Borne of Caution (Pokemon Isekai)

[Remegar]

Ok that was a good chapter, now Lee training his Pokémon is going to help but we need to see some improvement on his end. He needs to invest in light weight flexible body armor, it's not that expensive and you are fighting literal TERRORISTS, not haveing something that doesn't rely on Pokémon magic is just stupid. Also buy a gun, and shoot the fucker in that face before he can speak next time. Remember the moment you join a doomsday cult/Death Cult you lose all rights to live immediately.

 

[OmegaYgg]

Ok that was a good chapter, now Lee training his Pokémon is going to help but we need to see some improvement on his end. He needs to invest in light weight flexible body armor, it's not that expensive and you are fighting literal TERRORISTS, not haveing something that doesn't rely on Pokémon magic is just stupid. Also buy a gun, and shoot the fucker in that face before he can speak next time. Remember the moment you join a doomsday cult/Death Cult you lose all rights to live immediately.

Click to shrink...

Or heck, ask Ninetails to use Telekinesis to just straight up crush Maxie directly, although the existence of Claydoll makes that tricky so that needs to be taken care of first as I suspect that invisible barriers that prevent bypasses are already erected and those would likely protect from both enemy psychic influences and things like guns or pokemon moves. Lee probably needs to come up with more Dark-type moves to use against Claydoll, so that's something that his Corviknight might work towards besides getting his body used to evolution. I suspect that Ninetails would find it easier in learning Ghost moves, some kind of Ghostfire variants maybe. Dark moves are probably gonna do better due to being unaffected by Psychic energy so it would be harder to deflect them if it was tried.

Speaking of custom moves, I wonder if Ninetails is taught Hyper Beam, could she learn from its method of gathering the Normal type energy to a hyper beam and in a sense do the same thing for fire type energy, thus essentially ending up with fire-type Hyper beam and all the benefits that entail?

 

[Remegar]

Or heck, ask Ninetails to use Telekinesis to just straight up crush Maxie directly, although the existence of Claydoll makes that tricky so that needs to be taken care of first as I suspect that invisible barriers that prevent bypasses are already erected and those would likely protect from both enemy psychic influences and things like guns or pokemon moves. Lee probably needs to come up with more Dark-type moves to use against Claydoll, so that's something that his Corviknight might work towards besides getting his body used to evolution. I suspect that Ninetails would find it easier in learning Ghost moves, some kind of Ghostfire variants maybe. Dark moves are probably gonna do better due to being unaffected by Psychic energy so it would be harder to deflect them if it was tried.

Speaking of custom moves, I wonder if Ninetails is taught Hyper Beam, could she learn from its method of gathering the Normal type energy to a hyper beam and in a sense do the same thing for fire type energy, thus essentially ending up with fire-type Hyper beam and all the benefits that entail?

Click to shrink...

That is also an option, I would personally feel like that would be more of a cop out than anything. We have seen that most Pokémon won't attack humans seriously even when they are asking for it, so I doubt it would be easy for most to just off Maxie even if he is looking to kick of a PE level event. Now Nine could definitely do it due to an altered mindset but it would negate the need for Lee to grow as a person and start to actually be pro active and pragmatic. I like him as a character but the dude needs to stop treating this like a game and start treating this world with the respect it deserves. He also needs to grow a bit more of a spine and stop using his Pokémon as a crutch, he has been making progress no doubt but it has to speed up now. Especially with how everything is getting serious, he needs to remember that a true leader will never give an order that he himself would not do, and to get to that level ge needs to actually do something verses relying on his team for everything.not just be willing to do the dirty deeds with his own hands but have the ability to do them and actually have committed before.

 

[Fuggmann]

You could have read this early! See below.

I'm reader funded, so if you'd like me to keep writing indefinitely, check out https://www.patreon.com/fuggmann at the place of patrons or become a discord subscriber. As thanks for donating, all patrons get to see updates early and suggest edits to the final draft before it goes live.

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---

To say that Steven Stone is having a long day would be a bit of an understatement.

Firstly, his Aerodactyl did something to upset his mate, a lovely and equally fiery Charizard owned by Drake of the E4. Aerodactyl always makes it everyone's problem when he lands himself in the doghouse, and has been uncooperative all day.

Secondly, his attempts to furret out more info on the happenings around Ash Ketchum have hit brick wall after brick wall. No matter how he tried, Kanto refused to part with any information regarding the young trainer beyond the absolute basics. Within him burns equal parts curiosity and a concerned desire to know what sort of possible danger the young, mysterious trainer might be dragging along in his wake. With so much else going on, Steven's curiosity has to be left on the back burner, something the champion loathes doing.

Thirdly…

"–returned in rough condition, but alive. I believe that concludes my report, Champion Stone."

Leaning back in his office chair, Steven sighs and looks at the ceiling, processing everything Lavaridge's Chief Pokemon Ranger just said.

A clash on Mount Chimney.

The involvement and near death of Lee Henson's group.

The appearance of Magma and their shadowy leader.

In one fell swoop, all of the information given to the Hoenn Champion by Lee Henson has more or less been validated, and many lingering suspicions of the man's motives have been put to rest. If all the reports are accurate, then Lee's Ninetales was nearly a fatality in the melee, so at the very least, the man is genuine in standing against the ecoterrorists.

A skeptical part of him asked, Well, what if he let Ninetales get hurt to throw off suspicion? What if he has another motive?

For a moment, Steven imagines Metagross in Ninetales' place, and part of his soul simply turns into a cold void, one that gnaws at the rest of his being with serrated fangs.

No. No man bonded so deeply to a pokemon would let them be harmed with such callous intentions. It's simply not possible.

Lee reportedly refused to provide memories of the incident to a sanctioned Psychic-type belonging to the Lavaridge PD without his Ninetales present, but Brendan Birch stepped up and volunteered, providing countless precious details in his account.

The boy gave them numbers, names, faces, strength approximations, pokemon information, and verified the story shared between himself, Lee, and their Draconid friend, Zinnia. The plot to extract Fire type energy from the volcano for a reason Brendan didn't understand… It fits Lee's abridged description of Magma's plans to awaken Groudon to a disturbingly accurate T.

Perhaps the greatest thing the young Birch provided is an accurate image of Magma's leader. A memory-assisted sketch of 'Maxie' matches one Maxwell Matsubusa.

Maxwell Matsubusa seems rather unremarkable on paper. Born into old money and journeying around Hoenn from the ages of 14 to 20, he inexplicably and abruptly retired from the life of a trainer and became an ecologist with a handful of published articles on the subject of nature conservation. Over the next two decades, he would go on to fund a handful of successful startups and was a key investor in the Devon Corporation, helping the Hoenn-based company grow and rise to rival Kanto's Silph Co. The smart business moves would nearly double the Matsubusa family's already impressive wealth.

Then Matsubusa began to pull back. He was never one for the public eye, but he became a recluse. No one truly minded, as rich-types tend to be strange that way, which is why no one noticed him quietly liquidating his assets, or moving his money out of Hoenn's National Bank. Eventually, the Hoenn civil government began to look for him regarding unpaid taxes, and that's when his disappearance came to light.

'That explains Magma's funding…' Steven sighs once more.

Apparently, Maxie hasn't been idle over the years in regards to his pokemon. His stint as a trainer painted him as rather average, but if his Camerupt could fight and defeat three above-average teams all at the same time, then the Camerupt must at minimum be an Elite. That alone is worrisome, but even worse are the other things reported by young Brendan.

The Claydol.

The dangers presented by pokemon able to manipulate minds cannot be overstated. Mind reading, memory wiping, psychic domination? All felonious crimes punishable by decades, if not life, in prison. Even frontier regions and the borderline anarchist land of Orre agree on such things. The loss of one's sanctity of mind is a unique horror that many can't even properly fathom, and that's the reason why League-sanctioned Psychic-types are trained so thoroughly, and why amateur Psychics meddling where they shouldn't be are punished so harshly.

The description of the events upon the volcano makes it seem like Maxie was treating the cardinal sins of Psychic manipulation as a checklist. What in the world is compelling the man to do this? Regardless, Magma has made their intentions clear, and they can be afforded no quarter.

'What is Team Aqua doing during all of this?' Steven can't help but wonder. Do they have something even more insidious planned? Are they merely sitting back and watching? The inaction of Magma's rivals is disconcerting.

"Champion Stone?" Steven's deskphone asks. "Are you there?"

With a start, Steven realizes he's still on a conference call with Lavaridge's Chief Ranger. "My apologies, I was busy thinking," he says, sitting up and steepling his fingers on his desk. "Thank you for your prompt report, Ranger Jeremiah. I'm going to contact the Department of Justice once all the proper reports are on my desk and we can make sense of the situation. I have a feeling that Magma and their rivals, Aqua, are going to be wanted men very soon."

"That's good to hear, sir." The ranger sounds relieved. "I'll keep my men on high-alert. Do we have a timeframe on when we are going to receive an official update?"

Steven mulls it over. "That's difficult to say. I'm going to be personally overseeing the progress of this investigation, and I imagine that we will have an official decision within–"

---

"Two weeks?" Maxie's frown is as grim as gray death itself. "Doctor, I believe that you are mistaken."

Hector Kale, director of medical operations within Team Magma and former native of Cinnabar Island, is currently in the process of regretting his life choices. Ever since starting this gig, his life has been nothing but sleepless nights, meek acquiescence, and pulling miracles out of thin air.

Behind Maxie, Claydol looms like some sort of warped specter, its eight eyes all looking in different directions, yet seemingly focusing on Hector at the same time. The pink, psychic sheen on the wall means there must be a sound-catching barrier isolating the infirmary. Some might see the measure as smart or necessary, but Hector knows a menacing gesture when he sees one.

