Inheritance

Roz, Terry, and Zygarde materialized in Terry’s living room to find a Shiftry with a Ranger’s badge sleeping on the Cubone’s cot.

“Huh, wazzat?” The Shiftry cracked his eyes open. “Oh wow, I didn’t think you two would actually–” Then he noticed Zygarde. “Uh, okay, someone wanna fill me in?”

Terry stared. “Have you been in my house this whole time?”

“We’ve been here in shifts, but, yeah. Someone had to make sure you didn’t try to sneak back here. Y’know, like you just did.”

Roz and Terry did a quick visual sweep of the place, and thankfully noticed that everything seemed spick and span. Almost suspiciously so. “Ugh,” said Terry. “I hope I can retroactively charge you rent or something.”

Zygarde spoke up. “We can discuss such things later. In the meantime, clarifying the situation to the townsfolk takes priority.”

“I’m all for that,” said Shiftry.

“So what, do we just gather everyone in the town square?” Roz asked. “Like when Specter ‘exposed’ me?”

“I think that would be the best course of action,” Zygarde agreed.

“Time to put this to rest,” said Terry.

A few of Terry’s neighbors spotted them as they left, but Zygarde drew the most attention by far. A growing crowd followed them, eager to see what brought the first god anyone had seen in over a month to Crosswind Town. The Legend led them all to the town square.

People continued to gather, but Zygarde seemed to be waiting for one person in particular. Specter. The Gengar approached from the direction of the Ranger’s headquarters and did a double-take when he saw Roz and Terry. Then he locked eyes with Zygarde and froze. Roz dearly wished there weren’t so many people around at that moment, because Specter’s thoughts likely would’ve told her quite a lot.

“SILENCE!” Zygarde boomed. The crowd complied. “Gengar, come here, if you would.”

Specter chuckled nervously. “Hey Lord Zygarde! What, uh, what’re you doing with these two? Hehe? That Elgyem was sent here by–”

“Enough,” Zygarde cut him off. “So, you still haven’t learned anything, have you?”

“Uh, wha–what’re you talking about?” the Gengar asked, twiddling his fingers.

Zygarde leaned in closer and spoke barely above a whisper. “Tell them the truth, now, or I’ll tell everyone who you are.”

<Do you know what it means by that?> Roz asked Terry.

The Cubone subtly shook his head.

“Uh,” Specter mumbled to Roz and Terry. “Well, I guess I don’t actually know for sure–”

“To everyone,”Zygarde interjected.

Specter gulped and sent the Legend a pleading look. Zygarde’s expressionless face never so much as twitched. Slowly, the Gengar turned around to face the crowd.

“I…might’ve made a few assumptions about Roz,” he announced. “I suppose…I suppose I can’t actually say for sure that she’s here to set up an invasion.”

“So she definitely isn’t here to set up an invasion, or you just don’t know?” Asked a Bewear. Roz was pretty sure it was the same one who had nearly killed her during Specter’s previous announcement.

The Gengar turned to look at Zygarde, who was still as impassive as ever. “I…may or may not have completely made that part up.”

The crowd erupted into chaos, demanding an explanation. “We’ll update you all on the situation as time permits,” Zygarde declared. “For the time being, please return to your duties.” It then turned to Roz and Terry. “Let’s go formally report everything we know to the Rangers. Maybe we can finally start to make progress on this.”

They both agreed, and Roz teleported them to Ranger headquarters, leaving Specter to fend for himself. Dulce wasn’t there, presumably part of the throng in the town square. In fact, most of the Rangers seemed to be absent. Roz and Terry debated whether to report directly to Octavia or simply fill out a written report, and decided on the former.

They entered the Octillery’s watery chamber and Terry summoned her by throwing a rock in the pool.

“Oh! Roz!” she exclaimed upon surfacing. “Are you quite certain you should be here, dear? Last I heard they were looking high and low for you.”

“The investigation was started under false pretenses,” Zygarde answered, stepping forward.

“Oh my! Lord Zygarde! We’ve been looking for you as well! Where have you been?”

“In hiding. I noticed something was happening to the other gods, so I decided to lay low and investigate. Now that things are getting more dire, I felt I had no choice but to make myself known.”

“I see…” Octavia absently rubbed her cheek with a tentacle. “Do you have any idea what might’ve happened to them?

Zygarde gestured to Roz. “I have a hypothesis, but I’d rather not say more until I’m sure,” the Elgyem answered.

“Whyever not? We need to know everything we can, dear. This is no time to be holding anything back!”

