"Sedulus," Ingress says, patting the thestral's flank once more, "if you want to fly a bit, you can. Come back, and we'll feed you more treats."

The thestral pauses, whickers a raspy wheeze, and then it walks towards the other end of the paddock. Its magnificent wings unfurl to their full span, and with a huge flap that stirs up clouds of dust, it steps forward and lifts off, soaring into the sky.

"So pretty. I love their wings."