FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

_ Act III _

Lya and Stefan were still at the beach where they crash landed at. Stefan nestled on the sand as he was surrounded by burning firewood thanks to Lya's resourcefulness. The heat of the flames made him warm and toasty; drying his wings from the ocean water. "Thanks for your help putting all this together; I feel like a new bird. Though we need to find Tom quickly or who knows what that guy might do to him." "If I know Tom, he probably already found a way out. From what I've seen of him since they day I met him up till now, he's a crafty one", she said as she drank some fresh water from a spray bottle. "Oh please, how can you be so sure that's what he's doing right now; that's just speculation", said Stefan, "And don't give me the whole "it's just women's intuition" crud." Lya looked at him crossly. "I will throw you back in the water", she threatened. "Ha! I'd love to see you try", retorted Stefan. Lya took the spray bottle and squirted him with it. "Ah! Okay, okay; I'm sorry!" Lya stopped squirting and smiled cheekily as Stefan wiped the water drops off of himself. He then looked up in the sky. "Tom, wherever you are, please come back in one piece."

Tom soon spotted an island in his field of vision; he hoped it was Shamouti Island. The island had two distinct sides; one had several houses and a lighthouse, and the other side was completely empty of possible villagers, but thriving with plant life. So Tom flew over to that side and looked for a shrine. At the edge of this empty side, there was indeed a shrine, and what stood there was a pink salamander Pokémon that wore a shell shaped like a crown, and had a red and white ruff around his neck. He was looking out in the distance, surveying the horizon before him. He began to hear wings flapping as the sound got louder and louder. He turned his head toward the sound and spotted a Lugia heading towards the shrine. He was surprised and hid somewhere so that he could not be seen. Tom gently landed onto the shrine and looked around; seeing an altar surrounded by stone pillars. He then looked out in the ocean and reiterated what Lawrence said to him. "Look into the horizon and you'll see three islands side by side." He saw the three islands; Fire Island, Ice Island, and Lightning Island.

The pink Pokémon peeked and looked at the Lugia curiously. "It looks like this is the place", said Tom, "...So now what do I do?" He saw the altar on top of the center pillar and walked up the small set of stone stairs to it. He looked at the top and saw a slab that said the same inscription as the one in the airship. Looking inside, he found three transparent spheres; a red one, a blue one, and a yellow one. He slowly reached in with his wing to pick one up. "Don't touch them", shouted a voice. Tom jumped and turned his head to find the pink Pokémon. "A new Pokémon and it can talk." He hopped off the altar and landed in front of him. "Who are you", he asked. The Pokémon stared at the Lugia before speaking. "I am Slowking; I guard this shrine from outsiders. I'm afraid to tell you that this shrine is forbidden, so I will kindly ask you to leave. Goodbye." Slowking was trying to shoo the Lugia away as he backed up against one of the pillars. "Wait, I can't leave now; I was sent here by someone because I heard that this shrine can help me." The pillar behind Tom suddenly glow a bright green. Slowking gasped as he witnessed it. When Tom stopped touching it, the light dimmed to nothing. "What you did just now; the pillar reacted when you touched it. Are you...related to the great guardian?"

"You mean Lugia? Yes, I was told that he is my father", explained Tom. Slowking gasped even more as he realized who he was and bowed to him. "My most sincere apologies; I did not know that I am in the presence of the guardian's son." Tom just looked at him awkwardly. "Um...it's no problem, but I have a question for you. There was something hidden in the legend that the son of the guardian can call him; how does he do that?" "Remember the pillar glowing? Each pillar touched plays a different pitch of sound. When it has been done in the proper order, that will call forth Lugia", he explained. "Aw man, how am I supposed to know the order; I don't know anything about...it..." Tom's eyes suddenly became lifeless as the flashing images returned once again. This time, it was manipulating his movements; making him touch one pillar and move on to another as he limped. "I...know the code now", he uttered in his suspended state of mind. In the order of the pillars touched, they were playing a very familiar tune; the same tune that he had heard numerous times.

Soon, all of the pillars began glowing as the code was completed and Tom snapped back from what just happened. The pillars shot a green light that intersected each one; creating a ball of light, which then shot a bright ray into the water. Tom could hear howling noises coming from underwater. Tom looked at the water to see anything happening. Everything seemed quiet until a giant vortex of water surfaced. The strong rotation caused a blast of wind to hit him and Slowking as well as drizzling salt water. The vortex soon dissipated and the great guardian of the seas was revealed; Lugia, Tom's supposed true father. Tom looked at him in awe; he looked exactly like him, but bigger and more elegant. Slowking bowed to his guardian and urged Tom to do the same, which he did. Lugia began speaking to Tom through telepathy. "Are you the one who has summoned me", he asked. Tom jumped a little when he heard his voice in his mind; he had trouble responding. "...Yes, I am. I was told that...you're my real father and I wanted to know if it was true." Lugia was landing onto the shrine, which caused Tom and Slowking to back up to give him space. Tom got a closer look at him; his feathers glistened more than his own. "Lugia, it is wonderful to see you again", complimented Slowking. Lugia nodded. "Same to you, my most loyal friend; it seems everything is still in perfect order. I never thought I would return up here sooner than expected after the great tragedy." "Great tragedy", Tom asked himself.

