Chapter Text
“Viktor, what the fuck?!”
“What do you mean by you’re leaving, Viktor?”
Cries of concern and confusion chorused immediately after Viktor announced his plan. The rage trembling in Yurio palpable, as well as the violence brimming his teal eyes. Viktor merely shushed their dissents, staying firm to his decision and motioning for the next discussion phase to begin.
They had read the sodden reports and articles, now dried and a tad wrinkly from ninetails’ and charizard’s fire. They had read them, and they didn’t like the implications of the written words at all.
They had managed to puzzle the bits and pieces of mismatched information to uncover a sketch of a past experiment that had gone horribly wrong, and the next steps that the unknown perpetrators were going to take. The notes also mentioned about the existence of dragons being real, and their success in hatching and evolving those two dragonairs after decades of research.
It was a devastating miracle that several of the scientists stumbled upon the aftermath of a ferocious fight, a lone and badly injured female dragonair curling around its nest protectively.
Eager to uncover the secrets it was protecting, they had sacrificed their own people and Pokémon to face off the enraged dragon, its body eventually weakening under the assault. They managed to put their grubby hands on the exposed eggs and brought those eggs and the dead dragonair back to their lair, the latter subjected to the various tests and machinations that the scientists cooked up.
The researchers had scribbled down the number of successful hatches – three others, which went by the name of Dratini. And they worked tirelessly to breed more of these dragons, an implied greed to control a host of them. All these years of speculation turned real had the researchers jumping in joy as they sought to fill up the database in PokeGo.
That then led to another entry of sightings, glimpses really, of majestic birds that never lingered, always flying off in search for something. Their unlikeness to any of the other Pokémon encouraged the scientists to categorize them differently, believing that they belong to a separate classification and breed altogether. And even from miles away, their majestic prowess could be felt brushing against their flesh.
There were three in total, so far. The first left chills down their spines, while the second sent tingles across the nerves, whereas the third left the taste of ash and smoke in dry mouths. And so, they were reverently bestowed the name the Triumvirate – birds that held the elements in the absolute, purest and rawest form.
The last sheets of notes detailed conjectures about the habitats of the three, guessing that they would return to roost at their preferred climates. Labels were pencilled out on a crudely-drawn map, circles to signify the narrowed down choices.
The extreme north and south were immediately on the list, the perfect conditions for a bird of the ice to live in. The second cluster of circle primarily focused on an island too far away, with a note labelled “volcanoes” beside them. The third was in the middle of a landlocked area, suspiciously near Yuuri’s homeland, based on his foggy memories of his younger days when the Elders drew maps on the ground to impart their knowledge to the younger generation.
Viktor had taken a look at the map, his frighteningly quick mind digesting and assimilating the barrage of information that bode of ill intent. His pale face turned a shade whiter, countless emotions flitting through his hardened, icy orbs. It was then when he announced his decision to separate from the group while urging them to check out the third cluster of circles since it was pretty near their current location.
“The first is nearer to our location, you dumbass!” Yurio all but yelled, unable to comprehend Viktor’s thoughts.
“The first is out of bounds,” Viktor snapped abruptly, causing the others to jump.
“But you’re going there, aren’t you? You’re going there, by yourself, because you think it’s too dangerous and we shouldn’t be put in danger. But you’re the only one who gets the free pass, to go off on an adventure on your own, without backup.” Tempers flared at Yurio’s tirade, the rest of them remaining quiet and sinking into the background.
“Yura, please. No one else should be going there with me.” Viktor rubbed the bridge of his nose, willing some sense to enter his cousin’s head.
“If no one goes with you, you’re guaranteed to be dead man.” Yuuri flinched at that loud proclamation.
“One dead man is better than ten.”
“Tell that to the pig, you shitface!” Viktor was unable to face Yuuri, his jaws clenched stubbornly as he glared at his cousin. Yurio had struck deep into unwarranted territory, explicitly dragging Yuuri into the fray.
“Yura, I have to do this.”
“It’s a death trap.”
“I know.”
Unable to come up with another retort to budge his maddening cousin, Yurio resorted to spitting out a threat. “If you wind up dead, I will find your ghost and laugh in your face and say, ‘I told you so.’ Then I’ll find a way to resurrect you and kill you at least fifty times over, each time more painful than the last.”
The ensuing tense silence was palpable, Christophe eventually caving in and clearing his throat to start the discussion anew.
“You won’t change your mind, not even if I’m the one who asks,” Yuuri murmured into Viktor’s bare shoulder.
“No, and I’m not sorry about that, solnyshko” Viktor whispered back.