Roz clutched her hand to her chest. “There are…implications to this hypothesis. I’ve already explained it in full to the Head Rangers, but I think it would be for the best that no one knows the details for now unless it’s necessary. In short, I think the gods are…effectively sick. They’re not in their right minds, so their powers are going out of control and causing the disasters.”

“That sounds…unlikely, dear. The gods don’t ‘get sick’,” Octavia said.

“Normally we don’t, no,” said Zygarde. “I don’t know if that’s an accurate explanation or not, but I can confirm that multiple gods are behaving highly irregularly. I’ve even lost contact with most of my other parts. For my own protection, I won’t say how many fragments of me are left, or where they are, but suffice to say, the story is the same worldwide; something is happening to the gods, and Roz has provided the best explanation I’ve heard so far. She does have reasons for what she says.”

“Very well then. If Lord Zygarde trusts you, then I suppose you should report to the Head Rangers,” said Octavia.

“They were there when I explained it to Zygarde,” Roz answered. “Should we fill out a report?”

“Yes, you should. The Head Rangers will contact you with further instructions.”

“They will be working with me, rather than the Rangers for the time being,” said Zygarde. “However, I would like to keep the Rangers up to date on the situation. We will fill out the report, but they will not be subject to that Alakazam’s whims.”

~~~

It was only when she moved toward the door to toss out the remains of breakfast the next morning that Roz noticed the sound of pouring rain outside. She gingerly cracked open the door and was soaked within seconds, prompting her to close it again. “Is that normal at this time of year?” she asked.

“Not around here it isn’t,” Terry answered, scraping crumbs off the table.

“I wondered if Kyogre was corrupted like the Titans. Unfortunately, the answer seems to be ‘yes’,” said Zygarde. It lay on the floor, one front leg over the other. It didn’t eat anything, claiming it didn’t actually need food.

“Uh-oh,” said Terry. “Do you think Groudon might be behind the earthquakes?”

“It, Regirock, or both,” Zygarde answered. “Needless to say, this is not good. If Groudon and Kyogre start fighting the results would be nothing short of catastrophic. I doubt the Air Continent would survive as we know it.”

Roz almost sat down, but decided she didn’t want to get the chair wet. “Are the two of them known to fight? We only know about the gods in legend on my world, so I don’t know what’s real about them and what isn’t.”

“They did, once upon a time,” Zygarde explained. “But they’ve been…at least outwardly amicable for millenia now. There’s no telling what kind of effect corruption might have on them though.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Terry asked. He dusted off his hands and sat down.

“I suppose we could try asking Rayquaza for help. It was the one who quelled Kyogre and Groudon so long ago. But, well, we all know that likely won’t end well.”

Roz reclined in midair and put a hand to her chin. If she recalled correctly, the trio of Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza were said to be among the more powerful Legendary Pokémon, while the three Regis were sometimes referred to as “lesser Legends.” Given how overwhelming Registeel had been, she shuddered at the thought of facing someone like Rayquaza.

“I guess that leaves the question unanswered then, doesn’t it?” she said. “If Rayquaza is our only option, but at the same time isn’t an option…”

“I never said it was our only option,” Zygarde clarified. “It was just the first idea that occurred to me.”

“What if we ask Sier?” Terry suggested.

“The elderly Xatu at the Great Canyon?” said Zygarde. “Perhaps. You should know that despite their reputation, Xatu can only see vague hints of what might be. I’ll leave the decision up to you. But remember, time is limited.”

Roz looked to Terry. “It’s your call.”

The Cubone clenched his fist. “I don’t see a better option. I say we do it.”

Zygarde nodded. “I’ll stay behind to coordinate with the Rangers. You should get a flying transport. Unless Roz can teleport there?”

The Elgyem shook her head. “I’ve only been there once.”

Once the storm cleared, Roz and Terry took off from Ranger Headquarters on the back of the same Pidgeot who’d flown them to Mt. Steel what felt like forever ago.

He made conversation with them during the flight. Inevitably, the discussion focused on Roz’s time as a fugitive and what had earned the two of them the privilege of working directly with Zygarde. They were both sick of thinking about it, and gave the minimal responses necessary. The trip was uncomfortable, but Terry called an unexpected stop as they passed over the Barrier Mountains.

“Wait. Can we stop in Dustboro?”

“Huh? Why?” their ride asked.

“It’s…personal business. It won’t take long, I promise.”

Pidgeot considered for a moment. “I’m not supposed to help with personal business, but it’s on our way. Just be quick.” He circled down and landed outside town, where Terry dismounted.

“I’d like you to come too, Roz,” the Cubone requested.

“Very well.” The Elgyem floated down from Pidgeot’s back.

<I’ll stay in contact with you,> she told him. <Let me know if you need an update.>

Pidgeot blinked several times. “Alright, yeah, I can do that.”

Dustboro reminded Roz a lot of Greenmetal Village. Both appeared to be mining towns occupied primarily by Rock-, Ground-, and Steel-types, though she noticed a few other Pokémon, such as Cacnea in town as well. All in all, it looked to be a haven for those adapted to the whims of the desert.

Roz followed Terry through town to what looked like someone’s house, where he knocked on the door. After a few seconds, a Heliolisk opened the door and froze.

“Hi, Dad,” said Terry.

