Yes, yes yes! I’ve finally finished my trilogy just in time for my Birthday to post! If you didn’t read my other fic, On the Wings of Council, this is like a movie of it. Here’s the low down. Every year there’s a big competition to earn the right of an official trainer of the Johto League. Being one of the ten, I chose, Fury, a Cyndaquil, but in doing so I really pissed of Tobias, Prof Ivy’s son. Unmindful I left on my journey but just before I reached Violet, I met up with Tobias again and he beat the crap out of me. In my defence Fury evolved but Tobias still made of with my Hoot Hoot. Later I met up with Sumalee and her Totodile Maverick and learnt that Tobias had joined Team Rocket and hooked up with the devious, Angel. Since then I’ve been falling from the top floor of Faulkners Gym, forest fires, bats, capture, and becoming closer to my goal all the time, to be the greatest flying Master of all time and to capture the Winged Council, the ten legendary birds, I made some up myself, that ruled the Pokemon world. Some of my created Pokemon include, Articolt, the male ice type for of Rapidash. Ponyta, Rapidash and Zefire- it’s winged evolution are all female. Artico, Articolt are all male. Aquatro, a water type bird, Echotrance, the legendary Grass type of the Winged Council, Celestrial, Dark type that looks like an eagle also member of WC. Anymore info, just ask. 
Plus I’ve got to thank Sumalee who is an absolute legend giving me her exact opinion of what she thought. Now onto the long awaited…….. 
 
[color=green] [size=7] [font=Viner Hand ITC] [centre] Echotrance Trilogy  [/size]  [/centre]
 
[B] The Beginning [/B] 
[B] [size=4] Just Wing It [/B] [/size]
 
[color=green] I pushed though the undergrowth, leaves slapping my face and twigs barely missing my eyes. The floor was uneven and I constantly tripped as the vines all had minds of their own and coiled around my ankles, pulling my to the ground again and again.
"Fury! Come back, it won't do any good if I lose you too!" She heard me and slowed down, but only a little.
Four days since the Everstone incident and Fury had been absolutely impossible. She had been going through different stages. First was self pity. She dragged herself along behind me when we first entered Ilex Forest, always whimpering to herself about how she's never reach her final form. 
Second day it got worse, denial. Fury insisted on battling every Pokemon we saw, claiming if we tried really hard she'd evolved. It may have been all right for Suma and Cal, who'd proved me wrong about not being able to catch water types in a forest, they barely had to lift a finger to catch the well worn out Pokemon, but it was frustrating for me. I was running out of potions and revives to keep her going and she ignored my every battle command. 
The third day was the hardest yet, blame. She accused everyone, Cal for accepting the challenge, Maverick for going for the Everstone, Suma for not training Maverick well enough. But most of all me, me for not stopping her, me for not evolving her sooner, me for letting Tobias throw it. 
Today it had been self doubt. She spent the entire day subjecting herself to my every whim and not doing anything I didn't tell her to do, trying to be the perfect Pokemon. I tried my best to explain to her that I wouldn't trade her for any Typhlosion. She came back about how I'd traded Talon for Talorn and only tried harder.
Then as we had set up camp beside the path and were eating our meagre meal before the campfire, the familiar lullaby played through the air just as it had the day Chilun evolved. Fury saw her chance to regain her dignity and took off in the direction of the voice yelling behind her. "Don't worry Topaz, I'll get 'em for you!" 
Of course I had to go after her and that meant Suma and Cal had to go after me. I had it easier then my to tall friends and flitted through the darkness only running into the ‘occasional’ tree, but even I had a hard time keeping up with Fury. She leapt from branch to branch barely keeping up with the winged spectre sailing through the shadows.
Then up ahead I saw Fury hesitate for a moment. She stepped back wards and took a running jump. As she began her descent she snatched a passing vine in her jaws which swung her forward. The vine reached its peak and she let go, landing hard. She swivelled her head to see if I was still behind her and once that was confirmed, she spurred deeper into the forest.
"Fury!" I cried, but then skidded to an immediate halt. I glanced down and saw how close 
I'd come to plunging down the 6m ravines. I swallowed hard and shook my head to keep my minds eye from imagining what could have happened.