Looking up from the unconscious mountain of muscle that is Maxie's Camerupt on the infirmary floor, Hector stares into Maxie's eyes, feeling as if Giratina itself is staring him down.

'No, this is worse,' the middle-aged doctor thinks, keeping his grimace to himself. 'Giratina would be more fair.'

"I apologize, Leader Maxie," Hector bows his head demurely, "but Camerupt is going to require at least two weeks of rest followed by another week of abstaining from strenuous activity. Your latest test run has pushed him to his limit. Any further, and his long-term health will be compromised."

Truly, Camerupt needs at least a month, ideally more, to recover from his extensive list of injuries. With his countless lacerations, cracked bones, bruised organs, an enormous rent in his side, desiccated and necrotic skin patches from Dark poisoning, and full-body strain from Mega Evolution, Camerupt seems to be suffering from every injury conceivable.

'Poor thing. What did he pit you against?' The doctor can't help but pity the camel pokemon.

Not that Maxie cares about details like that, or he would not have let his pokemon fall into such a state. The Magma leader stalked into a part of the infirmary reserved for his pokemon, practically fuming. Without a word, he deposited his bleeding Camerupt on one of the low-set beds.

Hector required no orders, and got to work stitching the behemoth back together as his assistants carted in blood bags and Sitrus slurry for transfusion after transfusion. There must be other injured pokemon if the volcano operation went so sideways that Camerupt was incapacitated, but they will simply have to wait until Maxie's pokemon is treated. Only now, after several hours of continuous work, is the monstrous pokemon stable.

"…But I will give it my best effort to ensure that Camerupt is back on his feet within a week." The doctor lowers his head further.

Silently, Hector apologizes to Camerupt. 'It's you or me, Camerupt. I'm sorry.'

The answer seems to be exactly what Maxie wants to hear, for the frown on his face is replaced with the smallest of smiles. "Excellent. Your expertise and work ethic are appreciated as always, Doctor Kale. What is the status of Claydol's extras?"

"All ten have been recovered from their hiding places around the volcano…" Hector sighs, preparing himself for Maxie's probable displeasure. "Baltoy number 6 is… no longer fit for duty. The strain of working in concert with Claydol has left number 6 with greatly diminished psychic capabilities."

"Hmm…" Maxie hums. "Yes, Claydol can be quite hungry during missions, can't he?" he asks rhetorically, peering over his shoulder towards his pokemon.

Like it always is, Claydol is utterly impassive and so still it's as if the space around it is frozen in time.

"Retire Baltoy 6 and replace it." Maxie waves his hand as if warding away an irritating insect. "While you're at it, lower Camerupt's dosage of suppressants."

For a moment, Hector flashes back to a moment in time a number of years ago, back to the day that set him on the path of ruin.

---

"I must say, Mister Kale, I was quite impressed by your studies of genetic similarities between the limbic system in humans and pokemon!"

In a darkened meeting room and sitting across from a gentleman older than he, Hector smiles nervously and nods. "Thank you."

"Your suggestions that people and pokemon may share common ancestry based off of your findings is a bold one, yet succinctly supported and thought-provoking in your follow-up research and addendums. I believe that you are just the kind of mind that we are looking for." His lab coat-wearing interviewer smiles and pushes his glasses further up his hooked nose.

For a second, Hector wonders just what he is getting into. What sort of job offer requires such secrecy and security? Nervously, he glances behind him.

Standing at the door are two men dressed in black, their hats tilted down to cover their eyes. The man on the right stands with a full-grown Nidoking, while the left is partnered with a Rhydon.

"I am gathering a team for a special project," Hector's interviewer continues, reaching a hand into his lab coat and producing a closed folder. "I cannot say much right now, but we need the greatest minds of our age, particularly ones well-versed in pokemon genetics and biology. Believe me, Mister Kale, our work will rock the entire world to its foundations."

The interviewer opens the folder and slides a single sheet to Hector, along with a pen. "Here is our initial proposal. Please take some time to read it before signing."

Taking the sheet, Hector scans the contents, his eyes widening into an impression of a Hoothoot.

The amount of payment for the job is simply absurd, with a multimillion credit payout, permanent benefits, a pension, and a slew of other bonuses upon the completion of the unspecified project… And equally absurd is the requirement of an indefinite NDA and XY-grade psychic block.

Hector knows the capabilities of both human and pokemon brains, and how psychics interact with both. Among that knowledge is the severity of different psychic blocks, and XY is the most severe by a longshot. Some blocks could be encoded to be unlocked at the end of a certain timeframe, or be unlocked by an authorized person or passphrase. More sophisticated ones can activate and deactivate based on circumstances. XY, however, is permanent. Once in place, it cannot be removed, and attempting to break it with force will kill the secret holder. The name comes from the final steps before Z, which is shorthand for outright erasing memories.

Hector's common sense tells him no, that this isn't worth it. Whatever project this is must be criminal in nature. The secrecy, the guards, the shady meeting place, it's all so stereotypical that Hector is kicking himself for not realizing it earlier.

But… what if this is worthwhile? If he doesn't take it… will he be missing out on something big? To promise such an unearthly reward… Caution goes to war with greed and a desire to use his talents. Hector hesitantly picks up the pen… Only to set it back down.

"I'm sorry, sir." Hector shakes his head. "I'm afraid I have to decline. I do, however, wish you the best of luck with your project."

The interviewer frowns. "Doctor Kale, I urge you to reconsider. We wish to put your talents to use for the good of the world. We intend to push the boundaries of known science within the field of genetics, and your cooperation would be of immense aid. Surely you understand?"

"I do," Hector replies. "However, I don't believe that I am the best fit for this role. It's a very generous offer, but it's not for me."

The man across the table leans back, his glasses catching a harsh glare off of the dim lighting above. "Very well. If nothing else, please take this."

A business card is slid across the table.

"If you reconsider, and I do believe you will, contact me straight away."

On the plain white business card are a phone number and a name.

Dr. Fuji
(9999)-4352-5677

---

Everything after that day immediately spiraled out of control. Two days after the fateful meeting, Hector was called during work to meet with a grim-faced Blaine, Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island and Director of the Cinnabar Laboratory of Genetics. Out of nowhere, Blaine informed Hector that he was being terminated from his position within the lab. A shocked Hector tried to ask why, but Blaine would answer nothing.

It's fine, Hector thought once the shock passed. There are other jobs. No big deal.

How wrong he was.

Cinnabar University had an opening for a biology professor, but they rejected his application without so much as an interview.

A spot was open in Silph Co for a general laboratory manager, but they shot him down within minutes of submitting a resume.

Hell, an elementary school in need of a substitute science teacher didn't even call back.

Seemingly nowhere would take him. Then it dawned on him just how terrible a mistake agreeing to meet Doctor Fuji had been.

"If you reconsider, and I do believe you will, contact me straight away."

He did no such thing. Hector fled the region, running away to the distant land of Hoenn to escape, for the sheer reach of his tormentors clued him in on exactly who he had slighted.

Team Rocket.

Even without an official Team Rocket presence in Hoenn, the black mark painted upon him held fast, and employment was scarce. Down to his last credits and desperate, Hector latched onto the first people to give him a chance.

Team Magma.

By the time he realized their true nature, it was far too late. All he had done was flee from one criminal enterprise into another. Now he's here, using his hard-earned skills to keep a lobotomized monster in one piece.

Maxie raises an eyebrow, and Hector realizes that he's been silent for several seconds. Bowing his head once more, he speaks. "Yes, Leader Maxie. I'll make adjustments to Camerupt's medication schedule."

The red-clad man smiles. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll leave you to your work." With that, Maxie turns on his heel and marches out of the infirmary, Claydol floating silently behind him.

As the door behind Maxie clicks shut, Hector is left alone. Only Camerupt's labored breathing and the slow beep of the ECG machine hooked to the living volcano interrupt the silence. After a long moment of brooding to himself, the doctor steps over to a refrigerator in the corner, one emblazoned with a large NOT FOR FOOD sign. Opening it and reaching in, he takes a small, unlabeled phial and holds it up to the light.

The solution within the glass phial is clear as water, and no one would be able to tell just how insidious the concoction inside is just by looking. The drug within, formulated by Hector's own hands, retards the functions of a pokemon's cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, all areas of the brain responsible for higher thought and emotional processing. One dose reduces a pokemon into a husk for days at a time.

The side effects of long-term usage? Unknown.

He turns the phial in his fingers, the chemicals within refracting the light into a rainbow.

Anyone else might have been confused as to why Maxie asked for a lower dose for Camerupt, but to a man like Hector, the reason is as clear as it is disturbing.

The drug isn't an end in itself; it's merely a set of training wheels for Claydol.

"I'm sorry, Camerupt," the doctor whispers to himself, shuffling over to a cabinet along the wall. Opening it, he withdraws a clean syringe and curses himself under his breath. "Not all who wear chains can be brothers."

---

A bit gloomy, and I understand people are a bit tired of that, but the next chapter marks the beginning of a lighter arc.

Below are the names of some patrons who got to view this chapter early and felt like signing it. A huge thanks to them and everyone else who supports this story and everything else I write.

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[ThunderBasilisk]

Who wants to bet their gonna try to steal Ninetails and use that shit on her? Also glad the angst is ending. And glad Stevens taking Magma and Aqua seriously now. Hope Camarupt gets put out of its misery soon. Cant wait to see Stevens reactions to Ashs shenanigans when they start happening in Hoenn.

 

[Fernando]

Oof.

