“This must be what it feels like to be in space.” Nina mused as she basked in the feeling of weightlessness surrounding her — a natural state of the environment within the fog.

  “Bi-bri!”

  Brinny was especially amused, his translucent ruffles fluttering about as his clumsy little tail floated unbridled in the air.

  “Hehe… Silly Brinny.”

  “Es, espeon.”

  Nina’s tsundere Espeon admonished the Brionne’s unruliness. But equally, she also conjured a barrier encasing them behind Nitey’s back, allowing Nina to safely release Brinny from her hold and float around without worry.

  “Bri-bri! Brionne!”

  “Es.”

  With a little jerk, Brinny paddled her way over to his big sister and nuzzled his squishy nose against her cheeks in appreciation. But in classic Espy fashion, she just turned her head away with a huff and quietly stewed in bashfulness.

  “Bi. Bibibibi!”

  “I know, I know… We need to hurry up. But you gotta admit, this is super fun.”

  “Bi…” The Celebi glowered, cheeks puffed up in a pout. Then, just as quickly, loosened up and began playing zero-G tag with Nina and Brinny on the back of their Ride. “Hehe… Hehehe.”

  “Niiite.” Nitey seemed like he wanted to join in as well, and urged Espy to expand her barrier to include him. But a quick smack from the rigid Espeon’s paws got the big orange oaf back on track, continuing his spiral — without being able to rely on his vision, the stairs were necessary to guide their ascent.

  ***

  Finally they reached it, past the foggy mist and the all encompassing Aura, outer space. Or at least it looked like outer space. Nina and her Pokemon could still breathe so it couldn’t actually be outer space.

  There was a ceiling that contained the fog, stemming any further advance through Fly. Fortunately, the spiral staircase continued through an unassuming passageway. Albeit, Nina and her crew had to dismount and continue on foot.

  And after a winding darkness, she found herself amidst a sea of stars. A sense of vertigo overcame the girl as she tripped onto the invisible floor, expecting to fall to her death but struck with awe at the sight beneath her feet instead.

  A celestial orb of pristine blue waters, dotted with mottled green and brown landmasses, and encased in a shroud of swirling white clouds.

  “Nite! Dragonite, nite!”

  The Dragonite gestured fervently at the sight, wanting to reach out and touch the planet below, eliciting giggles from Nina.

  “Yeah, Nitey… That’s the world that we live in. Incredible, right?” Nina’s eyes quivered, tears glistening in wonderment. One thing was for certain, it was not Earth.

  Even Espy was taken, her mesmerizing silver eyes bulged, face pressed against the floor to get a closer look.

  Beyond that, and surrounding them on all sides, was a boundless expanse draped with a complex tapestry of stellar light — ancient memories of worlds far beyond their reach. Or, seemingly boundless. Because when Nina approached the endless void, she was met with an invisible wall, similar to the floor holding up their feet.

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  “Man, just this sight alone was worth the trip.” Nina mused as she went around recording video on her Pokedex. “The others are gonna freak out when I get back and show this to them. The Professors especially.”

  “Bi. Bibi!”

  “Hehe. Wanna be in the video, Celebi? How about you be our narrator, explain to the friends and family back at home what each of these stars are called.”

  “Bi! Celebi!” The precocious Pokemon wagged her arms and feet around, pouting at Nina’s meandering.

  “Oh relax, Celebi. I have a feeling we’re pretty much there already, so no need to fault us for taking a little breather.”

  Nina turned her gaze towards the final stretch of stairs — towards the concentrated celestial Aura emanating from the black void.

  ***

  The girl bent into a curtsy, at the pulsating yellow rings and the titanic silhouette beyond the fog. She couldn’t help herself, the being before her demanded respect — deserved respect.

  Even Azzy, who had stayed hidden in Nina’s shadow all the while and Clody who was sitting snug in his Pokeball, felt compelled to reveal themselves and join their family in their posturing. The only one who did not seem to care was Brucey, who still retained a trace of his innocent obliviousness even post-Evolution.

  Nina and her Pokemon lowered their gaze, waiting to be addressed. All except for a mischievous flying onion who casually dispelled the surrounding fog and approached the divine entity with a cheeky wave.

  “Bi! Bibibi, celebi!”

  “Surprise! Hey Greenie, I’m here for snacks!” was what Nina interpreted from that burst of Pokespeak.

  “......”

  But the emerald Dragon just continued with his slumber, steadily breathing in tranquility, the tower rumbling in tandem.