~~~

Roz, Terry, and Apollo, Terry’s father, sat around a table. The Heliolisk dished up three bowls of potato grasshopper stew. In addition to the table, the living room contained a few shelves which held books, trinkets, and other personal and decorative items. As soon as he entered, Terry’s gaze was drawn to an ornate wooden box prominently displayed on one of the shelves.

The conversation during dinner stuck to lighter topics. Terry recounted his experience with the Rangers–though he didn’t bring Specter’s torment up–and the more mundane details of his time with Roz. 

“So, what’ve you been doing lately?” he asked after recounting his story.

“Oh, you know, the usual. Still working in the mine. Though lately I’ve been trying to keep the crops taken care of with all the sandstorms.”

Right, they’d dealt with those on their last trip to the Great Canyon. “Huh. How’re you doing that?” Terry asked.

“Well, I’ve been practicing a few moves. Managed to figure out Rain Dance. Ironic, right? A Heliolisk of all Pokémon bringing rain.”

“Uh, yeah. Didn’t…didn’t know you could use that,” said Terry.

“Yep.”

No one said anything for several minutes. “What is it you mine?” Roz asked at length.

“Erm well, I was really only there to provide light. It’s a bit easier than getting wood for torches out here.”

“I see.”

More silence. Finally, Apollo broke it. “Terry, what is it you aren’t telling me?”

The Cubone took a deep breath. “Until a few days ago, me and Roz were wanted criminals.”

“Yeah, I saw the wanted posters. What happened?”

Terry set his bowl down. “Some Gengar accused Roz of being a spy sent by humans. We got chased all the way to Zephyr Village, but, well, we uh, found Zygarde.”

Apollo’s eyes widened. “Zygarde? Really?”

Terry explained how they were working with Zygarde to end the disasters, including their theory on what was causing them, though he didn’t mention Subject 386.

“I…wow, I don’t know what to say Terry. I never would’ve thought that’s what you were doing all these years.”

Terry clenched his jaw. “I’m so sorry Dad. For getting Mom killed, for running away, for not reaching out to you sooner. I didn’t feel like I deserved your attention, and it was so, so stupid. But I’m done running. For so long I’ve told myself that I’m not allowed to come back until I’ve made up for what I’ve done, when what I really needed was to face the past so I can move on.”

The Heliolisk stood up and walked around the table to rest a hand on his son’s shoulder. “And I should’ve been there for you when you needed me most. I should’ve looked harder after you left. When you didn’t come back I assumed it was because you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. I figured you blamed me for what happened. I’m just glad you’re here now.” He held out his arms. Terry stood up and the two embraced for the first time in years. Roz sniffed and wiped a bit of moisture from the corner of her eye.

“Dad, I’m ready,” Terry declared once the two broke apart. “I’m ready to wear Mom’s skull.”

Apollo smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

He retrieved the box from its spot on the shelf. “I always figured you’d come back at some point, when you were ready. But before I give this to you, you need to understand something.

“You’re not getting this because what you went through made you ‘deserve’ it. And you’re not getting it so it can act as some sort of grim reminder of what’ll happen if you fail, or of your past mistakes. You’re getting this because it’s yours, are we clear?”

Terry looked his father straight in the eye. “That was never what this was about.”

  The Heliolisk nodded. “Good. Here, Terry. Take it.”

The Cubone opened the lid, revealing the empty-eyed skull of a Marowak, minus the jawbone. He reverently pulled it out and pressed his forehead to its. “I’m sorry for everything, Mom. But I’m ready now.” He turned the skull around and looked into it from the bottom for a few seconds, then set it on top of his own head. It was just a bit too big, but somehow, Terry instinctively knew not to concern himself. He closed his eyes and allowed the skull to become a part of him.

