"GRAAAADOS!"
Gyarados's roar rolled through the clouds.
Armament Haki spread across his massive tail, coating it in a black metallic sheen. With the momentum gained from two Dragon Dances, he surged after the fleeing Alpha and swung with brutal force.
The giant Fearow was too focused on escaping to notice the attack until it was already upon him.
He tried to turn.
Too late.
The armored tail smashed into his side with a thunderous impact.
"KREEEAAAH!"
Blood sprayed from the Alpha's beak as the blow launched him across the sky like a cannonball—straight toward Charizard.
Aaron watched him approach from atop the dragon's back.
"Charizard, catch."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Finish it with Thunder-Flame Dragon King's Roar."
"GRAAAZARD!"
Charizard opened his jaws.
Fire and lightning compressed together before him, rapidly expanding into a blazing sphere surrounded by violent arcs of electricity.
The injured Alpha saw the attack coming, but Gyarados's strike had left him tumbling helplessly through the air.
Terror filled his crimson eyes as the sphere grew larger in his vision.
Then it swallowed him whole.
The explosion lit up the sky.
A powerful shock wave scattered the remaining storm clouds, allowing sunlight to pour across the battlefield. Smoke and sparks rose through the opening as the blast faded.
The Alpha emerged only long enough for his ruined silhouette to become visible.
His plumage had been burned away in several places, and the rest was scorched beyond recognition. His wings no longer responded.
A moment later, the lifeless Pokémon disappeared beneath the clouds.
The battle was over.
...
Cheers erupted throughout the aircraft.
"We won!"
"We're alive!"
"He actually saved us!"
"Aaron, I love you! Have my babies!"
One man grabbed his wife's hands.
"Honey, forget the divorce. We nearly died—I don't want to waste any more time fighting."
Tears filled her eyes.
"You mean that?"
"I do. I swear I'll never cheat again."
Her expression froze.
"Again?"
Several nearby passengers stared at him.
He quietly decided he had said enough.
The little girl from earlier pressed her face against the window.
"Mommy! Mr. Superhero beat the monster!"
"Yes, sweetheart."
Her mother pulled her close, still shaking with relief.
"He saved all of us."
Throughout the aircraft, people embraced, cried, and laughed as the fear that had gripped them finally began to ease.
The past half hour had felt endless. They had gone from irritation to panic, from despair to hope, and then back again so many times that some passengers were too emotionally exhausted to do anything but stare through the windows.
In economy class, the relief came with a heavy dose of shame.
Many of those celebrating Aaron's victory had insulted him earlier. Some had threatened to destroy his future, while others had tried to stop the flight attendant from opening the emergency exit.
A few had even mocked him after he jumped from the aircraft.
Now they understood that, had Aaron listened to them, everyone aboard would probably already be dead.
Their excitement gradually faded into uncomfortable silence.
The masked woman who had been sitting beside him looked even worse.
She had dismissed Aaron as an ordinary, penniless student, remained silent when she knew the elderly couple was lying, and then judged him again when he left the aircraft.
Every decision she had made since boarding now felt humiliating.
...
Outside, Aaron watched the damaged passenger jet continue its slow descent.
The Flame Clouds were still supporting the aircraft, but they could not keep it in the air forever. Gyarados had stabilized the plane and prevented an immediate crash, yet getting hundreds of tons of damaged metal safely onto the ground was another matter entirely.
Aaron took out his phone and called Major Grant.
The line connected after several rings.
"Aaron?"
Major Grant sounded surprised.
"What happened? We just received an emergency alert involving a passenger aircraft."
"That's the plane I'm on," Aaron said. "It was scheduled to arrive at Sealine City Airport around three."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Aaron continued before the officer could interrupt.
"The aircraft has taken too much damage to continue flying under its own power. One of my Pokémon is keeping it aloft with Flame Clouds, and I'm going to tow it the rest of the way."
Major Grant needed a moment to process that.
"Your Pokémon is towing a passenger plane?"
"More or less."
"You're unharmed?"
"I'm fine. The attackers have been dealt with, but the plane is still losing altitude."
Aaron looked toward the distant horizon.
"I need Sealine City Airport to clear an emergency landing area. Remove all aircraft, vehicles, and personnel from the approach path. We won't be able to perform a normal landing."
"We're already heading there," Major Grant replied immediately. "I'll contact airport control and have them prepare the largest available runway."
Relief entered his voice.
"Thank goodness you were aboard that flight."
A passenger jet could weigh well over a hundred tons. Even many Champion-level Pokémon would struggle to control something that large while it was falling through the sky.
Major Grant had no idea which of Aaron's Pokémon could manage it, but this was not the time to ask.
"How long until you reach Sealine City?"
"Approximately half an hour."
"Understood. We'll be ready."
His tone became firm.
"Be careful, Aaron. Getting the plane there means nothing unless you make it back safely too."
"I know."
Aaron ended the call and returned his attention to the aircraft.
Even with the Flame Clouds wrapped around the fuselage and wings, it was still descending faster than he wanted.
They needed more support—and something capable of helping control the aircraft during the final approach.
Aaron drew another Poké Ball.
"Come out, Sceptile."
Red light flashed across the sky.
...