Poor Camerupt, to be raised to have the bond for a Mega only to be treated like a puppet by a Claydol with what appears to be 8 sacrificial psychic 'batteries' to soak up any damage he faces during battle.

Also, is that a Champion actually being proactive in handling the situation that is currently affecting the region while simultaneously digging into Ash's successes? Very nice.

 

[Goldenrah]

So the Claydol really wasn't that strong, it was just running a hive mind of Baltoy's to empower itself. The best thing to shut that down would be a move akin to Psychic terrain, just for the dark type. Wonder if Lee could make one.

 

[JeanneShi]

A bit gloomy, and I understand people are a bit tired of that, but the next chapter marks the beginning of a lighter arc.

Click to shrink...

This is extremely worrying. I have read similar phrases numerous times.
It never ends well.
The Cerebus Syndrome is a slippery slope and few can ever escape it's grasp.

Beware it escaping the confines of a story and start leaking into other works.

 

[Kalstorm22]

Great chapter, very interesting. the line "Not all who wear chains can be brothers." is very compelling and thought provoking, thanks for writing.

 

[Sockmonkey]

Great chapter, very interesting. the line "Not all who wear chains can be brothers." is very compelling and thought provoking, thanks for writing.

Click to shrink...

Agreed. Sums up that scene perfectly.
Apparently, Claydoll is being trained to go full ME "assuming direct control" on non-weakened foes.

 

[Tobi]

So that's why that Mega was so damn strong. Damn that sounds brutal, hope Magma goes down hard. Then again I kinda want them to summon the legendary only for it to go on a rampage to search for its rival. I think the whole Baltoy and Claydol psychic network is intended to help them control Groudon.

 

[doomqwer]

The loss of one's sanctity of mind is a unique horror that many can't even properly fathom,

Click to shrink...

Yeah the changing of the mind be its from memory loss or even slight mind control can completely fuck over your whole frame of self.

"All ten have been recovered from their hiding places around the volcano…" Hector sighs, preparing himself for Maxie's probable displeasure. "Baltoy number 6 is… no longer fit for duty. The strain of working in concert with Claydol has left number 6 with greatly diminished psychic capabilities."

Click to shrink...

Ah I wonder if there was some kind of power boost for claydol and this does make sense.

One dose reduces a pokemon into a husk for days at a time.

The side effects of long-term usage? Unknown.

Click to shrink...

Jesus fucking christ I yet again reiterate my comment on maxie just asking for Arceus itself to come down and bitch slap him in to paste.

 

[Tobi]

It's good thing this scientist rejected Dr Juji even though he suffered for it. If he had been apart of the team MewTwo would have been on a more powerful dosage of drugs than he already is and might not live long.

 

[Winged One]

Just having some heartfelt moments between the two, helps pass the strain of the latest chapter cliffhanger.
Let alone all the other things you wrote

Click to shrink...

*salts that the thread is in SFW*

 

[egooo]

*salts that the thread is in SFW*

Click to shrink...

And, you know. Forgo's stuff is all on fugg's discord if you bother to look. Along with more Fugg's "special" snippets.

 

[Winged One]

And, you know. Forgo's stuff is all on fugg's discord if you bother to look. Along with more Fugg's "special" snippets.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for sharing this vital information.

 

[Fuggmann]

You could have read this early! See below.

I'm reader funded, so if you'd like me to keep writing indefinitely, check out https://www.patreon.com/fuggmann at the place of patrons or become a discord subscriber. As thanks for donating, all patrons get to see updates early and suggest edits to the final draft before it goes live.

If you want to keep up-to-date on releases, see https://discord.gg/hive-of-degeneracy and opt in to the fic-updates role for a ping.

---

Basics of Mounted Air Transportation in Hoenn

Article 1: Definitions
1.1. "Flying Mount" refers to any living creature, pokemon or otherwise, capable of carrying human passengers or cargo through the air.
1.2. "Private Citizen" refers to any individual not operating a flying mount as part of a commercial, government, or military operation.
1.3. "Flight Zone" refers to the airspace designated for the use of flying mounts, which is separate from airspace designated for conventional aircraft.

Article 2: Licensing and Registration
2.1. All private citizens operating a flying mount must possess a valid Flying Mount Operator's License (henceforth known as FMOL).
2.2. The FMOL may be obtained after passing a written and practical examination issued by the Hoenn Pokemon League Air Authority (Henceforth known as HPLAA), which includes both theory and actual flight experience. Click here for more info.
2.3. Each flying mount must be registered with the HPLAA, and a unique identification code must be broadcast from the mount at all times during flight.

Seated against his bed headboard, Lee looks away from his laptop filled with government jargon and rubs his eyes. Lifting his hand, he looks around the near-silent hotel room.

Sitting on Brendan's bed are Brendan himself, Zinnia, a black-and-blue Marshtomp, and Goomy. All four sit close together, comfortable and at ease. Brendan, Marshtomp, and Goomy are distracted by a colorful anime starring an Emolga on the TV, while Zinnia is impassively scrolling through her phone, occasionally stroking Goomy, who is in her lap.

It's been a week since the disaster of a mission at the top of Mount Chimney, and the entire time, he's been studying and planning as he waits for Ninetales to be released from the Pokemon Center.

Octillery was released after only two days with a several-day light duty advisory. The octopus pokemon has been in a quiet mood ever since, his cheery disposition replaced with something brooding and contemplative. He often stares into space with his eyes narrowed, and Lee can see the cephalopod's powerful brain turning, thinking of something. When asked, Octillery waves Lee off.

Grovyle…

Lee bites his lip.

Grovyle is in little better condition than Ninetales. Camerupt's lethal Flamethrower burned away an enormous portion of his frontal scales and even damaged the nerves and muscles beneath. After five days in the care of the Pokemon Center, he was released with hair-raising scarring. On his chest, where the brunt of the attack struck him, is a starburst-like burn scar of pale, discolored scales. His neck, legs, and left arm were likewise burned, but not as badly as his chest. Regardless, he kept his head held high and insisted he walk out of the burn ward on his own power, no matter how much each step obviously pained him.

According to Nurse Joy, it's going to be weeks before he regains full mobility and nerve sensitivity, and even then, he'll need either specialist treatment or evolution to undo the worst of the scarring. As Lee expected, Grovyle rejected the notion of waiting around for an available specialist, even at Lee's urging. He did, however, allow Lee to restrict him to rest for the next week.

'You really are a legend in the making, Grovyle.' Lee's fingers brush the gecko's pokeball, and the ball wiggles in reply. 'Please don't overdo it, though.'

Finally, Ninetales…

The fox was rushed into surgery upon arrival, as the Pokemon Center's usual healing machines simply couldn't deal with such extensive damage in a reasonable timeframe. Her first two days in the ICU were sleepless nights for Lee, as she was stuck on a ventilator and everything was still touch and go. On day three, the Center declared the worst had passed and took her off the ventilator as she began breathing on her own again. Ever since, Ninetales has spent most of each day resting, her thoughts a jumbled mess as she gradually recovers. Each time she regained a short few seconds of semi-lucidity, she reached her mind out to him, desperately asking 'Are you okay, Lee?' over and over.

'Am I okay?' he answered back the first time. 'I should be asking you that.'

---

Ninetales' Flamethrower is thin and beam-like, slicing through the air like a hot wire, and each falling orb of lava that meets it explodes into smoke, practically vaporized. The Flamethrower greedily sucks down Ninetales' already flagging stamina, but she doesn't seem to notice at all, instead shooting down everything as fast as she can. The single-minded fervor leaves Lee awed and… just a bit frightened.

Try as she might, though, Ninetales is but one pokemon facing down hundreds of falling projectiles. She destroys a hundred, then another hundred, cutting their numbers by nearly two-thirds, but by then, the remainders are just too close.

One slips by, and Lee, so overloaded, doesn't realize it's bearing down on him until the flaming meteor is only fifty feet away. He looks up, his eyes wide.

A gold blur slams into his chest, throwing him away, but he scrambles to his feet a second later. That could only be—!

The meteor strikes his savior, exploding into a cloud of sharp, superheated stones and choking ash, but the explosion does nothing to drown out the tortured cry that follows.

---

Ninetales saved his life, and in doing so, took a spear of superheated stone to her chest, piercing one of her lungs and nearly striking her heart. If the stone had been an inch to the left, Ninetales would have been struck in the heart and killed.

She would have died.

The thought alone fills Lee with equal parts cold dread and burning fury. 'Maxie, your days as a free man are numbered. That's a promise.'

They got no rest after the ordeal, as the police barged in soon after, demanding an explanation. Over the next two days, he, Brendan, and Zinnia would be interviewed no less than four times by the police, the Rangers, and by League agents. Each party got the same story, one approved by Lee's lawyer beforehand.

Strangely, and perhaps a bit worryingly, the expected interrogation from Steven Stone never came. The one from Nigel …

---

As Lee finishes explaining the volcano fiasco to Professor Birch, the other man is understandably silent over the phone line for a few seconds. The seconds stretch into an agonizing, nerve-wracking minute, and just as Lee opens his mouth to ask if Nigel is still there, a sigh answers him.

"Lee…" Nigel stops himself short. "This is…" Again, he stops, sounding frustrated. "Arceus damnit, I know the last thing you want on your plate is more shit to worry over, but if I'm being honest with myself, Lee, then I'm more than disappointed with how you handled this. You knew that Magma would be there in force, and you didn't call for backup? You could have been killed. Your pokemon could have been killed! Brendan could have been killed!" He is almost screaming at this point. "What if he was killed, Lee?! Do you know what that would do to me? His mother? That's not even getting into what would happen to the laboratory if our only Lab Trainers died mid-journey! How could you make such a stupid decision?!"

