... Sometime soon though, Zvi shouted out a question, and Indy knew where he wanted to go. "Say, Cloud Temple sounds like an awesome place to go!" He shouted over the wind, hoping Margo and Dan would agree.

... She supposed that Cloud Temple might be cooler than another community. She poked Indy in the ribs to get his attention and gave a thumbs up, not wanting to shout in his ear, before returning to looking at their surroundings...

Dan nodded "I agree with Indy, Cloud temple sounds nice."
...
"Well me an Indy had to babysit some pokemon and...." Dan reminisced about the incident, while they drew closer to the mountain.

As Indy and Zvi talked and all four of the young adventures flew, the forest below became thicker and thicker. It was becoming almost tropical, jungle-like even. Looking down, they would occasionally catch glimpses of Pansage and Simsage jumping from tree to tree.

As another hour passed, the clouds above were becoming thicker as well. The thicker they became, the lower they got as well. Then finally, it got to the point where they couldn't fly any further. The thick clouds were touching the treetops and obscuring their vision. They had to go down, below the green canopy. And so, they did. Straight down, they floated like feathers.

The two Drampa touched down on the forest floor with their heavy pillowed feet. "Alright!" Zvi proclaimed. "The temple is less than a mile's walk that way." He pointed through a vague trail in the brushes and then climbed off Pawpaw. He then waved for everyone else to follow suit. "Thanks Pawpaw! Thanks Hermes! You two can take it easy for a while, but you think you could wait around here for us to get back?"

One after the other, the two Drampa vaguely nodded their heads and let out a huff of air. They would happily take naps while the children went off to play.

"You guys go on ahead..." Indy moved towards Hermes. "I kinda have something to do..." Whether they went ahead or not, he didn't notice. He wasn't able to, being completely transfixed by the possibility of catching the Drampa.

"What say you and I have a battle?" Indigo asked Hermes. The Drampa raised it's head, seeming to be taken aback. He shuffled uncomfortably, though Indy hardly noticed.

"Come on, if we battle, and I prove that I'm strong enough, then you can join my team right?"

Hermes snorted, letting out a cloud of steam. He gently nudged Indy back.

"What-? Oh come on, you don't think I'm tough enough?" Indigo crossed his arms. "Give me a chance. You'll see. You don't have to treat me like my pokemon can't handle anything."

Hermes instead rolled over on his belly, looking at Indy as if he were saying, 'can you scratch my belly instead?'

"Oh come ON!" Indigo released Hawka from her pokeball, and the Combusken came out in a fiery burst. She let out a few practice swings before assuming her stance.

But he was interrupted...

@Balthazar007

..."Oh come ON!" Indigo released Hawka from her pokeball, and the Combusken came out in a fiery burst. She let out a few practice swings before assuming her stance.

But he was interrupted...

"He's not interested in battling right now." Said a voice from the forest's edge. When the group looked, they saw an old man, hunched over the top of a wooden cane.

"Old man Nogu!" Zvi shouted as he ran to the elderly figure. The two shared a quick hug. "These are my friends." Zvi motioned to the others. "That's Dan, and... well... I just met the rest of them. I don't remember their names, but they seem nice."

Nogu smiled warmly. "Any friend of Zvi is a friend of mine. Nice to meet you all."

By the time everyone had said their hellos, Drampa Hermes let out a loud yawn. His eyes slowly closed as he decided to begin his nap here and now.

Old man Nogu noticed the disappointment on Indy's face, and decided to try and cheer the boy up. "Hey, if Hermes doesn't want to battle, that's fine." The old man then pulled out a Pokeball and clicked it's button. Hermes was engulfed in its red light and disappeared. "I have other Pokemon that would love to stretch their legs. Goodness knows we could all use the exercise. What do you say?"

As they approached the forest's canopy, Margo enjoyed the feeling of the clouds. It felt like fog over her face before they dropped to the ground like a bounce house, a slight pep in the Drampa's step. Mimicking the pokemon's lead, Margo hopped off of Hermes and stretched her arms over her head with a tiny grunt.