"The name the humans gave you called Tom, I have been expecting you. Come with me and all will be clear to you." Lugia turned around and the fins running down his back folded down before he jumped into the water. Tom looked behind himself and noticed that he could flex the fins on his back as well. He took a deep breath before jumping in. As he swam further down and followed Lugia, he noticed that he was able to breath and wondered how it was even possible, unless if he had a pair of gills hidden somewhere. The two swam deeper and deeper in the sea as it got darker and darker with each passing second. Tom was worried if it was going to be too dark for him to see, but he realized that he could see in the darkness just fine. Further below was a flowing current, he watched Lugia dive into it and he proceeded to follow. The two were now swimming in the current as the force of the stream guided them along. Lugia and Tom began talking to each other through telepathy. "This is where I have spent all my life being guardian of the seas; secluded from any forms of life." "Secluded...do you ever get lonely", asked Tom. "It is a sacrifice, but it is to keep the humans and Pokémon of this world safe. My powers are too great, so I stay down here until the harmony of nature has been disturbed. I know you would do the same for those you care about." "You're right; I would", replied Tom. "It's just that...I can understand what it's like being alone for a long time. My human parents, they were never around for me when I needed them the most. I managed to cope with it when I realized there was nothing I could do to change that."

"There was a reason for you to be with them. My remaining days for this world are growing short. When I move on to the next world, you will have to be the new guardian of the seas, and spend the rest of your life down here to keep the legend alive." "So, me being with them was to prepare myself", asked Tom. "Yes, you have been living alone for several years and have learned to accept your solitude. You are ready to take on the responsibility." "But...then I'll never see my friends again", he replied with a frown. "I am sorry, but it is your destiny; there is no way around it." Tom could not believe that his true purpose in life was to be the future guardian of the seas, and that Lugia was truthfully his father. He had so many questions to ask, but tried not to overload him with too much. "But why did you have to send me away? Couldn't you have trained me to survive on my own?" "I could not; an unfortunate event happened and I had no choice. There was a human who had the ability to corrupt the soul of a Pokémon and turn them into heartless monsters. When you were an infant, the human captured you and used you for his experiment. I was able to rescue you and nullify the corruption within you. I then changed your form and sent you to another world where they could not get you. They seem to have given up and his project became extinct; I have been trying to contact you through your mind for years now." "So it was you who gave me those images in my head; you were trying to call me", stated Tom. "Yes, and it seems that all the events you have encountered brought you closer to the truth. I missed you, my son." Lugia nuzzled Tom's cheek fatherly as he nuzzled back. "I missed you too, Father; for the first time...I'm truly home."

They gently rubbed their heads together affectionately until Tom swam above Lugia and wrapped his wings around his neck. Lugia began to do a series of turns, loops, and dives as they played together in the current. Tom rested his head on Lugia's neck as he let him have a ride. "Father, I have another question; you mentioned about a "great tragedy". Can you tell me what that was?" Lugia nodded to him and explained. "Not too long ago, the titans of fire, ice, and lightning were fighting each other." "And so you appeared to calm them down", added Tom. "Correct. But I could not do it alone; I required the help of the chosen one to retrieve the three orbs and return them to the shrine." Tom remembered them placed in the altar earlier. "Afterwards, my song was played, peace was restored, and I returned to the sea after serving my role of the legend." Tom was growing tired as the story was making him fall to sleep. Lugia pet his son's head with his wing. "You have endured a lot, little one; you can rest now." Tom slumbered on Lugia's back as he continued swimming and enjoyed the feeling of his son now safe and happy to be where he belonged. Lugia howled his song as it lulled his son to sleep. Tom was dreaming about the said tragedy happening and being the guardian; appearing proudly in front of the chosen one and helping him retrieve the three treasures. But the chosen one looked like someone familiar to him, like a best friend. He suddenly woke up from his sleep as something mentally hit him.

He let go of Lugia's neck as he turned around to face his son. "Is something troubling you", he asked. "Father, I need to go back to the surface; my friends were trying to look for me and I need to let them know that I'm alright." "You may, but return here immediately when you are finished." Lugia continued swimming, but Tom got in his way to stop him. "Come with me", he said. "I want you to meet my friends." Lugia shook his head. "I would rather not; it is too precarious for me to go up to the surface unless the circumstances request for it." "Come on, Father; how can I explain to them about what I just learned without you? And I need someone to guide me since I'm not entirely sure where they are. Please, just for me?" Lugia closed his eyes and pondered; he did not want to leave, but he felt it would make his son happy if he did. "...Very well; I shall accompany you, but I cannot stay away from the islands for too long. And this will be the only time I accept this favor." With that, Tom and Lugia were out of the current and swam towards the surface. Once they were out of the water, they folded their fins back up again and flew towards land. "I will follow you, but stay close", said Lugia. "Are you able to sense people's presence", asked Tom. Lugia nodded and closed his eyes as he concentrated. "I sense...Ho-oh...?" Tom quickly looked around below him; the Ho-oh had to be Stefan.