The entire skull emitted a brilliant white glow, forcing Roz and Apollo to look away. When the glow faded, the skull had resized itself, as if it was designed specifically for Terry.

The Cubone put his hands to the cheeks of his new helmet, feeling out the ridges and bumps. His eyes watered up and he broke down crying. His father stepped forward for him to lean into, and Terry bawled into his chest.

“I have to go now, Dad,” he said once he calmed down a bit. “But I promise I’ll come back when this is all over.”

Apollo closed his eyes and nodded. “I understand. Just promise me you’ll never forget that I love you.”

“I promise.”

“And Roz, you do right by Terry. And best of luck, both of you.”

“Thank you,” Roz said.

“Thanks, Dad. I’ll be back, I promise.”

The two of them bid Apollo one final goodbye and navigated the streets of Dustboro back to the edge of town.

“That took a bit long–woah! Nice helmet!” Pidgeot said when they returned.

“Sorry we took so long,” said Terry. “But that needed to be done.”

~~~

Terry and Roz dismounted Pidgeot on a cliff overlooking the Great Canyon. Sier stood vigil facing the sunset. “Welcome back,” he greeted without turning around.

“Hello, Sier,” Roz returned.

“What brings you here?” the Xatu asked.

“We were hoping you could help us out a bit,” Terry answered. “Things are getting bad and we’re not sure what to do.” Sier said nothing, so Terry continued. “We’re pretty sure Kyogre and Groudon have, well, gone rogue might be a good way to put it. The only way we can think of to calm them down is to get help from Rayquaza, but since all of the gods attack on sight, we can’t even approach it. I know it might not be possible, but is there any chance you could look into the future and give us an idea of what to do? We’re out of ideas and out of time.”

Sier spoke, but still didn’t move. “Perhaps I should explain how my powers work. I can’t tell you exactly, or even approximately what the future will hold. The future is not yet written. It depends on what happens now. What I can do is receive vague, often symbolic visions of what is likely to happen.

“You propose to visit Rayquaza. I will meditate on this action. I may be able to give you some idea of how that might transpire. Give me a moment.”

“Thanks,” said Terry.

The three waited in silence for several minutes. Terry got tired and sat down on the ground; Roz joined him shortly afterward. Eventually, Sier turned around and addressed them.

“I have considered several possibilities. Certain events have already been set in motion. No matter what happens now, I sense great peril in the near future. Whether or not you confront Rayquaza makes little difference to the world at large. However, doing so has significant implications for both of you for better and worse. Beyond that, things get complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Roz asked.

“There are too many factors affecting the future. Likely your actions and those of others could lead to any number of possible outcomes. One thing I can assure you of however, is that attempting to meet with Rayquaza is not certain death.”

“I guess that’s reassuring,” said Terry. “But it could still mean we’re most likely to die. And if it doesn’t make any difference it’s probably not worth it.”

“Hmmm, perhaps I should clarify,” said Sier. “Whether or not you see Rayquaza has no direct impact on the state of the world. But it does affect you in a very meaningful way. It’s possible that effect on you could be meaningful to the world at large.”

All three of them watched the sunset in silence for several minutes as it bathed the desert in golden light. Before facing his past, Terry would’ve agreed to this without hesitation. Now? It still felt like the right thing to do, but that didn’t mean it was. His dad was right; he didn’t need to prove anything.

Roz thought back to her mission. She was stranded with no way to report back, but she still fully intended to confirm once and for all if Subject 386 was on this planet. This was a huge risk, but also her best chance of getting information, even more than confronting Registeel had been. That said, could she in good conscience drag Terry into this with her knowing that she was effectively dead weight? “I’m not so sure about this. It sounds like a huge risk with no guarantee that it pays off.”

“Maybe,” said Terry. “But our alternative is sitting around and doing nothing. That might be the right choice, but it doesn’t feel like it, you know?”

Roz would have to get used to reading Terry’s face with his helmet. “Are you willing to do this? I can probably do it on my own. It’s not like we’d stand any more of a chance against Rayquaza even if we were together.”

Terry looked back toward the sunset. “We’re both at our best when we’re together. Besides, I wanna see this through as well.”

“Thank you Terry. I’m sorry I never told you about this sooner. But I feel a lot better knowing I don’t have to do this alone.”