“You’ll be safe?” Yuuri’s question was nearly drowned out by the showerhead. Viktor pressed reassuring kisses on his head in response. “As I always will be.”
“Come back to me, once you’re done.”
“I will, and I’ll stay by your side, lyubov moya.” A hard kiss from Viktor to Yuuri, their lips slotting together seamlessly, sealed his promise to his lover.
Viktor left the encampment bright and early, tossing solemn nods and sharing firm hugs with his comrades. Yuuri had made his farewells clear during their night of mutual passion, the red marks he’d made with his sinful lips peppering Viktor’s pale skin though hidden beneath the knitted navy sweater.
When Viktor finally turned towards Yuuri, the last of the group waiting to send him off, the former crushed his lover to his chest, embracing him with an unrelenting grip. Yuuri returned the favour, burying his face into the crook of Viktor’s neck, trying his damndest to imprint his scent on Viktor while soaking in the heady cocktail of pine and snow exuded from the silverette.
Yuuri nuzzled closely, mouth parting and licking short stripes across Viktor’s pulse point, alternating between warm suckling and kitten bites. All the while, Viktor trembled in his embrace, long silver locks shading his flushed face, barely perceptible moans tickling the shell of Yuuri’s ear.
“Will you two stop being so gross all the damn time?!” An irate Yurio cut through Viktor’s lust-fogged mind.
Gently prying Yuuri’s mouth away from his neck, eliciting an unhappy whine from both of them, Viktor threw a smirk behind his shoulders, aiming right at the blond teenager. And then proceeded to cup Yuuri’s face and devour his lips without mercy. Christophe’s boisterous laughter at Viktor’s retort drowned out the embarrassed shuffles as the younger members hastily fled from the increasingly heated room.
As the kiss finally slowed to a breathy stop, lingering swipes of tongue for a final taste of swollen, red lips, Yuuri sealed their lips once more, sweetly, gently, then two affectionate kisses on Viktor’s soft cheeks. Viktor reciprocated, each kiss punctuated with a fervent murmur, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Viktor,” Yuuri returned with a watery grin. “But if you don’t go now, you’ll never make it out of this cottage.”
With a final peck and hug, Viktor strode out of the safe-house and sailed back to the north with a lapras and a pair of dewgongs.
Forlorn cinnamon eyes hardened when his lover’s silhouette disappeared from the windows, gone flat with urgency and grimness as they, too, began their part of the mission.
“We should either surf or fly down,” Yurio suggested, fingers tapping against the map. The youngest member had been uncharacteristically less prickly and more subdued after the departure of his cousin, as though an ice beam had frozen his emotionality and numbed his core. The others had given him space. The only one who had stuck by him was faithful Otabek, keeping young Yurio company.
Christophe and Yuuri hummed noncommittally. They both agreed with him, that flying or surfing was significantly faster than trudging through miles and miles of land. However, that left the problem of transporting the larger Pokémons – their rhyhorns and ninetails and persian would have to traverse the lands and forests for they could not fit on any of the laprases or pidgeots.
It was during the conundrum when a budding idea sparked in Yuuri’s mind.
“Chris, if we link up Espeon and Starmie, they should be able to transport us and any Pokémon via Teleport.”
“Theoretically, it should work…” Christophe mulled over the idea – it was brilliant, really, but the fact of it being untested remained.
As though picking up his thoughts, Yuuri suggested for a trial. If that worked, they could experiment on the psychic range of the two Pokémon.
The results had been satisfying: the two psychics were able to continuously transport humans and Pokémons for an hour over a range of thirty to forty kilometres with each jump. Thereafter, they sagged in exhaustion, needing to rest for the next few hours before they were fully recharged.
With the trial deemed successful, the route was put into motion. Mila and Otabek were in charge of their water steeds, surfing down to the southern continents through the open waters. On the other hand, the twins and Emil took to the skies with their pidgeots, and Yuuri flew beside them with Charizard, acting as their aerial scouts.
Christophe and Yurio rode on ninetails and persian respectively. The smaller Pokémons were scattered along the massive length of the gentle gyarados, or perched atop the two rhyhorns. Some of the vaporeons and glaceons opted to swim through the cooler open waters, climbing onto the horned backs of the sturdy laprases when tired out.
Double and triple checking that their safehouse was left bare, with all signs of habitation extinguished, they set off as one unit, racing through the land, skies and seas.
When the larger Pokémon started showing signs of fatigue near midday, each group stopped for a quick break and meal. Then the psychics took over for the next hour. It was a physically and mentally gruelling task pushed onto the only two psychic Pokémons in the whole team, having to transport almost a dozen large Pokémons and humans across land and seas.