I spun around as Cal crashed through the scrub. I waved my arms wildly, trying to get him to stop. He saw me, but not in time. Cal slammed into me and I teetered over the edge of the ravine. Cal reached out and grabbed one of my hands and steadied me. We both breathed a sigh of relief, but before we could step away from the edge, Sumalee burst from the underbrush and just like Cal she didn't understand what was happening until it was to late. She collided with Cal and Cal hit me. Before I knew it, my feet had slipped from solid ground and I hung in midair. I was dashed against the rock face with stunning force and everything went hazy. I groaned and my grip on Cal's hand loosened.
"Sumalee, help me pull her up!" I heard Cal groaned likewise. "Gawd Topaz, for a someone so tiny, you sure do weigh a lot!" I was putting horrible strain on his arm. There was a hard yank and my hold slipped again. A sharp, "Cal! Not so rough or you'll rip her arm from her socket," and slowly but surely they hauled me up. The sharp edges of the rocks had left long grazes down by bare skin.
We lay on the ground panting for a while until I remembered what we were chasing. I quickly got to my feet and searched the forests canopy. I grasped a thick green vine and put my weight on it. When I was sure it could hold my weight and was secure to the roof of the forest, I looked at Cal, Suma and Maverick. Maverick jumped from Suma's arms and took the bottom of the vine. Suma strode forward and placed her hands above mine. 
Cal stared at it suspiciously and finally placed his above Suma's. We stepped up to the edge and looked down.
"Think of it as exploring your horizons," Suma provided.
"Shut up Sumalee. No ones in the mood for your 'If life gives you lemons make lemonade' philosophy right now," I said irritated. I lifted my foot into the air and held on for dear life.
"AHHHHHIE AHHHHIE AHHHHH!" As the vine reached the pinnacle of its oscillation, it snapped and we fell to the other side in a helpless heap. I crawled from beneath the tangle of arms and legs and tried to figure which way Fury went. Her sleek body did little damage to the foliage so it would be almost impossible to track her. 
After a moments thought I released Artemis and Cal released Azumarril. Artemis the Eevee quickly picked up the scent while Azumarril was homing in on Fury's footsteps. Due to their enthusiasm, we were racing through the forest once more. As it became obvious we were getting closer, low thuds and shaking of the trees, we recalled out Pokemon and continued by sound. Suma was tiring quickly, not used to this long distance sprinting, not that I was having it easy myself, and Cal found it hard squeezing between the trunks of the trees. I slowed my pace as the trees shook harder and dead branches fell form the canopy, showering me with leaves. Between the umbrae of the night I saw flashes of colour and tongues of flame dancing among the shadows.
I swept back a veil of vines to find a clearing similar to the one we'd left behind. I cursed because we had didn't have a Chansey of us finding our camp again and our prospects of getting out of here ourselves were quickly becoming bleaker and bleaker.
Weaving in and out of the moonlight was Fury breathing hard. She backed against a tree and drew a huge breath. Beads of sweat dripped down her body, hissing as the flames evaporated it. Her eyes were wide as she watched vigilantly every movement in the trees around her.
Sumalee bounded up behind me with Maverick at her heels. She gasped loudly and I saw Fury's ears flick in our direction but then turned intent on another. Suma put her hand against a tree and squinted at the trees trying to see Fury's adversary. Cal crept up behind us, giving me a quick glance and shifted it to watch Fury too. He inhaled sharply and pointed to where he was looking. At least two-dozen silver eyes gleamed just behind Fury.
"Behind you!" I yelled, not only surprising her into springing away from the tree but the eyes behind her. Fury leaned forward and growled in a threatening manner as she saw the multi-eyed creature behind her.
It stepped out of the darkness, head held high. I saw that the eyes weren't eyes, but patterns on its tail. The Pokemon resembled a peacock not much larger then from my elbow to my wrist, though its tail vaunted in a wide arc behind it. Its plumage was beautiful. Vibrant hues painted its body the colour of dusk. Not just the royal blue or the pastel pink, but the actual sunset. At the base of its breast was a large burnt orange disk that resembled the sun. The orange evanesced into a golden yellow, the yellow into a sanguinary crimson, the scarlet faded into an eggplant purple until its head was a spectacular midnight blue. Raging red eyes were hidden amid the sleek blue feathers. 
