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The ride was smooth as could be, the arrival, not so much. Seems that word got around and now our private getaway has turned into more of a large tour group. Thankfully the large twin rotor aircraft seems perfectly able to accommodate what will be, four? Ya, four full teams.

Our team, along with Dawn’s, May’s, and now even the Kanto girls are along for the ride. Miss Harrison begged and pleaded for an opportunity to visit her mother for a week so of course I… we caved.

Now the girls are all doing some last minute shopping while I’m up in the park near the helipad with the boys. Ty is going through a checklist for all the camera equipment while I shut down Tommy’s third attempt to battle me.

“We don’t have time to battle and then jog all the way to the pokemon center on this floor and that’s it bud, quit asking.”

The girls taking too long might make a liar out of me.

Tommy, who’s actually, visibly shedding some weight on his journey already, just sulks and takes out his Phanpy anyway, “Please Mr. Kurt, just the little ones get some exercise before the long ride?”

Damn kids, “Fine,” I actually take out a few balls, “Just the young ones to run around a bit.”

Lacy’s Archen, Leafeon, and my Sandshrew, Rusty.

“Archy,” the little dinosaur pops up on his hind legs, “Watch the pups, no ruff housing.”

He gives me a salute with his little wing before leading a small crew of baby pokemon to play in the grass. Along with Tommy’s animated plush elephant, Edgar lets out a small black and yellow bird.

“What's that Ed?” It is polite to just ask sometimes, it would be weird if everyone was always pointing their phone at you.

The beanpole is overdressed as always in his button up gray, dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and slacks. “Miss Wattson isn’t the only trainer with family connections. This is my new Rookidee!”

He’s puffing out his chest but I don’t know why, “Cool, thought you liked ghosts?”

Visibly deflating at my lack of whatever reaction he expected, “Mr. Kurt… it’s a shiny… and evolves into a Knight… Just look it up.”

I remember him saying he was part of a noble family or some such thing. My dex app pulls up Corviknight, “Alright, that's badass. I want one.”

The Knight in flying armor looks totally awesome and there's notes relating to recent research. Dark armored, more common, variants are found to have additionally dark or ghost typing. While the brighter colored silver, or in extremely rare cases white, variants have shown to exhibit fairy type energy. Lastly there is a note about a family that managed to breed a purple one that could use dragon type moves.

“Seems like a very popular pokemon?”

Once more his back straightens, “That may be so but finding them outside of galar can present quite the challenge. The region is very particular about exports.”

I point at the pokemon in question currently being sat on by Tommy’s baby elephant and frantically flapping its wings to escape, “And they play well with others.” Edgar yelps and runs over, “Well, rarity only goes so far I guess.”

Tommy laughs, “Let Monty go, Tuska.”

While Ed boy is blushing and soothing his flustered chick, I turn to Tommy.

“How you lads doing though, really?”

He scratches his chin and sighs, “The whole World knows Miss Dawn… And she really has been a great help despite the attitude. I just wish we could step into town without everyone and their second cousin coming up for autographs. Her personality gets over inflated for the rest of the day too.”

Edgar walks back holding his bird, “Really, she does have endless helpful tips, it just comes with endless ego.”

You look in a mirror lately brat? Pot calling the kettle black and all that.

“Well, as long as you’re actually learning and progressing as trainers.” both nod, “What's the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do?”

“It’s hard to top the pirate cave,” Ed grins, “But we totally found a haunted cemetery!”

Tom shivers, “That was awful. I liked the Oldale Rodeo!”

Rich kid rolls his eyes but Tommy looks all fired up.

He starts waving his arms animatedly, “It was just outside of Oldale town on our way to Petalburg. They were having a pokemon riding tournament! I took third place and got to keep the young Bouffalant I rode!”

He pulls out another ball and out comes a buffalo about four feet tall. It snorts but immediately trots up to the boy and starts to nuzzle him.

Just as I spot Leafeon playing with my balled up Sandshrew, the girls come out of the elevator at the park edge. The little grassy terror runs off to her new mommy.

“By the way Ed, if you want a Dhelmise you’ll need to find one in Alola. I was hired to handle the one we encountered in the cave along with the Sharpedo.”

He frowns, “And how do you plan on doing that so soon?”

“Don’t underestimate me brat, I did my homework. I’ll manage.”

Actually Blue and Shak should be able to pull it off with typing advantages by the time we make it back. I’ll have my team to support the effort as well. Though even if we manage to catch it, there's no way that thing will obey commands until I can properly fight it one on one. When I was doing my research I figured that this Dhelmise would easily be mega by now if not for the anchor and wheel being too small and trapped in that cave.

It’s hard not to chuckle at the boys short circuiting at the sight of the teen idols dressed for an island vacation.

I give both a good bonk on the head, “Get the bags lads. It’s time to fly.”

While rubbing their noggins, both run forward to help move the shopping bags onto the Zekrom. Personally I have to stare at the second golf cart loaded with shopping bags and a surly Wattson employee.

“Alright girls,” I scan the crowd of women ages 12-30, “If we exceed the bird’s weight limit I’m throwing bags out the cargo door.”

A couple, Noami and Iris included, look nervously at their shopping haul. Lacy gives me a playful elbow while I hide a grin. I know this aircraft could easily handle double the people and luggage present.