Stefan and Lya were at the remains of her house as she collected any of her items that survived from the implosion. She found a photo of her and her parents and put it in her bag. Stefan was surveying the damage and broken planks of wood. "Man, this is just depressing", he said. "Hey guys", shouted a voice. The two looked up and gasped as they saw Tom flying towards them. When he landed, they rushed up and Lya hugged him. "Tom, I'm so glad you're okay", she exclaimed. Tom wrapped his wings around Lya. "So Lya was right; you escaped, didn't you", asked Stefan. "I didn't; he let me go." "Let you go?! But why", asked Lya. "I'll explain everything soon, but first...Stefan, Lya, this is Lugia, the guardian of the seas...my father." Lugia neutrally looked at the two, but gave a more curious look at the Ho-oh. "Father, these are my two friends; Stefan and Lya." Lugia bowed his head to them in greet. Lya walked up to him in astonishment. "May I just say that it is an honor of meeting you, Lugia", she complimented. "...thank you...", was Lugia's only response. He was not use to being around people and felt rather uncomfortable, so he tried to speak as little as possible. "Wait, wait, hold on a second; did you just say that this guy is your real father", asked Stefan, "I thought you already have one." "Look, I should probably tell you everything now", said Tom

The three friends stood at the lake while Lugia sat next to his son. Tom began explaining to them everything that had happened. He told them about Lawrence and how he was able to find Lugia and what his father had told him about his true past. Stefan and Lya could not believe what they were hearing. "So you see, Stefan; I've decided to stay here with my father." "But Tom, what about our friendship; who am I going to sit with at the bus every morning? Who will be there to have me face-palm when they make a bad joke?" "Stefan, this is serious; I can't spend another waking moment in a lie anymore. My human parents never cared about me in the end and Lugia is the only one who acted like an actual father-figure for me to look up to. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to make new friends. Lawrence will turn you back into a human and take you back home." Stefan was growing sad that he was losing his best friend; someone that he had known for years. "So I guess this is it then", he said. "Look, I don't like it as much as you do, but you have a family that's more important than me; they're probably worried sick about you now. Stefan, you've been the best friend I ever had; nothing will ever change that." Stefan gave him a warm smile and nodded. "Same to you, Tom. I better go; the sooner the better, I guess. Goodbye..." Stefan soon flew away to Lawrence's airship, which Tom told where to go, as he looked back at his friend one last time.

Lya looked at Tom sorrowfully. "You're not going with him", asked Tom. "The whole reason I was going to your world was because of you, but since that's no longer the case, I'll have to rebuild. Everything will be the way it was before I met you two." "I'm sorry, Lya, but I was a Pokémon from the very start and it just wouldn't work between us. I have to be who I really am; a future guardian. Besides, you would be happier here than a cruel world like that. I'm glad I got to meet you; I wish for you the best." Lya wrapped her arms around Tom's neck as she hugged him warmly. "I'll never forget you", promised Lya. "Would you like to come with us back to the shrine? Just so we can spend just a bit more time together", asked Tom. Lya nodded and got on Tom. Lugia stood back up and flew up into the sky with his son as they head back to the shrine. Tom wanted to spend as much time as possible with her before he would have to go back into the sea. Lugia looked at his son for a moment; seeing him sad of losing people he cared about.

Meanwhile, Stefan noticed the airship and flew towards it. The wall of the ship opened up as it was expecting him. He went inside and landed in the massive room. "Welcome", Lawrence greeted, "You must be Stefan, whom your friend has told me so much about." "Yeah, right; so how will you turn me back into human?" "Just stay right where you are and I shall get it for you." Lawrence walked up to his control panel and pressed a button. "In the meantime, relax; stay for a while." After the button was pressed; blue lights flashed in the room and Stefan's screams could be heard. Tom, Lya, and Lugia were over the ocean as they were getting closer to Shamouti Island. They suddenly encountered a thick fog; Tom thought it was strange to see fog on such a beautiful day. It seemed like they were going to go through it and as they went in, Tom and Lugia got separated. "Father...where are you", he called, but no answer. He turned his head to see that Lya was gone too. "Lya...what the heck is going on?" He suddenly saw a figure in the fog; it was beckoning for him; he assumed it was Lugia. When Tom got closer to the figure, it flew off. "Hey wait, come back!" Tom followed the figure into the water, where the fog ended. He soon spotted a Lugia about the same size as him, but it had crimson fins instead of blue and a pink underside. "Another Lugia", he exclaimed. The stranger Lugia nuzzled Tom happily and beckoned him to follow it. "Do you know where my father is", he asked. The Lugia nodded and urged him to follow, which he did as they swam deeper into the sea.