Never before has Lee heard Nigel sound so scathing, and the words hurt all the more for it. Try as he might, Lee can't help but physically flinch at the professor's palpable anger, drawing a few stares from the people and gaggle of officers in the Pokemon Center.

Tucking himself a little further into the corner he has claimed for himself, Lee clears his throat. "I… I don't have an excuse, Nigel. Zinnia and Brendan look to me as the leader of our little party, and I okayed all of this. I was overconfident in our abilities, and didn't want to be questioned as to why I know all that I know. Neither did I expect Magma to be so willing to use lethal force. Deciding to go in at all was stupid, let alone with so little preparation." Leaning his head back against the wall, Lee begins to consider his options for a new job, which makes his pounding migraine even worse. "The blame here rightfully falls to me. If this results in my… termination, and our group being broken up, I understand," he concludes, the words falling from his mouth as guilty as they are reluctant. "I know I'm overstepping my bounds here, but if you decide you don't want me around Brendan anymore, can I ask you to consider not calling him home? His journey shouldn't be cut short because of something I— Hey!"

Before Lee can finish, his cell phone is abruptly snatched from him by a tanned hand.

"Professor Birch, Brendan's dad and Lee's boss, right?" Zinnia holds the phone up to her ear and turns her back to Lee so he can't easily retake the device. "I'm Zinnia Draconid, the third member of our merry little band. Don't give Lee the third degree, because none of this is his fault; I'm actually the shitty influence here. Fighting Magma was my idea, bringing Brendan included." She speaks too fast for Birch to get a word in, scowling the entire time. "Lee is just being the fall guy because he's too stupid to not blame everything on himself."

"Zinnia, what the hell are you doing?!" Lee reaches for his phone, but Zinnia's free hand shoots out and grabs his wrist, halting him with infuriating ease. "Give that back!"

"You want me to leave Lee and Brendan alone? Say the word and I'll fuck off, just don't try anything with them, because they don't deserve it. If you fire Lee or drag Brendan home, I know you'll regret it. You know you'll regret it." Her piece said, Zinnia thrusts the cell phone back into Lee's hand and stalks off, returning to the distant lobby seats where Brendan pensively watches.

With a sigh, Lee raises his phone back to his ear and leans against the wall. "I'm sorry about that, Professor. Zinnia can be… impulsive at the best of times."

"Was there any truth to what she said?" Nigel's anger seems to have abated, replaced with a weariness that drips from each word.

Lee's first instinct is to answer with "No", but he pauses. "It's… It's complicated. She knows what Aqua and Magma are really up to"—he stresses this, hoping Nigel understands—"and has taken it upon herself to try and stop them. She insisted on confronting Magma on the volcano, but things still went sideways because of my negligence. The fault still belongs to me."

The sound of a hand tiredly rubbing an unshaven face is barely audible over the phone. "I see…" Nigel mutters. "You know, from the moment he could walk, I did my best to instill the value of family in my son."

Lee blinks in confusion at the seeming non sequitur. "Nigel?"

"I like to think I did pretty well, considering he always makes time to call home when he can," the regional professor continues. "You know he talks about you two? You and your friend Zinnia?"

"He does?" Lee asks, mildly surprised. Brendan's calls home are usually private, so he had no idea. He cuts his eyes over to the boy in question.

Liberated of his injured pokemon and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Zinnia, Brendan looks so small and vulnerable. It's unsettling to look at.

"You and her are his favorite subjects outside of pokemon and battling," Nigel confirms. "He tells me about clever little tricks he's learned from Zinnia, and all the lessons he gets from you, and how much fun you all have traveling together. To him, it's never about what he does alone, but what you all do as a group," the professor reveals. "I can hear it in his voice; for better or worse, Brendan looks at you two like family, perhaps like the siblings he has never had."

Even after all the trials of the day, a spot in Lee's chest musters some warmth at hearing that.

"If I call Brendan and tell him to come home immediately, do you know what his answer is going to be?"

Lee doesn't even need to answer. Brendan's determination for excellence in all things pokemon makes it clear what he would say.

"…I'm not going to let you go or call Brendan home, Lee," Nigel finally says, lifting a weight off of Lee's shoulders. "Your pokemon are strong, and you're a good trainer, but I don't think you realize just how high the peaks can get in pokemon battling. Don't play it fast and loose with Magma and Aqua any more. If things begin to look sketchy, you have plenty of resources to call on. For the sake of everybody in your group, use those resources. Heck, call me if you need to. I know this won't happen again, correct?"

"It will not," Lee promises quietly.

"Good." Nigel sighs once more, this time sounding relieved. "Now, if you will please excuse me, I have to call my son and bite his head off."

---

The call from Nigel could have been worse. Much worse. Lee was certain that he was about to lose his job and likely be blacklisted from every pokemon academic institution in Hoenn. After the worst parts of the conversation had passed, Lee was informed by Nigel that he had talked with a psychic expert about meeting Lee and Ninetales to aid in the mediation of their telepathy, and that the expert was making plans to meet them in Fallarbor. The news left him with a touch of apprehension, but with bigger worries afoot, Lee moved those concerns to the back burner.

Thankfully, it looks like everything is on the upswing for once. The Pokemon Rangers locked down teleportation in and out of Lavaridge for the duration of their investigation, so Lee hasn't been able to meet with Mable this week. In lieu of that, preparation for his team's overhauled training regime took center stage.

Article 3: Flight Operation and Safety
3.1. Flying mounts may only be operated within designated flight zones.
3.2. Operators must maintain a minimum safe distance of 500 feet from buildings, structures, and other flying mounts outside of the Operator's formation, unless for takeoff or landing.
3.3. Flying mounts must be equipped with proper lighting and signaling equipment for night flights.
3.4. Operators must be equipped with proper radio and IFF transceiver equipment.
3.5. Operators must follow all traffic control instructions issued by Air Traffic Control (henceforth known as ATC).
3.6. Operators must not fly under the influence of alcohol or any mind-altering substances.
3.7. Operators are required to carry a first-aid kit, redundant communication devices, and emergency signaling equipment during flights.

Article 4: Maintenance and Health of Flying Mounts
4.1. Flying mounts must undergo regular health checkups to ensure safe flight capability.
4.2. Operators must maintain a record of their flying mount's health and maintenance history, which must be presented upon request by relevant Pokemon League and civil government officers.
4.3. Operators must ensure that their flying mounts are well-rested and well-fed prior to flights.

Article 5: Prohibited Activities
5.1. Flying mounts may not be used for illegal activities or to facilitate the commission of crimes.
5.2. Private citizens may not use flying mounts to carry hazardous materials or engage in mounted aerial combat without express Pokemon League permission.
5.3. Operators may not fly in restricted airspace or near sensitive infrastructure, such as military installations or power plants, without proper authorization.

First among that? Get a flying license.

Of course, one can't just hop on the back of a flying pokemon and go wherever they want; it has to be mired down in regulations. Many of the regulations are sensible and even agreeable, but it's still annoying.

The test is simple enough, almost as simple as getting a driver's license. A written test, an inspection of the pokémon you intend to fly on, and a practical test. If you can prove sufficient competence in one go, Hoenn will issue a same-day license, and if not, then you're stuck with a two-week-long course. With the license in hand, Lee will be able to fly anywhere he wishes, which will facilitate the gathering of training supplies, ease of travel, and will significantly shorten any hunts for the sixth team member that Lee is still deciding on.

The sound of steel sliding across steel makes Lee smile. Looking away from his laptop again, he takes in the huge, avian form swallowing a significant fraction of the room with his darkened bulk.

Out of his ball and sitting on the floor, Corvisq— Corviknight cuts an intimidating figure. With his obsidian armor and razor-edged wings, the massive raven is practically the living embodiment of the word ferocious, even if his temperament isn't totally matching anymore.

With the rest of Lee's team sans Shinx all in states of recovery, Corviknight has steadfastly refused to leave Lee's side. Be it sleeping, out and about outside, or anything else, none of it seems beneath him, and he'll dutifully follow. With his evolution, Corviknight's foul temperament and constant fury have seemingly been abandoned, replaced with a brooding, yet patient giant of a bird. Lee still catches sneers and rolled eyes on Corviknight's face, but now they are few and far between, and never directed at Lee himself.

'Big guy has grown up a lot, hasn't he?' Lee muses.

Though big guy is an understatement for Corviknight. The raven is absolutely enormous, and it scratches Lee's kaiju itch just right. To the zoologist's delight, Corvi finally submitted to a physical without a fuss, and Lee had to stand on a park bench to measure Corvi's unreal nine-foot-ten height.

Fucking nine-foot-ten. Practically three meters even. Corvi is over two-and-a-half feet taller than his species' average. Hell, they had to take him to the Pokemon Center and ask to use one of their scales, which showed a whopping three hundred and fifty-one kilograms, or just under seven hundred and seventy-four pounds.

Lee can say that he is the proud trainer of a behemoth. Sadly, Corvi isn't the largest Corviknight ever, but he did snatch third-place from a wild flock leader recorded to be living in Galar, who is said to be about nine-foot-eight.

Not to say that Corviknight's evolution is all upsides. For one, the raven is now so massive that he has to duck his head and angle his body to fit through doorways, which is saying something considering architects often take large pokemon into account when designing interior spaces. Battling in any confined space is going to be a chore.