Its wings were elegant and perfectly formed. The tips of its feathers were tongues of violent red flames draping down while the contours were a deep sapphire flecked with silver. Its tail was stunning. Had I not seen the head and known that dusk had passed over an hour ago, I could have sworn it was eventide. The same sun disk on its breast decorated the base of its tail until it blended into the lapis blue. The silver eyes that had glittered in the dark were actually ardent stars flickering in the moons glow.
I had seen the pattern somewhere before. I closed my eyes as my memory returned to Falkners study. Of course, Celestrial! As I looked closer, I recognised the predatory beak and the probing eyes. Though smaller then Fury, it had the same aura of power.
"You? Challenge me?" I gapped. The bird spoke actual English, not the gabble that made up its name. His ruby red eyes scoured the trees till the rested on us. He smirked. "Ahh trainers. Well I don't got time to waste. I got more important things to do." His husky, throaty voice was tinged with anxiety and the way his eye's kept darting behind was making me uneasy. He beat his wings and flew effortlessly into the air, but not before Fury dashed across the clearing and latched onto the birds lustrous tail. She swung back and forth as the sunset Pokemon struggled to hold himself up as well as the stowaway. Fury thrashed to bring her opponent back to earth.
Suddenly the bird gave a strangled cry and tumbled to the ground. Fury was so startled she released her grip on the feathers and fell head over heels to land beside him. The Sunset bird leapt back and vigorously preened his tail feathers, murmuring to himself. 
Once all the plumes were back in place, he glared venomously, eyes blazing.
"You wanna battle!" he hissed. "I'll give ya a battle. You'll be sorry you ever laid eyes on this Shirasharmi."
I silently found my Pokedex and muttered into the censor. "Shirasharmi."
"Unknown identity,"  it intoned. I guessed we'd just have to wing it.
"Fury-" I started but Suma touched my shoulder.
"Don't. She has to have pride in herself again and this is the way she has chosen to do it." I nodded reluctantly but still held out my Pokedex.
The Shirasharmi took to the air again, but not to flee. He pumped his wings furiously, whipping the air about it into frenzy. The winds picked up speed and could now take hold of debree on the forest floor, tossing it at Fury. Fury stood firm against the raging storm, head held high in defiance. She glared at him with the same intensity.
Without warning Shirasharmi snapped its wings together with a deafening crack and the winds ceased to whine around our ears. A glimmer of respect twinkled in his eyes and they hardened once more. Before he react or defend himself, Fury hurled her own tornado of flame. It roared around Shirasharmi, hiding him beneath the shroud of the inferno. The tongues licked the air hungrily before returning to feast on the Pokemon within.
Suddenly a set of blazing wings cut through the storm and brushed away the sweltering flames that threatened to engulf it. Shirasharmi's vivid plumage was choked with soot and grim and the fringes of his delicate tail were severely charred. Shirasharmi gasped for clean air.
Fury held a triumphant grin but it wavered as Shirasharmi shook himself and turned to face her again.
Shirasharmi seethed. He breathed in short sharp breaths as he raged at the indignity of being caught of guard. Violent violet flames flared around him and erupted skyward with every flap of his illustrious wings. The orange disks on its breast and tail had expanded and flushed a bloody crimson. His ruby red eyes blazed with their own angry light until the pupil was intangible. Again I saw his proud heritage.
"I was angry at ya before Quilava, but now I'm really pissed off!"
The aura of flames thundered to life and radiated a torrid yellow. They leapt across the clearing and snatched at Fury but she easily twisted away. 
"What kind of attack is that?" Sumalee mumbled in awe. My Pokedex beeped an explanation.

"Solar Flare. An attack used by the rare Solar type Pokemon Ho-oh."

She evaded each burst of light. Rolling under, leaping over or firing a flame shield to hold off the hail of sunlight for a moment to escape. Each attempt made the bird more enraged then before, and each narrow escape after another made Fury's ire more fierce then her fire. She dodged her way closer and closer to Shirasharmi until she was just beneath him. She vaulted into the air and took Shirasharmi by his delicate throat, wrestling him to the ground and ignoring the sting of the amethyst flame.
They now resorted to physical attacks. Fury slashed and snapped with her tiny maw while Shirasharmi tore with his razor sharp talons and jabbed his predatory beak in Fury's eyes. Each seeking to gain the upper hand or looking for a gap in the others defence to use the finishing blow.