It was with this arduous mode of transportation regime that continued for the next couple of weeks, the team barely able to catch their breath before resuming their breakneck pace down south.
Barren lands soon turned to lush undergrowth and towering trees that spread high and wide above their heads. Flocks of pidgeys and spearows roosting overhead, squawking and chittering in a cacophonous birdsong. The dry air grew wet and humid, perspiration clinging onto warm skin incessantly. Buzzing insects flying past them ever so often, inciting a snarling Yurio by the end of the first day as he swatted away an irritating mosquito for the nth time that evening.
The group on land were still trudging through the overgrown forest when an ominous rumble rippled through the air. Goosebumps raised on each of them. The Pokémon tensing in sudden alertness, ears pricked forward, and fangs bared.
“We should take cover, seems like a nasty storm is brewing. The Pokémon are getting too agitated as well,” Christophe suggested. The tension rolling off their partners had them on edge as well.
Before any of them could move, streaks of lightning raced through the open, and slowly darkening, sky. Eliciting growls and yips of warning from the high-strung Pokémon. They’d barely disappeared before a howl ripped through the air. A blast of hot wind rippled across the forest, causing the leaves to smoke.
“Storm eh,” Yurio muttered sarcastically, muscles bunched and ready to pounce at the next provocation.
“Might be worth to take a look,” Yuuri ventured warily. “To know what to expect rather than take cover and be sitting ducks.”
With nods of assents, the group set forth, treading across the sizzling, muddy ground with an unnerving silence. The pidgeots flew low, sending back shrill shrieks when the coast was clear.
The closer they were to the core of the heat and lightning, the stronger the smell of ashes and ozone. Angry shrieking drowned out by whistling lightning bolts and hissing flames, sending tingles down the length of their bodies.
A nasty bolt of lightning tore through the sky, missing the group by a scant few meters – thanks to the quick teleportation by espeon. This time, a blast of freezing wind volleyed back, ice crystals immediately forming on every surface in its wake.
Yurio’s eyes widened in recognition, body sprinting towards the source of it without warning, Potya bounding after him.
“Shit,” Christophe and Yuuri swore. “After him!”
The remaining members sprinted and flew at breakneck speed, just catching up to an excited Yurio when they exited the lush forest. Only to be greeted by a streak of lightning zig-zagging towards them. Espeon was barely able to erect a protective shield when the lightning bolt crashed head-on with a block of solid ice that seemed to spring forth from beneath their feet. The ice structure shattered upon impact, chunks of debris harmlessly bouncing off espeon’s psychic shield.
It was a magnificent and terrifying sight to behold, beyond the protection of the forest looming behind them. The foliage having thinned out to present a dilapidated once-dome-shaped building, the ceiling no longer there – either having caved in or ripped out. Its grey walls slowly overrun by vines that crept and leeched on mercilessly. Yet despite itself getting strangled with creepers, its whole being buzzed with life. It glowed with life, yet exuded the chill of death.
Shrieks of indignation rattled the skies, a culmination of heat, cold and tingling electricity tore their attention away to the behemoth, ethereal creatures battling above them.
A heavenly bird of glittering blue sending streaks of frigid ice beams through the grey, cloudy sky. Aided by a bird of flames that spun white-hot tornadoes, cornering their prey into the fiery walls – a bright yellow bird screeching in indignation, electricity sparking off its body.
The Triumvirate.
The legendary trio, recorded in their stolen laboratory reports as mythical, but are very much real and alive, battling out in the skies right before their eyes.
Yuuri and his team were forced to scatter when more lightning bolts were generated, plummeting down to the earth without mercy. Charizard banked to its left, hard enough that Yuuri had to clench his teeth against the force, and emerged from the tree tops. Beady eyes scanned the horizon for danger. Nearby, gyarados emerged, having deposited its smaller Pokémon passengers back in the forest.
The pair of dragons stayed aloft, creating shields of fire and water as their companions down below ran for safety.
“Yuuri!” A hoarse shout rang out, the voice ripped away by the gusts of wind whipped up from the intense aerial fight. “You need to get down to the power plant! Quickly!”
Yuuri urged his two companions down to where the decrepit building stood, intent on entering through the massive hole that was once the domed ceiling. But before he could enter, a beam of sizzling purple energy blasted through, forcing Charizard to veer off-course with a roar of surprise. A second beam followed almost immediately, to which gyarados fired back an orange hyper beam in response. Earning howls of shock and pain from their hidden enemies and further crumbling parts of the building into dust.
Christophe, Yurio and their team of Pokémon charged into the fray, blasting open the heavy doors with their combined might. In the distance, a melodious yet soulful cry rang out, followed by thick spikes of ice hurtling through the air and into the nuclear power plant. From high above, Yuuri could make out the water steeds and the trademark bright red hair of Mila as she perched on the lead lapras.
