. “I am pleased to see that your sense of humor was not lost. The question remains though. What are you doing here? You can’t possibly be here f-for… me, right?”

  Nina coughed. “Oh. Err… No, sorry. I didn’t even know you were here. I actually flew in to explore the Embedded Tower, see what I can find.”

  Lilian echoed with an equally awkward cough. “N-no! That w-was a poor attempt at humor. Pay it no mind. But…That immense power I felt, that was you?!” The eyes of the Blackthorn took on a sharp glint.

  “The Embedded Tower… Yes. Said to house the divine Rayquaza at some point. So it stands to reason that perhaps some of the Sky Guardian’s legacy remained. I had the same notion, but ultimately walked away in failure. It seems you are as frustratingly fortunate as ever…”

  Nina answered with a smirk. “Who knows… You’ll have to find out once we meet each other in the conference. IF you even make it that far that is…”

  Lilian responded to the taunt with a challenging smirk of her own, half cape flapping in the winds and eyes ablaze with determination. “You mean if YOU make it that far.”

  “Hehe. Tough words from a girl who doesn’t even have a Mega Stone yet.”

  Lilian let out a haughty scoff. “It is only a matter of time. I am sure you’ve heard of the fabled Ampharos of Olivine City’s lighthouse? May she rest in peace…”

  Nina nodded and beckoned for the girl to join her on a seaside stroll. “Ampharosite… is that what you’re after? But what are you doing near Cianwood then?”

  “That — is because I parlayed with Lady Jasmine and she imposed a set of challenges for me to overcome as the condition for allowing the fabrication of the lighthouse’s heirloom.” The girl sighed.

  “Her clan has always been ambivalent towards mine. So this was par for the course. One of the conditions was that I had to obtain a number of Star badges from her designated Gyms. The Cianwood Gym is one of them, and also the first of my challenges. Mostly due to the convenience of proximity.”

  Nina frowned. “Chuck’s one of the foremost Fighting Type Masters in Indigo. This isn’t going to be easy, Lil. When’s the challenge? How much time do you have left?”

  “I am well aware. To reach the pinnacle of Fighting Pokemon is an arduous journey. But those who do succeed, such as the likes of Chuck and Bruno, often obtain the strength to crush mountains. Or so they say. And to answer your question, the challenge is… tomorrow.”

  “That’s… very sudden.” Nina paused to consider her own schedule. “Since I’m here anyway, do you want me to come and show some support?”

  She had originally planned to Fly back to Mahogany Town, to avoid worrying her companions. “But surely they wouldn’t mind? I’ll just send a quick message explaining things later.”

  Lilian turned stiff in consideration, before loosening with a breath. “That would be much appreciated. I… Alfred and Hattori, they are indeed capable. But ultimately, our relationship is one of courtesy. Throughout the length of my journey, it is oftentimes that I find myself sorely missing the presence of… friends.”

  Nina pulled the awkward teenager in for a hug. “Aww… We miss you too, Lil. Justin, Kerry and I often talk about you during our journey. Matter of fact, if you’d like, I can go pick them up as well and have them come along. I’m sure they’ll want to catch up.

  The Blackthorn girl quivered. “That… would be most welcome. May I ask where they are? I wouldn’t want to impose needlessly…”

  “Ha. No trouble at all. Dragonite, remember? And they’re in Mahogany right now. We just finished subjugating the local Gyarados population. It’s been tiring, not gonna lie. But I’m sure they wouldn’t miss your first official Star battle for the world.

  “Mahogany Town… The Lake of Rage… That’s right.” Lilian wilted. “I do regret not taking part. As a Blackthorn, it should have been my sworn duty.”

  Nina gave the silly girl another squeeze to the hand. “Don’t worry about it. You have your own problems to deal with. I was only involved due to unfortunate circumstances. Journeying trainers should focus solely on their journey. It’s only right.

  Lilian chuckled. “Aunt Clair expressed much the same sentiment. Said that it is a matter of utmost urgency that someone wrench that indolent Houndoom from his throne — our Region will never know peace otherwise — and that I should leave the burdensome matters to my elders.”

  Nina laughed at the disdain leveled towards Lance. “Lady Clair’s a wise woman.”

  “Indeed… I used to aspire to be like her. But in her rebuke, she said; ‘Why aim for the moon when the sun is within reach? One should strive for the highest station in life, nothing less.’”

  Nina’s laughter continued as she paused to look up at the moon, prompting Lilian to do the same. “Quite the poetic soul as well…”

  “Quite. Aunt Clair has always had a penchant for the dramatic.”

  The two girls stood, basking under the silver moonlight. A gentle sea breeze tickled at their nape and the rush of the roiling waves drowned away their worries.

  For that singular moment in time, the world came to a standstill, and the girls existed in a void. Their only source of warmth emanating from the nest of dainty, interlocking fingers between them.

  “I should get back now.” Nina said, after that fleeting bout of reverie. “I’ll come back tomorrow with Kerry and Justin. What time did you say the challenge was again?”

  Lilian let out a soft and breathy sigh. “Thank you, it’s in the afternoon. The exact timing will depend on when Master Chuck is free of his usual challenges.”

  “Sure. We’ll stop by around lunchtime, just in case. Make sure to get plenty of rest, okay?” Nina said as she returned her Pokemon and whistled for Nitey.

  Lilian nodded wistfully. “You too, Nina. If anyone deserves a break after recent events, it would be you. So please, do not overexert yourself.”

  With another forlorn gaze, the pair of Dragons split apart and returned to their respective trainers. Nina jumped onto the back of her Dragonite while Lilian turned towards the city, looking back only when she heard the distant flapping of wings.