"Thank you very much, handsome." The teen beamed at the dragon, patting his nose lovingly before joining Zvi and Dan, Indigo wishing to stay behind for some reason or other. She shrugged impassively, moving ahead of the group, but stopped shortly when she heard a big huff coming from the Drampa. Upon looking over her shoulder, it appeared Indy was trying to provoke the dragon into battling him.

Then, a strange man came from the woods. Margo couldn't quite make out what he was saying to Indy but Zvi seemed to know him, shouting obnoxiously and running over in greeting. The teen felt the need to introduce herself--after Zvi forgot her name--and gave her name and a quick wave in the other wild man's direction. She couldn't be bothered with listening to the men talking now, droning out their voices as she looked around the tropical forest they were now in. It was definitely a nice change of pace. She had wanted to visit the Viridian Forest while in Kanto but after what had happened the whole idea has slipped her mind to suggest to Dan and Indy.

Thinking that he could potentially impress the Drampa and score a rare, regal pokemon for his team, Indigo decided to accept.

The old hermit was sly, well-versed in battling and sharp with reactions. The battle was certainly not an easy one, and it was a fight that Indigo just barely won. Adding insult to injury, it seemed that the Hermit had let him win.

As Indigo recalled his final pokemon, Neon--who was barely able to float-- the old hermit Nobu tossed a potion his way.

"You didn't do too bad," he remarked with a friendly smile. "But you've got a ways to go."

"Thanks but... Why'd you let me win?" Indy asked, spraying Neon all over with the medicine.

"Wellll, you get to be my age, you just like to battle for the fun of it sometimes, not really to win," Nobu chuckled. He looked much grumpier than he actually was.

"I guess I learned a thing or two, I appreciate it," Indy looked down at the ground. Thinking about his hasty reasons for wanting the Drampa earlier had him feeling guilty. His mind flashed back to Hero. How could he catch other pokemon if he hadn't gotten Hero back yet? At least Neon had wanted to join the team, but specifically seeking out other pokemon without such a vital member of his team felt awful.

Nobu was quiet for a moment, sensing Indigo's distress. "Well now, I bet your pokemon are tired. Say, why don't you all have your pokemon rest before you explore the temple grounds?"

@Balthazar007

Nobu was quiet for a moment, sensing Indigo's distress. "Well now, I bet your pokemon are tired. Say, why don't you all have your pokemon rest before you explore the temple grounds?"

There were a few looks of consideration between the three teenagers. Did they really need a rest? Sure, Indigo just battled, but the other two hadn't. They had just got off a cushy ride in the sky.

Before they could discuss anything, Zvi answered for them, "Of course!" He then turned to the rest of the group. "Old man Nobu doesn't invite people over to his place often. You guys are lucky!"

"Stop it Zvi. It's not big deal. Plus it's on the way to the temple."

"Yeah, for now." Zvi muttered.

Nobu ignored Zvi's side comment, or maybe he couldn't hear it due to old age. "I have a pot of stew brewing. No Pokemon harmed in the making, I assure you." The old man's smile could still almost be called a frown, but the sincerity of his words shined through.

After little discussion, everyone agreed. It wouldn't hurt to have something to eat. And so, they began their walk through the forest, Zvi's Drampa electing to stay behind for a nap. They would walk less than fifteen minutes before they came upon the stone hut. A delicious smell came from its chimney...

@iKatamalicious@TheForgottenArc

"Yeah, for now." Zvi muttered.

Dan was confused as to what Zvi meant by that seemingly insignificant comment, was he moving?
I'll ask Zvi later... Dan thought to himself.

The walk to the hut was a lot shorter than Dan had in mind, not that he was complaining.

"Smells good!" Dan said, his stomach growling Audibly. "I didn't eat this morning so I'm starving!"