Sier nodded. “If this is the path you wish to pursue, I would like to follow.”

Terry blinked. “You want to come see Rayquaza with us?”

“No.” He shook his head. “But you’ll need my help to reach Sky Tower. Let me gather some supplies.”

The Xatu came back a few minutes later with a pouch around his waist. “I’m ready.”

With the combined efforts of Roz and Sier, teleporting all four of them, Pidgeot included, back to Crosswind Town was trivial. Roz, Terry, and Sier entered Headquarters in search of Zygarde. They found it in the main office, making plans with various Ranger teams.

“Roz, Terry, excellent,” it greeted. “And Terry, I see you have a helmet. Congratulations.”

“Thanks. What’s the plan?”

Zygarde gestured to a pile of notes and a map of the Air Continent. “We’ve been thinking of ways to deal with Groudon and Kyogre specifically. Unfortunately, we may have to resort to defeating them in battle.”

“What?!” Terry gasped “Is that even possible?!”

“With a large enough force of highly trained Pokémon with favorable typing, yes, it should be possible. The two of them normally inhabit areas hostile to most Pokémon: Kyogre at the bottom of the Stormy Sea, and Groudon in the depths of Magma Cavern, but we might be able to lure them out.”

“Does either of them have a Speaker?” Roz asked.

Zygarde shook its head. “None of the Weather Trio have Speakers. Their duties are so fundamental to maintaining the world’s order that they deemed it best not to have interference from mortals.”

“In this case that’s probably for the best,” said Roz.

“Sier, was it?” Zygarde asked the Xatu.

“Yes, Lord Zygarde.”

“Do you have any insights on our plan to entreat Rayquaza?” Zygarde asked.

“I believe it’s a better course of action than what you’re planning here. Whether it will help or not I can’t say, but Roz and Terry would like to try.”

“If anyone’s going to approach Rayquaza, it should be us.”

Archimedes, Cliff, and Flint walked out of their suite. “Rayquaza’s power is far beyond even yours, Lord Zygarde. Only the strongest among us can afford to take the risk. I know it sounds arrogant, but it’s simply the truth.”

“You are correct,” said Zygarde. “You three are the ideal candidates for this task.”

Flint blinked. “Uh, Arc, that was too easy. What’s this guy up to?”

“I am ‘up to’ nothing. Regardless of any personal feelings I may have toward you, you are the best suited to this mission. Addressing this crisis is my top priority and always has been. Therefore, I will use whatever approach I feel is most likely to achieve that goal.

“However, I would like to accompany you. Rayquaza, sadly, holds mortals in low regard. With a god at your side, it will be more likely to listen.”

“I’d like to come too,” said Roz. “I’m the best one to explain the situation on the off chance Rayquaza is willing to listen, and I can teleport to safety if needed, so I won’t be a burden.”

“That is a fair point,” Zygarde agreed. “Yes, Roz should come as well.”

“I’m coming too,” said Terry. “Roz and I are sticking together on this.”

“Absolutely not,” said Archimedes. “You aren’t a fit for this, Terry.”

“I must agree,” said Zygarde. “I’m sorry Terry, but this mission simply doesn’t play to your strengths.”

Logically, they were both right. “Sky Tower” didn’t sound like a place Terry belonged. Cliff felt like an odd choice as well, but the Tyranitar was a lot stronger, so at least there was some sense in including him. Then again, against a being as powerful as Rayquaza, would he even make a difference?

The hard look on Terry’s face was partially obscured by his helmet, but his eyes reminded Roz of the night she’d first met him, when he insisted on helping her, even though it was clearly beyond his means. There was something different in it this time though. On that night, he looked vulnerable; desperate to prove himself. But now, he’d found his purpose, and he was determined to fulfill it.

“Terry comes too,” Roz stated.

“This isn’t your decision, Roz,” Archimedes protested.

“He’s no worse a fit for this mission than Cliff,” the Elgyem pointed out. “And I know you’d never think of leaving him behind.”

Archimedes scowled. “Fine. I suppose if we’re going to do this we can use all the help we can get.”

“So we’ll be sending six then?” Sier asked. “Very well then. Let me know when you’re all ready.”

~~~

It was the next morning, and the two stood in Terry’s living room, making their final preparations. They’d spent the rest of the previous day buying supplies, including a new backpack for Roz. Sier’s only assurance was that this wasn’t certain death, and neither of them was about to test the limits of that promise. In response to Zygarde’s warning that they come well-prepared, they packed several healing items as well as seeds to incapacitate enemies, though neither of them was under any delusion that such things would help against Rayquaza.

“Well, Roz, are you ready,” Terry asked.

“No,” Roz admitted. “But I never will be, so let’s get going anyway.”