Thankful that Mila and Otabek arrived without trouble, Yuuri dug his heel into charizard’s thick hide, urging him to lend a hand to his comrades. Charizard unleashed a powerful flamethrower, clearing the debris-filled path leading into the power plant. Gyarados followed suit with a mighty dragon’s breath.
More energy blasts from the enemy’s rank ripped through the air, clashing fiercely with the mighty hails and scorching flames summoned by Articuno and Moltres. The two legendaries screeched in righteous anger, while their third counterpart stood firmly against them. Black beady eyes unfocused as it let loose more bolts of electricity. Articuno and Moltres steered swiftly away from the deadly bolts.
Giving Zapdos a clear, straight line of fire towards an airborne Yuuri.
Sensing an easier prey, Zapdos let out an ear-splitting cry, tucking its wings in and spiralled towards Yuuri. Charizard and gyarados roared in alarm and warning, broad leathery wings moving rapidly to ascend to the skies. A mix of flamethrower, water and dragon pulse hurtled towards the speeding yellow bird.
Yuuri clenched his teeth, tucking his head in as he let Charizard take control. His gut dropped and twisted with every sudden veer and descent as Charizard tried to shake the monstrous bird off. Gyarados stayed faithfully at their side, shielding the two whilst rapidly firing off hyper beams and dragon pulse.
The three neared the open sea, when gyarados pulled and sent a barrage of water to thwart their pursuer. More columns of water and ice followed behind, created by the dewgongs and laprases under Mila’s command.
Zapdos slowed down and started to glow. The crackling of electricity across its body palpable to Yuuri, his hair standing on end.
A screech cut through the suddenly still air, pulling up waves of seawater to form thick sheets of ice. Whitish-blue ice that shuddered and strained under the onslaught of a lethal Thunder. From behind, Moltres generated a handful of deadly, fiery hurricanes and sent them towards Zapdos, forcing it off course.
“Yuuri! Are you okay?!”
A distinct, familiar voice rang out in worry. A voice that etched right into Yuuri’s heart and bones. A voice that Yuuri never thought he would hear again anytime soon.
“Viktor?” Yuuri muttered softly in disbelief. His head whipped up, scanning the skies in desperation.
His beloved’s dulcet voice shouted out again, this time from behind. “Yuuri!”
Yuuri craned his neck backwards, and almost slipped off his perch on Charizard in utter shock.
Viktor was right there. Right in front of him. Wearied but alive and whole.
And also perched atop Articuno. Its regal head swivelling slightly to give an assessing side eye towards Yuuri and his two dragons.
Yuuri instinctively wanted to cow under its imperious stare. But a burning sensation stirred deep in his belly, yawning awake and slithered through his veins. Warming him up. Straightening his posture, as he tilted his head to meet Articuno’s stare head-on, self-assured.
Then he bowed respectfully. Never once breaking eye contact with the majestic beast.
The air stilled around the pair, as if letting silent judgment pass through it. Even Charizard and gyarados hushed, heads having instinctively bowed down in submission to the legendary before them.
Articuno turned its head completely towards Yuuri, its laser sharp attention weighing heavily upon Yuuri’s shoulders. Its gaze cold and assessing.
Articuno tilted its proud head down, a nod of assent of sorts. Before Viktor and Yuuri could process its actions, Articuno whirled towards the furious battle between Moltres and Zapdos. With a powerful beat of its icy blue wings, Articuno soared towards them. Yuuri could barely catch the tail end of Viktor’s shout of, “He loves you! Don’t worry about it!”
It was utter chaos down below. How the power plant was still standing baffled Yuuri, as it suffered through endless attacks from both sides. Unrelenting elemental powers crackled and shot through each crevice, trying to break into the ranks of the enemy.
Yuuri spotted Christophe and his faithful felines erecting protective shields while blasting psychic and dark energy at a group of electrodes and exeggutors who looked ready to detonate at any moment. Yurio was in another corner, with Potya slashing and biting through the horde of victreebels clustering near a darkened entrance. Michele and the twins were airborne, fending off the enemy’s various fearows and pidgeots with equally intense air cutters.
There was another unknown group battling the enemies. Flamethrowers and vine whips keeping the water Pokémon at bay, while the rhyhorns and arcanine charged at another cluster of raticates and arboks.
Not so far off in the distance, Mila and Otabek were engaged in a water and ice battle. The sea was agitated, its waves rocking and crashing into each other violently. Then waves turned to deadly icicles, hurled with lethal precision, with some taking out the land and flying Pokémon that strayed too near the coast.