Minutes after minutes went by as they continued swimming in the depths of the sea. Tom was growing more anxious as time went on as not a single trace of his father could be seen. Eventually, he stopped. "Okay, I've been following you for a good while now and we found nothing. It's nice seeing another one like me, but you're wasting my time; I have to find my father." As he tried to leave, the Lugia grabbed him by the wing; preventing him from doing so. Tom tried to pull away, but it had an amazing grip. With each struggle, Tom was growing angry with its persistence. It got to the point where he kicked the Lugia, breaking free from the grip, and then whacking it with his tail. The Lugia crashed into the ocean floor as a cloud of sand from the impact formed. When the sand cleared, he saw it was nothing more than an android of some kind; pieces of metal were scattered. He went over and looked at the remains. "Who would make an artificial Lugia", he asked himself. He inspected the head and looked inside; he discovered a label engraved in steel. "Cipher...Corporation..." He also discovered Lawrence's name under it. He tried to piece everything together. "The unusual fog...my father and Lya disappearing out of nowhere...and this Lugia android...OH NO!"

Lya could not see where she was; everything was pitch black and the only thing she could feel were metal bars. She soon saw a bright light above her as she was elevated towards it. She came up from the floor and into the massive marble room; she was in a cylinder cage. "I apologize if the trip here was uncomfortable, but everything will be smooth now", said Lawrence as he smiled nonchalantly to her. She looked and gasped as she saw Stefan trapped in a yellow barrier. "Stefan", she called. "Lya, where's Tom", he asked. "Master Thomas is far away from where he does not know what has happened to you", interrupted Lawrence. "What's the big idea of capturing a girl who wasn't involved in this to begin with", asked Stefan. "Because being with him, she would have made him aware of the situation. Also, I was actually going after this." He pressed a button on his control panel and another yellow barrier appeared from the floor; revealing Lugia inside. Lugia opened his eyes and went wide-eyed as he saw Lawrence. "You...the human who caused the great tragedy", he stated. "We meet again, old friend. It took me two attempts, but I finally have you as my prize. And I did not need to disturb the three titans this time; your son practically gave yourself to me. I would have to thank him for that, but he will soon meet a grave end deep under the sea." Lugia snarled at him furiously.

"In fact, I would not have been able to get all three of you if it was not for him. And all it took was a solemn vow to not capture him", continued Lawrence as he chuckled. Stefan was shot of thinking that his best friend would do something so betraying. "So...he sold us out", he asked. "Stefan, don't think like that! Tom would never give us up so easily; he didn't know Lawrence was up to no good", encouraged Lya. "For a courageous fellow, he sure is a naïve fool", insulted Lawrence. He continued, "And quite frankly, young lady, you are as much involved in this as everyone else here. Since you are going to be staying for a while, I think I will use my machine to turn you into a Pokémon; hopefully, you will turn into something more special than your pitiable excuse of a mother and father." "Wait, so that lightning storm a year ago...that was you", she asked. "You catch on quickly, my dear. Yes, I used your parents as test subjects for my experiment; that is what happens to those that rebel against Cipher Corp." Lya collapsed on her knees as drops of tears fell from her eyes. "You monster...you have no sense of morality at all!" Stefan was sick of looking at Lawrence any longer. "Alright, that's it; I'm busting outta here, and then I'm going to teach you a lesson, you punk!" Stefan huffed and blew fire out of his beak. Instead of the fire bursting through the barrier, it made the fire run across it, and encircled him. He stopped and tried again, but ending up with the same result. "You are wasting your energy", said Lawrence as he sat in his chair.

Stefan was not ready to give up; he focused all of his power into one blast of fire. It surrounded him as expected, but Stefan kept it going. He concentrated with all of his might to break free of the barrier. "Even if the odds are against me, I have to try no matter what", he thought. The sphere that was filled with fire began glowing brightly. Lya and Lawrence looked at him with curiosity as it happened; even Lugia had an interest look in his eyes. "This Ho-oh, this friend of my son's, could he have a hidden power deep within", he asked himself. But soon, the glow dimmed and the fire faded away as Stefan collapsed feeling breathless. Lawrence chuckled. "There's no escaping from your prison; it is pointless to even consider breaking free. Now where were we, my dear Lya." He pressed a button and a large weapon risen from the floor; it looked like a giant laser holding one of the metal rods. "Oh now I remember; I was going to make you a part of my collection. Let's see; you have grace, serenity, and honesty. I'm willing to bet you might become a legendary like your friend. If not, then I will just have to do you away the same way I did with your parents." Lawrence pulled the lever next to the machine as it began charging. Lya was scared out of her wits; having nowhere to escape from the impending doom.