"Also, mister Nobu. "Do you know what type of Pokémon are around? I'm always looking to make new friends after all, and I bet that temple has some cool Pokémon." Dan said looking for any that might be nearby the Hut.

"Also, mister Nobu. "Do you know what type of Pokémon are around? I'm always looking to make new friends after all, and I bet that temple has some cool Pokémon." Dan said looking for any that might be nearby the Hut.

Nobu was scooping out bowls of stew for everyone when Dan asked him about Pokemon in the area. Without turning his attention away from his task, he answered, "Well, during the day, you can find plenty of Spearow. And after dark the Noctowls take their place. Then of course there are the Pokemon you're probably used to seeing in every forest."

The old man ladled out the last bowl (his own), then led everyone to a small table, barely big enough to sit all four of his guests and himself. "But I suppose you mean specific to this neck of the woods. In that case, there are two families of Pokemon. Drampa live deep in the woods, but they spend a lot of time sleeping and hide well for their size."

Nobu took a sip of his stew before continuing. "And you can find Pansage up in the trees. They won't come down unless you temp them with food."

Indigo sipped at the stew, savoring the balance of spices, seasonings, and rich umami flavors that presented themselves. He was content to let Daniel and Nobu talk, trying his hardest not to think about grabbing a new Pokemon just for fun.

"Hey Nobu, are you from around here?" He asked, leaning back after finishing his bowl. " This place seems so... Mystical, in a way." The somewhat crumbled stone ruins of the Cloud Temple werr shrouded in literal and figurative mist, after all. "How did this Cloud Temple place come to be? Do you know how old it is? Do you know why it was built?"

@Balthazar007

"Hey Nobu, are you from around here?" He asked, leaning back after finishing his bowl. " This place seems so... Mystical, in a way." The somewhat crumbled stone ruins of the Cloud Temple werr shrouded in literal and figurative mist, after all. "How did this Cloud Temple place come to be? Do you know how old it is? Do you know why it was built?"

Nobu was enjoying the company of these youngsters. He answered Indy's questions with a wrinkled smile. "I grew up around here actually... a long time ago. I left to see the world, much like you kids are doing now. I returned three years ago. After all, we all have to rest sometime." Nobu slowly scooped out the last of his soup as Indy shifted his focus to Cloud Temple.

With a soft click of the bowl against the wood table, Nobu explained, "Cloud Temple has been here for as long as I can remember. It is said to be the world's oldest temple of worship to Arceus. Some say it was build by Acreus himself, when he created this world."

Nobu stood and began collecting the empty bowls of his guests, as he finished his tale. "At least, those are the stories passed down by the elders of Zanna Town. Nobody has actually seen Arceus at the temple though, not as far as I know. But other Legendary and Mythical Pokemon have occasionally been spotted there. Maybe if you're lucky, you kids will see one while you're there."

Nobu set the empty bowls into a sink, then turned around to see his guests, completely captivated by his story. "It has been great meeting you all, but I bet you're ready to get moving now, aren't you?" Something about Nobu's question sparked something inside all three of the teenagers, or was it the food they ate? Either way, they were full of energy and restored to 100% wellness.

After everyone said their goodbyes and started to leave, Nobu stopped them with a parting gift. "Take these with you." In his outstretched hand, he held three small brown bags.

When did he prepare those? Was the unanswered question.

"These are leftovers, in case you or your Pokemon get a little hungry later. Don't throw away the bags, okay?"

"Thanks, sir." Dan said as he delicately took the leftovers, storing it in his backpack "You guys go ahead, I wanna do something first." Dan said, turning and walking out of view from everyone, he grabbed his poke ball containing Twiggy.

With a swift toss, Twiggy emerged, looking tired, as if he just got up from a nap.

"Hey, Twiggy" Dan said as he handed some food from the bag of leftovers to the turtle. He took it cautiously, giving Dan a stink eye.

Welp, time to get this over with.

