Dawn light illuminates a dew kissed path through the maze of towering bark, warm and open and endless in its beginnings.

But Angelo isn't here to breathe in the bucolic scents of the morning bathed forest. Nor to bask beneath the sunbeams that manage to pierce through the knotted canopy.

Damp boots, decorated with blades of grass and splashes of mud that serves as proof of his ventures, carry him around the perimeter of the first space-time distortion.

One he'd charted himself, some two weeks ago when it had suddenly bloomed here.

Taking advantage of the dawn silence, the wayfarer had set out to scout the area again, curious to see if anything in the topography had changed.

Searching for hints on whether lightning could strike twice...

And, so far, finding none.

With an unconcerned yawn, Angelo stops beside a tranquil pond where Yanma skirt the surface, rolling a tense shoulder until it gives a satisfying pop.

There was still around half of the distortion surface to cover. Besides, it wasn't the only thing he could gain out of this trip.

Hand retreating into his dark brown leather jacket, fingertips catch on the edge of a small packet of seeds.

Hoenn had a thing for handing out magical plants, it seemed. But this one in particular had caught his attention, it's pink design reminding Angelo of a visit to cait alfric 's forest cabin, long ago.

Crouching, calloused fingertips poke at the soft soil between the old tree roots of the pond-side willow.

It's when his head is down, getting dirt around his short nails, that Angelo becomes aware he's not alone.

Latias oft alerted him to her presence by reaching out with psychic intentions but he, the pilot was coming to learn, needn't.

Even before his shadow blankets over him.

Even before ocean blue rise to meet complex, ruby red.

Angelo knew Latios was there.

Their connected souls, resonating as if crafted from the same stardust, calling out to one another beyond the tangible.

He was still getting used to how weirdly familiar it felt, even in its newness.

“Hey. Here to pitch in?”