The wall of the room suddenly broke open as something crashed into it; the pieces of marble hit the laser, causing it to malfunction and shut down. Lawrence gritted his teeth as his machine was no longer functional. Tom appeared in the opening of the wall and gasped as he found his friends and Lugia prisoned. "I knew it! You backstabber, you set me up!" "Yes I did", admitted Lawrence, "And I thank you for helping me obtain your precious daddy and your friends too. They will be perfect for my collection." "Set them free now", demanded Tom, "Or I'll turn this airship into a pile of rubble!" Tom was growing angry from Lawrence's trickery, especially when he had to deal with the betrayal of his parents. Lawrence got up and looked at him sternly. "That is if you have what it takes, and I cannot let you escape after knowing about my plan." Lawrence pressed a button as the opening on the wall was covered in a shield of energy. "Nor will I let you live to see another day."

Lawrence dipped his hand into the pocket of his robe and took out one of those master balls like what Lya had. He threw it and his Pokémon was summoned. It was a large dinosaur Pokémon that was covered in green armor hide. Many spikes protrude from the back of its head, neck, shoulders and the tip of the tail. Tom backed away as he suddenly felt intimidated by how it looked. "What the heck is that", he asked with a scared look. Lya quickly took out her Pokedex and pointed it at the Pokémon. "Tyranitar, the armor Pokémon; it is so overwhelmingly powerful, it can bring down a whole mountain to make its nest." "What?! You got to be kidding me", exclaimed Tom as he was even more frightened by it. Tyranitar grinned at him as Lawrence chuckled. "What's this; you were so determined to challenge me and now you have your tail between your legs? I guess those threats were empty after all. Tyranitar, use Scary Face." The Pokémon covered his face with his claws until he then showed off his nightmarish face. Tom shrieked in terror and covered his face with his wings; whimpering as he felt hopeless of fighting the creature.

Stefan and Lya were shocked by Tom's sudden cowardice. "Stop acting spineless and fight that monster", demanded Stefan. "You can't give up so easily, Tom", pepped Lya. "But...I don't know if I can. What if I fail? What if...I..." "Son, listen to your friends", said Lugia in Tom's mind. "Our fate determines whether or not you succeed; you have a virtue like none other and you must use that to your advantage. I believe in you, my child, but it will only work if you believe in yourself." Tom looked at Lugia as he nodded to his son. He kept thinking about what he said and was gaining the courage to fight. He decided to use Mimic, which would turn into Scary Face. He revealed his face from his wings and made the most chilling face he could give; causing Tyranitar to jump from the look. "I'm not afraid of you! I will fight you, even if I die trying; I can't let the people I care about down!" "That's the spirit, Master Thomas", said Lawrence, "Now maybe this battle can get interesting." "Tom", called Lya, "Tyranitar is a rock and dark type; compared to a psychic-flying type, you're at a big disadvantage. But here's the thing; rock Pokémon are weak against water; I think you know where I'm going with this." Tom thought about it and nodded to Lya. He took a deep breath and shot water out of his mouth; soaking Tyranitar as it roared in pain from the attack. Tom was happy that it worked. "Ha! Your Pokémon isn't so tough now", he boasted.

"I would not count on that", replied Lawrence, "Tyranitar, use Disable." The Pokémon's eyes glowed as it made Tom glow as well. He was wondering what was going to happen until the glowing stopped. "Pfft, is that all?" Tom was going to use Hydro Pump again, but when he exhaled, no water came out. "What the...I can't use Hydro Pump anymore!" Lawrence snickered. "That's the power of Disable; it removes a Pokémon's move for a good while. Of course, you will not survive long enough to use it again. Tyranitar, use Shadow Ball." The Pokémon shot a ball of dark energy out of its mouth and Tom guarded himself with his wings. The ball hit him as it pushed him backwards. He grunted as the attack felt really painful, but that was because psychic types were weak against dark attacks. Tom managed to fling the shadow ball away with his wings as they stung from the attack. He growled as he was at a disadvantage again. He figured Tyranitar was a very heavy Pokémon, so he decided to fly off the ground and hovered above him. "Personally, I prefer the air", he said. He then dived down to perform an Aerial Ace; the attack collided to Tyranitar's torso. It pushed him backwards a little and Tom's head ached from having it hit the hard exterior of his body. He tried to fly back up, but Tyranitar grabbed him by the tail and slammed him down against the floor; Tom yelped as he made impact and slowly got back up.