  “Helloooo! Greenie! Mr Homebody! It’s me, Celebi! The super duper mostest cutest me in the universe! Wake uuuuup!”

  With the impudence of an immortal Myth towards her junior, Celebi began pulling at Rayquaza’s eyelids while shouting straight into his mind, much to Nina’s hapless dismay…

  “Err… Should we stop her?”

  “Nite?”

  “Es…”

  “Grrrr…”

  Rayquaza stirred, shifting away from the annoying pixie while casually flicking his tail to spike Celebi onto the floor like a volleyball.

  “Celebi! Are you okay?!”

  Nina rushed over to check on her friend. But evidently, the Legendary Stellar Dragon had held back, only resulting in a very pouty Celebi, fuming on the floor.

  The girl sighed in relief and scooped the naughty Pokemon into her embrace. “Maybe we should jump to a different time? Rayquaza doesn’t seem like he’s waking up anytime soon.”

  “Biii… Bibibibi!!!”

  Celebi flung her limbs around in a tantrum then flew back in to continue her harassment. Even going so far as to summon vines and leaves to tickle at Rayquaza’s nostrils. Until finally…

  “Ray… Ray… Rayyy… Quazaaaa!!!”

  With an apocalyptic sneeze of epic proportions, the emerald Dragon jolted awake and began charging up a Hyper Beam, the yellow patterned lines adorning his body glowing in fury.

  “Shit! Back down the stairs, right now!” Nina and her Pokemon ran, practically diving towards the black void that separated this floor from the last.

  “Bi! CELEBI! BIII!!!”

  In response, Celebi charged up her own attack, concentrating a ball of Psychic energy around her head before smashing it against her unruly junior in the form of an uppercut — Zen Headbutt.

  “Raaayyy!” The concentrated beam of pure Type Energy exploded in Rayquza’s mouth, disrupting the destructive charge.

  “Quazaaa!!!” But the Rayquaza was undeterred as he whipped his tail around to Take Down the little green nuisance.

  Celebi, having already experienced that move, Teleported and slammed another Zenn Headbutt into Rayquaza.

  “ZAAAAA!!! The Rayquaza howled, Hyper Voice resonating within the chamber and cracking the stellar illusion.

  “BIIII!!!” Celebi cried out in pain, pressing her hands against her ears before coming to the belated realization that she could just form a barrier around her head to shut out the noise.

  Then, with a whip of Rayquaza’s tail, the winds stirred and a powerful Hurricane emerged to blow the flying onion around like tumbleweed.

  “Biiii… BIIIIIII!!!!”

  Celebi, becoming increasingly annoyed by all the damage she was taking, cried out in frustration, her voice powerful enough to even penetrate the boundary of Rayquaza’s chamber and make it to Nina who was hiding within the stairwell.

  “Stop being so naughty. Celebi doesn’t want to play ANYMOOOORE!!!”

  The Mythical Pokemon’s voice, enchanted with the purest of Type Energy, dispelled the Hurricane and assaulted Rayquaza’s very essence, suffusing the Legendary Dragon with an urgent sense of doom — Perish Song.

  “ZAAAAA!!!!” Rayquaza broke into Outrage, the slit of his pupils gleaming a fiery yellow glow. And in a surge of Flying Type Energy, launched towards the stellar sea in a spiraling ascent. Dragon Ascent — Rayquaza’s signature move.

  “Oh shit…” Nina was overcome by a sudden realization. This was how the Embedded Tower came to ruin, not by some natural disaster, but by the jaws of its very own master.

  Then, at the peak of Rayquaza’s rise, he plunged back down again with a meteoric force. A tide of Flying and Dragon Type Energy empowering his fall.

  In that fleeting moment, Nina and her Pokemon all braced for the inevitable. Espy conjured a Psychic barrier with all her might, Sir Clodington cried out in defiance, Brucey escaped his Pokeball and enveloped Nina with his wings. The girl, in turn, was holding Brinny tight in a protective embrace. All while Azzy grabbed hold of her human’s hand, on the verge of pulling her into the shadows, risks be damned.

  “DRAGO!!! DRAGONIIIITE!!!”

  Nitey roared, eyes red in Outrage and back against the emerald meteor. Protect raised in full force and determined to safeguard his family’s safety even at the cost of his life.

  Meanwhile, Celebi, realizing her blunder, dove towards the stairs, having nearly forgotten about the squishy little mortals that followed her atop the tower.

  Then, a deafening silence, and the world exploded in a brilliant flare.