Chaser and the Faraway Island

Chaser and Assaulting the Fortress

It took a few minutes of explanation, but Danika was able to attach the sensors to Dragonite. "You shouldn't have to get within firing range. We just need to see each side, okay?"

Dragonite nodded and looked to Ash. He gave her a pat on the side. "You've got this, Dragonite! Just go as fast as you can, okay?"

"Bawoo!"

With a flap of her wings, Ash's Dragonite took to the sky and began her large, lazy circle around the flying fortress, trying to take as many pictures of it as she could.

It was then that everyone saw the first complication headed their way.

Even though the gun turrets turned towards Dragonite threateningly, they didn't fire upon her. Instead, hatches on the sides opened, and an army of Porygon began pouring out, approaching Dragonite as she made her way around and Danika operated the camera from the ground.

"C'mon, Dragonite!" Goh shouted. "You can do it!"
"Dragonite!" Chloe called out.

Ash punched towards the sky. "Alright, Dragonite! Send 'em away with Draco Meteor!"

As she came around the side, Dragonite built up power within her body and launched it towards the hoard of Porygon. The blast exploded into a shower of meteors that all collided with the Porygon and sent them rushing back to the fortress, but Dragonite didn't draw any closer than she needed to and continued to make her way around. Soon, she headed back.

But as she drew closer, it was becoming evident that she wasn't making the trip alone.

Tailing behind her was a single Porygon, flitting through the air with a grace that seemed completely unnatural for the species as Goh had seen it up to this point. They seemed to be flitting behind Dragonite, just out of her gaze to keep from being detected, but more to the point, the Porygon didn't seem aggressive, only following Dragonite at a safe distance.

Dragonite landed right near Ash, but the mysterious Porygon kept moving, and Dragonite finally noticed the Pokémon that had been following her.

"What's that Porygon doing here?" Quillon asked.

Ash shrugged. "I think they just wanted to follow Dragonite."

"Pikachu."

"Pyri!"

The Porygon seemed very curious about Pikachu, tilting their head to and fro.

"As much as I don't want to say it," Chloe said, "it could be sent to spy on us by Lawrence. To make sure we won't get in his way."

Goh appreciated his girlfriend's cautious nature, but he relaxed. "C'mon, this thing isn't here to hurt us. If they were, they'd have been attacking already, right?"

Porygon floated over towards Goh and nodded. "Pyripyri!"

Grookey reached out towards Porygon with his stick. "Grooki!"

"Pyri!" Porygon responded by tapping their arm against the stick, in a move of solidarity.

Even Eevee leapt up, pawing at Porygon, wanting to make a new friend. Porygon floated down to Eevee and began mimicking her, raising their legs when Eevee raised her paws.

Quillon tapped Danika on the shoulder and drew her attention away from the data she was looking over from Dragonite's flight. "That Porygon..." he said. "Doesn't it seem a bit strange?"

Danika watched Porygon continue to play with Grookey and Eevee and a frown came upon her face. "Yeah. Porygon aren't normally quite that expressive."

"What do you mean?" Goh asked, looking at the Chasers.