"Ya mine!" Shirasharmi sneered as he had Fury on her back, his knifelike talon resting beneath her collar and onto her bare neck. Fury shrank away and desisted struggling lest she be the one to cut her own throat. 
"Say goodbye to ya trainer." He pressed against Fury a thin red line appearing but before it could go any further Fury opened her mouth wide and released a cluster of stars. They burst, blinding Shirasharmi in an explosion of golden sparks.
Shirasharmi flew off Fury and high into the canopy, hissing and spitting. Now his plumage was almost overcome by the tempestuous red with only hint of the blue it once was. His tail flourished behind him, fanning the air lightly.
"Ya wretch! Ya gonna pay!" he screamed. Shirasharmi wings beat feverishly and his 
eyes had a maddened gleam. 
 "Put it on my tab!" Fury snarled back.
Shirasharmi shrieked and gave an almighty pump of his tail. A blaze of sunset light tore through the forest ripping trees of their branches and knocking them to the ground. The earth quaked and nothing seemed stable. I ignored it all, all I saw was Fury cowering as the tsunami of radiance threatened to overwhelm her. My parents had called that type of concentration, 'being in the eye of the storm', when you can focus on something so strongly that nothing else around you seems to exist.
"Fury!" I screamed. I broke from where I stood and leapt into the clearing hoping to save her. But hope is the denial of reality; there was no way I could save her from such a force. I skidded across the dirt and snatched Fury into my arms.
Fury opened her eyes, seeing my only for a second before realizing both our lives were in jeopardy and focused on Shirasharmi's attack. She sundered from my grasp and stood defiant. She roared and a huge mushroom flame escaped her mouth curling upward. The flame twisted its shape until it manifested into the awesome fiery form of Phaenix, the bird of the Rebirth Flame.
The two powers collided, struggling against each other. They weaved and snaked and entwined and writhed until the two seemed one. A huge ball of blue and red energy whirled in above the clearing. Streaks of blue and red lightning crackled through the air. 
Behind me a tree split in two as blue thunder ripped down the middle. I whirled around to see Cal push Suma aside and the half crash where they had been a second ago.
A peal of thunder echoed through the forest and shock waves pulsed through the ground. 
I screamed again and again as the lightning struck closer and closer. 
Suddenly, my world was rocked by the exploded.
 
I forced my eyes open only to be blinded by the dawn. I pulled myself onto erratic feet and leaned against a tree. As my vision cleared and the fog that had wrapped itself around my brain evaporated I saw that I had been heaved a fair way from the clearing, or what was left of it.
I glanced and saw Cal and Suma huddling beneath a bush with Maverick shaking them vigorously and Fury had her guts wrapped around a sapling that had survived the blast and let me tell you not much had.
After a few minutes of searching I found my small supplies bag which carried Potions and Antidotes and such, I carry everywhere in the branches of a tree. Too tired to climb it myself, I released Talorn and had her bring it down to me. I shuffled through it and found what was left of my supplies that were supposed to last a fortnight. I found the plastic bottle labelled MaxRevive and squirted it in Fury's mouth.
Fury blinked her eyes open and moaned. I proceeded to examine Fury's injuries. The wounds she received from Shirasharmi were already closing and mending themselves with the help of the MaxRevive and the purple fur was sprouting from the bare skin. The burns from the blast vanished. I breathed a sigh of relief that she'd be OK. 
Once I was sure she was comfortable, I went to wake up Suma and Cal. Annoyingly, 
Sumalee was fresh as a Sunflora and leapt up claiming it was the best night's sleep she's had since starting her journey. Maverick agreed enthusiastically. Cal on the other hand refused to get up. I noticed he had a huge bulge on his head that looked like it was still swelling. Suma explained a loose branch in the explosion had hit him and she'd dragged him under the shelter of the bushes. She must have been hit by some flying debree too because she couldn't remember anything after that. After a few swift kicks to the ribs it was obvious he wasn't getting up soon and Suma convinced me to leave him be.
 "Topaz!" Talorn hissed from where she perched. "You should see this!" 
"Yeah yeah." I got up from where I knelt and followed Talorns gaze to the clearing. 
"What? I don't see anything."