There is also the matter of his food intake. Lee ran the math, considered as many variables as possible, and overhauled Corvi's meals. The raven's supernatural musculature and the thick, natural armor he lugs around made exact numbers a pain, but after all is said and done, Lee came to a staggering twenty-five thousand calories per day simply for Corvi's daily upkeep. A bulk of these calories need to come from protein, iron, and carbohydrates, and the sheer amount necessitated Lee to burn close to five thousand credits on a pokeblock maker.

Using the same space-bending tech as their bags, Silph Co's pokeblock maker lets trainers condense food down into dense cubes, essentially giving pokemon a one-bite meal for quick energy and nutrition. For large pokemon with serious dietary requirements, it can turn industrial amounts of food into a portable bowl full of cubes. Lee naturally splurged for the top model, which retains the texture, moisture, and taste of the food, and even has separated compartments so different meal components like meat and vegetables aren't homogenized into unappetizing-looking kibble.

…Now, preparing all the food to dump into the briefcase-sized device is a multi-hour spectacle, so Lee dedicated an entire day to just preparing two weeks worth of meals for Corvi.

Without warning, Lee feels Ninetales begin to stir all the way over in the Pokémon Center, and his train of thought is cut off.

Slowly, blearily, the distant fox begins to regain consciousness, and unlike the previous panicked spikes of awareness, this time it's slow and deliberate. Her mind reaches out to his with a telepathic hand on instinct, and Lee quickly meets her halfway with a wave of love and concern.

'Nine? How are you feeling, love?'

The vixen takes her time responding, her thoughts sluggish. 'Like I was impaled through the chest,' she says dryly.

Lee smiles even if the joke is rather grim. 'I'm glad to see that your sense of humor is still okay.'

'Considering the oxygen mask on my face and how numb I feel, no doubt from painkillers, I believe my sense of humor is the only thing I have that is functional.' Ninetales gives the mental equivalent of a sigh and goes quiet. Within her, a mixture of deep, existential despair and near-blinding fury begin to build, like hot and cold water that refuse to mix. Most of all though, there is raw HATE, so burning and hideous that Ninetales is almost quivering. HATE aimed squarely at Maxie for nearly taking Lee away… and HATE at herself for failing, something Lee is all too familiar with.

'Lee.' Ninetales' lips are pulled back into a snarl. Through her eyes, he can see her hot breath begin to warp her plastic breathing mask. 'Beloved, you almost –'

'Let's not worry about 'almost' right now,' Lee gently interrupts, shutting his laptop and closing his eyes before leaning back into the headboard of his bed. He doesn't let his Ace's overwhelming emotions rattle him. 'I nearly died. You nearly died. All of us nearly died. I'm just as furious at what that son of a bitch Maxie did, but what's done is done, and we'll simply be better next time.'

Lee feels phantom fur on his neck shift as Ninetales physically recoils in surprise, her rage abating. 'Lee?'

'When the nurses were rushing you into the operating room and wheeling off everyone else, I was left with some time to think,' Lee continues. 'And you know what I think? I think I'm tired of being scared, for myself and for all of you. We've been without any kind of direction because I've been too afraid to commit to a path, one that will inevitably lead us into the spotlight. I did you and the rest of the team a disservice by doing that.'

Ninetales is silent as Lee telepathically speaks. In the meantime, she peruses Lee's memories of what has transpired while she has been unconscious.

'Well, no more. If the world wants to play hardball, we're going to show them that they aren't ready for what we have. I'm drawing up plans to up everyone's training, to fill our last spot, and to take plenty of safety measures. We aren't going to get mad, we're going to get better. If Magma wants to mess around, then we'll take the opportunity to get even.'

On the other end of the telepathic bond, Ninetales' anger isn't extinguished, but has dipped into a cool simmer, fueled by the implication that they won't be actively pursuing Magma. Slowly, though, a proud warmth thrums through the ethereal band connecting them. 'Although I hate that an event like the disaster upon the volcano was the catalyst, it heartens me to see you more confident, beloved,' Ninetales says, smiling. 'I still want nothing more than to chase down that redheaded, human-shaped filth and make him pay, though.'

'Maxie will get his when the time is right,' Lee sends back. 'For now, let's all recover and put this behind us.'

'Of course, of course.' Ninetales' mind reaches out, and even with painkillers dulling her thoughts, she still wraps Lee in a tight mental embrace. 'I love you, Lee.'

Lee wraps his being around her in-turn, smiling. 'Same to you.'

Their serious conversation over, Ninetales' thoughts begin to drift, whisked away by the drugs in her bloodstream. She looks at the IV bag hooked to her foreleg with annoyance, silently wishing to trade the nutrient drip for something substantial to eat.

'I'll get you something big and tasty as soon as I get the all-clear from the Center,' Lee promises.

As Ninetales shuts her eyes for some real sleep, Lee is given a front-row seat to her vivid imagination going wild. Just before she conks out, Lee is treated to the image of a hungry Nine biting into an entirely-too-big burger, one he recalls eating at some hipster joint in college.

Returning back to the real world, Lee looks at the clock on the wall, noting that it's nearly 1 PM. Shoving his laptop off his lap, he stands and stretches, drawing curious looks from the rest of the room. "Corvi and I need to go take that flying license exam. We'll be back in a few hours."

"Where is it being held at?" Zinnia questions, putting her phone down.

"The Ranger station on the edge of town. Town Hall only does tests if you schedule two weeks in advance." Lee answers. "I need to stop by the Pokemart and pick up the saddle I ordered first, though. The supplier had to custom-build one for Corvi's size."

The massive raven just a handful of feet away scowls, miffed about how undignified wearing a saddle is going to be.

"The practical part should be at 3PM or so, if you guys want to come watch," Lee continues. "Well, 3 PM assuming there aren't any delays. There are only two other people taking the exam today, but you never know."

"I know I'll be there." Zinnia smirks. "Just remember to clench your legs and your butt when they run you through the high-G turn portion, or you'll black out."

Lee raises an eyebrow. "Do you already have a license?"

"Pretty much every Draconid does," Zinnia confirms. "I took my test in Fallarbor on one of the Flygon who live with the tribe, just like every other tribal kid. You don't actually have to have a flying Pokémon to have a flying license."

"Huh…"

"Sounds like fun! Count me in!" Brendan chimes in, Marshtomp nodding beside him. "Say, Lee? If you and Corviknight are okay with it, can I borrow Corviknight to take the test with? I may as well get it now."

Corviknight shrugs, uncaring.

"If Corvi is okay with it, I don't see why not." Lee smiles when Brendan cheers. "Better study up and book your test now if you want to get it done before we leave Lavaridge. I want to start making tracks north as soon as Nine is well enough to travel."

Without delaying another second, Brendan digs his cell phone from his pocket and opens up the browser, making himself busy.

"Ready?" Lee asks Corviknight.

The raven stands, accidentally bonking his head on the ceiling.

---

"Here's your special order!" The cheery woman behind the Pokemart counter slides a large box to Lee, one that requires both hands to pick up. "I don't think I've ever seen a delivery from Westwind Solutions this large before. Do you ride a Dragon?" she asks, badly hiding the curious look at Lee's scars.

"He's got the temper of one," Lee jokes, lifting the hefty cube of cardboard and turning towards the door. "Thank you!"

"No problem! Have a nice day!" The clerk waves goodbye.

Stepping through the automatic doors and into the tiny parking lot of the Mart, Lee, followed by Corvi, who has been loitering outside, head off to a bench around the corner of the building.

"Phew…" Lee drops the box on the ground and wipes his forehead. "Jeez, this thing is heavy. I hope it doesn't add too much weight for you, Corvi."

Red eyes blink as the titanic bird gives Lee an incredulous stare. Corvi then croaks mockingly, as if challenging the notion that the contents of the box would even be noticeable on his back.

"Sure sure, I get it." Lee rolls his eyes. "Let's not go overboard, though. Every ounce matters."

Corvi clicks his tongue, but doesn't protest further. Bringing a wing forward, his steel feathers slice through the tape and metal staples holding the box together with no resistance, letting the top pop open.

Lee peers inside, then reaches in and pulls out the heavy bundle within. Setting it on his lap, he pulls away the covering of waxed paper around it, pausing when a letter falls out. Picking up the paper letter, he quickly scans the contents.

Westwind Solutions
Custom Products for Flying Pokemon
Est. 198X, Proudly in Violet City, Johto

Dear Mr. Lee Henson

Congratulations! Your package from Westwind Solutions has arrived, and within it lies a crowning jewel of our craftsmanship—a custom saddle designed exclusively for your magnificent Corviknight companion. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for choosing us as your trusted supplier of bespoke products for flight-capable pokemon.

At Westwind Solutions, we take great pride in our ability to blend innovation, functionality, and artistry into every creation. Our team of skilled artisans and engineers has poured their passion and expertise into crafting a saddle that not only enhances the comfort and performance of your majestic Corviknight but also showcases our commitment to excellence. We –

The letter is rather self-aggrandizing, and quite frankly goes on for too long, so Lee skips to the end.

– Fly high and forge new horizons, knowing that Westwind Solutions is your ally in the skies.

Order Details:
Saddle (including selected options) – 4,209.50c
Expert Traveler Equipment Pack 2,550.00c – 1,550.00c (special promotion)
Custom Size XXXL – 1,109.50c
Custom Folding Mechanism – 1,088.70c
Rush Interregional Shipping – 581.71c
Sales Tax – 426.97c
Wisdom in picking Westwind – Priceless

Total Amount: 8,966.38c
Payment Due By: [PREPAID]

Thank you for choosing Westwind Solutions for your custom flight product needs. We greatly appreciate your business.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this invoice, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service by phone at (2100)-9887-1302 or email us at service@wwsolutions.jto. We are here to assist you! Be sure to follow our BattleNet page for new products and special promotions!