"Alright, forget strategy; I'm fighting this guy head on", said Tom. "Wait, that's a bad idea", warned Stefan. But it was too late; Tom began charging at the Pokémon. He and Tyranitar grabbed each other's claws and wings as they did close-combat. "Tyranitar, use Body Slam", commanded Lawrence and Tyranitar spread his arms out as he leaned himself towards Tom. His body was too heavy for him to push away and Tyranitar fell onto the floor in a quaking impact; crushing Tom under him. The Pokémon got back up and Tom struggled to also after a blow like that. "Use Stomp", commanded Lawrence and his Pokémon raised his clawed foot before slamming it down on one of his wings; causing him to scream in agony. Stefan, Lya, and Lugia watched in horror as it happened. "Now the other one", he added. Tyranitar moved to the other wing and slammed his foot down on that one; getting the same tormented scream from Tom. "I'll make sure your death is as slow and painful as possible", swore Lawrence. Tom looked at him weakly as the pain in his wings felt unbearable. "Please...have mercy...", he uttered. "Begging now, are you? Don't worry; your suffering will end soon." "That is enough", said Lugia angrily. "He is the future guardian of the seas; if you kill him, then you will pay the fatal consequences." "Quite frankly, my friend, I really do not care", retorted Lawrence with a snicker. Lugia was growing furious and tried to break free from the barrier. "Tyranitar, use Bite", he commanded. The Pokémon grabbed ahold of Tom's tail and jammed his teeth into it.

When this happened, Tom was in so much pain that something began to snap inside of him. Tom was growing angrier and angrier each second; his eyes became a bloody red as he now had the thirst to kill. Tom's rage became overwhelming as he threw Tyranitar off and unleashed a deafening war cry. "YOU'RE DEAD", he yelled. He charged at the Pokémon and pierced his torso with his head. Tyranitar roared at the pain as it impaled him. "Tom just did Headbutt...and it was able to break his armor", said Lya as she was astonished. Tom's wings glowed white and began slapping Tyranitar with both of them; damaging him greatly. "That's Steel Wing...", Lya added. Tom kept hitting him with his wings until Tyranitar fell on the floor and looked up in fear. Tom began charging energy from its mouth and then shot it right at the Pokémon's torso; going right through it and the floor of the airship. "Now a Hyper Beam", Lya continued, "How is he learning so many moves in such a short time?" Tom was so enraged that he went out of control with the Hyper Beam and aimed it everywhere in the airship. One shot hit the bar that hanged Lya's cage and it fell; the cage broke into pieces and she was now free. She quickly went to free Stefan and Lugia.

Tom looked at Lawrence with the same bloodthirsty face as the man shook up; terrified that his Pokémon was now dead. Tom charged at him and pinned him against the marble wall. "Where is the antidote; give me the antidote now", he demanded. Lawrence was still in horror as he looked at those devilish red eyes glaring at him. Tom raised his wing as it glowed again. "If you won't tell me, then die", he warned. Before his wing made contact, he abruptly stopped as an instant pain formed in his stomach; his eyes became white again as he was back to normal. He backed away from Lawrence and groaned in a whimpering manner as he put his wings at his underside. "What's...happening to me...", he moaned. Lawrence sighed in relief and then chuckled; raising his leg and pushing Tom back with the thrust of his foot at his underside. Tom fell backwards and lied down on the floor writhing in pain. "Remember the red potion you drank? It was Seviper venom, and you consumed a whole flask of it. Right now, the poison is coercing through your veins and it is only a matter of time before it kills you. I expected it to happen when you were with that android Lugia I created, but I guess now is a better time than never. Oh, and were you talking about this antidote?" Lawrence pulled out the flask of blue liquid and showed it to Tom before throwing it at the ground; breaking the flask as the liquid was now ruined. "N...no", he uttered.

The pain in his stomach was growing stronger and wailed out as he kept writhing on the floor moaning. Lawrence simply sneered as he enjoyed seeing him suffer. Lya was able to free Lugia first by pulling the lever next to him; he immediately went after Lawrence and stood in front of him as he snarled at him. Lawrence jumped and frightened to see him free and angry. "You have caused the great tragedy for your selfish desires, captured me, and threatened to kill the future guardian; the penalty for your bottomless greed and harming my son's life is death!" Lugia grabbed Lawrence with his maw and threw him up in the air. As he flew, a ball of energy formed in his maw and then shot of beam of said energy at him; performing an Aeroblast. The attack hit Lawrence in the back and screamed as the blast disintegrated him into nothing. The blast also made a large hole in the airship and it caused the whole place to crumble. Pieces of the airship began falling apart. "Father...help me...", called Tom weakly and cried out again from the venom eating him from the inside. Lugia looked at him with worry and saw Lya freeing Stefan from his prison as well. "The one called Stefan, take the girl and escape; I will follow", he commanded. Stefan nodded and had Lya climb onto him before flying away. Lugia used Psychic to pick Tom up and flew away from the falling airship whilst carrying his son.

