Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 49 - Leader by Nature

"That ought to do it... I hope." Megan said, understandably annoyed, as Gabi and Shu landed down on the grass before her. They had just deployed another set of large shields around the complex – now the entire base was cloaked in about five layers instead of the one. After hearing from Kiria about what had happened the night before, it had been a miracle that anyone had even woken up that morning. Megan had tried to watch the events unfold on the security footage, but the moment the black beam had met Skyra's shield, the circuits had gone haywire, overloaded by the immense force flooding into the main hall.

Nevertheless, she didn't need to see it to believe how it had happened – enough insanity had happened recently for her to accept it. At the very least, the one barrier they had put in place had held the attacker at bay for at least a few seconds – so by adding a few more protective layers on top of it, everyone stood to survive at least a little longer if it ever happened again.

"We can drop some more if you want." Gabi said, his wings of flame shrinking down into embers and fading in the wind after his feet touched the ground.

"Ideally I'd say yes, but those were our last batch." Megan sighed. "We'll have to wait a few hours before the guys are able to whip up anymore large shields like those."

"Well, whenever they're ready, I'm glad to help out again." Shu said.

"Right!" Shaymin nodded.

"Thanks, guys, will do. But you'd better get to work honing your powers until then."

"Sí. Shu, want to practice aerial combat?" Gabi looked to him then the sky.

"Ok. Just, please try not to burn us." Shu-ling adjusted his glasses.

"If you're fast enough, that won't happen." Gabi joked, before crouching down. His wings burst out magnificently and he leapt up, taking off into the sky where Ho-oh was waiting above.

*

"I think I've got it..." I breathed in as I held a steel beam high in the air with my psychic abilities.

"That's it, the less you think about it, the easier it is to lift." Azelf encouraged.

"Ok..." I tried to think of it as a simple object, rather than a heavy metal beast that could cause serious damage. As a result, I found myself able to move it around with a little more freedom, as if some of its weight had disappeared.

"All right, now bring it down." Midorima said, gesturing towards the pile of beams between us. We had been stacking them and removing them for a few hours at this point.

I kept my palms open wide as I slowly pulled my hands down towards the pile, and the beam followed in unison. With a sigh of relief, I released the steel and smiled as it sat perfectly atop our little pyramid of metal.

"You're getting faster!" Azelf smiled.

"Phew... Ok, your turn." I nodded to Midorima.

"Of course."

"Ready when you are." Uxie said.

*

"Hyah!" Chloe's electrified fist smacked against Zeraora's open palm. "Rrrraah!" She spun round, trying to kick him, but the Thunderclap Pokemon deflected the strike.

"Good." He hopped back, lightning crackling across his body. "Now try this!"

He thrust his right arm forward and a bolt of lightning shot out from his open palm.

Chloe pulled herself back, and the bolt streaked through the air, slicing past the tip of her nose. The accompanying clap of thunder didn't sound until the bolt had already smacked into the wall far behind them.