In Lava [Pokémon Watty Awards, 2016 2nd Place Romance]

Chapter Forty-Seven

Brendan looked up at the skies as Latias, who was sporadically stealthing, was caught in a dogfight with Skarmory. The steel bird's wings folded in as Shadow Ball crashed into her. Her response was a swift Whirlwind that pushed against Latias, forcing her to pull up to regain stability. The dragon opened her jaws and gathered powerful psychic energy into a concentrated blue ball. Skarmory unhinged her beak and white aura flashed within.

Latias fired, the psychic sphere colliding with the Flash Cannon that Skarmory let loose. Knowing her blast was being overpowered, she threw up a Protect barrier and let the Mist Ball power through her beam and crash into the green globe of protection.

The barrier cracked under the pressure, barely holding together from the force of the blast. Skarmory screeched and descended rapidly, Latias in hot pursuit. Latias pulled ahead of Skarmory and the two began to circle one another, Flash Cannon crossing with Dragon Pulse on the way down.

"That's good! Let's call it a day!" Brendan hollered.

The two avian Pokémon hovered to a stop. Skarmory landed and panted in exhaustion. Her workout was to keep on the defensive while Latias practiced her control. After a few broken Protect barriers and a few cracked ones, Latias finally began to gain control over the power of her attacks...to a degree. The Magikarp and Barboach flopping on the shore after a rogue Mist Ball hit the water, might disagree.

Latias shifted to her human form and plopped onto the ground with a heavy sigh.

That was sooooo exhausting! She whined.

Skarmory gave her a look. Latias sweat-dropped. Okay, maybe not as bad as what you had to do...

Skarmory screeched in approval of her response and nodded. Brendan stood up and stroked Skarmory's beak. "Great work you two. Not bad for your first training session together."

Skarmory looked over at the frozen landscape and partially frozen pond.

"Okay...maybe Milotic needs to work on control a little bit," Brendan stated with a nervous laugh.

Skarmory looked at the flopping Water-types and then a layer of seared grass.

"Okay, that was you," Brendan replied sharply.

Skarmory sweat-dropped.

"Okay, so this wasn't exactly the best location. At least the bridge is still in tact...miraculously," Brendan sighed.

Ummm...actually. I had to weld that together, Latias spoke up.

"I-I think we need a break." Brendan sighed, recalling Skarmory.

Brendan reached into his pocket and pulled out the note Courtney had given him. There was no telling when she would be there. But he wanted to see her. But to do that, he would need to play her little game of hide and seek. He carefully studied the clue, trying to decipher what it meant.

Twins are we. The biggest that's me. This doesn't sound like a Pokémon. Maybe it's a landscape? And if it's east...that means near or beyond Lilycove City. I need to scout that area. I guess I better get started then.

"I think it came from over here, hurry!" A loud, feminine voice called out.

"I'm coming, hold your Rapidashes!" Came the voice of a young man.

The tall grass shifted, and through it walked two individuals dressed in ranger uniforms. The male had short brown hair and blue eyes and had a slightly darker complexion. He was about as tall as Brendan. The woman had an obsidian colored ponytail and was lightly tanned. The two spotted Brendan and the human form of Latias. The woman scratched her head.