Indigo was absorbed into Nobu's story thoroughly. Arceus? The... The God of pokemon, right? What kind of image would such a deity assume? It was beyond comprehension. "No way... Actual legendaries," he muttered. Though there was more he wanted to pester Nobu with, the old man seemed ready to be on his way.

Not without a parting gift, which Indigo thanked his lucky stars for. Too many times on the journey so far he'd been hungry due to lack of proper planning or not rationing out food intelligently. Free grub was one of his favorite gifts, and he knew he'd find himself--or his pokemon--snacking on it later on. They could count on it. The line about not losing the bag was a little off, Indigo thought, but he figured it was because Nobu was an old person, and old people were weird. Nothing more to it.

The crumbling but somehow still regal ruins of Cloud Temple were just head of them. The fog was dense around the area, which made sense as they had quite literally ridden on the backs of dragon's to arrive to such a majestic place. "Keep close," Indigo called out. The cellular service in the area--at best-- was capricious. Seeing the service bars on his pokedex fluctuate pulled him to the closer side of caution.

"So, what do you guys think of this place so far? Can't believe that one old guy said legendaries could be spotted here," Indigo said. Turning to Zvi, he asked, "hey, you ever see any crazy stuff around here?"

Margo's thoughts whirled in her head as she joined the boys to Nobu's house and shared in some soup. She wasn't the biggest fan of soup, but something about the scent around her and her own common courtesy, made Margo eat her bowl without complaint. Listening to Nobu's mythical story, she stayed quiet the entire time. She wondered what legendaries could possibly be coming to the Cloud Temple? Were they also worshipping Arceus?

The teen gave a parting wave to Nobu as he retreated back into his house, thanking him for the leftover baggies he prepared for them. But they had soup? What was in here? Margo didn't bother worrying about it, instead shoving it into her backpack and following along with Indy and Zvi, Dan opting to stay behind for... well, Margo wasn't sure.

Despite being a bit curious on what their companion might be doing, Margo skipped ahead to stay close to Zvi and Indy, the boys talking amongst themselves while she clasped her hands behind her back and took in the scenery. Her ears perked for a moment.

"Yea, has Nobu seen any legendaries around here? Is that why he said that?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Zvi expectantly.

"So, what do you guys think of this place so far? Can't believe that one old guy said legendaries could be spotted here," Indigo said. Turning to Zvi, he asked, "hey, you ever see any crazy stuff around here?"

..."Yea, has Nobu seen any legendaries around here? Is that why he said that?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Zvi expectantly.

Zvi answered their question without turning toward them; his focus remained on trying to see through the fog. "I'm sure he has. I've seen two rare Pokemon here myself, a big fire bird Pokemon called Moltres and a white and red Pokemon. I still don't know what that second one was called, but it flew SO fast."

Broken pillars overgrown with vines covered the area. As the three of them walked, they could tell the architecture was leading them to a set of stairs. There were only ten steps in all, but they were large steps requiring tall strides to climb. The top of the stairs leveled out to something of a stone balcony, stretching twenty feet to either side and extending fifty feet ahead. At the end of the platform, two large pillars stood atop three more stone steps. A long block rested across the tops of them.

Zvi, being the smallest in the group, had to jump up each step along the way, but he made it look easy. As they approached the two imposing pillars, he spoke again. "That's where I saw them, up there." He then turned around to look back at the temple ruins below, what he could see through the fog at least. "You know, Spearow and Hoothoot aren't the only flying Pokemon to nest around here. I've also seen Natu and Fletchling. I wonder what's with this place and flying Pokemon? Maybe the Arceus stories are wrong. Maybe this place is just an old bird sanctuary."

"Sooooo," Indigo exhaled, looking up at the marble stairs. "You're saying, if we really want the whole experience, we should climb up there."

"I'd say so!" Zvi replied back, face broad with a grin.

".... Can we use Hermes and Pawpaw again?"

Zvi guffawed, slapping Indigo on the shoulder. It was with an unexpected amount of force, and Indigo winced. "Oh Indy, you can't just ride on pokemon all the time! Come on, that's barely a climb! You guys can handle it, the hard part's done anyways!"