"Windbag Solutions is more like it." Lee snorts. "Here I am spending money like I'm made of it. Maybe we'll head back to Mauville after this and give Aarons a new TM to copy. How does a business trip sound, bud? Care to menace sleazy businessmen for me?" he asks Corviknight.

The raven smirks, eyes literally flashing in cruel anticipation.

Lee finishes unwrapping the saddle and hefts it up on his shoulder. "Alrighty, let's get this thing on."

Corviknight sighs, but bends down so Lee can toss the saddle on his back.

The exorbitant amount of manufacturer bluster might actually be justified, because the saddle truly is superbly made. The whole thing folds into rectangular fourths for storage, giving it just barely enough clearance to be dropped into Lee's backpack. The contact surface intended for Corvi's metallic back is fitted with soft, yet durable rubber, and when the leather straps around Corvi's chest are fastened, the saddle is rock-solid secure.

The seat is split in half along the middle folding point and is made up of two separate, leather-wrapped cushions, each one shaped to slot into the other. When unfolded, the cushions mesh together, providing a comfortable seat. The stirrups are fitted with leg-securing straps, and through some feat of mechanical engineering that Lee has trouble wrapping his head around, the leg straps apparently auto-squeeze during high G maneuvers, aiding the rider in preventing blackouts.

Near the rubber-coated handholds on the saddle and molded into the leather are a number of mechanical instruments, namely an altimeter, a compass, and a speedometer. Around those are a number of different pouches for equipment. One for an IFF transceiver, another one for a radio, a large one for an emergency oxygen tank, a holster for a flare gun, and several other miscellaneous pouches for whatever the rider might need. Since Lee ordered all the accessories mandated by law and then some, all of the pouches are already filled with their equipment. Likewise, the slots in the saddle for safety reflectors and signaling lights are already populated. Powering it all is a pair of enclosed, cylindrical wind turbines mounted above the saddle bags, which feed into a battery bank.

Finally, the handholds are fitted with a number of pressure-sensitive buttons that activate vibrating motors in the saddle, the intensity and location of which are used for different instructions, like increasing or lowering altitude, increasing or decreasing speed, turning, and maneuvering. Theoretically, a rider can give accurate instructions to their pokemon without ever saying a word.

"That should do it." Lee nods and steps back, inspecting his work. "How does it feel?"

Corviknight grumbles in his throat and struts in a large circle, moving his wings about and testing his mobility. The frown on the raven's face eases some, but doesn't totally go away.

"Comfortable?" Lee probes. "Give me your honest opinion. I won't hesitate to send it back if it's not."

After mulling over his answer, Corviknight nods once, though he still seems sour. His displeased face melts when Lee steps closer and reaches up, scratching the great avian beneath his beak.

"I don't think it looks undignified," Lee soothes him with a small smile. "In fact, you make it look good."

Corviknight is too busy leaning into the scratching fingers to reply.

After they toss the box into the dumpster behind the Pokemart, man and 'mon make the walk to the Pokemon Ranger station out on the edge of town, cutting through the midday streets with the same ease Corviknight's wing did the cardboard box a few minutes prior.

Where Ninetales parts crowds slowly, everyone trying to linger and peer at her as long as they can, Corvi is more akin to a landslide, in that no one has any choice but to move, and they do so with haste. Besides the buildings on either side of the road, Corviknight is the tallest thing around, and thus everyone is given plenty of forewarning to step aside and to occasionally snap a photo on their phones. Lee's raven has no reaction to the attention, and his cold indifference seems to spur more admiration from onlookers than it does resentment.

Upon arriving at the Pokémon Ranger station, which has a door large enough for Corvi, the pair walk inside.

The Ranger station is sparse, as to be expected. Other than the front desk, there are a couple of seats along the wall, a water fountain, and a small shelf with a handful of recruiting pamphlets. Lee and Corviknight ignore everything but the front desk and approach the bored teenager manning it.

"Welcome to the Lavaridge Ranger station, what can I…" The teen scratches a zit on his chin and looks up, double taking when he sees the gigantic raven looming behind Lee. "Uhh…"

"Lee Henson and Corviknight, here for the flying license exam." Lee smiles and makes it as kind as he can, all too aware of how Corvi is probably pinning this kid in place with his red-eyed stare. "I called and scheduled a couple days ago?"

"Oh, uhh, sure." The teen regains his bearings and puts his phone down. He then brings up a spreadsheet on his computer and looks at it. "Uh, the test begins in about ten minutes. In the meantime, my supervisor will inspect your pokemon. Do you have a vaccination and preventative care manifest from the Pokémon Center?"

Lee produces the requested form from his back pocket and unfolds it, handing it off to the teenage attendant.

The teenager takes the paper and photocopies it with a small copier on his desk before handing it back. "Ranger Wanda will be with you in a couple of minutes."

---

Just as the front desk attendant said, a young woman in a Pokemon Ranger uniform comes and leads everyone off to a small classroom promptly before handing out a thick packet of paper to each test-taker. At the same time, another Ranger takes everyone's pokemon out back to be inspected. Corviknight's company in that regard ends up being a Pidgeot and a Skarmory.

The written test, for which Lee and the other two trainers are given an hour and a half to finish a hundred questions, is thorough but not overly hard. It covers a wide variety of subjects, from local laws, international laws, exceptions to specific clauses and rules, identifying weather patterns, radio use and radio lingo, night flight safety, some common sense problems, and just about every subject imaginable. However, it's no big deal if one has studied an hour or two a night a week beforehand as Lee did.

When the test concludes and the Ranger overseeing everything collects the test packets, everyone is dismissed for half an hour as the tests are graded. The passing criteria is rather strict at 95% or higher, and if one fails to achieve a satisfactory score, they're forced to take a longer, more thorough course lasting two weeks. When the Ranger returns, she gladly announces that all three of the prospective flyers passed, and their pokemon passed inspection as well, finally leading to the practical portion. For that, all of them are led to a spacious clearing behind the station, where their pokémon are waiting.

"Okay, everyone!" The lady Ranger before them calls out with a positively booming voice. "We'll be going over equipment checks, communication with air traffic control, maneuverability, and defensive flying to start out. Go ahead and approach your pokemon and begin making your initial checks. I'll be walking around and observing," she says, folding her arms behind her back. Beside her, her saddled Fearow looks as bored as can be, having probably heard all these lines a million times already. "Once we get into the air, remember to listen closely to our instructions! Flying with your pokemon is an incredible, liberating experience and one of the best bonding exercises around, but don't get carried away!"

'Yeesh,' Lee quells the urge to pick his ear with his pinky as he walks over to Corviknight. 'And I thought Zinnia had a big mouth. I guess the instructor needs to be loud in case someone's radio fails or something.'

One of the other two trainers, a fourteen-year-old boy, has to drag his infatuated Skarmory's attention away from Corviknight, who in turn seems exasperated.

The other one is a middle-aged woman who leads a Pidgeot. The Pidgeot unfortunately doesn't seem to respect his trainer, and behaves passive-aggressively throughout the entire process of having his saddle mounted.

"Here goes nothing…" Lee sighs, a tad nervous as Corvi leans down to let Lee mount. Lee has to bring his leg high, step into the stirrup, and with a grunt, throw his other leg over Corvi's wide back. "There we goooo shit!"

Corviknight stands to his full height again, his back tilted forward so Lee doesn't fall off, and all of a sudden the ground is a damn sight farther away than he'd been expecting. Corviknight turns his head, his red, luminescent eye questioning.

"I'm fine, Corvi." Lee takes a deep breath and pats the raven on his neck. "It's no slight to you, I've just never flown before. Back on the volcano, I was too distracted to really have it sink in that we were flying."

Corvi nods, his gaze sharpening. A deep croak reverberates in his throat, and Lee doesn't need telepathy to understand the dark bird. 'I will not allow harm to come to you,' the croak says.

"I know you won't." He smiles, and Lee can't help but be heartened when Corvi's beak twitches up, nearly forming a smile.

Lee then busies himself with checking over all the equipment in the saddle, watching from the corner of his eye as the instructor has to help the flustered woman beside them with her uncooperative Pidgeot. He inputs the temporary IFF code the instructor provided into the IFF transceiver and sets the encryption to 'none', then moves on to the radio. Westwind provided a rather nice unit, fitted with a wind-noise canceling headset, and a small magnet-fitted speaker that Lee attaches to Corvi's helmet so he doesn't have to scream instructions over the wind.

Lee taps the microphone on his headset. "Corvi? Is the volume okay?"

The raven flinches at the noise, so Lee twists the knob labeled Output #2 on the radio down to half power and tries again. "Better?"

Corvi's wings slump in relief.

Lee tests the buttons on the saddle handholds, and after Corvi confirms that he can feel each motor vibrating, Lee straps his legs into the stirrups and watches the other license hopefuls.

The boy trainer and his Skarmory are ready a few minutes later, but unfortunately for the third trainer, she and her Pidgeot are failed and dismissed by the instructor due to Pidgeot's foul attitude, forcing the poor woman to recall Pidgeot and leave, dejected.

The flying instructor clears her throat. "Okay boys – "

The Skarmory trills in her throat.

"–and girl," the ranger corrects, "equipment checks have been completed, so let's get to the fun part! Mister Lee and Mister Corviknight, let's have you guys go first."

Corviknight, with Lee astride his back, steps forward and stares down at the smiling instructor.