Back at the Shamouti shrine, Slowking looked in worry as he saw Lugia carrying his fainting son with Stefan and Lya leading them. They all landed and Lugia placed Tom gently on the ground as he was still groaning and breathing heavily. Lugia looked at him sorrowfully at the thought of losing his own son. "I sadly cannot heal an anomaly on my own; I am afraid he might meet his end soon..." "No, we have to do something", objected Stefan. "Lya, do you have something that might help us?" Lya quickly looked inside her little bag; finding her Pokedex, her master ball, and...a yellow bottle. She remembered when Lucas gave it to her back at Argentum city; he let her keep it because she never knew when she would need it. "Full heal", she exclaimed, "This can heal poison!" She quickly opened the top and sprayed Tom down; completely coating him in healing residue. They all waited as it absorbed his body. Tom's groaning soon faded to nothing and he began breathing normally. He slowly opened his eyes and sat back up. "The...pain is gone", he said. Tom looked up at Lugia and his friends, whom were happy, but he was feeling sad and started to sob. "Guys, I'm so sorry; I didn't mean for all of this to happen. Father, I should've listened to you when you wanted to stay. I endangered your lives to that man. It's all my fault." Lugia licked Tom's cheek fatherly and tried to comfort him. "There is no need to blame yourself; what matters is you saved us all."

Stefan and Lya helped cheer him up. "Yeah, you showed that guy what for", said Stefan. "If you haven't rescued us, I would've been turned into a Pokémon", added Lya. Stefan continued, "Though one question still remains, now that the antidote is gone and his airship is now in pieces, how do I get back home as a human now?" Tom thought about it and had an idea. "Father, if you could turn me into a human when I was a baby, then you could do that again for Stefan." Lugia nodded and looked at Slowking. "My loyal friend, bring me the treasure." Slowking nodded and rushed into the little cave behind the shrine. Lugia continued. "And son...I think it would be best if you went with him." Tom gasped as he heard this. "But Father...what about my destiny?" "You will still fulfill your destiny, but it should not happen for a long while now, your friends need you now more than I do." Lugia beckoned Stefan over as he placed a large wing on their backs; shifting them closer to each other. "Son, you are courageous and valiant, but you lack better judgment; you need your friend to help you think rationally when it is necessary. One called Stefan, you are a very smart individual who can address situations logically, but you can never win a battle by playing it safe all the time; you need my son to help take chances against all odds. You two are yin and yang; one cannot live without the other, and you would not be who you are now if it was not for the other. I realized that now when I first met your friends. So in a way, I thank you for bringing me along." The father and son nuzzled each other once more; Lugia smiled happily of seeing his son happy as well.

Slowking returned and was holding a big white glowing sphere. He gave the sphere to Lugia as he held it with his wing. "This is the fourth legendary treasure; the Soul of Silver. Tom and Stefan, touch the orb with your wing; my energy will channel to you both and become humans once more." Tom and Stefan nodded; they placed their wing on the sphere with Lugia holding it for them as they closed their eyes. Soon, their bodies glowed white brightly as their form began to change. The light then dimmed and the two friends looked at each other. "We're human again", they exclaimed together and hugged each other in joy. They then realized what they were doing and quickly broke the hug, blushing at each other and clearing their throats. Lya and Slowking chuckled. Lya walked up to Tom. "So that's what you look like as a human, huh? I didn't know you were so handsome." Tom blushed and rubbed the back of his head. Lugia lowered himself and offered his son a ride. Tom got on and helped Lya as she sat behind him. Lugia rose up from the ground and soared across the sky as the two riding him enjoyed the sights. Lugia flew to the three islands; giving them a closer look of each one. Lya wrapped her arms around Tom's waist, which he looked back and smiled to her. "You saved my life, Lya; I would've met a bad end if it wasn't for you." "And I would've met the same fate as my parents if it wasn't for you", replied Lya, "My hero." They brought their faces closer to each other and then locked their lips together; kissing warmly and deeply as they rode in the sky. Lugia looked back at them and smiled a little at the young love between the two. Though he did think about what happened at the airship, when his son had those impure red eyes.

Later, it was evening as the sun began to set. Slowking placed the Soul of Silver into the altar as a pink light from the tip shot into the sky. The beam widened as the altar disappeared. "Just step into the light and it will return you home", said Lugia. Tom looked at him feeling sad. "Will I ever see you again?" "We shall see, but I will be there for you spiritually always. I am very proud of you, my son." Tom wrapped his arms around Lugia's underside as much as he could and he wrapped his large wings around him as they hugged. Tom did not want to let go after being treated like an actual son and treating someone like his actual father; it was first time he ever had a strong bond like this. "It is time for you to go", insisted Lugia and broke the hug. The three friends walked up the stone stairs and into the light. They were suddenly floating as they rose up into the sky. Lugia flew around the three and looked at his son one last time before they left. "Farewell...Tom", he said. "Goodbye, Lugia; I'll miss you." Lugia nodded and then dove back into the sea to return to the dark depths. With that, the three saw everything around them growing bright until all they could see was a blank white space.