_{"What's wrong with} ^that..." Indigo muttered. Much to his dismay, Zvi began pushing him up the incline.

"Come on, Indigo! Where's that energy? Margo, Daniel, come on up!" Zvi was loud calling the others, as nor he nore Indigo knew whether they were following. But Zvi wanted to at the very least wanted to be inclusive.

Once the crew reached the top, Indigo remembered. Perhaps his pokemon would have liked to be part of this too. "Hey, I'm letting my pokemon out. I figure they probably want to see this place." In a flash, the creatures came out, impressed by where they were. They all seemed mesmerized by the ancient place and atmosphere. Hawka seemed unsually calm. Mimzy wasn't nearly as giggly or hyper as she usually was. Kovi and Neon flew to top of some pillars, gazing at the sky.

"Huh," Indigo muttered, surprised. "You guys gonna let your pokemon out?" He called out. "Dan? Margo?"

Margo could feel her legs getting a work out by the time they reached the top of the stairs, leaning over and resting for a moment, her hands on her knees. Once she pulled herself back up and stretched her back, the teenager admired the view. It was strange what kind of feelings were being evoked at the top of this place. She felt free, like something had been lifted from her shoulders, and everything seemed to melt away.

Any sort of stress or grumpiness she had had that morning was gone, nothing left in her mind besides the clouds overhead that drifted lazily across the sky. Indy's voice was faint but he said something about their pokemon, making her blink as she remembered them. Surely they'd love to experience this place but... her newest addition would probably cause some problems. She felt guilty as her thoughts immediately went to the way her Mankey had first tried to attack her. Still, she thought with a small shake of her head, her other pokemon didn't need to miss this opportunity.

Margo followed Indy's lead and let out her pokemon. Crowne was happy to have some fresh air, looking up into the sky and letting the sun wash over him. Poinsettia, a freshly-evolved Spewpa, opted to stand with Margo as well, pushing on her shin until she relented and picked up the little bug-type to give her a better view. Oceana and Wulford took flight and played tag with one another in the air, taking turns nipping at the others tail feathers as they merrily filtered between pillars. Julep decided to run around the broad platform, stretching his legs and chittering to himself happily. That twinge of guilt plucked at Margo's heartstrings but she stayed steadfast with her decision, instead turning her attention to the lack of Daniel.

"Do you think he's going to be ok getting up the steps? I thought he would be up here by now..." She cast the question to either of the two boys, turning to look down the steps they had come up and biting the inside of her cheek. She could feel the calm atmosphere beginning to dissipate from her mind.

"Do you think he's going to be ok getting up the steps? I thought he would be up here by now..." She cast the question to either of the two boys, turning to look down the steps they had come up and biting the inside of her cheek. She could feel the calm atmosphere beginning to dissipate from her mind.

Zvi shrugged as he answered Margo's open ended question. "I don't know. He has been a while. Maybe we should go back for him. Besides, there's not much else to see here. We could wait for weeks and not see a rare Pokemon." Zvi then looked to Indy who agreed, and the three of them began their climb back down, along with all the Pokemon they let out of their Pokeballs.

When they reached the edge of the temple ruins, they found Old Man Nobu waiting for them. He wore a somber face and held a note in his hand. "Hello children." He said with a weak smile. "I have something for you." He held out and waited for any of them to take it. "It's from your friend. After you all left, he doubled back to find me and gave me this. He said he's sorry, but he couldn't tell you in person. Said he's going back home. I told him he should speak with you himself, but he wouldn't hear it. He'll be fine though. I asked Hermes to protect him till he leaves Septoh."

Indigo was baffled, not even registering Old Man Nobu's words at first. "What?" He shook his head, feeling dazed. This was some kind of prank, wasn't it? It had to be.

"You're kidding," Indigo insisted. Nobu shook his head. He pointed above them at a Drampa in the sky, and the shadowy figure of someone sitting on the pokemon.

