Just before Novo’s vision faded to black, a strange energy washed over him, shedding the stone off his pelt like scales, allowing him to move and breathe freely once again. He staggered, gasping and gulping for air, and looked up just in time to see Celebi—
Celebi??—flitting about as she gave her parting message before vanishing back through the portal.
Novo shuddered and shook himself. That had been…close. Too close. That was an experience he would be perfectly fine with never repeating. But he was alive and well, and so we’re his teammates, which meant—Wes. Neo. Where—?
He found Wes exactly where he’d last seen him, except instead of stuck on his knees turning to stone, his trainer was now slumped on the ground in a lifeless heap. Novo was at his side before he was even aware of his legs moving, keening and nudging Wes’s still form. He nuzzled Wes’s face, desperate for a reaction or some sign of life—and relaxed slightly when he felt a warm breath against his cheek.
Alive.
He was alive. Novo let out a soft, relieved trill, though it came out quite a bit higher and more strained than he intended. He rasped his tongue over Wes’s face, continuing to bump him with his snout as he did so. He was alive, but why wasn’t he waking up?
“Brother!” Neo’s yowl was close by. Novo glanced up to see him bounding over with wide eyes.
“That was scary! Scary and weird and scary! Are you okay? Where is—” He stopped short, eyes widening even further as he took in Wes’s state.
“What’s wrong? What happened what’s wrong why is he like that what’s wrong with—?”
A ragged groan cut him off. Both brothers looked down at Wes as he stirred. Novo immediately began wagging his tail so fast he was sure it could have propelled him across a lake. He waited eagerly for his human to open his eyes…but instead Wes fell still again. Worry prickled at his pelt.
“What do we do?” Neo’s mew brimmed with fear. Novo looked back up to see his brother watching him anxiously, ears pinned back and tail tucked beneath him.
“Wh—what can we—”
A roar make the ground quiver under Novo’s paws. He bristled and whirled around, watching with both fear and awe as the giant birds fell, only to be replaced with more Legends in their wake. How could they possibly win against someone who seemed to have an endless stream of gods at his mercy?
He crouched protectively over Wes’s frame and snarled, lashing his tail. Neo joined him at his side and yowled a bold challenge at their new opponents, one that almost masked the way his entire body trembled from nose to tail.
Something flickered inside Novo’s chest, the same burning energy he had felt moments before nearly turning to stone. It grew brighter and hotter, rising with the resolution within him: to
protect, to
save, to preserve that which was precious to him—
A sudden flash of light startled him, but before Novo could react, the light brightened and engulfed him in warmth—a sensation he had felt only once before, long ago, and now, somehow, he was feeling again. But how—?
The light faded. Novo blinked, feeling a little awkward and unsteady, but immediately resumed his defensive stance and snarled again—except it was deeper this time. And his mouth felt strange and so did his tails and something was on his back and—
“BROTHER, LOOK!” A roar bellowed beside Novo that made him jump. He glanced over at Neo—or who was
supposed to be Neo, except he was
bigger and had different markings and he—he had—
“You have wings.”
“So do you!” Neo bellowed again, looking remarkably pleased with himself, all his previous fear forgotten.
“We are BIG AND COOL!”
Novo glanced over his shoulder and saw his own pair of wings, black and shaped like they belonged to a Golbat. He unfurled them and gave them a tiny flap. This was…
incredible. What would Wes say if—
Wes. Novo glanced down at his human, and for a panicked second he thought Wes had somehow shrunk—but no, wait, Novo had just gotten bigger, that was why. He leaned down and nudged Wes’s head, causing his trainer to stir again. He seemed close to regaining consciousness, but there was no telling how long that would take.
Novo turned back to Neo, but his brother had already picked up on his intentions. With an excited growl, Neo lashed his tail, and Novo saw his own determination reflected in those eyes. “Let’s FIGHT! We are bigger and stronger and we will make Orzo PAY!”
Novo nodded, curling his lip. “Let’s.”
Neo paused for just a moment to kick Wes’s cheek, then coiled into himself before launching into the air with a mighty flap of his wings. He dove straight for Orzo, soaring as if he’d been flying all his life, and fired two Shadow Balls in rapid succession at the great ghost.
Novo spread his wings—not to take flight, but to shield his incapacitated trainer. He fired a Dark Pulse at Orzo, then flared out a Protect as their other foes raged overhead.
Whatever happened next, they would be right here, protecting their human.