A kid in a tricycle rode down the suburban streets when he suddenly saw a beam of light hit the ground; seeing three people appearing inside of it and the beam faded. The kid awkwardly looked at them and then turned around; riding away quickly. Tom and Stefan looked around. "Yes, we're finally back in our world", exclaimed Stefan, "What day is it?" Tom searched in his pockets and found that his cellphone was still there; he pulled it up and looked at the time. "It's Sunday, so we were only gone for a couple of days. If your parents ask, just say that you were staying at my place for the weekend." "Will do", agreed Stefan and waved to them goodbye as he left for home. Tom and Lya held hands as they walked back to his house. He went inside and invited her in; they saw several party balloons with some on the ground and decorations. "Did your family have a party or something", asked Lya. "Probably to celebrate getting rid of me", he retorted, "But why do I care; I'm the freaking guardian's son. And with you, I don't need them to be happy." "SURPRISE", shouted a couple of voices.

Tom jumped and fell on the floor; seeing his two human parents holding a cake. "Mom? Dad? I thought you guys were at work", he said. The father explained. "That's what we've wanted to tell you about; we quit." "You quit", asked Tom. The mother added, "Yeah, your dad finally had the courage to stand up to our boss and said it right to his face; that tyrannical coward had no chance. We were going to tell you last Friday, but you never came home from school; what happened?" "I uh...I was at Stefan's place for the weekend. But wait a minute, so this whole time, you wanted to tell me that?" "Yeah, what else did you think we were going to say", asked the father. Tom was not expecting this to happen. "I...overheard you guys come home the other night. You said that you couldn't wait for that person to be out of your lives for good. I thought you were referring to me because...you thought it was pointless of having a son since you never have time for me." The parents looked saddened and the mother hugged her boy. "Oh Tom, we're so sorry we were never around for you all these years. We chose to quit so that we could spend more time with you, and get a job that isn't so work-intensive. We could have done it sooner, but we just weren't determined enough to do it. We thought about you being alone for a long time and being okay with it. We figured if you can have the courage be alone on your own, then we could man up to go against our boss."

Tom wrapped his arms around his mother as he enjoyed their embrace. "Mom, there's something else I want to tell you about; I know about the adoption papers." His parents gasped, "How did you know?!" "I was uh...doing a little snooping", replied Tom. "I told you '249' was too easy of a password for him to figure out", argued the mother to the father. "Mom, how was I adopted, if you don't mind me asking." "We don't know", answered the father, "We found you as an infant on our front porch. You were in a nest covered in seaweed; we thought it was very strange. We couldn't figure out who you belonged to, so we signed some papers and had you become a member of the family. So, who is your lady friend." Tom forgot about Lya and introduced her to them. "This is Lya; she's just moved here and...she doesn't have a home." "Oh you poor dear", said the mother, "You can stay here as much as you need until Tom can find a place for you to stay. In the meantime, have some cake that we made to make up for your birthday a few months ago." Tom and Lya sat down as the father cut a slice of cake for both of them. They were talking and laughing together as Tom finally enjoyed spending time with his human parents.

Later, Tom invited Lya into his bedroom to take a look around. Lya discovered the drawing he made before his adventure. "Did you make that", she asked. "Yeah, I took me a while to make that." "Looks nice", she complimented. "Actually...it's not finished", he said and took the drawing. He pulled out some utensils and resumed working on it; he made the bird-dragon creature look more of Lugia, which did not need too many changes. He then took a black marker and wrote down "LUGIA" on it as he finally had a name for it. After placing it back where he hung it, he took the special white feather he had in his pocket and taped it onto his drawing. "Now it looks perfect", said Tom. They both sat down on his bed as they looked at the drawing again. Tom realized the whole experience with his parents was a giant misunderstanding. However, if it was not for that, he would not have discovered who he really was or met the people that he endeared the most. Lya then snuggled close as Tom wrapped an arm around her. They soon kissed once more and Lya was soon lying on top of him as they embraced.

Late at night, they slept together in his queen-size bed slumbering peacefully. One of the windows beside them suddenly glowed blue as it opened; Lugia's head poked inside and looked at his son sleeping with the girl. His eyes glowed white and the back of Tom and Lya's hands now had marks shaped like Pokémon. He then pulled the covers closer to their bodies. When he kissed his son on the back of the head, Tom mumbled in his sleep. "Mmm...five more minutes, mom..." Lugia smiled a little and then pulled his head out the window; flying away and he howled to his song as it echoed across the sky. It was morning once again and Tom got up along with Lya. He suddenly noticed the back of his hand had a mark on it that was shaped like a Lugia; Lya looked at hers and noticed that she had a mark too. "What does this mean", asked Lya. Minutes later, Tom and Lya were standing at the bus stop and saw Stefan running towards them. He stopped to catch his breath. "Geez, Stefan; you ran ten blocks all the way over here", asked Tom. Stefan showed the back of his hand and they both gasped as they saw he had a mark shaped like a Ho-oh. "We have a mark as well", said Lya. Tom suddenly heard his father in his voice. "Son, those marks give you the ability to turn you into the Pokémon you once were and then back as a human. I cannot explain at this moment in time, but I will let you know when the time comes." The voice in his head soon disappeared. "Father...what have you planned for us?" Tom looked up and saw a stream of white feathers floating across the morning sky.

THE END...UNTIL NEXT TIME