"Your temporary call sign is going to be BC-Zero One, and I'm going to play the part of air traffic control. You can refer to me as 'Ranger Ground'. Remember to use phonetics on the radio! Tune your radio to reserve frequency number seven," the instructor takes a pair of pokeballs from her pocket and enlarges them out of their travel size. Both balls pop open, and on either side of her, a pair of Tropius materialize. Each of the dino-like pokemon are wearing green, visored helmets. "My friends here will be acting as backup in case something goes wrong, so if they grab you guys, don't resist and make their job harder."

In response to the Ranger's words, each Tropius extends four thick Vine Whips, one from under each of their wings.

"Kwah!" Corvi croaks, openly offended at the notion of needing help. Lee once more pats his neck, and the crow tones down his annoyance.

Lee adjusts the microphone of his headset once more and hits the 'transmit' button on the left earcup. "Bravo Charlie – Zero One, ready."

Smiling, the instructor takes the handheld radio from her belt and holds it to her mouth. "Bravo Charlie – Zero One, this is Ranger Ground. Permission granted for vertical takeoff at the Lavaridge Ranger station. For the duration of your sortie, attempt to use nonverbal controls where possible. Winds are two-seven-zero at five. Maintain altitude at one-thousand feet, then take a holding pattern over the ranger station and await further instructions, over."

Shit. They're actually about to fly. Lee's nerves clash with his excitement, and for a moment he forgets what two-seven-zero at five means, then it comes back to him. 'Wind is coming in from the west at five knots, right. Phew. You got this, Lee. Corvi won't let you down…'

"Cleared for vertical takeoff at Lavaridge Ranger station. Will maintain one-thousand feet and prioritize nonverbal controls, Ranger Ground. Bravo Charlie – Zero One, out." Lee takes his hand off his headset and grips both handholds. Taking a deep breath, he taps the buttons under his index fingers twice.

Corvi spreads his wings, and in a single flap, the ground falls away, dragging Lee's stomach right into his toes.

"Oh shit!" The zoologist gasps, his stomach rolling. He takes a deep gulp of air, which zips into his mouth without needing much aid from his lungs. The rushing winds try to yank him off of the saddle, only for the straps on his legs to hold tight.

Hazarding a look at the ground, everyone below are already little more than dots, and the buildings are dollhouse-sized. The only people he can make out are Brendan and Zinnia, who must've shown up when he wasn't looking. Then the instinctual surge of panic is tossed aside. He's got a license to get, and if he messes up now, he and his friends will be stuck here for weeks of remedial classes.

Pulling his eyes away from the ground, Lee instead focuses on the cluster of instruments just above his hands, which grip the saddle handles with white knuckles. The altimeter is rising fast, and before he knows it, they've already cleared nine hundred feet. He grips both middle finger buttons harshly, and Corviknight begins to level out, stopping his ascension at just a hair above a thousand feet.

"Hot damn," Lee breathes harshly, struggling to keep the tremor out of his voice. He squints his eyes into the wind, wishing that he'd had the foresight to bring goggles. "Hot damn, Corvi," he repeats, holding the secondary transmit button on his headset. "You are fast."

The crow lets out a gravelly chuckle that crackles in Lee's headset.

Without needing any instructions, Corvi gently yaws to the side, taking a wide, continuous turn over the ranger station. A moment later, the pair of Tropius catch up, flying on Corviknight's flanks.

There aren't immediately more instructions over the radio, giving Lee plenty of time to catch his breath and once more send a tentative glance down at the ground. "You know? It's not so bad the second time…" He says to himself.

With the reassuring hulk of a bird beneath him, the height, the speed, and the whipping winds aren't so daunting. Lee loosens his tight grip on the saddle, his churning stomach beginning to calm, and his nausea transforming into something light and excited. He can't help the grin that forms on his face. He is a thousand feet in the air flying on the back of his pokemon! This is unreal! Lee is so caught up, that he almost doesn't see Corvi turning his neck to peer back at him. When he notices, the man is dumbfounded for a moment.

Corviknight is smiling. It's no smirk, no vicious grin, nothing of the sort, it's genuine happiness. It's the first time Corvi has ever worn such an expression with him. The fact that the smile made its emergence here, during their first time flying together, isn't lost upon Lee.

The radio crackles. "Bravo Charlie – Zero One, this is Ranger Ground."

Lee composes himself and touches the transmit button on his headset. "This is Bravo Charlie – Zero One, go ahead, Ranger Ground."

"Bravo Charlie – Zero One, good work on maneuver one. You will notice a tall tree at bearing one-eight-zero with a red ribbon affixed to the tallest branch. Increase altitude to fifteen-hundred feet and make a pass over the tree. Return to ranger station airspace and resume holding pattern after. Confirm receipt, over."

"Roger, Ranger Ground. Changing altitude to fifteen-hundred, course to one-eight-zero, and will make a pass over the red-marked tree. Bravo Charlie – Zero One, out." Lee lets the transmit button go and grips the saddle controls again. "Okay, Corvi. Let's ace this."

Corviknight lets out a screech and zooms toward their objective.

---

An hour later finds a jittery Lee and a content Corviknight on the ground again and back inside the ranger station, standing before the front desk. A little ways behind them, Brendan and Zinnia stand, both wearing identical smiles.

As Lee hoped, they passed the test with flying colors, and now they just need to wait for Lee's license to be printed.

The instructor was merciless. After the first few exercises, she began to mix everything up, telling Lee to adjust his IFF transceiver on the fly, pull high-G maneuvers that made the edges of his vision grow dark, suddenly changing her instructions, and even had her Tropius helpers use Whirlwind to simulate inclement weather among other things. However, neither Lee nor Corviknight faltered throughout the various challenges, and they got their prize for it.

With a final whine, the card printer behind the front desk goes silent and spits out a laminated card. The teen manning the desk takes the card, along with a number of printed registration documents, and hands them to Lee with a smile. "Here you go, sir. Remember to keep those on you at all times."

"Will do," Lee grins, holding the bit of plastic up to the light. It's practically identical to a driver's license, and the man can't help but feel the same giddy excitement he felt at sixteen when he got his first car. Actually, he's more excited.

Corviknight is infinitely cooler and way faster than a beat-up Honda his parents bought for a pittance.

Zinnia walks around the raven blocking off a chunk of the room and drops her hand onto Lee's shoulder. "Look at you, Dolittle. You've got that flier's high going on," she smirks. "I remember my first time in the air, too. It's something, isn't it?"

Lee gives the Dragon tamer a grin. "Yeah. Yeah it is. I admit I was kind of nervous at first, but looking back, it's kind of silly since Corvi had my back the entire time," he sends Corviknight a smile over his shoulder.

The great raven visibly preens under the praise, his metallic feathers puffing up.

"Ugh, I can't wait for Shelgon to evolve…" Zinnia groans. "What about you, little hero?" She turns to Brendan. "Are you eager to try out flying?"

Brendan hides how nervous he is admirably, coughing once into his fist. "I guess… Dad took me flying on his Flygon once, but I was really young and don't remember most of it."

"That's the spirit!" Zinnia claps him on the back, either not noticing or not caring about his hesitation.

Turning the license in his fingers over once more, Lee sends a look up to Corviknight. "Say, Corvi?" He begins slowly and a touch unsurely. "How about we go practice flying? We still have plenty of daylight left, and the more we learn now, the better we'll be later, right?"

The corvid's eyes light up in joy. He nods his head eagerly and shifts on his feet, clearly eager to go back outside.

"We'll be back later, guys," Lee addresses Zinnia and Brendan. "Now that we've jumped through the hoops, I want to get some practice in."

"You mean you want to go have fun," Zinnia asserts with a smile. "No judgment here, Dolittle. There's nothing quite like being in the air on pokemon-back. It's the ultimate kind of freedom, and once you have a taste, you never want to do without again."

Lee scratches the back of his head and looks away sheepishly. "Yeah, I admit I had a lot of fun."

"We'll let you know where we're getting dinner and save you some if you aren't back by then," Brendan joins in. "You might want to go. Corviknight looks about ready to drag you out."

And indeed, the corvid is tapping the talons of one foot on the ground impatiently.

"Right, see you then!" Lee turns and waves over his shoulder, Corviknight following him eagerly.

Once outside, Corvi hunches over and lets Lee mount up. Once the leg straps are in place, the IFF transceiver is turned on, and the radio is tuned, Corviknight spreads his wings and shoots into the sky.

As they rise higher and higher, the wind pulls at Lee's hair, face, and clothes with cold, hooked claws, but he can't keep the grin off of his face. 'I really hope I'm not turning into an adrenaline junkie.'

Corvi pulls back even further once they are high in the sky, pulling a full inside loop. For a single moment, the ground is above them, then the raven comes back down and levels out, leaving Lee with a hammering heart.

'Oops, I was supposed to radio before leaving the ground. I've only had this license for ten minutes and I'm already breaking the rules,' Lee smacks his forehead and tunes in to Lavaridge air traffic control. "ATC, this is HLC, I mean-! This is Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, over."

This is a bit more nerve-racking than the exam.

It takes a moment for air traffic control to reply, and the radio sounds considerably worse than the one the Ranger instructor was using. "Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, this is Lavaridge Control, go ahead."

"Lavaridge Control, Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two conducting…" What's the acronym for personal flight? Lee blanks out for a moment. He's using visual flight rules, so that's what the acronym is, right? "…VFR flight of locale. IFF is transmitting. Requesting traffic advisories and restrictions."

"Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, we read your IFF. Current altitude restriction is ten-thousand feet. Be advised, Mount Chimney airspace is currently restricted. No other advisories. Enjoy your flight and remember to radio before takeoff next time."

'Fuck…' Lee twitches and takes his finger off his radio so no one hears his muffled curse. "Thanks, Lavaridge Control. Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, out."