With land, air and seas occupied with battling Pokémon, Yuuri hesitated. He looked towards where the three giants were duelling it out, then thought better of it. Viktor may be in the thick of the deadliest fights, but he was in the presence of a legendary. A titan who acknowledged Yuuri, and whom Yuuri could trust to keep his beloved safe.
The sea suddenly rumbled and frothed ominously, the currents turning violent and uncontrollable. The water steeds cried in surprise at the sudden turn of events, hurriedly swimming away from the epicentre of a quickly forming whirlpool. The slower ones were unfortunate, flailing in vain as they got sucked into the massive whirlpool.
An eerie howl resounded, a silver horn piercing through the whirlpool. Long and serpentine body, covered with brilliantly sparkling azure scales, slithered from the churning waters and took to the skies. The cerulean pearls hugging its necks and tails glowing a mystical blue.
Brackish-grey thunder clouds started to roll in, darkening the once bright sky. The echoes of the beginning of a storm reverberated, in tandem with the sudden sparks generated by Zapdos. The winds picked up, whistling and howling, sharp enough to cut through unprotected flesh. The temperature dropped, and the cold bit into the skin, harsh and unforgiving.
Dragonair. Although this time, its dark orbs were much more intelligent, much more cunning than the fallen pair from weeks back. Its body much longer and hardened. Older. A fully mature, adult dragonair that held control over the elements with perfect ease.
With a soulful cry, lightning bolts flickered, and hail stones were flung towards Yuuri and his companions. Gyarados created a large Protect, while Charizard let loose a stream of flames that melted the hails that were pelted their way.
Zapdos entered the fray, unleashing limitless streaks of Thunderbolts and an occasional Thunder. Merciless in its assault. Moltres followed suit, taking advantage of the strong winds to spread its flames even further. The hail stones that were once pelting towards Yuuri and the power plants slowed as Articuno sent a barrage of Hail and Icy Wind back to the dragonair.
It was a mighty battle that remained at a stalemate. With one side on the defence and trying to minimise damage while the other being unrelenting in its assault. The Zapdos and dragonair tag team was dangerously powerful enough to hold their ground against the two titans, deterring the rest from straying too close to their battle.
Now, they were preternaturally still. As though they were waiting.
A rumble reverberated through the seas and air. Not from any of the Pokémon present, but from deep within the belly of the maelstrom that kept growing and growing. A terrifying roar had the waters parting, its raw viciousness sending chills down every person’s spines. Dragonair responded in kind.
Yuuri’s blood bubbled and boiled in reaction to the two roars, instinctively drawn to them. As though he understood them, and his blood yearned to be with them. As though sensing his feelings, Charizard and gyarados sent their own roars – challenging and defiant.
A gigantic dragon emerged from the very depths of the whirlpool. Not a dragonair – no. This was a pale orange dragon, its long feelers sensing the air. All four of its limbs adorned with sharp, curved claws. Its leathery wings beat once, twice; propelling its weighty body to where Zapdos and dragonair waited.
Yuuri’s phone started to beep incessantly.
“Mission’s a success! Retreat!”
A loud holler pierced through the skies. Yuuri turned around just to see a pair of men in black protective suit on fearows hurtling past him. Michele, Sara and Emil were hot on their heels, but were forced to stop their pursuit when Zapdos and dragonair sent lightning bolts slashing through the air in a clear warning.
Instinctively, Yuuri started to give chase at their retreating forms, Articuno and Moltres doing the same. But the enemies were quick to dissuade them with powerful Thunder and Hyperbeams that rattled the skies and shook the earth. A few hit too close to home, striking down any of the pidgeots that tried to follow. Gyarados sent back its own hyperbeams, not as strong as but still able to deflect them.
The orange dragon’s cream belly started to glow an incandescent orange, its proud head tilting upwards. Its maw opened to fire the sphere of bright orange energy into the sky. The sphere exploded into smaller ones, raining down rapidly but no less deadly. A meteor shower of draconic energy.
The winds whipped up once again, a colossal hurricane forming at the behest of dragonair. Before it was sent hurling towards them, Zapdos charged it with deadly electrical currents. Forcing them to give up their pursuit.
With a last cry, the three giants took off, followed by an aerial legion of fearows.
Dragonite.
The one sketched in the laboratory reports, pondered upon its existence.
The last dragon the scientists were searching for maniacally.
It was as real as the Triumvirate, and as ferocious as any of them.
And it was now gone. The last two mythical dragons and Zapdos disappeared into the horizon.
Yuuri’s blood churned, pulling his being towards their retreating backs – unsettled.