Stratospheric Edge. 1964.
The skies screamed past the pilot of the X-15 hypersonic aircraft named 'Icarus-7'. A very ominous name to give a flying machine in the pilot's humble opinion.
Major Arthur Vance, the pilot of the X-15, could not supress his awe at the scenery. But military protocol held as he checked in with ground control as was required.
"Vance to Goldstone. Reaching 280,000 feet. The sky is turning black. I see the curvature. I have reached the target location."
The secret ground control station set up specifically for this mission at Goldstone, California, was buzzing with activity as Dr. Aris Thorne stared at the instruments with a cold glint in his eyes, anticipating what was to happen next.
"Copy, Icarus-7. Stay at that altitude and continue with phase two."
"Copy that. Deploying payload."
Arthur activated the deployment protocol, making the X-15's cargo bay open. However, instead of dropping the 'spy equipment' as it was supposed to, nothing happened.
Instead, a strange, pulsing vibration started to rattle his craft, making the pilot panic a little.
"Goldstone! Equipment failure! I repeat! I have equipment failure! The payload did not drop-"
"Calm down, Arthur. That is exactly what was supposed to happen. Everything is going according to plan."
Arthur's blood ran cold at those words, realizing that he had just become a guinea pig without consent.
He immediately tried to change course, but the controls would not move. Unfortunately for the pilot, there were built-in locks within the controls that ground control could trigger at any moment, meant specifically to keep him from panicking and going off course.
"Arthur. I promise you that you will not be harmed and will return safely to land. However, right now, you are part of a confidential experiment. One that you will never speak about after this is over."
"Goldstone. Thorne. Just what are you-"
"Careful now. There is no time for personal enquiries. Our conversation is currently being recorded and will be sent to the President and the Premier of the USSR."
Finally, Arthur suppressed his fear and anger as his training took over. Yet, the jovial tone he had until now left him as he spoke neutrally.
"Understood. Awaiting further instructions."
The craft continued to vibrate at a specific frequency of the device strapped to its belly. Its nickel-chrome body shuttering with each 'pulse' of whatever device the lunatics stuck in his machine.
But his curiosity would not last long as Dr. Aris's voice came back on the coms. His tone full of glee and anxiety as he spoke quickly.
"We have contact with the target. 3 o'clock. It's holding a steady Mach 10."
Before Arthur could question what the scientist meant, he saw the 'target'.
Breath left him as terror consumed him at the sight.
A colossal emerald serpent, so long that he could not even fathom something that big even existing. Its shimmering scales and plates reflected the sunlight to form a strange glow while the golden ring patterns across its body literally glowed with power.
Its colossal yellow eyes stared down at the plane he was in with what Arthur could only call amusement and hints of anger.
"Icarus-7! Proceed with phase 3. I repeat. Initiate phase 3!"
'Phase 3? Oh. Right.'
Despite being lost in the fear and beauty of the beast he had just witnessed, his training ensured that he followed orders without question.
So, even without knowing what he was doing, he hit the switch named 'MG'.
And immediately regretted the decision.
The tip of his craft literally exploded as a long harpoon line projectile shot out, aiming straight for the beast's body, while the high-tension cable went taut behind the lead-zinc projectile.
Unfortunately for the scientist who designed this weapon designed to strike the Sky King and shear off one of his scales, Rayquaza was no mere beast without intelligence.
He saw the projectile coming long before it even left the nose of the craft.
With a lazy barrel roll and dipping below, he avoided the projectile completely, letting it drag in the air for a bit before the automated systems within the tool activated, reeling the harpoon back into a secure chamber that detached itself from the plane.
As the detached capsule fell at terminal velocity, it would open a parachute at a suitable altitude and land safely just as it was designed.
By this point, Arthur had already realized that he was a sacrificial pawn. The moment Icarus-7's nose had exploded out, he knew that the plane would crash soon enough. And based on what he had seen so far, this design was intentional.
They wanted him to die, taking the secret of the beast with him to his death, while the two superpowers made off with their loot.
He laughed ruefully as he watched the altitude quickly drop on the instruments, knowing that he was going to die soon.
He could try to use the emergency escape system, but knowing what he knew now, there was no doubt that it was probably sabotaged as well.
Thinking about his baby girl waiting for him back home, tears streamed down his face as his craft continued to fall.
"Sorry, Samantha. Looks like daddy is going to break his promise."
Suddenly, the comms started to crackle with static as he felt a sudden jolt.
Thinking that this is the end, Arthur closed his eyes, unwilling to face his end.
Yet, as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, he finally opened his eyes, and witnessed a wondrous scene that would remain with him for the rest of his life.
A localized Aurora enveloped his craft as the beast somehow levitated the X-15 in the air by its side, flying lazily through the air westwards.
The pilot did not know that the 'laziness' that he saw was but his own perspective. In truth, they were travelling at a steady Mach 40 through the atmosphere, a speed that should have vaporized the X-15 through sheer friction.
Then, the comms crackled again as a new voice, this one much older than Dr. Aris, spoke with an amused tone.
"Quite the magnificent sight, is he not?"
"G-Goldstone?"
"Yes. This is still Goldstone ground control. However, Dr. Aris has been relieved of his post at the moment. I am Dr. Kaito."
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Dr. Kaito smiled as he cut off the communications mid-protest from the pilot, knowing that he was in good hands.
After all, whose hands could be better than the Green Sun himself?
He absentmindedly rubbed the green spiral on his golden ring, finding solace in the specific frequency the ring hummed at when brushed with a finger, thanks to the microscopic grooves engraved within it.
An ancient tradition derived from nearly a millennium.
"Send the others to trail the Green Sun to the drop point. Once Arthur Vance has safely landed, bring him back home for protection. How goes the retrieval of his daughter?"
The man behind him, wearing a black uniform adorned with emerald scale-like patterns, bowed.
"Went off without a hitch, Elder Kaito. She is already on a plane back to Hoenn with one of our female operatives."
Elder Kaito of the Outer tribe of Hoenn nodded in delight.
"Good. Dr. Aris?"
"You were right about your hunch, Elder. We found this on him and every other member of the staff here."
The man took out a pendant that had a crimson, stylized 'M' symbol shaped like a mountain.
Elder Kaito sighed at the sight.
"Well, I guess it was a good thing that we mobilized as quickly as we did."
A glint of ice-cold rage flashed through his eyes as he turned away and headed towards the exit.
"Clean this up. Make it look like an accident."
"Yes, Elder."
That night, a large group of armed forces would rush to the Goldstone ground control after they lost contact with it for more than a few hours. However, all they found there was ashes and smoke.
A fire had broken out in the facility, burning it to the ground, shortly after the Icarus-7 was 'lost' in the upper atmosphere.
There were no survivors of the fire.
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