With business out of the way, Lee takes the saddle handholds in his hands and grips them tight. "Okay, Corvi! Show me what you can do!"

Corviknight screeches and flares his wings, shooting forward so fast that Lee's whole body is jolted. Each flap carries them faster and faster through the air, which fights them every step of the way. Corviknight then rises, taking them higher and higher, far higher than what the exam mandated. They roll, dip, and dive with such intensity that gasps and yells of sheer exhilaration are forced from Lee's lungs. For almost an hour, Corviknight flies as extremely as he dares with a passenger, which is still pretty extreme, and when he's done all that he can, Corviknight surrenders control to Lee, flying strictly by the inputs from the saddle controls. More than once, Corviknight looks back, mystified as a grinning Lee goads him into death-defying stunts.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Lee asks through the crackling radio. "I trust you to not let us get hurt."

Corviknight's eyes flash in joy, and the raven really lets Lee have it after that.

Before long though, perhaps after only an hour and some change, fatigue begins to set in for Lee, and Corvi levels out for a calm, relaxing cruise.

Taking a deep breath, Lee looks up at the clouds above, which are so close it's as if he could touch them. If they fly a little higher, he probably can touch them.

Zinnia was right. There is nothing that compares to this.

"Say, Corvi?" Lee begins, a thought striking him. "When the league year is over, do you want to fly to Galar?"

The raven looks back, a question in his eyes.

"Well, have you been back since…" Lee can't quite say it. 'Since your first trainer died?'

Corvi's mood instantly goes sour, and he shakes his head in the negative.

Lee nods slowly and licks his lips. They're wind burned, just like the rest of his face. "I was thinking that we could go to Galar. I promised Ninetales a visit to Kanto, so why don't we make it a big trip? I'd like to go to… To his grave, so we can pay respects. Maybe I could thank him, as well."

His hostility dying down, Corviknight makes an inquisitive trill in his throat, sending Lee a curious glance.

"Why else?" Lee smiles gently. "I want to thank him for how magnificently he raised you. You're amazing, you know that?"

Corviknight falters, buffeting Lee with turbulence. He turns his head away, and then nods stiffly. Turning away however, does nothing to hide the knightly raven's watery smile.

---

I know the radio lingo probably isn't 100% accurate, just consider it a creative liberty I tried my best mang.

Below are the names of some patrons who got to view this chapter early and felt like signing it. A huge thanks to them and everyone else who supports this story and everything else I write.

Planetace, Vinohr, Cat, Spice_King, UmbraBree, speedyzman13, xxcoder, demonmonkey89, Straven, Dusks_Lantern, Derpydude9001, Teutonic777, Moxie, Moonnikill, Emeraldleafeon, puppy0cam, Sulphurcat, Aegi (Wholesome 100!), Maestro, ShaRose, DNGDutchie, TheGreatPapyroo, TitaniumPhoenix , Tzeneth, Arcaryx, Cynicals, Ash the Kitsune,Kurt, Adamant, Gabriel M., IAmYourKingAndMaster ,whaud, Appl, Autocharth, Ottstop, TheTankiesTrain, Tyric Gaias, Zany Old Coot, Bunny Waffles, RaptorusMaximus, rizen, Hazel Kings, Derlock, Gavinfoxx, Raiger, DarkReader-14, Strongraider101, Ranger, Emilowish, OmegaEntertainment, Berusella, KaurisAzurai, Kastor, GreenPhoenix, Kayaba, MikeNP, SparkzVultrix, Thelon, King Eevee, KingDeDeDe11, Fabhar, BrokenOlive, Rakkis157, ncskeeter56, Marthdovah, Purple Floof, THERGBDRAGON, Grey, Javidom, Rémi C, Himmel, Diana G., Superbuchi, Dingus, Moonlit Chaser, Kammight, AMeek, MegaZeroX, MrPerson0, JustALurker, Dead Bloodcheif, Dicloniuslord, Nogardnoir, Murtaugh, CB-Otaku, Green0Photon

 

[Mr. Cloak]

 

[Goldenrah]

They're going North, so they're visiting Fallarbor? Wonder if any of them are going to catch a Bagon over there.

 

[NooneImportant]

Corviknight falters, buffeting Lee with turbulence. He turns his head away, and then nods stiffly. Turning away however, does nothing to hide the knightly raven's watery smile.

Click to shrink...

Damn it, now I'm crying

 

[liquid_oni]

I'm fairly certain Ninetails is gonna be very against doing anything to distance their telepathy now, might even be a hard no now from her.

 

[doomqwer]

she reached her mind out to him, desperately asking 'Are you okay, Lee?' over and over.

'Am I okay?' he answered back the first time. 'I should be asking you that.'

Click to shrink...

They really are a great pair and hopefully ninetales does not blame herself for this as that could lead down a dangerous road.

For the sake of everybody in your group, use those resources. Heck, call me if you need to. I know this won't happen again, correct?"

Click to shrink...

Yeah he kinda screwed the pooch there, when you know you are gonna being dealing with a major terrorist org you best bring your absolute A game and that mean back up up the wazoo and precautions squared.

'Big guy has grown up a lot, hasn't he?' Lee muses.

Click to shrink...

He really has grown up and he become a better pokemon.

. Most of all though, there is raw HATE, so burning and hideous that Ninetales is almost quivering. HATE aimed squarely at Maxie for nearly taking Lee away… and HATE at herself for failing, something Lee is all too familiar with.

Click to shrink...

Oh That is gonna lead to some interesting problems.

The teenager takes the paper and photocopies it with a small copier on his desk before handing it back. "Ranger Wanda will be with you in a couple of minutes."

Click to shrink...

Ah good to know pokemon DMV is actually well run.

 

[Kalstorm22]

Great chapter!

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Awesome chapter. And nice in depth view in how trainers are allowed to fly on their mon. Most just gloss over it. Loved the bonding moments between Lee and Corviknight. can't wait to see what Lee plans to teach his team. Wonder if hes gonna use any canon knowledge for possible item locations? Also would be cool if one of the Deoxys chooses to go with him.

 

[LiveMan]

I'm honestly waiting for Lee's John Wick arc.

"They almost killed my dog Pokemon"

Proceeds to murderize both Magma and Aqua with extreme vengeance. Lol

 

[Goldenrah]

Proceeds to murderize both Magma and Aqua with extreme vengeance. Lol

Click to shrink...

Poor Aqua didn't do anything this time and are gonna suffer through being associated with Magma . Doubt Archie is as awful a person as Maxie is here.

 

[Yeetboi]

Maxie and Archie have earned a one way ticket to the femur flattening machine...

 

[Tobi]

I'm split. On one hand Lee is going full in on doing things, Corviknight is doing his names sake proud and the gecko is becoming the legend it was mean to be but on the other hand intensively hurt Ninetales. Then again her race lives a long to so it will heal eventually.

Guess it's best to wait and enjoy the barbecue.

 

[TheEyes]

Yeah he kinda screwed the pooch there, when you know you are gonna being dealing with a major terrorist org you best bring your absolute A game and that mean back up up the wazoo and precautions squared

Click to shrink...

I mean, who else was there? Elm talks a good game about backup now, but frankly that sounds a lot like Monday morning quarterbacking to me. The whole lead up to this raid was all about how the police were overwhelmed even in moderate sized settlements, let alone outlying areas like Mr. Chimney, and wandering Trainers were effectively deputized Region-wide because otherwise law enforcement would tend to be outgunned even by random everyday criminals, let alone a member of a Team.

Lee himself just had an effective exhibition match against the best the local Gym had to offer, someone who was apparently a big name in the last war, and came out on top. The only reason Lee and Ninetales weren't able to steamroll everything on that mountain was Maxie somehow having this superweapon in his back pocket, a superweapon that radiates WRONGNESS everywhere, devastates the landscape for miles around whenever it's deployed, and yet is somehow completely unknown to anyone before this point (except maybe Archie? Have the two of them been conducting a secret war for years now that somehow has evaded the attention of the rest of the Region? If so, then that just emphasizes even more how there really isn't anyone else out there who can help Lee).

Also, didn't Lee effectively get the go ahead for this operation from Stone himself? Yeah, sure, I get why everyone's so eager to fall on their sword to appease a concerned parent, but really there's a lot more blame to go around here.

Poor Aqua didn't do anything this time and are gonna suffer through being associated with Magma . Doubt Archie is as awful a person as Maxie is here.

Click to shrink...

Maxie has to have deployed that superweapon of his against someone before. It wasn't anyone in law enforcement, or it'd already be better known, so it must have been Archie.

 

[tjmrocks13]

First off, really glad to see this updated and I really just loved the whole bonding experience between Lee and the others and just how much of a family this little group has become.

I know the radio lingo probably isn't 100% accurate, just consider it a creative liberty I tried my best mang.

Click to shrink...

As a instrument rated pilot working on his commercial rating, I'd say you're actually about on point. Pretty good translation for pokemon, given all of them are a combination of rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and airplanes respectively, so it makes sense that things are a bit different. now, granted even rotorcraft take off with runways but that's mostly for the convenience of other traffic and to make it easy for the local control tower to direct them or let other traffic know what's going on when there is no control tower.

I was extremely pleased to see that you had done a bit of looking into with the mention of VFR, or visual flight rules. I didn't know what those were when I first started so I'm happy to see someone looking into things a bit. If you have any questions, or just want to make things a bit more accurate, I'll be more than happy to answer them.

Again, great chapter! I'm looking for to the next one!

Edit: Just a quick explanation, an instrument rating is the second step after your basic pilot's license, The latter of which Lee would technically have. An instrument rating let's you fly through clouds and storms. a commcercial rating lets you get paid to fly people places.