"Dan!" Indigo waved his arms.
"HEY! DAN!" He cupped his hands around his mouth and tried to shout as loud as he could.

"I'm sorry young man," Nobu said as gently as he could.

Still speechless, Indigo opted to look at the letter instead of attempting to say anything. He unfolded the paper and sure enough, Dan's scrawl was on the page.
This... Really is a letter from him.

Hey Indy and Margo,

I know this seems really sudden. But I really needed to leave. It's not really anybody's fault, and it's not an emergency or anything. I just needed to go.

For awhile now, I've felt really uncertain about my journey. It's not really something I can explain, it's just something I feel, you know? Maybe it was something in Pewter, or it could have been something before then, but it's just. There were some words after, but they had been scratched out and scribbled on.

Let me try this again. Damn, this is hard. I've never been real good with trying to explain this stuff. You guys would know, right?

I guess one thing I'm trying to do is build up my pokemon again. My friendship with them, I mean. I think I need to stop focusing on my journey for me, and really go back to them. They're the ones that brought me this far, after all. I think going back home and having us all just spend time together without getting worried about battles or winning... Well, I just think it'll be good for us.

Then, you know, there's my condition or illness or whatever you want to call it. I think I need a riding pokemon to help me get around, but like I said, I can't really get new team members when the ones I've got aren't happy, you know? So... that's another thing.

But I want to do this right. I want to make up for everything I've done. There's an orphanage in Lavender Town, just a train ride away from Cerulean. It's a little long of a ride, but I think I'll start working there for a bit. Maybe a few times a week? Haven't thought out the details too much, but I want to help pokemon more. I think volunteering's gonna help me out a lot.

I know it seems sudden, but like I said, this has all been on my mind for awhile now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, it's just I know that I would have stayed if I did. But the point is, I couldn't stay. I just hope you guys can forgive me.

Sincerely,
Dan

Although Dan hadn't actually had anything terrible happen to him, Indigo still felt a sting in his chest. Damnit, I thought we said no more secrets last night. At the same time, he couldn't be too upset. Daniel was simply working on himself and that was to be admired, not scowled upon. The abruptness of it all, however, left an empty spot in Indigo. It was as if their potential adventures together had been whisked away from underneath him.

"I'm happy for him," Indigo said finally, breaking the silence.
"He's going after what's best for him. And that's... Great."

Nobu smiled. "It's not the end of anything, just so you know, it's really a new beginning for all of you."

Margo was as shocked as Indy at the hermit's words, looking at Crowne and furrowing her brow. "He... just left?" She quirked her mouth at the idea--he was always the most rambunctious of the three. How could he have just left them out here without saying goodbye? Was he really that upset about what happened with Twiggy in Kanto? The teenager felt bad as Indy attempted to grab the attention of his friend up in the sky, moving to his side and placing a hand gingerly on his arm.

She read the letter over his shoulder, every few sentences glancing at his face to see if she could read what he was thinking. Her pokemon gathered with Indy's behind their trainers, exchanging some curious looks among one another. Margo finished reading before Indy, taking the tiniest of steps back as she waited for him to finish.

She felt a swell of pride in her chest from reading the letter--it was good that Dan was putting himself first! He was doing what he needed to do for himself and his pokemon, even if that meant leaving Margo and Indy behind because they were hindering his own personal adventure. She was proud of him for realizing that just because it might hurt them, Dan was doing what he needed to do for himself. She felt an even bigger wave of happiness wash over her as Indy finally spoke, expressing his own opinions on what Dan was doing.

Hearing the slightest reluctance from his voice, Margo gave him a look that asked him if he was ok, arching a brow skeptically. Nobu seemed to put it more into perspective for the two of them and the teen was grateful for his kind words.

"It's like the new start to our own journey together. Dan will be here in spirit with us, cheering us along the way like he would have if he had stayed!" Margo beamed at Indy, hoping to cheer him up. She knew he was probably hurting right now, but Nobu was right, they could move past this and become even better friends to support one another.