The Zekrom is a marvel of this world’s engineering in deep black with neon blue accents. Adjustable wings hold the twin rotors that allow for vertical take offs. The aircraft being nearly the size of C-130 means we could even park the jeep inside and still lift off. I also didn't miss the auxiliary jet type engines, the design is completely different than ours. They’re not the main thrust but no doubt aid in the bird’s maneuverability in air.

Lacy leans in front of me, “Know what you’re looking at there?”

“Ha,” I’m not bragging here, “I think I could fly it actually.”

Naomi hops over, “Really?!”

Scratching my chin and once more confirming that I recognise nearly every part and piece and what it’s for, “Probably.”

Grace ketchum doesn’t seem keen on that, “How can you say ‘Probably’? Either you learned to fly or not right?”

“Normally,” the brat isn’t wrong, “I have a type of amnesia.”

She scowls, “Well as long as landing might be something you forgot, let the pilot do their job please.”

Rude, but also completely reasonable.

Once everything is onboard, pokemon in their balls, passengers strapped in, I take a seat just behind the cockpit. Hopefully watching the man and woman pilots work will jog something in my head.

The gal calls back, “We all strapped in?”

A final check myself, “Ready for flight.”

She nods while her copilot gives a thumbs up from checking his screens. I can see the indicators marking the wings locked in position, the fuel is topped off, maintenance code checks gave the all clear.

The aux engine fires up first, located in the belly of the bird. Looking back I can see Jane seems nervous already as the vibrations start. Now would be a poor time to learn you’re scared of flying.

More indicators turn green, the pilot gal calls out, “Powering prop one.”

Harsher vibrations rattle the whole bird but I know they’ll settle once both engines reach flight power.

“Go for one.” responds her partner.

“Powering prop two.”

Lacy flicks Jane in the ear, I can’t hear what she says but a couple of the girls laugh.

“Go for two, control confirms all clear for lift.”

Our pilot slowly pushes the dual throttles in the center as the engines pitch higher and the vibrations fade. Then, like a filled balloon we float off the ground, slowly gaining altitude while drifting away from the mall roof through a large retractable portion of the atrium.

I can feel how the engine’s shift with the slightest movements of the stick in her hands… It’s crazy this moment of realisation, I know beyond any doubt I can fly this thing.

May calls up from her seat behind mine, “Well Mr. Forgetful, any bells ringing in your head?”

Laughing, “Seems I know how to fly!”

The copilot looks back, eyebrow arched behind his headset visor, “Dude, this is a one of a kind aircraft. It’s just us and two others that have been cleared to fly it. Stop trying to impress the ladies.”

Whatever flyboy, “Sure bud, just watch out for birds and I’ll mind the kids.”

Miss pilot is focusing on the engine monitors her partner is supposed to be watching, “Mall clear, shifting forward.”

We slide from vertical lift to forward thrust in one smooth motion and with that we are in full flight to Alola.

“Take the stick Helo.”

Copilot dude takes the controls, “I have the stick.”

The woman in command starts typing on a side computer, I can see lines of text immediately reply.

“Mr. Kurt,” I look at the pilot that is all work mode, “Mayor Wattson would like you to prove what you just claimed once we return from this trip.”

I mean sure, “No problem.”

She nods and gives another glance to her instruments before unstrapping and flicking off the seatbelt indicator and grabbing a radio, “Alright ladies and boys,” her voice echoes in the cabin, “We have five hours of flight time. Keep any movement about the cabin to a minimum but you may get up. Forecast in Alola is a bit stormy this evening so I’ll have you all strap back in once we’re an hour out.”

Unstrapping I move back to my team, May joining us.

The famous trainer nudges Lacy, “I heard someone got a Luxury Ball?”

My girl looks at me, “I’m afraid Kurt won’t get to experience the Hoenn stag life. I’ve had my eye on him since he washed up on my doorstep.”

“Ah the feeling of being driftwood.” I laugh.

Hours slip by as the passengers chat and mingle. Dawn and May being the thankful exception, always on opposite ends of the room. Don’t think I don’t see Tommy boy chatting up one of the girls in May’s team. Orphan girl cleaned up real nice. Poor Ed is managing to keep light conversation but I can see the green occasionally creep at his gills.

Light fades from the windows and the seatbelt light comes on just before a cross wind lightly hits the aircraft. Everyone quickly scrabbles to their seats.

“All right boys and girls,” the copilot calls over the comm, “Looks like the storm is a bit harsher than advertised. Travel agencies, am I right?”

A couple minutes of shaky flight slip by as the vibrations of the engines maintaining stability through increasing weather unsettles the passengers.

I catch sight of a blue light flicker outside the window just before the Zekrom jerks to the side, reeling from some type of impact!

Screams ring throughout the cabin as a bright blue blaze smashes into our side. Glass windows fracture as the plane rocks again.

Red lights blare in the cockpit as the pilots bring us to a lower altitude. Alarms ring as I spot a couple bags fall loose in the main cabin, Tommy manages to punch one away before it hits one of the girls. Jane catches another by reflex while white knuckle gripping her seat with the other hand.

Looking out the front windshield I can barely make out the lights of a city on land in the distance when we get rocked once more from the other side. That same eerie blue light filling the darkened cabin.

Then a massive flash of lightning lights up the entire sky, just short of being blinded, I catch the barest silhouette of a black Charizard barrel rolling out of the lightning strike before diving out of sight against the ocean below.

A massive bird caw reverberates against my bones, a firework of brilliant yellow feathers jets past our windows.

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