They received mixed reactions from the townspeople during their walk to the meeting point. Some waved and wished them luck. Others averted their eyes. Whether that was out of shame or something else, Terry couldn’t say. He spotted Peter in the town square cheering both of them on and waved back.

“Hey Roz? I want to take care of something real quick before we leave.” Terry led the two of them behind Headquarters to a small patch of trees. Pressing through the foliage for a few meters led them to a clearing. Dew-soaked grass covered the ground, lit by the rays of the early morning sun. Sitting in the center was a stone monument depicting the winged egg emblem of the Rangers. Terry approached and touched a hand to the stone.

“What is this?” Roz asked.

“This is where they buried Shiren.” Terry’s thoughts were conflicted. He’d always looked up to Shiren and his successors, but…were the Head Rangers really the type of people anyone should be using as a role model? Had the fame gone to their heads or was Shiren just a bad judge of character?

“I heard you mention that name once.” Roz floated beside him. “He’s the one who founded the Rangers, isn’t he?”

Terry nodded. “I know it’s stupid but I hoped he’d give us some luck before we left.”

Roz and Terry took in the serenity of the clearing in the early morning light. Both sat on the grass, neither caring that it was wet. But they both knew there was work to be done. Terry held out his hand and lifted Roz to her feet, even though she could’ve easily floated, and they both made their way to their mission. 

A length of rope attached to small posts cordoned off the cliff shortly past Headquarters; Sier warned that they’d need full focus for this to work, and that meant no onlookers. Ideally, they’d have left from somewhere more remote like the Great Canyon, but that simply wasn’t practical.

The Xatu stood on the edge of the cliff watching the sunrise. The Head Rangers were already waiting. Archimedes levitated in a cross-legged position, while Cliff stood with his arms crossed and his back leaning against a tree. Flint on the other hand paced with his tail swishing back and forth. “Finally!” the Charizard exclaimed when he saw them.

“Ah, Roz and Terry, welcome,” said Sier without turning around. “Now we just need to wait for Zygarde and you can be off.”

As if sensing its name, the Legend appeared just behind Roz and Terry. “My apologies for the delay,” it said. “I’m ready.”

“Very good,” said Sier. The Xatu turned around and levitated a purple crystal about five centimeters long out of his pouch.

“Is that a teleport stone?” Archimedes asked. The Alakazam sounded almost impressed.

“Yes. These aren’t easy to come by, but I found one many years ago. The time has finally come to put it to use.”

Roz was unfamiliar with teleport stones. “What exactly is it?”

Sier explained. “You know how you normally need a clear mental image of a location to teleport there?” Roz nodded. “A teleport stone bypasses that limitation. With one, you only need a concept of where you want to go. It’s possible to use one to go to places you’ve never been to before.”

“Fascinating.” Roz examined the crystal. It somewhat reminded her of the warp drives humans had invented using Subject 386’s power.

“It can only be used once,” Archimedes continued. That part was definitely not consistent with warp drives. “But with multiple psychics acting in tandem, it can be used to teleport large groups. We’ll all need to think of the same thing though, even those of you not actively contributing to the teleport.”

“That’s why I wanted to meet out here,” said Sier. “You can ever so slightly see Sky Tower from here.” He pointed with a wing toward a tall, vaguely cylindrical cloud high in the sky to the northeast. “Since you can directly see it, even if not clearly, the teleport stone should do the rest.”

Everyone formed a line side-by-side, facing the cloud pillar. Sier, standing behind them, raised his wings to the side and levitated the crystal above his head. “Focus everyone. Roz, Archimedes, when I give the signal, use Teleport.”

Roz concentrated on the cloud, so obvious now that Sier had pointed it out to her. Without even trying to, she felt the psyches of everyone around her doing the same thing. It almost felt like they all shared one mind, singularly focused on Sky Tower.

Roz picked up on frustration coming from the group. Maybe it was only one individual, but they were hard to distinguish at this point. A sacred place like Sky Tower was not easy to access. They were almost there, but they needed more power. Suddenly, Roz felt a sizable increase in the group’s psionic potential. She had no idea where it came from but they needed to seize this opportunity while it lasted.

“Now!” Sier commanded.

Roz used Teleport.

~~~

Logbook entry #0952

Object: Teleport stone; origin and nature unknown. Greatly boosts teleportation potential, but consumed upon use.

Teleport stones are exceptionally rare objects that drastically increase a Pokémon’s ability to teleport, by significantly reducing the quality of mental image required to warp successfully. No records of teleport stones found until now. Possible link to Subject 386 unconfirmed.