A pillar of flame pierced the sky, erupting into a burst of fireworks midair. Before the Rocket Troopers could even react, Mirage Beam and Bubble Beam followed in quick succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Having run rampant outside Pallet Town for decades, the Troopers had never seen anything like this. Frozen in midair, their fingers loosened on the triggers.
Boom!
Another brilliant firework exploded in the sky. Luke was about to strike again when a familiar voice cut through his focus.
"Move out of the way!"
Propelling off one foot, Luke leapt several meters, forced to pause his attack. He looked up at Kirlia, who had called out the warning. She had placed her left hand in front of her right arm, pushing it toward the spot where Luke had just stood.
In midair, the continuously firing Mirage Beam swept across with Kirlia's motion, knocking every unlucky Trooper it touched straight out of the sky.
Watching Kirlia transform into a magical artillery turret, Luke glanced down at his own hand, wreathed in flames. He paused for a moment, then raised his right arm.
Suddenly, the beams dancing through the sky gained a companion.
Noticing the extra fire dragon in the sky, Kirlia turned to look at Luke and caught his raised thumb. Absorbing his gesture, she looked back at the battlefield, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
She could not lose to her human!
With that thought, Kirlia intensified her Mirage Beam output.
The purple and crimson dragons wove through the air. Any Trooper daring to come near was swatted down like a fly, helpless to resist. In no time, under the combined assault of Kirlia and Luke, the surviving Troopers dwindled to a fraction of their original numbers.
"My boosters are losing pressure!"
"Their anti-air fire is too strong!"
Starting with the first Trooper who twisted and fled, the second, third, and fourth the groups that had once rallied around their fallen comrades now scattered in panic as well.
"Kirlia! The bag!"
Seeing the Troopers begin to retreat, Luke did not annihilate them completely. But there were too many fleeing, and he could no longer locate the initial thief. He called on Kirlia, his Psychic-type ally, for assistance.
As soon as Luke spoke, Kirlia understood his intent. Her psychic energy swept across the fleeing Troopers, quickly pinpointing the thief who had abandoned his companions.
Just as she prepared to launch Mirage Beam toward him, a pair of small hands blocked her path.
"Lulu! What are you doing?!"
Primarina, who had stopped attacking from the start of the aerial battle, grabbed her friend's arm, afraid Kirlia would accidentally destroy the bag along with the thief. Seeing Kirlia's perplexed expression, Primarina felt a warmth in her chest.
"Lulu, you're going to destroy the bag too if you're not careful!"
After Luke's words, Primarina no longer opposed attacking the Rocket Troopers, but that did not mean her mind existed solely for the thrill of battle. At the current width of Kirlia's Mirage Beam, the bag would be ruined the moment the beam struck the thief.
"Primarina, let go!"
To Primarina's surprise, Kirlia resisted for the first time instead of obeying immediately. Struggling against her friend's grip, Kirlia's gaze locked on the thief about to escape, and her words came faster than usual.
"If I don't attack, he'll get away. Don't worry, I'll aim carefully!"
"Why are you so stubborn!!"
Watching Kirlia insist on targeting the thief with Mirage Beam, Primarina's frustration grew. It wasn't that she didn't want her to fight, but why use a beam that could ruin the bag?
"Kirlia, can you teleport to that Trooper's location?"
Noticing the tension, Luke jumped into the conversation.
"He's flying too far. I'd need at least two teleports to catch him, and… if any of the other fleeing Troopers see me, they'll attack immediately."
As a Pokémon naturally capable of teleportation, Kirlia had considered using it to retrieve her bag. But the thief had flown too far. To catch him, she would inevitably appear directly below the fleeing Troopers, and without a moment to cast Reflect for protection, she would be pummeled by panicked fire from above.
"Can your teleport carry someone with you?"
Luke surveyed the sky. Even though he hadn't yet located the bag-stealing thief, the fleeing Troopers had become a natural barrier, blocking Kirlia's pursuit.
"Yes, but Luke, you "
Before she could finish, Luke raised a hand to cut her off. He gave her a reassuring thumbs-up, encouraging her to act without fear.
"You handle the fleeing Troopers. Kirlia, focus on that one guy. And Primarina, if you know Icy Wind, use it on the Troopers after we teleport."
Seeing Luke's confidence, Kirlia lowered her gaze slightly. When she looked up again, her decision was made.
"…Hold my hand."
Even knowing Luke could be at risk, and not wanting him harmed, Kirlia grasped his hand. Together, human and Pokémon vanished in a flash of light.
Watching Luke and Kirlia disappear, Primarina pursed her lips. She knew time was precious, and without a word, she spread her arms toward the fleeing Troopers.
Weightless, heavy, dizzy Luke had prepared for the teleport, yet when it ended, none of the discomfort he expected appeared. Instead, the fleeing Troopers were startled by the sudden appearance of Luke and Kirlia.
"Clear the area!"
Someone shouted. The previously fleeing Troopers raised their guns again, firing at Luke and Kirlia.
Luke had already prepared. He slammed his fist into the ground. As bullets flew, a wall of flames erupted from the earth, blocking all attacks.
Seeing Luke's defense in action, Kirlia wasted no time. Taking a deep breath, she teleported again, moving toward the distant thief.
Luke ignored the flashes beside him, his focus on the Troopers below. In his mind, he began counting silently.
One…
Two…
Three…
Whoosh!
The icy wind cut through the sky, forcing the Troopers to cease fire.
'Good job, Primarina!'
Praising her silently, Luke pulled his hand free from the ground. Using the brief opening created by the Troopers' hesitation, he transformed again, finally testing the limits of his current form.
Raising both arms, flames surged from his clenched fists. He took a deep breath and spun on the spot.
The fire and icy wind gradually subsided, and then two spiraling columns of fire shot skyward. They spun faster and faster until, at last, they became a massive tornado of flame.