@iKatamalicious@prettydrops

Indigo folded up the letter and exchanged some final uplifting words with Margo. The two of them would be a duo from here on out. Accept for at the moment. "So what are you two going to do next?" Zvi asked with a comforting smile.

The choice was obvious. Zanna town was next on the list. They came to Cloud Temple with hopes of seeing a legendary Pokemon but it seemed all they got was some big news. It was time to put the bitter-sweet experience in the past.

"Sounds good to me." Zvi smiled again. He then put two fingers up to his mouth and let out an extremely loud whistle. It was impressive actually, to hear a sound that loud come out of someone so small. Zvi chuckled a little as Indigo and Margo flinched. "I'm just calling Pawpaw. He can carry the three of us, most of the way at least."

After a minute of waiting in relative silence, Pawpaw appeared through the fog, floating above the trail at head height. His face was relaxed as he effortlessly approached at the speed of someone sprinting. He stopped all at once and just as effortlessly. After Zvi exchanged a few words with the dragon Pokemon, Pawpaw nodded his head and crouched down on the ground. He had no problem with giving these kids a ride.

And so, everyone climbed onto the fluffy dragon's back, and he turned to face the trail where he came from. Before he could take off however, something strange happened. The fog around the temple suddenly dissipated. Looking to the trail ahead, the fog was still thick, but here at the temple, it was as if the sun had opened a whole in the clouds. Looking up to the sky, you could see the circle of clouds around the temple.

"Guys, I think there's something at the top of the temple! Pawpaw, take us up higher please!" Zvi requested with a toothy grin. And so, Pawpaw began to float upward into the air.

Once high enough, they could see it, their first sight of a legendary Pokmeon. Standing atop the stone pillars, Ho-oh gently preened its rainbow wings. The majestic Pokemon was facing away from the teenagers and didn't seem to notice them at first, but then suddenly, it stopped what it was doing and looked over its shoulder. For a long moment, Ho-oh stayed like that, staring at them, and all the three of them could think to do was stare back. This image would be burned into there mind for a long time to come.

After what felt like many minutes, but was more like many seconds, Ho-oh spread its multicolored wings. With one powerful flap it rose high into the sky. Crossing directly overhead, it left a rainbow in its wake. "Follow that Pokemon Pawpaw!". Zvi called out.

Pawpaw huffed in excitement of his own and rose higher, above the tree tops, but still bellow the rainbow. "Hold on tight!" Zvi yelled over his shoulder. Then Pawpaw launched forward. By this time, Ho-oh was already quite far ahead of them, and the clouds where closing in around them. But Pawpaw wouldn't be outran that easily. He was able to maintain this distance for quite some time, the rainbow just above their heads and the glowing body of Ho-oh in the distance.

The further they flew, the lower the clouds became, until they were above them completely. But alas, Pawpaw couldn't keep up the pace forever. Slowly but surely, the image of Ho-oh in the distance became smaller, and the rainbow above faded away. It also seemed like Ho-oh was banking right, no longer headed in the direction they needed to go.

And so, Ho-oh got away. The trees below became thinner and the ground higher, as they neared the tallest part of the mountain. Pawpaw was obviously tired. He slowly drifted downward to meet the rising ground. There wasn't much flat ground to land upon, but he managed to find a spot just big enough and not too steep. Beside his landing spot there was a clearly carved out trail, with tree roots and rocks acting as steps.

"End of the line." Zvi shrugged and smiled. "That was amazing wasn't it!?" He asked as Indy and Margo climbed down off of Pawpaw.

After some excited words about what they just saw, Zvi pointed up the trail. Zanna Town was at the top, and it would take them an hour to walk up. With that, Zvi waved goodbye and Pawpaw let out a heavy breath. Pawpaw then turned back to where they came, pushed off the ground, and flew in that direction. More accurately, he glided just above the trees, until they reached the bottom of the mountain peak and were swallowed by the lush greens below.