 "Then move closer, dear. Only move very quietly." She emphasized the word very. I shrugged to Suma and crept stealthily forward. She followed covertly behind me, head down. When we were hiding safely behind a fallen tree, I glanced up at Talorn who had perched on a near by branch. She jerked her head in the direction of the clearing. I muttered to myself and peeked over the leaves.
I choked.
She was there just as I remembered her. Her black antennae like feathers swayed gently. 
Vibrant leaf like green and red plumage rustled in the breeze. Her tail arched above her head to fall at her feet. Her delicate well-formed wings cradled the unconscious 
Shirasharmi lovingly. All the plants seemed to reach for her as she sat in a patch of clover unmarred by the flames of the explosion. She raised her head as she heard me gasp. 
I panicked. "Which way to Golden Rod City?"
Echotrance looked slightly startled but pointed in the direction of the path. She stared at me before returning to nurse Shirasharmi. It didn't take a doctor to realize Shirasharmi was shattered. One of his wings twisted at an odd angle. A long jagged crack ran the length of his beak. Much of his feathers were either ripped out or burnt beyond recognition. His long luxuriant tail was nothing but a stub, a shadow of its former glory.
Suma jabbed me sharply with her elbow. "Do something," she whispered sharply and poked the MaxRevive bottle in my hand. 
I raised my eyebrows. She wanted me to get close to the legendary Wings of Council member. One wrong move and I 'd be skittled by the 4 meter tall Legendary Bird for sure.
"Your the one who wants to catch the Wings of Council."
I favoured her with a dark look and stepped cautiously over the tree, edging towards Echotrance. Gone was the mischievous grin to be replaced by one of suspicion and mistrust. She watched my every motion as I moved closer still. I clutched the MaxRevive tightly in both hands and a trembled. The revive was probably the only thing keeping her from smashing me into the ground, the Phaenix had utterly razed Shirasharmi.
Now that I was next to the broken bird, I could hear his gurgling breath become weaker and weaker. Blood flecked his beak and his shallow breathing was unnerving.
"Hurry, please." Echotrance implored. Her eyes were hopeful as I squirted the remaining liquid into his mouth. The was only a few millilitres left and I prayed there was enough to take effect, my life depended on it as well as Shirashami's.
As the last of the Revive trickled down his throat, a coughing fit seized his chest. He convulsed wildly in Echotrance's wings and his broken wing flailed about. As the coughing died so did Shirasharmi's breath. 
I cold, heavy silence over took the clearing. I held my own breath willing Shirasharmi to breath but to no avail. Still the quiet of the forest suffocated us. A minute went by and still his chest was still. A single tear slid down my cheek as it became more and more doubtful he would inhale ever again.
Suddenly, Shirasharmi drew a long rasping breath. As the air entered his body it frantically tried to knit itself back together. His wings and ribs set and repaired themselves. His soft glossy feathers smothered the burnt ones and his beautiful tail cascaded down past his feet and down to the ground where it fanned the air. Finally his eyes fluttered open.
"You!" he cried as his eyes focused on me. "Ya...."
"Saved your life," Echotrance interjected smoothly. Her eyes shone brightly now that 
Shirasharmi was all right. She gazed at me with deep gratitude even though I was the one that caused it.
The realization finally came over me that I was next to a member of the Wings of Council. 
My eyes scanned every detail of her magnificent form and then sighed with content, though my desire didn't. My hand moved carefully to one of my empty Pokeballs but the click as I removed it from its clip alerted her to what I planned to do.
"You know as well as I that won't work," she said softly. My hand dropped disappointed to my side but reached eagerly for my Pokedex. 
"Echotrance the Guardian Pokemon. This bird is said to be the Guardian of the Ilex forest. The ancient Pokemopolis as the goddess of the harvest worshipped it. As it passes over the land, flowers burst into bloom." 
I watched Echotrance with a new wonder as she rocked Shirasharmi. She still nursed 
Shirasharmi though he struggled to get up. He reminded me of me when my mother tried to brush my unruly hair. I laughed.
"I better get going," I said sadly. "The Pokemon League waits for nobody." I turned and started back towards the path to Golden Rod and prayed we didn't get lost.
'Wait!" I turned back to face Echotrance. Her eyes were now wide and a fearful expression played her features. "Help us, please. They've caught Celibi. They've caught the Guardian of Time...." 
 
 
 OK people, I know it’s not much of a beginning but it definitely gets better! Keep reading!